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Anderson Woods, Inc. ...in matters of the heart |
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A Special Place For Special People
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CAMP DIARY Winter Wonderland Oh, what a sight it is! I got a Christmas card from Isaac saying he wanted to see camp in the snow over Christmas break. He was "crossing his fingers." Well, dear friend, come on over! It is still snowing and the camp is a winter wonderland. So much beauty. I am staying cozy with my tea cup and interesting school books. It is a bit of a trick keeping the critter's water buckets full of liquid water, not ice. Chopping ice on the pond reminds me of the never ending hope of the changing seasons! I hope some of you can make it over to see the beauty. The sled is calling for the hill in the high pasture. Have a blessed, cozy winter...Sue, 12/22/04. Winter Awaiting/November 27, 2004 The colored leaves have blown away on their journeys and the woods has taken on a different beauty. The horses have dawned their winter coats. It makes it all the more cozy giving them a hug in the morning. Grace, our Australian Shepherd, has seven puppies. She is a natural mom. They are the most amazing babies, four of them look just like her. Even at a few weeks old, they let out little barks! I can still see Judy sitting in the hall with her as she delivered them. She was so comforted by her human friend being near. The animals are such an example of how we can take care of each other. Even those who seem so dependent on us for life and care can be the givers of the gifts. I hope all of you have a wonderful winter. I will keep you posted on the little ones! May all beings be free...Sue (Camp Caretaker) Autumn Reflections: Unless a Grain of Wheat... I watch the leaves, day by day, answering their sacred call; a call that deepens with each passing day, so too, their beauty deepens. They flirt and chatter in the wind, flirting with their Creator, until at last they surrender in total trust. I watch them float to earth:; gift to re-nourish their earth mother. The branches that free them, move, as squirrels glide over them harvesting winter stores. Many of their catches will never be found, but left to also nourish the earth. Like our lives, the richness and beauty of autumn is so brief. We want to hold on to it for a while longer each year, but we too must listen and surrender to the dance. Unless we, like the leaves, fall to the earth, we cannot have life to the fullest. With all creation, I feel the call of our God. He has wrapped all of nature in a mantle of beauty that is transcended only by that of human creatures, created, as we are, in His own image. Like the leaves with the wind, my mind flirts with the beautiful phrases, ever old, yet ever new. All manner of beauty surrounds me and, so too, God's word comes to me this morning in the gusts that harvest such bounty: "The earth has yielded its fruit, for God, our God has blessed us. (Ps 67)" -Judy Colby Camp Memories, September 20, 2004 Camp 2004 is now a fond memory. New friends, lots of laughs and growth. I make my daily rounds to the camp kitchen each morning to feed to porch cats. Somehow I still hear the lingering sounds of campers waking up, the cooks' pans rattling with breakfast and the smell of a fresh pot of coffee. I miss opening the dining hall door and seeing the campers and staff enjoying pancakes (guess I miss the pancakes too!!). I miss the big smiles and hugs that greeted me each morning. Those memories will stay with me for a long time, through the long winter, to warm my heart and cabin. I'm sure Grace, the Australian shepherd, misses all the attention. I tell her that the campers will return! You wouldn't believe the baby horse. He's growing so fast. He told Judy his name the other day. It is SKY. It is fitting because he was born under a big blue clear sky in the high pasture. His eyes have the clarity of the sky on a cloudless day and his spirit as vast. We have a new goat named Namaste. He's a cutie! He plays with the lambs and tries to take herding lessons from Grace! I hope you all are well and enjoying the end of summer. Sue, Camp Caretaker I Am Really Happy I am really happy when I am volunteering up at Anderson Woods. Anderson Woods is a camp for mentally and physically handicapped kids and adults. I have been volunteering there for two years and it is a great experience. To start with, at Anderson Woods we stay in log cabins in the woods. There is a cabin for the boys and one for the girls. There is a dining hall and a caretaker's cabin. There is also a barn where there are many kinds of animals such as, horses, sheep, ostriches, llamas, peacocks, beefalo, cats and a donkey. The barn is one of my favorite places because I feed and groom the animals plus I love animals. In addition, it makes me feel good to help these special people because they can't do basic things in life like taking showers, eating, walking, getting dressed and even communicating, so I have to help them along and help them through whatever obstacle it is. You basically guide them through that week. We do fun activities like tie-dying, hiking, swimming, fishing, playing kickball and going up to see the barn animals. This year we built a tee-pee; both campers and staff had a blast. Another example is the thing about helping them might be strange to most people, but it feels good to help them. They can teach you a whole new way to look at life and other people in all positive ways, not negative. They don't complain about things they want or don't have. They appreciate people helping them, playing games, and having fun with them. They are always happy and make you laugh. Even though they all have disabilities, some mild and some severe: they're the same as us just more special. Most people think they are totally different because of their disabilities, but they aren't. Helping them, and being at Anderson Woods is what makes me really happy. -Katie Goad, 7th grade Note: Katie's piece won a state writing competition. Good job, Katie! First Day of Camp 2004 It is hard to believe the campers are really here! The staff and volunteers finished training this weekend. It is a wonderful thing to watch old friends embrace, new friends meet and wonder unfold. We have a new staff member, Christine, who is a wonderful addition. The kitchen is buzzing as Rita and Ruth create food for the body and soul. They are great! Yes, watching the gifts of the heart is what it is all about. Learning, growing, giving...the gifts return again and again. Like the foal born last week, all of us are called to wobble a bit on new legs, then run with the wind! I watch each of us take steps we never dreamed we could...supported by the gifts of each other love. Welcome back! -Sue, camp caretaker A Letter From Anna Hello Judy, Dave and all!! I cannot tell you how uplifting it was to find the and visit the Anderson Woods website. I know you know, but camp shaped and molded me into the person I am today. The experiences I had there will stay with me forever...I really miss being part of such a simple and great mission...Love, Anna Telligman Springtime at Anderson Woods 2004 After being gone for a week of meetings, I am back at my home in Anderson Woods. The first Spring Peepers voiced their song this evening and dawn brought the call of the wild goose as a flock winged northward. One day soon a pair will drop from the sky onto the upper pond. It will be that pair's seventh year here and each morning they will spend the very early hours on the lower pond by our home. They will bring the first sounds of my day. As dawn lengthens, other songbirds will join them in wild harmony. A walk through the woods will gift me with tiny wild flowers and herbs pushing through the forest floor to begin their renewed journey. I am grateful to a God who has graced me with eyes to see and a heart to feel, for it is here, in this place, that my heart sings and my soul is at rest. -Judy Colby Sweet Springtime in the Woods Spring starts next week. Judy and I heard some spring peepers the other day...awwwwh....welcome back, dear ones! The daffodils and crocus blanket my cabin door. The birds have returned as my morning wake-up call for chores! Somehow, that makes it so much more inviting. The garden is tilled, peas are in, lettuce and spinach, onions...all stirring in their little seeds. I have a little mouse in the greenhouse. He is enjoying all the squash seeds I try to plant. I thought a cat might enjoy the warmth of the sunshine in there! The geese are making their nests in the barn. The peacocks are in full glory with their fancy dancing. So much life fills the woods. So much more to come as we get ready for the return of campers and staff. Spring cleaning will soon have the windows shined and the cabin doors open... -Sue, Camp Caretaker Oh, About Camp... When I think of camp, I think of harmony. I think of people who are brought together in a humble way to love and be loved, united in a place where God's hand is at work and people can be real. And because of that, camp is also home to some of the most insanely funny experiences of my life. I love all that is campness! Time spent there is awesome and will go with me wherever I may go. -Kara, camp counselor Camp has been a blessing in my life, as it has been for so many campers. It is a place where both the campers and the staff grow and learn together. I am a better person because of my experiences at camp. - Ben, 2003 Camp Director
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