onion-less cooking

usually i'm excited to have people eat a meal that i've made - but not yesterday.  it was my turn to cook dinner last night, and for some reason i was feeling really unispired.  it was a strange feeling.  i didn't have a sense of accomplishment or joy, and i didn't particularly enjoy making it or eating it. 

i made tortillas, black beans, rice, and courgettes (zucchini, for all you americans), with lettuce, spiced up canned tomatoes, and cheese.  everyone loved it -- many of them had never had or even heard of black beans before!  but i, as the cook, wasn't really feeling it.  at least their enjoyment of it made me feel a bit better.

i stood there in the kitchen for ages, trying to think of something interesting to do with the beans and courgettes, but to no avail.  i just felt tired and dazed, and my brain wouldn't cooperate with the job i was supposed to be doing.

and all because we didn't have any onions...

gardening galore

i wore a tank top two days in a row, and shorts, for the first time this year!  been working hard in the garden, weeding, clearing the paths, preparing a new bed, hauling compost.

i got a scratch on my right foot, a scrape just under my right knee, a nettle sting on my left thumb, and a sunburn to go along with everything else - not a complete day of outdoor work without something to show for it! 

i'm glad to have tomorrow off, because i'm actually tired of gardening...i can hardly believe i'm saying that! i guess it's just because it's been nonstop these last couple of days.

a whole week of fantastic

We just had two fantastic, beautiful days - (addendum: actually a whole week) - of gardening, wonderful weather and fun!  No kids this week, just some lovely visitors to help with the work.

Today i helped transplant broccoli and then released the rhubarb plants from the grass that was smothering it and gave it some compost.  Hopefully it will be twice the size by next week!*  After i finished with the rhubarb, i spent the remainder of my afternoon off laying crosswise between two lazy beds** in the sunshine for about 45 minutes, just smiling.  people have commented to me about how happy/calm i look when i've been gardening, and i do feel that way -- it's cool to know that it's noticeable!

Not only did i get to spend lots of time in the sun and soil, i also went for a bike ride to Kintra and a walk through an abandoned village, kayaked all the way up the salt marsh at high tide, where we could see little flowers growing in the grass under the water, and then out to the end of the bay with its amazing view of the Burg.  We ended the week with an evening reflection involving a hike up to the top of the western ridge, from whence we dropped shells into a pool of water, watched the sunset, and were captivated by the stunning views in all directions.

today it's back to the miserable rain and cold...

* two weeks later, the rhubarb doesn't look like it's grown an inch... :(
** if you check out my photos, you'll see pictures of the lazy beds in the garden.  between the set of raised beds, there a ditches for drainage, which create a perfect hollow for your bum, while resting your back on one bank and your feet on the edge of the opposite bed.  if the ground isn't too wet, that is.

Well, I've been here exactly a month now, and to my chagrin I haven't written any more updates.  However, you CAN read weekly-ish updates about what's happening at Camas on the Camas blog (called the camas diary), which will give you a good taste of what my life is like in general...

If you're not on my email list, here's the most recent summary of my life here:

This past month has consisted of getting to know the group of 10 staff I'll be living and working with until September, two full weeks of training, a couple of trips over to Iona, a wonderful visit from my good friend Gretchen, and our first two weeks of youth programs.  And lots of rain.  It was a bit of a shock to arrive here after two amazingly summery weeks in Northern Ireland where I was eating fresh spinach and rhubarb from the garden, and encounter such cold weather and a much later growing season.  We just had our first lettuce from the polytunnel this week!

 

In a typical week, a group will arrive on Saturday afternoon and leave on Friday morning.  The staff team takes turns cooking meals and leading different activities such as kayaking, hiking, raftbuilding, abseiling (rapelling), camping, arts & crafts, games, or other outdoor activities such as working in the garden or shelter-building.  After breakfast, which consists of porridge and scones, and chores we have morning reflection with the group.  lunch is always soup and fresh bread.  dinner is followed by evening reflection.  

 

staff also take turns leading the reflections, and i've found that aspect of life here to be the least fulfilling because many of the staff are either not that interested in spirituality or aren't comfortable using God-language with the groups.  It's only frustrating because it's not what I expected, given the mission statement and the Iona connection.  However, every Friday we go over to Iona, and I get the chance to attend worship in the Abbey and connect with volunteers there, and there are a few of us who do yoga in the mornings a few days a week, so that's all very nice.

 

At the moment I'm trying to decide when to take my week-long vacation this summer and where to go.  One idea I've had is to volunteer and attend the Greenbelt Festival down in Cheltenham, England, as long as I'm over in this part of the world!  Or perhaps find a super-cheap ticket to somewhere else in Europe...Any suggestions?  My term at Camas ends on September 17th, but my UK visa doesn't expire until early October, so I'd love to make use of it and do some more exploring or WWOOFing while I'm here!

If any of you are thinking of making a trip to Iona or Scotland or the UK between now and October, be in touch!

a "knackering" week

whew, that was a WOW of a week, full of ups and downs, fun, uplifting, draining...  I got to go abseiling and kayaking and hang around playing and singing our of Rise up Singing; built a shelter, did some gardening, made a fabulous swede & cardamom soup, ate some salad (first of the season!), collected some cow manure and seaweed for the garden, led an evening reflection, and rode a bike to Fionnphort and Kintra on my day off.

The group took a lot of energy - eight 18-20 year-old male students from a Steiner school, all with some mild-medium form of autism.    Mostly they were fun, funny, and brilliant, but sometimes they got overly demanding, loud, inappropriate, and, well...frustrating...and it was tricky to know how to respoind given their age and disabilities.  We were very glad that they had a 1:1 ratio of staff and students. 

And I'm very glad that we get two weeks off now with no groups! because I'm just "knackered".  it'll be just us, the sheep and the garden and maintenance projects and some visitors... (yay Emily!)

the season begins

Our first group has come and gone.  It took me a while to integrate with the teens, because my week started out with a day in the kitchen and then a day and a half off (while Gretchen was visiting!) and then more time in the kitchen. I didn't really have a chance to get to know them until Wednesday, when we did shelter-building in the woods, and then when we hiked to Trig Point on Thursday morning. 

I helped two of them plan their final reflection on Thursday evening, which was really great because they were excited about it and had their own ideas for it.  I just got to guide them a little; help them think about format and logistics, and encourage them.  It was fantastic.

I just really have a difficult time connecting with teenageres!  I knew this before coming to Camas, and it's always been true, even when I was a teenager myself...  I'll get a lot of practice this summer though, so hopefully I'll figure some things out and get more comfortable as the weeks go on...