More on Camp 7-24-12

More on Camp 7-24-12

On Sunday I just made the ferry.  I was the very last car on.  I started thinking as I drove to camp about What If….  What if Richard and Bee got married and had a little girl?  What would they name her?  Richard was named after his two Grandfathers.  My Dad was Richard and Scott’s Dad was Gordon so we named him Richard Gordon.  That was easy and both Grandpas were happy.  Then came Kathryn.  The name June Ann or Ann June just didn’t set well with me.  She needed a more royal sounding name.  One that would fit with Richard.  Kathryn is not a family name and I don’t even care for the name Kathy.  I was very determined not to have anyone ever call her Kathy.  Her first name was going to be Kathleen.  My Dad has a cousin by this name and I adore Kathleen.  But when I said Kathleen is didn’t sound right at all.  When we brought her home from the hospital a friend called her Kathleen thinking I had named her Kathleen.  Now when she said Kathleen it sounded so pretty that I almost changed her name.  Kathryn was a name Scott liked and it went well with Richard.  Scott even picked out the spelling.  Her Middle name Margaret is from Scott’s mother’s middle name and my Grandmother was Margaruite.  This was my Dad’s Mom who was very close to me.  So I figured Margaret was kind of on both sides of the family.  Julia was considered as well as this was Grandmother’s name on my Mom’s side.  I tried to choose family names because I like tradition.  I like the family ties and knowing that a name was from someone in the family.  So back to Richard and Bee.  Bee’s sister (who also died from brain cancer) was Elizabeth.  What better name than to have a Kathryn Elizabeth after the two sisters.  Or even Elizabeth Kathryn.  I’m more partial to Kathryn Elizabeth of course.  If you read this Bee, it is only my mind buzzing and thinking thoughts.  Parents are the only ones who name their babies.

Before camp registration started I was talking to a couple of ladies and we were talking about camp names and such.  One lady was probably noticing my Panda necklaces and Panda pin on my nametag when she said, “Wasn’t there a Panda too?” I tired to gently say, “Yes, there was and she was my daughter.  She passed away in February.”  And then she said Yes, I remember her and went on to talk about Kathryn’s smile and bubbly personality.   She even said that I looked like her in the eyes and nose.  I liked that. 

After dinner I really had a hard time leaving.  I wanted to stay for memory circle as I knew many people would be sharing their thoughts about Panda.  But yet I didn’t want to stay because I knew it would be hard and I would cry and probably cry a lot.  Even at Arts and Crafts I started to cry.  They had taken down the memory flags that were written on from last camp and I read two.  They were both about Panda and I started to cry.  I had to leave.  I couldn’t even look at the flags.  I knew they said such nice things but I never wanted to have Kathryn be part of the memory circle because that would mean she was dead.  It hurts so bad to think of her as dead.  I left and didn’t take part in memory circle.  I didn’t want to make it even harder for Richard.  I know he doesn’t say anything and at memory circle he is quiet.  I can only imagine what goes through his mind during it and if I were sitting there crying it would only make it more difficult for him.  So I chose to go home.

On my way home I missed the ferry.  The Strawberry Festival was going on and this was the time that everyone had choose to leave.  I wasn’t the only one.  I was the Fifteenth car left behind and there were at least 30 more behind me.  I just took a walk and called my friend and chatted with her for a while.  When I did get on the ferry I walked around.  This young lady came up to me saying, “Mrs. Bradley.”  I acknowledged that it was me and she could tell I didn’t remember her.  She told me her name and that she was only in my advisory this past year.  That means I only saw her a few times and for only 20 minutes each time.  But I did remember her as soon as she told me her name.  I could even tell you what seat she sat in and that she missed several days.  We had a nice talk and I told her a few times that I was so happy that she came up to me.  Kids are great! 

Monday I had to get up super early to be in Shelton at 6:45.  I was heading the registration for the Ridge Racing School.  So much to do for this.  I had a helper, which is really needed.  Scott was instructing and he was very busy.

I left at lunch and went home to take Princess for a walk and to head off to Camp Goodtimes again.  They weren’t supposed to have Arts and Crafts that afternoon but when I got there they had it.  The entire schedule was changed because some mixed up and a group that was going to do juggling with the kids wasn’t going to be there.  The schedule for the entire week had to be revised.  I just jumped in and helped.  One little boy shared his knowledge about whales with me.  One boy had me draw him a cat.  They had all kinds of things going on.

At dinner Richard sat next to me.  I sure enjoyed his company.   As I left the dinning room I saw the totem pole.  It’s the one where they put a picture of all the kids who have past.  Kathryn’s beautiful smile was there.  I would like to share a picture of it with you but not sure how legal it is since there are other campers on it too.  Maybe I can get the part of just Kathryn so you get an idea of what it would look like.

After dinner the kids all broke up into teams for Goodtimes Olympics.  The teams are a mix of girls and boys and ages from 7 to 16.  They had to pick a team name and design a flag.  It was a big nylon flag that they had to decorate.  We had to put together supplies from Arts and Crafts for them to use and set up a station for the supplies.  Then afterwards the teams carried their flags up to Arts and Crafts to hang them on the close line to dry.  It was fabulous.  I stayed and helped with some final cleaning and got all the stuff back to the Arts and Crafts shed with help from one of the girls.  They have a sign that hangs above Arts and Crafts that reads, “Kathryn “Panda” Bradley.  Thanks to all of our friends and family who donated to Camp Goodtimes we were able to chose how we wanted her to be remembered there.  She loved Arts and Crafts. 

After cleaning I went off to Casino Night.  I was calling out numbers for BINGO and the teacher came out in me.  Instead of calling straight up numbers I would call B (9 times 3).  The camper sitting next to me was great at getting the right answers.  She told me after that math was her favorite subject.  We all told her how good she was at math and that made her feel so special.  I guess Richard was calling our numbers for tables to go to the salad bar.  He said things like all the prime numbers, all the odd numbers, all the even numbers.  The teacher in you never leaves.  Richard was in charge of a game called Zombies and People.  And later he shot me with the nerf gun.  They had three activities each for a different age group, Casino Night for the older kids, a concert for the younger kids and Zombies VS People for the middle aged kids.  They all were having such fun.

Headed home on the 10:00 ferry.  I was the last car on.  Didn’t cut it as close as on the way over.  I must have been super tired as I slept all the way to the alarm.  Yeah!

Today is Tuesday and I walked at 7:30 am with my friend.  Princess did great.  I wrote this and cried my eyes out as I do every time.  I’m dried up now and will go out to paint.  It is a beautiful day.  I hope you all get to enjoy this sunshine.