My favorite task at the Big Sur Camping and Crawdad Society is nap duty. I sit outside a sleeping grandchild's tent and look at the trees, the river, my heart and whatever book is in my lap. Occasionally someone wanders by: an intrepid adventurer suiting up for the hike up the gorge, a bottom bumped tubie traveler circling back from a ride down the rapids, or another book and chair ladened wastrel collecting drinks and snacks for the interior journey.
"My back is a little sore from lounging in a chair all day," Matt said as the gorge climbers compared strains and scrapes around the campfire. "Obviously, I need to do chair-training."
The book in my lap was Thoreau and the Art of Life, edited and illuminated with gorgeous watercolors by Roderick MacIver. MacIver is the publisher of Heron Dance Press and created the journal I'm now using for the second year running. He also sends out A Pause for Beauty, a weekly email from which I regularly steal pictures for things like Illuminated Journaling class outlines. It seemed only fair for me to order some of his books. Along with Thoreau, I chose The Heron Dance Book of Love and Gratitude and Art as a Way of Life--beautiful combinations of paintings and quotes; terrific gift books that are available in both hardback and paper.
Thoreau, whom we affectionally called Thoreau-up in high-school, was the right person to bring along to Big Sur. MacIver collected quotes from journals, Walden, Civil Disobedience, letters and bits that other people had written about Thoreau. He arranged the writing in a dozen topical chapters including: Love and Friendship, Nature and the Human connection to the Natural World, Walking, The Art of Living a Meaningful Life... MacIver's watercolors are scattered liberally through-out the book, making a lovely meditative experience--even if you're not sitting under redwood trees by the side of the river. I sat and scribbled a few bits into my journal--a prose journey from books and journals and letters, to MacIver's Thoreau and the Art of Life, to my journal, to this newsletter...
"Of the making of books there is no end." ~Ecclesiastes 12:12
In high school, I posted a Thoreau saying on my dorm room door; a pithy quote undoubtedly aimed at the administration of that fine institution of higher learning. It is significantly easier to rail against institutions when you're floating around the edges, thinking great thoughts, rather than up to your elbows in the blood, sweat and tears of trying to make some collective effort fly. Institutions run-amok are the current bad-guys in popular thinking. This is not without cause. Nonetheless, figuring out what is wrong is only half the battle. It is counter-productive to do that half, and not move into possibilities, potentials and the hard work of creating something better.
"The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer." ~Henry David Thoreau
Many people who have read this newsletter over the years, have evidenced some confusion between Family Camp and the Big Sur Camping and Crawdad Society. These both happen with weeks of each other. For your elucidation, the Big Sur Camping and Crawdad Society is a long weekend of 40-60 people doing tent camping at a beautiful group campground right along the Big Sur river.
"Camping: The art of getting closer to nature while getting farther away from the nearest cold beverage, hot shower and flush toilet." ~Author Unknown
The Gerard Family Camp is not camping. This group of 70 to 100 gather for a week at The Evergreen Conference Center in Oakhurst. Various activities flow throughout the week: praise & worship, prayer groups, talks, outings to rivers, lakes and Yosemitie; and a funny thing called Creatives. Over the years I have led Creatives in writing, collage, theater, speaking in tongues, and dance; other people have brought painting, stained glass, prayer, sketching, knitting, sewing, boxes, photography, music... What a wonderful variety unfolds as different people share their gifts and talents.
"Elements of a quality life: live simply, do quality work that is not rushed, avoid waste, live below your means and keep a reserve. Set aside a substantial portion of your time for leisure." ~Henry David Thoreau
This year we're having a Family Camp Literary Party at lunch on Tuesday, with a choice of Mystery, Biography, or Healing genres at various tables. Sheila will facilitate the Healing table, Carolyn the Mystery one. Biography is still open. Family camp folk can bring a book in the genre of your choice, and put it on the place mat to claim your spot at the table.
One of these days I'll write a one-sheet: How to Facilitate a Literary Party. If anyone wants a copy, let me know.
Last month, the genre for the Literary Party at The Word Shop was People of Passion. After a year and a half of monthly meetings, our genres are getting creative. The July meeting will be at 1:30 on July 30: French Literature. (gasp!) What should I read? Meanwhile, we're working on posting the Literary Parties on our website in such a way that everyone can add their two cents worth. Stay tuned.
"Literature is the language of society, as speech is the language of man." -Louis de Bonald
What Big Sur Camping and Crawdad Society and the Gerard Family camp have in common is that both groups were spawned from local parishes and grew into shifting communities that continually gather in friends, extended family members and associates. Both groups are open, both meet in places claimed, nurtured, and organized in the name of the Lord. Yes, Organized Religion!
Certainly you have to give a bit in order to function in community. We have a few rules in Big Sur: no poking the fire with sticks and waving flaming torches around--a rule that causes grief to the children. I generally have to inform newcomers that we set up our kitchens in the common area instead of in front of our individual tents. The teens and young adults struggle with keeping their voices down after 10:00. However, the particular joys of coming together outweigh these trials. And I must say, returning home to wash off three days of dirt and grime makes for the best shower of the year.
"I believe in getting into hot water--it helps keep you clean." ~G. K. Chesterton
Blessings,
Alliee +
RECANT: It turns out that the Brian Doyle who wrote Leaping, which I talked about last month, was not the same Brian Doyle as the Canadian one who wrote Mary Ann Alice. It also turns out that Michael did not leave my copy of Leaping on the airplane as I wrote. In other words, a few days after sending out last month's newsletter, I discovered a significant portion of it was wrong. Maybe I should give this up and get a job with National Enquirer...