'I Enjoy Making Things Beautiful' or 'The Earth Without Art Is Just Eh'

'I enjoy making things beautiful'  ..  A friend wrote that in an email to me recently.  Isn't that true for many of us, perhaps especially women?  I hope that the pictures in today's post will make you smile. They make me smile.  And appreciate the work of, in this case, a few amazing street artists.  Even when I may not love every piece of art, (and some argue that what they do is actually vandalism), I find it inspiring that these artists so freely and generously share their creative talents with all of us.

A little old lady I once knew told me that she tried to always leave a place better than she found it.  She told me that when I found her wiping down the sink in a public bathroom with the towelette she had used to dry her hands.   She said her mother had taught her to do that.  I think it's a lesson worth remembering.

Yarn-bombing - B-Arbeiten

Yarn-bombing seeks to personalize public places  - click here to see more amazing examples

By David Zinn

Lego street art

Literally street art - by Juliana Santacruz Herrera, who packs street potholes in Paris with long lengths of brightly dyed and plaited fabric strips.

 By Jonna Pohjalainen

(Ok, this sculpture by Mehmet Ali Uysal isn't exactly street art - but it's cool, isn't it? :)

By Nuxuno Xän. In Fort De France, Martinique.

Dihzahyners - The making Beirut beautiful project



This team of passionate street artists are creating initiatives to make the previously war-torn city of Beirut brighter and more beautiful through colour.



BEFORE AND AFTER

Photo by Karolina Lidia Pawelec

By Ernest Zacharevic

Have a nice day!  :)

Again and again and again and again!

My world is largely full of adults.  I work with adults, I live with adults, I mostly converse with adults.  And so every now and again, when I spend some time with my (wonderful, fabulous, very 'little people') nieces and nephews, it takes me a bit by surprise just how differently they go through life.

For example last week I was hanging out with Maggie (3 years old) and Ana (almost 2 years old), and we were playing hide and seek.  This is how it goes: Maggie and I would cover Ana with a blanket, on her bed in their room.  Then we would run out into the lounge room, sit on the couch, cover our eyes and count to ten.  Once that ritual was accomplished, we would sprint back into the room, pull the blanket off Ana (the same one we had just put on her), and 'find her'.  Then Maggie would be hidden under the same blanket, and Ana and I would run out into the lounge room, sit on the couch, cover our eyes and count to ten before running back into the the room and finding her.

We would then repeat this about 12 times.

Then the game would get a little exciting, because Maggie would decide to hide Ana under the table instead of under the blanket.  This would be followed by Maggie hiding under the table on the next round, and then we'd repeat that cycle about 12 times.   And then another exciting change would eventually happen, and we'd hide Ana in the clothes cupboard instead of under the table (just to really challenge ourselves), and we'd repeat that 12 (or 1200) times.

I admit to getting a little bored with the game (like, really bored).  I kept trying to introduce new hiding spaces, or a little sense of 'surprise' into the game ('Maggie, why don't you hide somewhere else, by yourself, and Ana and I will try and figure out where you are?!') - but they weren't the slightest bit interested.

It made me laugh, and I've been thinking about it a little since then.  It's definitely a pattern with little people, this 'repetition' thing.  But repetition is a crucial component for getting better at something, right? And it's so exciting to be part of all that learning and growing.  I certainly used repetition when I was learning to play the piano, or memorising for exams, or learning all the things I know how to do for my job at work.  And I'm grateful for all those people who put aside their 'being bored' moments to patiently help me repeat something they already knew how to do, until I finally had it down.

And it was seriously impressive just how clearly and quickly Ana could count to ten (with her little hands pressed over her eyes), before we went to find Maggie.

So though the game itself was just a tad boring, it was fun as always to hang out with these great little girls and their little worlds of practice and learning.

xo Tammy

PS.  Abs, if - when they're teenagers - you ever having trouble finding one of them, just give me a call. Pretty sure I've got all their 'hiding places' covered :)

Why I Love Living On The Gold Coast

(This guest post is by Bethany :)

I grew up in Logan and when I got married we moved to Sydney for my husband's work. After a year in Sydney, we moved back to QLD. We now live on the Gold Coast.

Growing up we'd come to the Gold Coast to visit the beach and everything, but it wasn't a part of our day-to-day lives. When I realised that we'd be living in Robina, my first thought was "What? That's so far away!!" Being further south, I hadn't spent much time in this area growing up and it just seemed like Woop Woop, lol. But I l have to tell you, I love where we live!

Besides being super close to awesome shops, the highway, Uni, hospital, church, beach - anything we could possibly need! - it's a beautiful area. One of the things I love the most though, is being so close to the beach.  Let me list just a few of the reasons for you:



Views

I love the views! I just love the blue of the ocean against the light sand and the green grass and trees, and the clear sky. Combine that with a beautiful breeze and I'm in my happy place :)

These are the exact views I get to see and love:

Place to exercise/walk/swim

To be honest, if we lived somewhere else I probably wouldn't take Hallie for many walks or go for any runs or anything, because I see no appeal in doing that sort of thing around normal streets etc. But all I do is jump in the car, and we go for a walk or run along the beach. Now, I'm not a runner. So for me to do that speaks volumes about the attraction I feel toward running in a beautiful place. I don't even feel as gross and sweaty as I would because the gorgeous sea breezes keep me cool :)

Often, we want to get out as a family but not spend money. So we go for a long stroll along the sand. When Hallie was younger she was quite fussy (sore tummy) and wouldn't settle easily anywhere; she'd just scream the whole time. But when we'd walk along the beach she'd be asleep in her Daddy's arms in 2 seconds. Hallie loves the beach! It's also nice to just be able to spend time together in a beautiful, relaxing setting, chatting while participating in light exercise.

And of course, it's also lovely to swim in the summer :)

I love pushing Hallie on the swings, she just loves it. There are also so many parks along the beach, it's fabulous!

Community Atmosphere

Living here, I'm really loving the lifestyle and the sense of community. Walking along the beach path you see so many different people participating in a range of activities. I see men and women of all ages and sizes walking or running. I see a mother and young daughter riding together on bikes. I see children, even younger than 2, racing along on their scooters while their dad rides a skateboard and keeps an eye on them. I see boyfriends and girlfriends riding bikes or skateboards together. I see old couples walking along with their bright coloured visors. I see people selling strawberries at a stall in the park. I see aged couples, who must live close by, sitting side by side in deck chairs on the grassy hill with coffee mugs and working on a crossword each.

And there are so many organised groups that are free or only cost a few dollars. There are pram groups where all the mums are working out next to their babies in prams, or a couple of the mums stay and look after all the children while the rest all go on a run together etc. Several mornings a week there is free Tai chi. Often I see it when I'm walking along - a man standing on a picnic table with seriously heaps of people following him and learning Tai chi. Even as I watch I notice some people just randomly move off the path, park their bikes and join in. I haven't yet tried it but it's just so cool to see!!

All of these things just fill me with a real sense of community spirit. I really feel like I'm part of something when I'm there. It's a happy atmosphere - nobody walks along with a frown or looking moody, everybody is enjoying themselves - and it lifts me for the day :)

This is the guy doing the Tai chi:

Free "Yoga by the Sea" on Saturday mornings:

Anyway, they are just a few of the reasons I love the Gold Coast and love living here. It really is beautiful and I think you should all come visit! :P You'll feel part of the friendly community and love the sun on your face :)

Women, Telling It How It Is!

It's  encouraging  to read someone simply telling it how it is on occasion - a dose of common sense to temper the too-usual silliness, as it were.  In that spirit, I'm happy to share two recent pieces of writing that I have enjoyed for their candor as much as their analysis.

Successful business and career woman Susan Patton created a furor recently when she submitted an opinion piece to her Princeton Alma mater newspaper that she entitled: 'Advice for the young women of Princeton: the daughters I never had'.

Susan had been part of one of the first classes of women to graduate from Princeton, in 1977.  Since then she has held several high profile, national executive positions, started her own human resource consultancy, married (a non-Princeton man), become the proud mother of two Princeton-ian sons, divorced, and now lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

While participating in a Women and Leadership conference discussion that was recently held on Princeton campus, Susan noted that the female students in attendance were vastly more interested in discussing how to achieve successful personal relationships than they were in garnering additional career advice.  This is part of what Susan wrote in her piece:

'Forget about having it all, or not having it all, ..  here’s what you really need to know that nobody is telling you.
For years (decades, really) we have been bombarded with advice on professional advancement, breaking through that glass ceiling and achieving work-life balance. We can figure that out — we are Princeton women. If anyone can overcome professional obstacles, it will be our brilliant, resourceful, very well-educated selves...
Clearly, you don’t want any more career advice. At your core, you know that there are other things that you need that nobody is addressing. A lifelong friend is one of them. Finding the right man to marry is another...
For most of you, the cornerstone of your future and happiness will be inextricably linked to the man you marry, and you will never again have this concentration of men who are worthy of you.
Here’s what nobody is telling you: Find a husband on campus before you graduate.'

This was explosive stuff to the many who responded overwhelmingly negatively.  I think it's interesting to read the entire original letter.   Susan also replied to her critics in part here.   

Not everyone was a critic.  As a Wall Street Journal writer opinioned: 

'By and large her detractors do not claim that what she says is untrue, only that it is "sexist"..  If that is sexist, then Mother Nature is sexist. (Or, if you prefer, God is sexist, or natural selection if you don't go in for anthropomorphism.) If you think it unjust that our social institutions tilt the sexual playing field even further to the advantage of high-status men and the detriment of everyone else, then your quarrel is with those who espouse the ideologies that have produced that result: feminism and sexual liberationism.'

In the second example, Penelope Trunk audaciously addresses the wage gap between men and women on her Blog by suggesting that, 'In each stage of life, men and women care about different things', and that, 'Most women don't want to get past the glass ceiling', and then describing why it is so.

I agree with the underlying premise of both these articles: that men and women are intrinsically, inherently different from one another.  I believe that.  It therefore seems somewhat of a obvious declaration to suggest that men and women are likely to find their greatest satisfaction in pursuing the goals most suited to their by-nature-chosen roles.

What do you think?

Child's Apron and Named Toy Bags

These cute little children's aprons need little fabric and make up very quickly and easily.  Adding the child's name nicely personalizes the apron and is also quick and easy to do.

Requirements  - 

You'll need a half-metre square piece of fabric for each apron (plus a small off-cut for the pocket)

Sewing cotton to match the fabric

About 60cm of 1.5cm (or similar) wide bias binding tape to match the fabric 

A length of ribbon or tape about 165cm long for one apron

Fabric puff paint

Dressmakers' carbon paper

Instructions -

• Make yourself a paper pattern piece about 50cm wide and 42cm high, with straight side edges of about 25cm from the bottom edge; the top edge of the apron is about 18cm wide, and the slightly curved underarm edges will be about 25cm.  (I say 'about' because you might want to adjust the sizes for a custom fit.  This apron is a good fit for most 1-5 year olds.)  
• Add a seam allowance onto your paper pattern before cutting out your fabric.  (I used a 1cm seam allowance all round because the fabric I used required no edging.  With most fabrics you will need to add a 2-3cm seam allowance on all the straight edges.  You will only need a 1cm seam allowance on the curved sides, because you'll be using bias binding tape there.
• Cut out your fabric piece.  
• Hem all of the straight sides.
• Open out one edge of your bias tape, turn the raw edge of the tape under to form a 1.5cm hem, then attach the tape to one of the curved sides of the apron, sewing right sides together, and turning under a 1.5cm hem on the finishing raw edge of the tape.  Turn and iron the bias tape toward the back of the apron, then sew it in place, forming a pocket through which to thread the ribbon or tape.  Repeat on the second curved edge.
• If you would like to add a pocket to the apron, use a scrap of leftover fabric and cut it into a rectangle  25cmW x 15.5cmH.   (The finished size will be 22cm x 11cm, plus seam allowances of 1.5cm along the bottom and each of the side edges, and 3cm along the top edge.)  Iron under the bottom and side edge seam allowances. Then turn under and sew the top edge hem (1.5cm, then turned under another 1.5cm).  Position the pocket on the front of the apron and sew it along the sides and bottom of the pocket to attach it.  Run an additional line of stitching .5cm away from the first line of sewing, to strengthen the seam.  Run a line of stitching through the centre of the pocket, dividing it in two.
• Thread ribbon or tape through the curved edge bias pockets.  Tie each of the tape/ribbon ends into a double knot to secure them from fraying.  Adjust the neck strap to fit.

Adding a name -

I use Microsoft Publisher to do this, although I'm sure you could fiddle whatever you have available to work.  Enlarge the page on the computer screen to reflect real-life paper sizes, then type out the child's name in the font you would like to use.  When you hold up or tape the apron to the screen you should be able to see the name through the fabric to know exactly how it will look when it is applied and if it it the right size.  When you are happy with it, print out the name, then trim off the excess paper.

Using dressmakers' carbon paper...

Position the printed name on the apron, right side up, with a piece of carbon paper, coloured side down, between the paper and the fabric.  Using a pen, trace over the name until it is transferred to the apron.  (I only had yellow carbon when I did this, which did not show up very well.  A blue or green carbon would have been better on this fabric.)  

Remove the paper and the carbon, and use fabric puff paint to carefully outline the letters.  Allow to dry.

I also used and described this method here.

Voila!  It almost took me longer to explain it than to do it! :)

From the fabric off-cuts I made some small bags in which to keep the girls' Disney Princess dolls and their outfits together.  

If you are interested in making these, they could hardly be simpler:  Cut a rectangle; hem the top edge to make a pocket for the ribbon or tie; fold in half and sew up the bottom and side, stopping short of the top hem pocket.  Thread with ribbon or tape, and knot together.  Add a name.  (Place a plastic-covered piece of card inside the bag before you paint the name, so that the bag doesn't stick to itself when it's tacky.)  

Who Knew??

You're in grade 9, and your English teacher has given you a ridiculously difficult assignment to complete.  You have to read and analyse particular features of a book, that barely makes any sense to you.

Your Mum makes you tidy and wipe over the bathroom every single morning before school, and on Saturdays you have to give it a good scrub before you're allowed to go out and have any fun at all!

It's a public holiday - woohoo no school!!!

.......

Who knew, that every thing you think or feel as a child is BIGGER on the other end of things??

Who knew, that your English teacher dreads assignment time EVEN MORE than students, because they have to have written a task, ensured that they've managed to teach all of their students enough to complete it successfully, try and get 60 14-year-olds to read a whole book, then they have to urge and assist students - who seem to think they have better things to do - to complete the task (and beg for drafts that they're going to have to spend their whole weekend marking). Then, they have to mark the 60 or so of them, checking with other teachers and heads of department to make sure grades are in line, and then often deal with those one or two parents who always think their student should receive a higher mark than they deserve, regardless of whether they read the book or not.

Who knew, that it would take Mum a 10th of the time she spends trying to encourage you to do the 20 second 'job' she's given you to complete weekdays, and the 20 minute job she's asked you to complete on Saturdays, but she's desperately trying to teach you the values of contributing to a family and hard work.  

And who knew, that no matter how excited you are as a student to receive a 'day off', it's about 1000 times more exciting for a teacher.

       

  She's thinking '3 more hours, and Monday's a public holiday! - 3 more hours..

It's been so funny over the last few years, first being a teacher, then a parent, and now being a parent married to a teacher, how much harder and more exciting things are on the other end!!

When I was teaching, it felt like making my year 6 class write their essays was like pulling teeth!  It turns out, teachers do NOT enjoy giving ridiculously difficult assignments and laughing behind your back about your struggle to complete it.  If half a class fails, the teacher looks really much worse than the failing students do, and every high or low mark is super, super analysed and has to be justified in the tiniest detail to ensure that students, other teachers and parents agree with it. Criteria sheets are binding documents, and you'd better have yours spot on!!  Not only is it more stressful, it's crazy time consuming!!!  Assignment time for teachers = worse.  And don't even get me started on writing report cards!!!!

When the girls finish playing with dress ups or any other toy, they need to pack it up before meals, or any other toy is played with.  Maggie's just gotten old enough to 'not want to' pack up every now and then, and as I look at the 3 pieces of clothing she's crying about picking up and putting in the basket next to her I just can't imagine how it seems like such a big, difficult task.  Then I remember my massive, intrusive job of tidying the bathroom before school each morning, and I feel sorry for my Mum, who always 'made us' do our 'jobs'.  It's also like pulling teeth.  But worse, because it's constant!! And mine are still young, and think helping is usually the funnest thing out!!!  Eek!!

James has now been teaching for 1 term.  And it's holidays.  And before holidays it was assessment time and reports. And I gotta say, I can't imagine that James' students are more relieved than me that assessment is over and holidays are ON!!! And I hear from Mum and other Mums out there, how exciting holidays are for parents of school-aged children, because you're not tied into the daily 'school run', and (this one wasn't my Mum) - you can stay in your pyjamas ALL DAY!!! :)

All these things make me smile - I wonder what else I'm going to find 'harder on the other end' as I keep going through life? It certainly keeps me on my toes through this crazy journey!!! :)

April Fools!!!

I love a good joke.  The kind that catches me unaware and has me 'falling for it' before suddenly realizing I've been 'had'.  April Fools day this year fell on Easter Monday, so in my world at least, it sort of passed unnoticed (apart from all the Facebook memes recommending Easter egg hunts with no Easter eggs as a merry way to combine the two days!)

When I got back to work yesterday though, I noticed online that there had been a slew of really excellent April Fools day jokes  from some of the world's biggest companies, going viral and catching thousands of people off guard.  Here are a few of my favourites.... 

Richard Branson announces glass-bottomed planes

Google Maps Introduced 'Treasure Mode'.... Classic!

YouTube announces it's time to Shut Down

(This one is my absolute favourite by the way, if you have time to watch this video, you definitely should!)

And then to make the prank even more awesome, they followed up with this video:

To quote from an article I read in Time's website:

Two award presenters have been reading descriptions from YouTube videos ("nominees" for "best video") for the past seven hours. Live. Non stop. You can and should watch, it's deadpan performance art at its finest. 

I can't… I can't process this level of commitment to a prank.

At this point, I'm not sure when they'll stop, but the header claims the following:

"Every video uploaded over the past eight years is under consideration to win YouTube. Our presenters will be announcing all the nominees for 12 hours every day over the next two years. Tune in for Day 1 of our live ceremony."

Which probably means they're going for twenty four hours, but… I don't know. I'm starting to think they'll go longer. What do you think? Is this the greatest thing ever? How long before they pass out? STAY TUNED! IT'S ALL LIVE!

Oh, and if you're a member of my Church, then you may also enjoy this article, which actually had me going for a while :)

Hope you enjoy these pranks!  And remember, it's only 364 days till next April Fools day... so it's probably a good time to start plotting.... muwahahahahah!

:)

xo Tammy

'I Heard Him Come'

Although our purpose in writing this Blog is not conspicuously religious,we are Christian and I don't like to let the Easter Season pass without acknowledging our Saviour, as with this video in Friday's post.

In church today we enjoyed a beautiful musical item - the song 'I Heard Him Come' that you can listen to above.  I enjoyed it so much and hope that you might too  :)

MAFAFA - Our Annual Family Camp

(This is a bit of a monster post.  In my defense, it's a pretty big weekend away too :)

When our children still lived at home we used to enjoy a week or two's holiday at the beach each year.  As they began to marry and have children of their own, we wanted to set aside at least one long weekend a year when the whole extended family could still enjoy some holiday time all together.

Budget restrictions meant that it couldn't be anywhere fancy, but we did want to go somewhere pretty and relaxing and that would fit us all.

A few years ago we began a new family tradition of going up to beautiful Tamborine Mountain for a long weekend each year. We found a great place there that provides separate family rooms, plus men's and ladies' separate shower/toilet rooms all under one roof around a central kitchen/dining/large living area.  Perfect for us!  Some of the rooms have just two beds, some three, four, or six; the larger rooms also have a sink area in the room.  Outside the main building are three cabins, with about twelve beds in each.  Although the furnishings are not flash, they are reasonably clean and comfortable and not too disagreeable!  (We think of it as camping but with more comfort :)  The facilities outside include a sand volley-ball court and lots of open spaces for games, as well as some stunning scenery, rain-forest walking trails and mountain lookouts with beautiful views nearby - also lots of fresh mountain air and wildlife, (especially birds).

There were only about 15 of us in the family the first year, and the camp has about 80 beds, so we thought we'd invite some friends to come along - then ended up with over 70 people altogether.  Thus was born MAFAFA!   (Munro Annual Family And Friends Activity)

We take a Camp photo each year.  About 20 people are missing here - off bush-walking I think.    Some people are holding their 'Muffie' awards :)

When we decided to get bigger, the concept changed a little..   Remembering the wonderful experience we enjoyed at Camp Quality when our family was young, our aim became to have a great time together, while also giving a break and even a bit of pampering if possible to the people who come.  Here's our usual program:

I do all the planning before we get there:  room allocations, activities, menus, cleaning charts, etc.  Tammy helps me in working out the activities program, then she takes over and does a fabulous job of planning and bringing up whatever we need for our big activities, with a bit of help from Abby and occasionally others who help.  Neil and I bring board-games, extra heaters, lots of lap quilts to go on the lounges, flowers for the main area, and usually all the food.  We get there a few hours beforehand to set things up.

The aim is to make a new throw quilt (because I 'throw' it together a few days before camp :) each year, to brighten up the lounges.  

When families arrive they find their rooms, get organised and have dinner.  After dinner, Tammy introduces the activities for the week-end and we have a get-to-know-you evening, which is always a lot of fun. Although we have activities available or organised for most of the week-end, it's very much a 'whatever you feel like' schedule.  It's usually cold at night during that time of year, so just snuggling up in a quilt near the enclosed log fire with a book, or for a chat with a friend is nice.  Most of the people who come love to play games, go for walks, or enjoy the activities together.

Board games are always very popular, in between other activities and into the night.

Our aim is that new mothers, busy mothers, and anyone else who really needs a break, doesn't have to do too much - and that the youth and young single adults have good opportunities to help out :)  Neil and I do almost all the cooking (as much as I can before we come), and a few friends like to help out.  We have a roster for kitchen clean-up after each meal, and everyone is asked to put their name down either once or twice, (or no times at all).  Having a good number of people of all ages around also helps young mothers with their children - lots of arms for cuddles, and eyes to look-out, and lots of friends to play with and fun activities to do :)

Tammy prints out the Activity Schedule on big cardboard sheets that go up in the main room, and people choose what they would like to do.   We more or less follow it, but it's flexible too.  Last year's program went like this:

Camp Schedule

FRIDAY NIGHT

6:00 – 6:30pm Dinner & Cleanup

7:30pm – 9:00pm WELCOME & GET-TO-KNOW-YOU ACTIVITIES
9:00 – 9:30pm Supper & Cleanup
9:30 – 10:30pm WIDE GAMES - Outside, run by James. Dress warmly and bring your torches!

SATURDAY

7:30 – 8:30pm Breakfast & Cleanup
9:00 – 10:30am MUFAFA SILLY OLYMPICS - Everyone welcome to participate or laugh from the sidelines.

If you haven't done anything like this for a while you are probably forgetting how much fun simple and silly games can be :)   It's also lovely to see all the different ages playing together - of course the children love it but the older ones do too!  

Abby: 'This game rocked! - Each team had a corner, and they suddenly had to cross to the opposite corner in whatever fashion they were told to (eg. wheelbarrow races, tumbling, etc). A bit hazardous, completely hilarious! :)'

Tammy is Activities Director extraordinaire!

  

Have you ever played dizzy-stick?   Soo funny to watch!

Playing Monuments.  This was the Eiffel Tower, with Stonehenge, below.

Food goes out from the kitchen every two or three hours :)  The camp has a big outdoor dinner bell that we ring for each meal break.

10:30 – 11:00am Morning Tea & Cleanup
11:00 – 12:30pm AGE OF ORIGIN & BEACH VOLLEYBALL - Run by James. Anyone over 12 is welcome to participate in Age of Origin (so long as they promise not to cry if they get hurt :)

Age of Origin is very popular tradition each year. Everyone who wants to play lines up, oldest to youngest. The line is split down the middle, to make a team of 'oldies' and a team of 'youngies'. The game is tackle rugby for boys but touch rugby only against the girls who play. I think it was Brittany or Jessica who won MVP last year :)

Bethy was our favourite Referee ever, the first year we played.  After that the boys insisted on choosing someone who actually knows the rules! :)  

12:30 – 1:30pm Lunch & Cleanup
1:30 – 3:00pm ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS Run by Abby & a few wonderful helpers for those who are interested: Toys, Balloons, Arts, Crafts, Painting, Jewelry-making, Card-making, Play-dough and Face painting.

PHOTO & SONG RALLY COMPETITION -  Form a team (extra points given for including all ages), and complete the rally anytime before 4pm (See Tammy for competition details)

The photo competiton has been very popular too.  People put themselves into teams of however many and have to take a certain number of (usually funny) photos, based on movie lines, to be judged by everyone after dinner, (we use a laptop and projection screen).   I only have the photos that were on Abby's camera, but these will give you an idea..

"Each man's life touches so many others. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole"

"I go around turning down perfectly good marriage proposals!"

"The misery, the exquisite tragedy. The Susan Hayward of it all."

'I'm feeling very Olympic today!'

DAMPER MAKING - For anyone who’s STILL hungry! Come on out to the fire pit and enjoy some good old fashioned damper round the camp fire
3:00 – 3:30pm Afternoon Tea & Cleanup
4:00 – 5:00pm PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP - Run by Alana ... Bring your camera!
4:00 – 5:00pm DECORATING FOR DANCE - Come and let your creative juices flow... materials provided :)
5:30pm – 6:30pm Dinner & Cleanup
7:00 – 8:00pm PHOTO COMPETITION SLIDESHOW & SONG PERFORMANCES - Photos to be submitted by 4pm

Damper making is surprisingly popular, considering the food at camp is already non-stop!  Everyone can add their own dried fruit, chocolate chips, smarties, syrup, etc, and put it into the fire to cook.  The children love this, but obviously the older ones do too!

8:00 – 9:30pm CAMP DANCE - For all those toe tappers out there... We’ll learn how to jive, barn-dance and just have some fun!

9:30 – 10:00pm Supper & Cleanup

  

Abby: ' Saturday night we held our first annual MFAFA dance! We weren't 100% sure how successful it would be, but it totally rocked and it's a keeper :) Micky had put together a play list and it was amusingly full of girl power songs "I Will Survive" "It's Raining Men" "All the Single Ladies", etc, but it was soooo much fun! :) We did a little bit of ballroom but didn't even end up doing the progressive line dance cause everyone was having so much fun with Michael Jackson's "Thriller", "Grease", and a bunch of others :) It was fun dancing around with our family and friends! Sadly I was having too much fun to take any pictures of the dancing, but here's one of the clean-up! In the afternoon people who felt like it had decorated and it was fabulous :) But it all came down in good time for Sunday.'

SUNDAY
7:30 – 8:30pm Breakfast & Cleanup
9:00 – Noon CHURCH MEETINGS - Sacrament, Sunday school, Primary, Nursery, YM, Priesthood & RS.
12:30 – 1:30pm Lunch & Cleanup
1:30 – 3:00pm OPTIONAL SUNDAY ACTIVITIES - Walks; Missionary Letter-writing; Board games; Church DVD's
3:00 – 3:30pm Afternoon Tea & Cleanup

Abby: 'The Sabbath came and we all rugged up in our Sunday best - we had permission to hold meetings at camp. After a lovely meeting we had a beautiful afternoon hanging out and spending time together. We had lunch, chatted, played games, some people went on 'walks' (haha Tammy's group were lost and got back just in time for dinner! :)) and some had a sleep or rested.'  (The M'nM bucket was a group prize from the day before.)

3:30 – 5:00pm OPTIONAL SUNDAY ACTIVITIES (continued as outlined above) ; Scratch choir practice for anyone interested.
5:30 – 6:30pm Dinner & Cleanup
7:30pm – 8:30pm FIRESIDE
9:00 – 9:30pm Supper & Cleanup

Practicing the musical item for the Fireside in the evening

We've noticed that Sunday night is a time when quite a few people love to stay up late, enjoying being together and not wanting Camp to end just yet.  There are lots of conversations and lots of laughing together :)  

MONDAY

7:30 – 8:30am Breakfast & Cleanup
9:00 – 10:00am CLEANUP AROUND CAMP

10:00am  - ANNUAL SOCK-GRAB COMPETITION!!
12:30 – 1:30pm CAMP AWARDS

The Monday morning sock-grab tradition is big!  The rules are that two people, fairly matched in size and age, sit back to back.  Each has on only one sock.  On 'go!' each person tries to remove the other's sock.  Very funny, very physical, and great for all ages.  We start with the young children of only 3 or 4, then work up to the battle of the Titans!  

Abby:  Monday morning brought the annual 'Sock Grab' competition - always a favourite :)  The biggest match of the day would have had to be James & Nate - they went for aaages! James grabbed Nate's sock in the early stages but couldn't get it off! It was very impressive lol. It was Nate's first ever sock grab experience. 

Food for Camp

Everyone contributes towards the cost of the menu ingredients. Neil and I do some of the cooking before we get to camp, and some in the big industrial kitchen onsite. We also have a few friends who help out with meal preparation here and there, and our family help out too. Everything except the lasagna we sometimes have for Sunday lunch, (thank you, Sara Lee!), is homemade. We try to make the food very plentiful and to spoil everyone a bit, especially the mothers, who get a break from cooking. There is always a big bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter if anyone still needs a top-up!  This is a one year's menu:

FRIDAY NIGHT:  

(Light) Dinner - Chicken and vegetable soup Home-made wholemeal bread rolls/butter
Supper - Hot chocolate Left-over soup  Coconut Macaroons Fruit bowl
SATURDAY:
Breakfast - Bacon Scrambled eggs Baked beans Sausages Tomato sauce Toast /spreads Choice of 6 cereals  Muesli Milk Choice of 7 yogurts Hot chocolate Choice of 8 100% Juices.
Morning tea - Cut-fruit platter (rockmelon, pineapple, grapes, watermelon, oranges, apples, bananas, strawberries) Hot chocolate
Lunch -   Egg and bacon pie Tossed salad  Warm bread rolls Potato salad Cheesecake  Fruit bowl Juices 

A’noon Tea - Cherry-ripe biscuits Fruit bowl Hot chocolate
Dinner - Fresh-cooked corned beef Mustard/white sauce Cauliflower au gratin Carrots Peas Oven baked potato pieces Bread/butter Sticky date pudding with caramel sauce and Cream/ice cream Fruit bowl
Supper - Chocolate crunch biscuits Juices Hot chocolate Fruit bowl
SUNDAY:
Breakfast - Choice of dry cereals Porridge Choice of yoghurts Toast/spreads Hot chocolate Juices
Lunch –       Lasagna Greek tossed salad Carrot cake  Fruit bowl Choice of juices Hot chocolate
A’noonTea - Apple rolls Fruit bowl Hot chocolate
Dinner - Tacos  Ice-cream and jelly Fruit bowl Juices Hot chocolate
Supper - Date and rice bubble fingers Chocolate Cheesecake biscuits Hot chocolate
MONDAY:
Breakfast - Pancakes Cream/icecream Choice of syrups  Lemon juice and sugar Juices Hot chocolate (left-over cereals/yogurt?) Fruit bowl
Morning Tea - Left-overs
Lunch - Sausages, onions, cheese , tomato sauce in bread slices/hotdog buns (Any left-overs)

The best things about camp?:  It's fun to be with everyone!  It's great to see people get a break, enjoy friendships and just relax. It's beautiful up on the mountain..  It's great family time for us all :)