112

I have 112 (that is the real, true number) posts that are waiting to be read in my Google Reader.
That seems highly overwhelming.
Plus, the intreeenets is still painfully slow here in the ol' Cottage.

So, instead, here is my first week at camp in photo form.
I gave myself a little photo challenge, and I must say I'm enjoying it a crazy amount.
One photo each day with a quick sentence or two to describe it.
They are all taken with, editing on and uploaded with my handy dandy iphone.

Photo app details:
VSCOcam for editing/filters.
Phonto (free) for text.
Picture Frames Free for diptych.
Instagram posted.


***this post brought to you by a slice of PW chocolate cake.  Make some for yourself.  You'll thank me.  
***my friend, M, ate a piece of this cake right before we took that last photo.  See how happy she is?!

because I like to obsess over things

I've been desperately trying to blog for a few days now.  
But the intreenets is not cooperating. Driving me nuts!    
Today was a minor reprieve, so here we go.  
A post I have been trying to write for almost a week now...



Things I am obsessed with lately.
Because I'm a girl who gets crazy obsessed with things randomly.

1.  Amazon Cloud App for iphones.  It just came out about a week ago.  Amazon is always giving away free credits.  I've gotten about $5 worth of free music in the last month.  Follow them on Twitter to get in on all the fun.  The cloud has 5G of free storage, too.  Side note:  I'm am not a fan of itunes.  In fact I despise it.  I buy 99% of my music from Amazon.  Their sales are the best.

2.  Boats, boats, boats.  This is my life.  Making sure they are running.  Putting gasoline in them.  Praying that the "sick" one will be "well" soon and that the "doctor" can figure out what the heck is wrong with it.

3.  Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.  Wait, what?!  'Tis true.  I love me some Dr. Mike.  My blog friend Allison (whose new blog is the bees knees. seriously.  you should check it out!) admitted to her favorite ridiculous TV show recently.  I feel the need to come clean as well.  My favorite part of the ridiculousness that is Dr Quinn is when the acting/writing is so very bad that I can't help but literally laugh out loud.  I love it.  I just love it.  And I DVR it and watch several episodes at once.

4.  Raspberries.  They are all a'bloom right now.  I've already gathered a bunch on three different occasions. I took some to my parents on Saturday (Happy Father's Day, Poppa) along with some shortcake from Trader Joe's (oh my, delish) and some whipped cream.  Heaven.  And they have been going in my cherry/raspberry/pineapple/spinach green smoothie.  It's the best one I've made in a long time.

5.  ER Season 14.  My Netflix has been full of it.  I squeeze a few episodes in on the weekends.  It's just as delightful as the first time around.  Archie....Morris...

6.  Phonto and VSCOcam. I've been exploring the fun in adding text to my photos on Instagram. I'm trying to do a photo with the day # text on it every day for camp this summer.  A little photography challenge for myself.  Side note:  I've kept up with my other challenge too.  5 1/2 months of a-photo-every-day on Instagram.  And I'm still loving it.  It tough some days and a pure delight on others.  But looking back through them makes me giddy inside.

7.  Running.  I didn't do it once last week.  But I think about it and obsess over it every single day.  It felt really good to get up early this morning and go before my crazy camp day.  I still didn't like the running part.  Nope. But I do love how I feel after.  And by "feel", I mean glad that I didn't let my laziness win.  Mental victories even if the physical ones are small.

8.  Waterproof iphone cases.  Because my phone has to be on me at all times, even at the beach, I've been researching cases like a crazy person.  I'm so scared I'll drop this expensive piece of my life into the river and it will sink straight to the bottom. This one popped up on Instagram this week and now I'm in the "do I spend $60 on a silly phone case" debate.  Anyone know anything the scuba suit vs. lifeproof?

That's enough for now, I think.
I hope the waves of the internet decide to go my way more often.
I sure do miss blogging....sigh....

2 point 5 seconds

My sister came to visit with her brood last week.
I got to see them for about 2 point 5 seconds.
Staff training ate up all my free time.
That was tough...

My littlest niece just turned one.
I can't even believe it.
I found the cutest books (that I wanted to keep for myself) to give her for her big day.
She's such a peanut with hot red hair.

It was torture knowing they were so close, but I was too busy to get away.
Hopefully they won't forget who their auntie is.

I'm already contemplating a visit when I'm released from these 22 acres.
Perhaps a long weekend in late summer?

no rhyme or reason

My life has no rhyme or reason lately.

For instance, here is a list of the things I have done in the last few days.

Taught the new staff to safely drive a boat (at 6am).
Gone to the health department to get my lifeguard license renewed. (and be be-littled by the lady at the desk)
Mail out 6,141 newsletters.  This is not an exaggerated number.  (and be be-littled by the guy at the desk)
Take an hour to put gasoline in 2 power boats (we have to do it manually now.  NOT fun.)
Tie-dye t-shirts with the new summer staff girls.
Do a cleaning check out for a building that 20 boys had been living in.
Have a deep conversation and give advice with compassion and grace.
Answer the phone 459 times (exaggeration, but it really felt like that many)
Go running (I'm particularly proud of myself for doing this after teaching a 6am boat class)
Laugh with friends.
Made my first smoothie for the summer (peach, pineapple, OJ, chia seeds)
Answer emails.
Make lists.
Hand the gift shop over to the girl who will be in charge of it this summer.
Tow a boat to the marina to be fixed (Now both boats are officially broken.  Uh-oh.)
Pray, pray, pray.


This is just off the top of my head.  There are about 20 other things that I've already forgotten.  Never a dull moment around here.

Summer #14

Oh my.
Summer is here.
Did you notice I've been a little MIA lately?
That tends to happen when camp is in full swing.

We are deep in staff training around here.
Lots of new faces and names to learn.
Lots of teaching and learning.
The excitement of all that is before us.

Summer #14, here we go....

"Fulfill your ministry"

My pastor challenged us this morning with this little section of scripture from 2 Timothy 4:5...

"But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." 

Could there be anything more appropriate to hear right before I begin 10 weeks of summer camp?
"Fulfill your ministry", he kept reminding us.  "Whatever that may look like for you."

Yes.  Exactly what I needed to hear today.
And something I'm going to post in my room in a place where I can read it 10 times a day.