Interview with Edie

Note: the luscious locks pictured in this post are yes, indeedy, Edie's. Taken at a much earlier date and remembered at just the right moment.

What follows is an interview that will hopefully give all my/our faithful readers a peek into what our group camping experience was like. So turn down the lights, grab a sleeping bag, and snuggle up with a s'more. You have my blessing.

Hey, Edie, how many years have you been going on this annual camping trip?

As many years as I've been married. Let's see, that'd be fourteen. Unless it's Tuesday, and it's raining.

What was your favorite thing about the trip this year?

Allow me to be perfectly shallow and brutally honest. I had a great hair day. While camping, people. Do you have any idea what that means?

You have to understand that I have naturally-curly hair. Now, stop hating me. It's a fact, Jack. It just is. As such, my hair on any given day is organized chaos. Like it or not, I've learned to embrace this fact. Some days, I love it. Some days, I loathe it. It is what it is. Love it or leave it. And leaving it is not an option. I hope.

The one thing I've learned about my hair is it is unpredictable. ExtrEMEly. Although I'm not exactly sure of all the determining factors, weather plays a huge role in how my hair looks. Humidity or lack thereof, rather, is king.

On this particular day, Saturday, the eighteenth day of September in the two thousand tenth year of our Lord, if anybody is wondering. Ahem. On this day, my hair had met its perfect atmospheric conditions. What I had were soft, billowing tendrils the likes of which I've never seen before and can only hope to see again. I've tried to recreate what I had. Yes, I have. Only to be left in hopeless, frizzy silence. Despondent? Indeed. Great hope for a bright tomorrow? Indubitably.

But for one day, I had some seriously great hair. The likes of which every woman dreams about for her wedding day. Just to know it is possible makes me deliriously happy.

That was my favorite thing, I am ashamed to say. The best hair day of my life. Of. my. life.

Ahem. (smoothing clothes, scrunching hair)

However, I must say in all honesty that I also enjoyed the rousing and rugged hike on

the trails. That is the main reason I look forward to Turkey Run. The other highlight is the chatter 'round the campfire with my peeps. Those two things make camping worth every discomfort known to campkind.

The other fabulous thing -- and I promise this is the last thing until we move on to the next question. And thank you for sticking with me after that hair falderal. The other fabulous thing was having the sites filled with my peeps nearly as far as the eye could see.

You see, we get the very best sites in the entire park. (Why am I telling you this, Chris? You were a part of us.) Ahem. Fair reader, we get the very best sites in the park. It is a shady cul-de-sac. We had friends and family all the way around the bend and then some. It was reminiscent of my childhood days when we would invite friends and family camping. We didn't have much money, so when we did something, we did it big. We camped in a schoolbus. Yes, we did. Everybody who was anybody was there. A little slice o' heaven, let me tell you. Much like what we had at Turkey Run this year. It was sublime.

What was your least favorite thing about the trip this year? --if you aren't comfortable sticking whatever your answer is up on the blog, (lie like a dog and say something funny) skip it. Use that logic for any of the questions, actually.

The most frightening thing happened on Sunday morning. When it was too late to do anything about it, I knew I didn't have what it takes to make pancakes. I had many mouths to feed and only two-thirds the batter I'd used on days prior. So before that first ladle of batter was poured, I prayed over my provisions in earnest. A lot. I prayed without ceasing. I reminded God of how He fed the five thousand. I told Him I knew He could do it again if only He willed. (I wasn't really kidding.) Lo and behold, I fed more children that day than any other. Some of those pancakes were the finest camping pancakes ever to grace my camp stove. God had indeed made a way.

What was the best part about being the mistress of the pancakes?

Pancakes are crowd pleasers. Children hover around you in eager anticipation when you make pancakes. Little hands love helping. Pancakes make people happy, and they taste mighty good too. And pancake making gives Kellar a reason to hang out with me. What's not to love?

How was the hiking?

Never better. We found the Ice Box. We never find the Ice Box. Collectively we usually tromp right by it not knowing it is there and miss it entirely. One of the children -- Heaven bless them -- remembered where the Ice Box was and led the way. I knew we kept them around for something. The rest of the trail was exhilarating as well. Right down to the last chutes and ladders that we hoisted ourselves up and over and through. Oh my.

How was the sleeping?

Chilled to be sure. When coupled with the right mix of collective body heat, it was quite comfortable indeed. Let's hear it for the buddy system.

How were the campfires?

Toasty, smoky, oft surrounded by wieners, armchair politicians and geeks. Oh yes, and the smores were delightful. Don't ask me how many I ate. I may have lost count.

How was the ice cream?

Oh, now I'm all misty. Vacation just isn't vacation without a little bit of ice cream each day. It touches a place deep inside me that only peanut butter and chocolate can fill.

My favorite dairy treat was a cookie ice cream sandwich with amazingly soft chocolate chip cookies and a band of chocolate chips around the outside of the ice cream. It was a thing of beauty.

Describe your most amusing camp moment.

That had to be watching the horseback riders return from the ride. There was a lot of swankering and swaying going on. And some rubbing and grimacing.

Mind you, I've only been on horseback a couple times in my life, but I don't remember it being all that painful in the end, as it were. Ahem. Maybe I wasn't doing it right. Maybe I didn't tighten my haunches enough during the ride. Maybe I was in eminent peril, and I didn't know it. Or maybe I'm crazy. Crazy like a fox. Yes, that must be it.