Up In The Air Junior Birdmen - Girl Scout Camp

After many decades, I still have fond memories looking back on my scout camp experience. I was probably 10 or 11—at that vulnerable age just shy of the terrible teenage years.

I went to camp two years in a row and the first year was, by far, the best. Although, the 2nd year taught me much more about life and relationships.

The first year, four of us friends who grew up together, went to school together and played sports together, resided for two weeks in a three-sided Gypsy Camp cabin. While there was some mild bickering amongst our quartet, we remained fiercely loyal to each other and pretty much stuck together. As I remember, we came in 2nd in the end-of-camp talent contest performing a skit to the tune of Junior Birdmen.

This is the way I remember it:

Up in the air Junior Birdmen
Up in the air upside down
Up in the air Junior Birdmen
Keep your noses off the ground

When you hear the doorbell ringing
And you have your badge of tin
Then you know, Junior Birdmen
That you sent your box tops in.

(If you have another version, please post it!)

The 2nd year wasn't quite as much fun. We graduated to the next level; a full-size cabin with 8 scouts, one of which was the daughter of the head counselor. "Lynn" (not her real name - I'm afraid she'll find me and beat me up, again) was a real, uh...snot. It was either done her way or she ran to her mother to squeal on how mean we were being to her. Like the four of us who grew up together, "Lynn" had 3 life-long friends in the cabin with her. Only difference was, they couldn't stand her either.

As stressful as that was, I learned some valuable lessons:

1) Those in charge are not always kind to the masses.
2) Life is not always fair.
3) I'm never going to be able to get along with everyone.
4) I can rise above injustice and have fun in spite of disagreeable people.

So, to all you Junior Birdmen out there..."Keep your noses off the ground!"

I have no idea what that means, but it seems like a good way to end this blog post.

I'm the author of the 'Tween time-travel series, Cynthia's Attic.

Download the series on Kindle today!

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Pen Pals but Without the Stationary, the Stamps, or Even the Pen

When I was in high school, I had six pen pals. Six of them. I spent most of my study halls (do they still have those???) writing to any one of my six mail mates. I was hooked on envelopes and stamps and nothing was as much fun as finding a reply in my mailbox. To date, there is at least one of those pen pals I never met. She had placed an ad in 16 Magazine, and I had answered. We sent each other Christmas and birthday presents, and wrote pretty regularly, but we never did meet.

So now I have Internet friends. As with my earlier pen pals, we share jokes and complaints, book titles and mini-movie reviews, wonders and woes and other scraps of our lives. And while the exchange doesn't have all the magic of opening that waited-for envelope, I do still get a kick from seeing the sender's name and the subject line in my in-box. Some of them make me laugh like no one else I know. All of them remind me that I don't have to deal with everything life hands me all by my one-sy. And just like my pen-pals of old, I have met all of them except one.

Do I still think Internet relationships can be dangerous? Heck, yes. But every electronic pen friend I've got came about through a shared interest, whether belonging to the same favorite author's chat board, or being introduced by another mutual friend. And while I know this doesn't necessarily mean everyone is on the up and up, I've been lucky in that all of the people I've actually met have been brutally honest about who they are.

I'm glad to have my online community. They help keep me sane. On the other hand, I do still have at least one person who sends me stuff through the post office...

Speaking of friends, see how friendship can help stop a vengeful spirit in my new story, Hunting Spirits!
http://www.echelonpress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=10_32_36&products_id=171

Internet Friends - My Favorites

Don't get me wrong. I like people. No, seriously. I do! People are nice, for the most part, and unless you voice radical political views on Facebook or Twitter or other social networks, I'm happy to be your friend.

Post pictures, front and center, of your doggies, kitty cats or other special friends you hold dear to your hearts, and I'm there! A friend for life.

I've chosen a few of my Facebook "friends." They may not post clever little "tweets" like, "OMG, going for a walk!" (pant, pant) or quizzes like, What is your favorite chew toy, or If you could be famous, would you be: 1. Lassie 2. Eddie 3. Morris the Cat 4. Mr. Ed 5. Jaws

But, their adorable faces say it all.

Come to think of it, I may prefer these friends for just that reason. And, if your favorite friends are "rescues," they're even more special on my page.

If you're interested in rescuing or adopting, here's a list of shelters across the country

'Tween author, Mary Cunningham writes the award-winning series, Cynthia's Attic. Look for Book Four, "The Magician's Castle" DEC 2009 from Quake (Echelon Imprint). While you're waiting, look for the series on Amazon

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