Ten on Tuesday | Summer Camp.

This week, Carole has us reaching way, way back...to things we loved about summer camp. I did go to camp - a few times to Girl Scout day camps and twice to sleep away church camp - but I struggled to come up with ten things I loved about those experiences.

Maybe 7 year old me - off to a day of Brownie Camp

or 12 year old me (bottom row, 2nd from the right) in 1975 - midway through a week away from home (this was the last time I went to camp) would've felt differently. So I'm giving myself the benefit of the doubt and here's what I think were the things I loved:

1. Getting ready. supply lists and shopping and packing.

2. Being outside. a lot.

3. Campfires.

4. Singing songs.

5. S'mores.

6. Crafts. I think I still remember tie-dying that t-shirt when I was seven and I definitely remember rug-hooking and pottery from that last church camp.

7. Staying up late, giggling, telling stories and secrets in the dark.

8. Hikes.

9. No parents. at least in the beginning. but then,

10. Getting picked up to go home on that last day. I remember my parents arrived a day early for pick-up in 1975. I think I cried I was so happy to see them.  And I left with them then...no thoughts of what I might be missing on that last night.

Flipping the pages of my photo album (thank you, Mother!), I found three photos from camp (I spared y'all the lone cross on a hill from my first year at church camp in 1974) and pages from the weeks-long camping trips we took as a family.  Now I joke about how much I hate camping, but those family trips are a very special part of me and of the five of us. (and fodder for a whole series of blog posts... daily November, beware :-)

Thank you, Carole, for hosting another great topic - and if you're not already playing along, click here to join the fun!

I'll close on a happy note - Charlie and I had a wonderful day. I snagged this photo after Charlie threw his last penny into the fountain. #makeawish