The Magic of Susie

At the end of June I made a return to Girls Camp pilgrimage. I say pilgrimage because my Girls Camp experience in the past was much like I would image that of the steerage clients on the Mayflower. misery. And I say 'return' because I wanted to erase my experience and replace it with a memory as if I was a first class cabin client instead. Success. I worried about leaving the little Miss and Mr Chuck and this and that and the other. Fear not!

The house and it's inhabitants hardly missed my presence.

One very wonderful Angel came. She came, in all her glitter and gold, her magical Fairy God Mother cloak freshly pressed, her treasures in tow, warm hugs a plenty. What was I worried about?

Susan has a way of somehow, freshening the house with a morning breeze, breakfast and the paper on the table, a perfectly tempered tubby for the little Miss--complete with bubbles, Channel, bear shaped soaps (all individually wrapped mind you! and in a gift bag to boot!), oh and the introduction to bathing with a wash rag! (which Holland now packs in her suitcase on subsequent vacations to make sure she doesn't miss a tub with out one!) Then she entertains the day away with songs, skipping, dancing, explores outside and to the year round farmer's market for fresh berries and herbs, to the movies and toy store for a play, dinner on the table, with cloth, and then settled in for the night with a chapter of Wizard of Oz or The Rats of Nim. And since I got home, I find my clothes so perfectly ironed (she is the most perfect ironer on the planet). Or I find that she placed in my car some amazing reusable grocery bags and had all the laundry done....

See, she is magic.

But even more dear have been the little memories in the weeks since she has been here. Holland will say, lets have a sock puppet show, and I will say, where did you learn how to have a sock puppet show? From Susie! Or I will be shampooing Holland's hair and she will say, Susie made me the best tubbies. Or we will be driving down the road, and Holland will say, turn it to my favorite song...? the one Susie and I listened to. Or she will say, see comb my hair like Susie.....they keep coming and I am so grateful.

I decided. Even if I would have been in Steerage on the Mayflower, I would have thought I was in the Captain's Quarters. Susie would have made it magical.