2014 OYAN Summer Workshop

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – A.A. Milne

I attended the OYAN Summer Workshop last week. I still don’t quite have the words to describe it, I just know that those days were the best I can ever remember having. 

It was, more or less, a nine hour drive. We got a cool rental car (with a sun roof!) and began our drive. I thought I would be freaking out the whole way, but I wasn’t. I couldn’t figure out why. And then it was five hours. And three. And “MOM ONLY TWO HOURS AND FIFTY FIVE MINUTES!” And then one. And we were getting closer and closer. 

Then there was the college, and I could almost see it, and that awful stoplight that seemed to last for an impossible forever. And then we were pulling in, and I was so nervous and excited and freaking out and bouncing. My mom found a parking spot and I got out and nervously proceeded inside to sign up. But I wasn’t really looking to sign up, I was looking for my matching orange t-shirt. I was looking for Ellie, my wonderful Pond, who I’d been waiting to meet since last November. 

I saw her. Actually I saw her shirt first, and then “Ellie… ELLLIIIIIIEEEE!” And she looked up and I ran towards her and hugged her. And then I was bouncing up and down, literally, and I couldn’t stop talking and laughing, and my mom dragged me over to sign in, but I just kept looking at all the people. And it was finally real. It was the SW, and I was really, truly there. 

I got to room with Ellie, and she is seriously the most amazing Pond ever. She was funny and nice and I think we kinda scared people together because we kept saying hi to people we didn't know, and asking for their autographs for our blue binder thingy. She is my Pond, and I miss her a lot. 

It was, like my mom said before I’d even walked in, “Look Cameron. It’s your people.” Yes mom. They very much are. 

Then there was Hannah and Delaney and I was super happy. And then I was looking for Feanor, and I was like three inches in front of someone, and I turn to Ellie and ask, “Is this her?”

And Ellie says, “No, that’s Catsi.” That’s Catsi. The person three inches in front of me was my Frodo. My glorious Frodo.

I screamed and Catsi screamed and we glomped each other BECAUSE IT WAS MY FRODO AND I WAS HER SAM! And then I said hi and hugged her again and I smiled even more, and I apologized for not having a potato. 

Then there was Fea, and the Inkling, and Katherine and so many people and it was so wonderful.

Ellie took me to find the dorms, and I freaked out more, and we were right next to Hannah and Delaney.

We went to get food, only to find out neither of us had purchased the meal for the first night. So we talked about dying of starvation and then went back to the dorms to eat Sour Patch Kids.

The sessions all week were some of the most wonderful things ever. I do believe they were my favorite parts. 

Doctor Who day was simply amazing. There were so many costumes and cosplays, and Addison built a life size TARDIS. Seriously. It was the most amazing thing. 

I loved the Sherlock gathering we had, which I’d been looking forward to. We read some sad fanficiton that turned happy, and then we decided to do it the next night. So Wednesday night Hannah read some of hers and it made me cry. Like really real crying. So of course Ellie took pictures of me crying and then showed them to people, and then I think I gained a reputation as the person-who-cries-over-fanfiction. It’s a rather fitting title. Staying up ‘til one every night except one was wonderful. Very tiring, but I wouldn’t do it any other way.

Reading fanficiton,  assuming the “feels” position, and calling Thorin a Majestic Jerk are some of my favorite memories. 

Critique groups were great. I was, initially, extraordinarily nervous about them. And then the time came, and I had a moment of panic because I lost Catsi and couldn’t find the correct place to go. But then I found her, and we went together, and suddenly I was critiquing, and then I was reading, and then… Well, I discovered that it was quite a wonderful thing. And I can’t forget to mention Bob, our invisible sloth. Yes, our group had an invisible sloth. He got the extra chair. 

Our critique group was called the Fairy Pools, and I miss it so much. On the last day Addison gave everyone a plastic fairy wand and we took group pictures with them. We are so fabulous

.

Open Mic. Night was so incredibly wonderful. My Ninja Buddy played "I See Fire" on the piano, and sang it. It was wonderful. And then there was a Doctor Who piece, and a hilarious skit about reading your old writing, and quite a bit more. My Ellie Number Two, from my critique groups, sang "Safe and Sound" with her friend, and I loved it so very much. 

The last night was bittersweet. I cried, not because I was thinking I would never come back, but because of what I was leaving behind until the next year. I’ll never forget singing worship songs that night, albeit tearfully, with a large group of OYANers. That is one of my favorite memories.

I miss my Sherlock Sisters so very much, and I can’t wait to see them next year. I miss everything so much. Going back to normal is still feeling weird, and I suppose I’ll never not miss the workshop until I’m back again. That was my favorite week I can ever remember. 

In the words of Samwise Gamgee, “Well, I’m back.”

P.S. I’ll put quite a lot of pictures in a separate post. I don’t think I could assort them for this post in any coherent way.

-Cameron

Whiskers on Kittens

It has been a rather busy, full sort of week, but I love those the best. I can't stand not doing stuff, and when I have stuff going on all the time I can actually feel accomplished.

Our church's VBS (Vacation Bible School) started this week, and I had volunteered to be part of the Drama group for the wee children.
I had so much fun with my friends in the group with me. Doing silly improv lines and then discovering they're so funny that we keep them for the real thing is super fun.
We had a rather large bounce house set up in the gym this year, and I would help watch the kids go through it. They have to be watched or there would be a wild stampede of midgets running crazily through it and destroying things. So yes, I am proud to say I helped prevent that.
Only, there are dangers that come with that job. I got kicked in the face, once by my own little sister. But it was still fun.
Here is a picture of me and darling little Peyton, heading to VBS for the last day.

 Actually she really wasn't a darling at all. Our mother had to banher from going to VBS this week after the first night, because she was being a terrible terror and refusing to obey people and clinging to me and using me once again as her personal steed. But she got to go the last day because she decided to be kind and good.
I think we'll keep her. 

My mom, Madison, and Katherine went to Washington this week so my lovely little sister could attend the Junior Olympics. I'm super duper proud of her.

Here is Katherine doing a flip and I'm over here trying to do a cartwheel and failing. 

She is ten. Be awed. 

They're still over there now. They get back Monday.

Last Sunday Madison's boyfriend found a small abandoned kitten in our church parking lot. What do ya know, it's ours now. Only, we can't keep it forever, we're just having it until it's older. A good friend of mine has hopefully talked her mom into letting her family keep it.
We named her Jade, and she is friendly and bouncy and very kitten-like.

The lovely Jade.

In other news, THERE ARE ONLY EIGHT DAYS LEFT UNTIL THE SUMMER WORKSHOP! I am beyond thrilled. I still have to finish editing my excerpts I'm bringing, and then get them printed out. 
I can not wait to go.

Have a lovely Sunday, and remember to give your dad an extra hug. :D

-Cameron

Painting and Excitment

So it's summer now, which I'm really pleased about. I'm still doing math, and will continue to throughout the summer, but it's not so bad.

Adrienne and I re-painted our bedroom. Well, I say Adrienne. Mostly me.
She finally fell in love with reading, after years of making fun of me for lugging my books around everywhere. So mostly she sat on her bed and read while I painted, but I found it rather fun. And I made her help on some parts.
I decided to paint my dresser on a whim, and I like it now. It matches the little window cubby area we have in our room.
Our room happens to be an attic room, so it's rather large and there was quite a bit to paint. We went with light green and purple, but only the window place and my dresser are purple. Adrienne doesn't really care about what her dresser looks like. Which is obvious by the pile of stuff on top of it. But at least it's on her side, not mine.
Yes. We have sides, which I like. They were my idea, because I tend to be clean, and Adrienne... Doesn't.
One of the downsides to an attic room is the heat in the summer. The insolation kinda sucks, and it gets super hot. So we got another fan, and little spinning one, and Adrienne decided to name it Jane. Jane now sits proudly on a chair and spins around and blows us. Not a bad life, for a fan.

 

 Here is us two painting. 

 

And here is me with the new color on the wall, and my newly painted dresser. 

I kept getting paint all over myself. Mostly my feet, because I kept stepping in it. Clumsiness and painting really do not mix.

I've gotten along nicely with my writing, and I have what I need for the Summer Workshop. Now I just need to go through and edit it and polish it off. 

Speaking of the SW, I am really, super, incredibly excited about it. ONLY 16 DAYS! I have been saving up and waiting since January, and had been hoping for it since long before that. I am overjoyed and IT CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH! 

Have a lovely weekend. :D 

-Cameron

Liebster Award

So I have been nominated by my dear friend Ellie to do the Liebster Award. :D Which I didn't know about until I read her post, but it sounded lots of fun so I decided to do it.


1. What is your earliest childhood memory? Probably playing hide and seek when I was about three. I hid my head under a pillow and I recall that I honestly believed nobody could find me because I couldn't see them.
 
2. Where do you want to live someday? I'd love to live in England.

3. What, and more importantly, who do you want to be when you grow up? This is a hard question 'cus I kinda don't know myself. I think I'd like to be a teacher, and at some point I definitely wanna be a mom.

4. Of what religion are you, if any? How did you come about into this belief? I am a Christian. I was raised in a Christian family, and also I've grown up going to church weekly.

5. Do you think you're right or left brained? Right.

6. What is the purpose of your blog? I like having it so people (probably very few people) can keep up with me, and it's also a nice place to put my thoughts about day to day life. :D

7. Would you consider your taste old fashioned or modern? Erm, both.

8. What is your favorite mythical animal? Probably a Gryphon, because 1. It sounds really cool. 2. It is rather interesting. And 3. I knew a little boy named Griffon.

9. Best movie you've seen this year? Gonna hafta say Spider Man 2. Or maybe Captain America: The Winter Solider... Argh. I dunno. One of those two.

10. If you could be one fictional character, who would you choose? I rather like being myself, but being Hermione Granger would be incredibly neat. Mostly because I want to live at Hogwarts.
Or perhaps a Hobbit. I've always thought they live lovely little lives. (Eheheh little lives)


Erm, I hope I don't get tracked down and decapitated for this but I don't read a whole lot of blogs, and all the blogs I do read Ellie has already nominated... Wow, I should read more.
So now I feel bad 'cus I answered questions but I nominated no one. Please don't decapitate me. I like my head. 

Anyhow, I hope anybody reading this has learned something new about me... You should have... And if you already know these things you are either my good friend or you stalk me. Heh. I wonder if anyone really does stalk me. <.<

Have a lovely rest of the week darlings.
-Cameron