Girl's Camp

I'm going to go to our church girl's camp next week. I have been many times as a leader, but last year they asked me to help in the kitchen. I will be helping in the kitchen again this year. I like this so much better than being a certification leader.

What some people like about camping is the chance to sit and do nothing. I guess some people are so busy in their employment, always thinking about work, and never have a chance to stop thinking. But for me, since I don't work outside the home, I can't bear the boredom. In fact, the two things that make me dislike camping are: 1. the boredom 2. sleeping on the ground. If I can alleviate those two factors, I'm all for camping. I have found a remedy to the boredom now that I have a new camera. I'm totally happy spending time taking pictures. The sleeping problem still continues, but I'm working on a solution.

Two years ago when I went to girl's camp I was bored out of my gourd. Because it is also intended to be a spiritual environment, they ask that we not bring any outside reading materials, or music. My typical day included watching the girls run off to their different stations while I sat and twiddled my thumbs for hours on end. I didn't mind that for the first few hours, but doing it for a week was grueling.

I'm so happy to be in the kitchen. I remember thinking last year that it was the hardest week of my life, and that I was the tiredest I had ever been, but it still was better than the boredom. I learned early on that I should take every opporunity to rest and nap throughout the day. It wasn't an easy week, but I still enjoyed it.

One thing that is the highlight for me is working with great people. I enjoy joking and talking to the other kitchen people. Our Stake president and one of his counselors both come and help in the kitchen for a couple of days each, so rubbing shoulders with them is great. They have chosen some really good workers to help us. One man has a small stature, but he is the hardest working person I have ever met. I used to think my brother "sticks" was, but I think this guy has him beat. Another man who is a "work horse" appears grumpy and rough around the edges, but I have found him to have a very tender heart, and I greatly enjoy working with him. The women I work with are funny and loud, kind of like me. :) We work hard, but we laugh while we work.

The head cook is amazing. She organizes meals for 250 people, and has it planned down to the last raisin. She cuts no corners in providing a nutritionally balanced meal. In fact, I will be so bold to say that I doubt any camp anywhere could compare with the meals that she provides. For example, we have salad bars. But not only do we have the typical vegetables, but she includes sunflower seeds, bacon bits, croutons, olives, everything you could imagine to dress the salad. The other amazing thing about her is that even when we have worked a full day providing three great meals for 250 people, she will find time to bake an unplanned batch of cookies for the girls, or make bread pudding out of scraps of bread left over. She's not afraid of work, and she enjoys cooking and making people happy.

My grumpy friend is the same. While most of us were napping and resting, he was to be found making dipped strawberries to take as special treats to friends in the camp, or testing out a funnel cake machine he found at a discount store. I loved getting to sample his funnel cake rejects. Even though I never ate one of his dipped strawberries, I loved seeing him secretly whisk them away to take to someone special in the camp.

I know I'm going to be exhausted by the end of the week, but I still look forward to going. This year I'm taking my camera. I'll try to get some pictures for you. :)