Just to show my stupidity I have no idea why these things are called memes...but Brook, my sis-in-law posted this one and it gives me something to talk about. I am currently listening to my boys play wipeout and Lillie is sitting in my lap drooling down my arm so I think I've got a minute.
The subject is summer camp
1. Did you go to sleep away camp, or day camp, as a child? Wish you could? Or sometimes wish you hadn't?
I went to church camp for years - from when I was three (tagging along with my "faculty" parents) until I moved to MO in my jr. high years. We would always go for a week or sometimes more - sometimes less - to Oil Belt Christian Service Camp in southern Illinois. I did enjoy the experience of going - I do have fond memories of going - but I always had terrible separation anxiety on the weeks that I was on my own...no matter how many of my friends were there and no matter how well I new that camp!
I also did girl scout camp once or twice - but no more - that was way too out of my comfort zone. Finally in the 5th grade our teacher took the whole class camping for a night at Buzzard Bait camp - we made our own little cook stove out of a big coffee can, studied nature things and even repelled down a small "cliff" - that was a blast.
2. How about camping out? Dream vacation, nightmare, or somewhere in between?
We do go tent camping as a family just about every year. I wouldn't necessarily call it my dream vacation but it is a lot of fun. Steven and I neither one tent camped growing up so we are kind of green to it all, but we are slowly figuring things out and investing in some good equipment to make the experience that more fun. We have had our ups and downs - but the specifics of those downs will be the answer for a later question...it is a very economical way to spend a vacation.
3. Have you ever worked as a camp counselor?
Nope, just the child of them. I would always tag along and attend weeks of camp for older age groups that my folks were counseling for - I was just the little kid that some of the girls could fuss over at times.
4. Most dramatic memory of camp, or camping out?
My most dramatic memories of church camp were when the chapel was infested with mosquitoes and they had to bug bomb it and sprayed everyone with Off before entering it...the goofy faculty singing goofy songs...playing carpet ball...having anxiety every time the mail was called cause if you got a letter you had to get up in front of everybody and do a trick to get your mail...swimming and getting dressed up for dinner...and crying when I got dropped off a couple of times.
Our most dramatic camping memories...setting up our tent at our assigned spot, 20 yards away from a railroad track - only to find out that a train does still use those tracks and one comes through at 2:30 in the morning (and it did by the way)...all of our flashlights dying one night after dark and having to use my cell phone to light our way...making Steven drive me to town to use the bathroom at the local restaurant so that I wouldn't have to use the outhouse (I have since gotten used to it, kind of)...watching Isaiah catch his first fish...coming back to the campsite to the sight of Buffalo wandering around it, eating grass - not bothering the campers...
5. What is your favorite camp song or songs?
Probably the ones we sang at church camp in the mess hall, calling people out to do stupid stuff - like ride a broom around the room or to crack an egg on their heads - you know the really spiritual ones.
Brook said she needed stories that would convince her to take their boys camping - I don't know if my stories achieve that for her - but I can truthfully tell you the the good times far out weigh the bad. So if you all have any better stories that could convince her post them on your blog and let us know - I would love to read them!
(And by the way since I started this post I have fielded 20 questions, mediated a couple of squabbles, put Lillie to bed because she was fussing and answered the phone. So that minute was very short I guess)
3 comments:
Oh the days... I used to do 5 or 6 weeks a year at Oil Belt in junior high and high school. And being a faculty kid was pretty darn fun... I always thought I'd be a "lifer" going from camper to faculty and then senior faculty... oh well, it would be fun to go back someday.
Oil Belt had a fund raiser last fall/summer, a Christian group was there singing. My family went to that. You wouldn't believe how big the place has gotten! They have bought most of the land around them.
Oh, and I soooo remember Buzzard Bait!
we stopped through Flora last year and went by the camp - I barely recognized it! If it didn't have the bell I wouldn't have known where I was...I always thought I would continue to do church camp too - maybe when the boys get older I'll help on their weeks...
and Vicki, I think every 5th grader that experienced buzzard bait with Mr Gill will always remember it - it was just a great experience
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