kamp, thunder muffins(not what you think) and unexpected art projects

yesterday i took a little journey down to one of my favorite places! k2! little has changed, and it felt good just driving into my old kamp. so many great memories and amazing friendships were forged there.

on the way down, i was low on gas, but i had it calculated out that i could make it to the quick trip i am super familiar with. well, when i got to the all-familiar exit, i was thrown for a loop because i didn't see QT on the exit board for gas, nor did i see a QT in the place i expected to see it. hmm...maybe i had made a mistake...but i stopped at casey's general store anyway for gas, and asked the girl, who said it had changed about 2 years ago.

after driving ever so slowly into kamp (in order to avoid hitting kampers in triathle, who dominate the road on foot and bicycle) i parked stealthily in the chapel parking lot where the signs do say in big bold letters:OVERNIGHT CHAPEL PARKING ONLY! parked there anyway, looked like i knew what i was doing. then i walked down to the main office to sign in.

then i walked around to dj's office (the owner's wife, and dear friend), and i opened the door and walked in. when she turned around and looked up, and it registered that it was me, she got very excited. on the way up, i was laughing in my head thinking that when i went up, wouldn't it be funny if she had some little art work for me to do to tweak the Bible study she does with the kampers every morning...(when she created the original Bible study, she had me do all of the drawings for the study, and almost every year she needed something tweaked, or had a new idea to add to it). so you will understand my amusement when she asked what i had planned on this visit and if i might have a little time to spare. smile.

it's an honor to do work for dj, because she genuinely appreciates it and uses it to impact others for God! so i spent the next few hours producing the posters she needed for the next day!

it was totally Providence, because i was debating between going down yesterday, or tomorrow, and she was planning on using them today! she was going to have the office gals work on the posters, but none of them are artists, plus, it was their dock day, so someone else would be filling in for half the day. the first poster: adam and eve...with a leaf covering certain parts...funny.

when we went to lunch, one of my dear friends, trish (the girl's side director), did a double take when she came in and saw me. "how long have you been here?" and i pointed at dj and said," i would've found you sooner, but.." and dj took the blame for the thievery. it is always good to just sit and talk with trish-she is so busy during kamp (during the year, too, for that matter) that it's a rare opportunity to be able to have one-on-one time with her.

yes, it's kinda' funny wearing an orange tag

when i left, i of course had to stop at the blueberry farm. i love it that the gal who works there remembers me-family business. and of course, i was in need of a thunder muffin. totally hit the spot!

almost as good as mom's (it's bigger than it looks!)

see the sign in the background? i have another story about that for another day-suffice it to say, it may have been a little on the sketchy side.

today i've been able to get some reading done: the founders on the founders. very good book-character sketches using compiled letters from them, to them, about them, autobiographies, etc...love it.

dad's been working on some chalk drawings-his specialty. and he just popped his head in and asked if i had started one of a little girl when i was back in iowa (years ago)...i couldn't remember, so we looked through them. and yes, as a matter of fact i did.

they're pretty big-about the size of a posterboard

apparently i'd done an old man too.

now that i see them, i recognize them and i remember doing them, but i don't remember the original pictures that i used.

who knows what tomorrow will entail-i am guessing a little rest and reading. i love vacation! smile.
julie

i don't rightly know what that was under the desk, but i fear the worst...

got home and after feeding and playing with the dogs, chaco decided to make a little cave under the beanbag and there he fell asleep.

he has ties to the Ancestral Puebloans....he is a cliff dweller at heart.
it doesn't happen very often in upper elementary school, but one day every time i looked down during one of my 'carpet-time' workshops, i saw different boys with their fingers near their noses...it hasn't happened this week, thank goodness. but i was walking by a desk today and i accidentally touched the bottom edge and something crusty flew off...almost yacked. note to self: no more touching any furniture in classroom.

after that, nobody really wants to go to the cafeteria, but i forgot to pack my lunch...LIES! ALL LIES!! actually, i was too lazy and figured i would go out to a fast food place to grab something...but then i got too lazy to do that and settled for cafeteria.

cafeteria pizza. and a spork..woo hoo!

and then i made it a top priority to get to the store after work!

i just got a very unexpected call. (seriously, just now, in the middle of writing this entry)it was great to hear from one of my Bible study gals from last year (by the end, everyone had all but fizzled out and gotten 'too busy,' and i was pretty much showing up and having coffee alone). boo. anyhoo, i prayed about it and decided that i would not be leading a group through the ministry i was volunteering with simply because i knew it was going to be a busy year at school, and i knew i wouldn't be able to keep up with the emails, contact data, meetings etc...but at the same time, i've felt a heavy heart to not finish what i started out with. so when i got that phone call, i was asked if i would be interested in starting up a Bible study again. when the students are calling and asking, it's really difficult to say no, and  the best part is i didn't have any desire to say no! i cannot wait!

don't touch furniture unless you know what you'll find underneath,
julie