Wednesday Update

The feeling around camp this morning is really great. The Dining Hall is getting louder (the first day always has a subdued volume level), the songs are being sung with enthusiasm, bugles and bells prompt immediate squeals of delight as girls run full speed to the next thing with huge smiles on their faces. Classes start promptly and with appropriate intensity (two weeks is not very long to do everything that we want to do in our activities) but also with a lot of joking around (there is always a “would be” entertainer in every class). Counselors are relaxed and smiling (Main Camp is comprised of a mostly teen age group… just seeing so many young campers makes us smile a lot for they are so cute!). Life is good.

We enjoyed a fabulous breakfast of eggs and hash browns, but the star of the show was the Fruit Bar. Our new Salad Bar has been one of the most appreciated improvements of 2015 for it not only gave us a lot more room (three times as much room as the old salad bar room), it also allowed for three very large “super bars” that have both hot and cold sections. The kitchen now has the ability to serve remarkable “extras” at every meal. At breakfast that means that our Fruit Bar is better than ever (Today we served Cantaloupe, Honey Dew, Watermelon, Blueberries, Blackberries, Strawberries, Greek Yogurt, Granola, Oatmeal, Hard Boiled Eggs, and Soy Butter… I went through very late in the meal and EVERYTHING was still available in Large quantities). What a great way to start the day!

Breakfast Club today focused on Social Growth for the final time (tomorrow we move on to mental growth). Yesterday I encouraged the girls to smile a lot, all the time! Smiling is an easy way to make others feel like talking to you, it is a Greystone tradtion! Today I encouraged the girls to be unselfish with their friendships. To be aware of and interested in the people that are around you, not to make everything about just what YOU want and feel. Unselfishness is the secret of Greystone and I work it into the little growth talks at Breakfast Club. These simple lessons of camp are valuable and true.

I will write briefly on an activity area every day… for I know many of you are new to Greystone and don’t know about many of the details that make camp fun. Today I mention Farm & Garden! The girls really love this activity area… it is beautiful for it is at my house! We transformed our back yard into the ultimate “urban garden”. There are ten raised beds that are quite literally bursting with vegetables, beans, carrots, lettuce, herbs, and flowers; hundreds of blueberry bushes (the blueberries are perfect this time of year); rabbits and chickens finish out the “education and entertainment” options. The counselors teach about gardening and animal care, the girls harvest and eat things from the garden, and they even do cooking (making salsa fresh from the garden is a specialty). How could a camper not LOVE this class!

The weather today promises to be even better than yesterday! Sunny skies, chance of afternoon showers, a glorious full moon tonight. Life is good… thank you for making it possible!