Camp

Wooooeeee, it's been a long time since I wrote. It's been a long time since I had time to write. There is no way to put all of the last month and a half at camp into a few paragraphs, pages, or even books, but I'll try to put some of it out there.

I have had three groups of LITs. The third and final group is still here, and will start their second week (hands on, placed in cabins as counselors or as camp assistants) officially today. I have worked with 22 incredible LITs. In some ways it seems like not that money, but I have been SO busy. Now I finally feel like I know what's going on, and last week was definitely a great week. I'm continually amazed by the thoughtfullness, humor, desire to learn and strength of the kids I've been working with. I love them. We've done a lot of stuff, it's hard to even know where to begin. We have had a campfire each week (the first week was an overnight, which was mad fun - but a lot more time consuming than I wanted) sitting out making chuckwagons and chatting. We go out to the low ropes course and do teambuilding, and talk about applying the concepts of trust and leadership elsewhere. We watch "Boys of Baraka," a GREAT documentary that has led to some interesting discussions. We do games and workshops about communication and behavior management. Like I said, lots of stuff I don't even really know where to start.

Working with Rey has been fabulous. I adore him, and we balance each other well. I can't imagine doing this without him. In the past week it's been nice to fee like I'm getting closer to some of the other staff I've been too busy to really get to know. The admin team is good - lots of different personalities and lives, but we come together really well most of the time.

Camp is having a lot of changes. Last year, no children were born HIV positive in the United States. As a result, our camper population is aging - we have 40 Adventure Program kids (14-15 years old) where we used to have less than 20. We've had Partners Sessions with the Minnesota Tourettes Syndrome Association and Family Focus (an organization fr Minnesota foster kids - it was our fourth year with them, and it went really well). It has definitely been a hard summer as something we all love so much is changing a lot. I don't think they are necessarily bad changes, but it's a transition year and we've all come to love it for certain things. Hopefully there will be a marriage of traditions/the place we all love with changes that need to happen to keep it strong.

My birthday was fun. The day was just a normal camp travel day for the most part, but by 10 we made it to Duluth. There are lots of people (two dozen at some point or another, I think) and we mostly hung out at "Grandmas." Grandmas has $4 pitchers of Long Islands. $4 pitches of Long Islands (my favorite drink), 20 friends, music,l ong weeks of camp, dancing...much sillinesss ensued. A bunch of us piled into a hotel room afterward, which was a good time too. I spent Saturday shopping in Duluth, and then we headed back to camp where I watched TV, did Habitat stuff, read and slept. Mmmm. I got 11 hours of sleep, which I think is more sleep that I got the rest of the summer combined.

The address is (until August 2)
Shelly Whittet
Camp Heartland
26001 Heinz Road
Willow River, MN 55795

I have a million great pictures, but I don't have time to post them all and don't want to post pictures of kids. Here are a few that make me smile...



Lisel, Kristi, Meg-O, Karen and I went camping. I bailed when the supply cart got out of control, and we dumped all our our stuff. Hilarious!












The group of LITs put a brick in the Honor Garden in memory of one of the LITs dad's.

















Nate and friend at fishing.





















Life after Americorps...The AmeriCamp Crew.







I miss you. Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Life in Georgia

Things are still going really well in Georgia. I have been doing some writing, editing, Web site updating and lots of absorbing. I really like the people I work with (who I also have been going out with after work), and I am kind of bummed that most of them won’t be here when I come back in August. I have a housemate now – a volunteer for the summer hoping to get a job with Habitat, and the girlfriend of one of the guys in my department – and she is nice. Unfortunately, I’m the world’s most awkward person, so that can make things weird, but I like her and am looking forward to hanging out with her more. We’re all watching RENT right now. I love RENT.

I generally can’t stop eating, and I’ve quickly turned into a disgusting tub of blubber. The eating is definitely encouraged by an increase in money, time and freedom than I’m used to. It’s definitely not helped by reducing the amount of physical labor I do from 40 hours a week to basically none. I’m also going to blame it on a lot of stress-inducing change (even though I don’t feel stressed), but I’m not exactly a lean girl right now and don’t feel too good about it. Amber would call me “healthy.” People that are not as nice as Amber, which is everyone else in the world, would just call me fat.

While I definitely wouldn’t want to actually be doing it again right now, I continue to reflect on Americorps and feel grateful for it. Mostly - especially - for Amber, who always ‘gets’ me and always seems to be on the same page as me, and can hold me accountable for jogging goals from states away. I talked to her for an hour tonight – and I normally don’t like talking on the phone – and it was grand.

Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

********************************

Amber asked me what my address is. People don’t normally laugh when they are asked this question. People don’t usually have four answers to this question. I’ll lay it all on you:

Habitat in Georgia (until May 30, after August 25)

Habitat for Humanity Youth Programs Department

Attn: Shelly Whittet

121 Habitat Street

Americus, GA 31709

Home/Parents (June 30-June 5, August 2-August 8, August 21-25)

1840 W. Woodbury Lane

Glendale, WI 53209

Camp Heartland in Minnesota (June 5-August 2)

Camp Heartland

Attn: Shelly Whittet

26001 Heinz Rd.
Willow River, MN 55795

Camp Heartland in California (August 8-20)

Camp Pacific Heartland (Hilltop Camp)

Attn: Shelly Whittet

11495 East Pacific Coast Hwy

Malibu, CA 90265

Florida. South Carolina. Wisconsin. Georgia.

As Miss Martie pointed out, I’m not still at Disneyworld. In fact, with all the changes in my life it feels like that was ages ago. So it’s time for an update, and there sure is a lot going on!

The rest of Florida was…interesting. The sponsor was a little disappointed in our negativity – I can’t really blame them. We moved into mice infested trailers, which was an experience (that I don’t want to have again). Who knew mice would climb on top of people on the top bunk? Yeesh. Still we had some fun, soaked up some sun, and (at least a month later) it was good.

We got back to Charleston at the end of April. It was very nice to get some time with Meg-o and celebrate with my team. One of my favorite parts was a night out with Alana and Megan. We had a dinner “cruise” on the Yorktown, an anchored WWII boat. I got to meet my teammates families and friends, which was nice. I’m sure I would have had more to write about this a few weeks ago, but right this moment I don't.

In the end, I’m so grateful for the Ameriexperience and glad I did it. It was hard – painfully so at times – but I couldn’t have had it any other way. While I didn’t love my team as a whole, I adore many of the individuals on it. We definitely did, learned, enjoyed, and struggled through a lot together. I got to see places I never would have imagined going, and met tons of different people. I got to work with a ton of different nonprofits that definitely gave me new knowledge and perspective. Working in New Orleans and in the schools opened my eyes to something that much of the country doesn’t really understand. I found out more what I value, and what I can do without.

I left Charleston (a sobbing stressed out mess, due to some unexpected emotional breakdown because of all the changes going on in my life…and the incredible amount of shit I somehow had to get home…) on May 1. I got to spend a wonderful week in Milwaukee and spent time with my family. I did lots of shopping and eating. It was good. Have I mentioned how wildy I love my mom?!

Last Sunday I flew down to Georgia to start my job as Youth Program Communication Specialist for Habitat for Humanity International. (Oh, yeah….while I was in Charleston, I found out I got this job. I didn’t think I was going to get it because I couldn’t start in May because of camp, but my boss, Desiree, is amazing and said I could come for May, leave for camp, and then come back at the end of August. A strange but wonderful arrangement!) I started on Monday, so I have had a full week of work. So far I am loving it. My boss is a really kind, smart, strong woman and the other people in the department are young, intelligent, funny and committed. I’ve mostly spent time reading department materials to soak up information and meeting with different people that work with HFHI and the department to learn to ropes and learn who I’m going to be working with. Now that I’m starting to get that stuff, I am working on a few projects for the next two weeks – getting the quarterly print newsletter ready to go, doing the monthly email update, doing the monthly internal update, updating the websites and creating a new banner/poster timeline of the department for its 20^th anniversary. Big projects, but I’m excited to be working with Habitat, around a great group of people, learning new stuff and using things I feel like I’m good at, and wearing cute clothes (NOT grey and khaki). I am staying in a three bedroom house in Americus that Habitat has, and it is wonderful. It has cable, comfy couches, a full kitchen, two bathroom and a shower, my own room, a porch with a porch swing…lots of wonderful things that I am enjoying to the fullest. Right now I’m the only one here (which is just fine with me, after ten months constantly around people), but I’ll have at least one housemate for the last week. Americus is definitely a small town, but it is still good. I live a block from work, so that is pretty wonderful. The basics are in town (food, pharmacy, churches, library, video store, small movie theater), but anything else is a bit of a drive. I’m getting a car when I’m home, so I’ll be fine. I figure other people travel to get to work, but I don’t do that, so I’ll use that time to go to Albany for a decent grocery store and Target. It’s also only two hours from Atlanta and I think about that to the beach. You may recognize Ameriucs because the town was hit by the tornado that came March 1^st that killed a bunch of people in Alabama and Georgia (two in Americus). The tornado (the first one ever to hit here, I believe) definitely took a huge toll on the town – the hospital and a lot of the medical care facilities are totally destroyed and many houses. Just the same, there is a lot of the town that wasn’t seriously affected, and it is bouncing back. All in all, I just feel really, really amazed…blessed…excited…grateful…to have found and gotten this job that, so far, seem just right for me.

I head back to Milwaukee on May 30. I am hoping to get to Chicago and/or Madison, but we’ll see. I would really love to see people. (Speaking of friends, I got to talk to Erin and Amber this weekend and it was food for the soul…I still have about a million people to call back, but I am working on catching up…) I am in Wisconsin until June 5 when I go to CAMP! I am looking forward to another summer at camp, and working with the LITs. I have been crazy busy doing LIT stuff every night after work, but it’s camp, and I love it, and it’s totally work it. Right now I have 19 LITs coming this summer – more than they have had in the past - and kind of a crazy schedule (because the LITs will be at camp during staff week, which is weird and unusual, and Partners weeks, where it is people from outside the camp family from other programs like the MN foster care system). Still, I’ve gotten to talk to some great kids, and I love leadership/communication/teambuilding kind of stuff, so I am really looking forward to it. Plus, I’m just excited to see the other camp staff. It makes me smile thinking about it. Speaking of camp, watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition next Sunday (May 20)!!! A camp family is going to be the homeowner family, and I think it’s going to be wonderful. They are going to show the new camp in New York, Neil and some Camp Heartland campers will be one along with the kids in the family (one of whom is going to be an LIT), and that show makes me weepy every Sunday (so I can only imagine what this two hour season finale is going to do to me!).

I don’t know what it is with my body and the South, but am having an allergic reaction to face wash. All over my face. And my neck and ear. Great. It looks like crap. Nothing helps. I think I’m officially “That new girl with the creepy face thing…”

My address here in Americus (which is my office, because I have a PO Box, and that just seems annoying) is:

Habitat for Humanity Youth Programs
Attn: Shelly Whittet
121 Habitat St.
Americus, GA 31709

Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Lots of love,

Shell

The Land Where Dreams Come True

Our first week at the Disney Wilderness Preserve in Kissimmee, Florida has been overall amazing. I think it's a good note to go out on in this crazy Americoaster.

The preserve is really beautiful. When builders take over land here, they have to do land mitigation - creating new wetlands to make up for the ones they destroyed. Since Disney tore up so much land (and has so much money), they decided to do their mitigation by creating one giant (12,500 acres - it takes half an hour to drive across the preserve) area where things were restored by The Nature Conservancy. So, Disney doesn't really have much to do with it now, but it has its name. There are miles of native plants, tons of wildlife, and many passionate and knowledgeable employees. Its not really meant to be a park for people to explore and look around, but to help the land and animals do what they are supposed to do. It's also important beause it's the head of the water that goes to the Everglades. So, it is pretty neat to be able to explore it. It has been a really dry year, so it is normally really marshy/swampy, but right now I really haven't seen any marsh areas beacuse everything is dried up. They are definitely hoping for rain.

We live in a double wide trailer on the land with four of the preserve interns. It is actually much bigger than I realized a trailer could be - five bedrooms, two bathrooms, and one extra shower (in a room with a refrigerator...). The water smells incredibly bad because of the sulfur(somewhere between the worst fart you've ever smelled and a perm). There are animals everywhere (not in the house, thankfully), which is cool to see cranes, rabbits, deer, snakes, alligators, kites (endangered birds), herons, bald eagles, etc. on a daily basis. It was a little scary the first night, when our sponsor told us to watch out for the alligators (just don't bug them and don't swim in the pond 20 yards from our trailer that has a bunch) and snakes (all but one of the poisonous snakes in the U.S. live within a mile of our house) and guns (there have been a couple daytime armed robberies at the Walmart 10 minutes from our trailer) and spiders (black and brown widows and brown recluses - poisonouse) and scorpions, but they don't bother us. We've seen a few alligators and rattlers in the yard or road leading out, but they all seemed to be fairly confused about what people are, and they say if you don't bother them they won't bother us. Can do. It was funny when Amber and I were running the other night (I promised myself I'd run an average of 15 minutes a day, at least) around the yard (which has a dim light) with her headlamp. So, really, I'm not bothered or scared of the animals, and just have been in awe of the beauty. The interns took us out to a beautiful natural orange tree grove. So cool. For all of you "Dumbo Drop" fans out there (okay, I don't think any actually saw that movie...), I ate lunch on the runway they used for the movie.

This week we've worked on creating native habitat (sort of an oxymoron...) by pulling up big chunks of cord grass (a really long grass that grows like crazy - makes the field look like a prairie) and replanting it somewhere else it hasn't grown so it will spread. It makes a good habitat for animals, and makes sure invasive stuff doesn't come in. The land was used as a cattle ranch for a long time, so their is non-native stuff trying to rear its head. We also pulled weeds that were taking over and prevent natural burning, which is not thrilling, but we made it fun with competitions to see which team could pull the most in five minute increments. Shockingly, my team has been nicer, has been having fun, mostly been working hard. The hot sunny Florida weather can be brutal when we're working, but it is also beautiful.

We got to go to Disneyworld yesterday! Disney gave us free Parkhopper passes (you can go to all the parks), so we went from 9am to midnight and I went to Epcot, MGM and Magic Kingdom. It was really fun. I had all these snippets of memories from going more than a decade ago. It was great. I hit all the rides I really wanted to - Soarin', Mission Space, The Great Movie Ride, Backlot Tour, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Dumbo, Teacups, etc. It was pretty funny to shove five women into a teacup. You can get those things turning fast with that much weight in them! We were utterly exhausted by the time we got home, but it was good. We were going to go to the beach today, but we all just slept instead.

I'm thinking about going to Georgia to visit Habitat for Humanity's International office this week and talk to the Youth Programs Director about a job when I get done with camp. We'll see. I'm having a rough day just because I'm tired and let one of my teammates meanness get to me, but I'm sure tomorrow I'll be fine again.

Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Traveling Mercies

I've had a fun few days in Charleston. It's been warm (80's) and sunny and absolutely beautiful. Blue skies, green trees, bright sun. Lovely. I've spent two days at the beach, watched a great movie ("Half Nelson"), reading Anne Lamott's new book ("Grace (Eventually" - excellent),walked the bridge, loved on and been loved on by Meg-O. I'm excited about heading to Florida and new adventures, but a little nervous about getting eaten alive by alligators or my teammates. Traveling mercies...

Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Back in Tennessee

I had a fabulously lovely spring break at home. It was soooo nice to have a break. I ate too much, slept a ton, saw some very wonderful people in Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago and all around enjoyed myself.

Now I am back in Tennessee, returned to my kooky life. I am currently watching a movie (because it's too wet to work) - "Sargeant York" - about a WWI hero from the area where we're working. I met his son, a state park ranger who gives tours of his childhood home. Yesterday I went to a Baptist musical, "Smoke on the Mountain." Unexpected, hilarious, weird. We moved to the chalets in the woods, which are beautiful, but I can't fall asleep with weird drips and noises, so I'm exhausted. At least I have a cot instead of a bunkbed. My team is still bickering a lot. I'm excited for Charleston next week, though our sponsor here has been really wonderful to us and I like the middle of nowhere a lot more than I imagined.

I am so excited that I got the LIT Director job for the summer at Camp. I get to work with our 16 year old leaders in training, alongside the rest of the admin team and staff. I appreciate more than ever the amazing, funny, kind, hardworking, dedicated, loving people at camp.

That's all for now. Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Life in Tennessee

Sunday, February 26 – 8pm

I’m sitting on a burnt orange colored couch relaxing to Amos Lee in the beautiful middle of nowhere. I think the baby bear in “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” might have lived here before us. The couches and chairs are just a touch smaller than normal, the bunk beds are made for children, the ceilings are a little normal than typical. Because everything else is basically to scale, Alana and I simply look giants. The walls are covered in murals from Americorps teams that have been here before – a glorious acid-trip field that melts into a sunset that explodes over the entire ceiling of the living room, creepy and wonderful monsters in the bathroom, a picture of ducks flying hanging over the desk (the actually framed picture has been removed and stuck in a closet, and a new one – with painted frame and all – took its place). The shower has the dribble of a bubbler (a water fountain, for those of you not cool enough to be from Wisconsin). Not even a new, fancy, silver bubbler, but a porcelain one you find in old schools. At least it’s warm. My teammate was kind enough to remove the mouse nest from the kitchen drawer. My teammates said they saw a mouse, and it ate food they left out (to test where it went…what?!), but they are hallucinating and it is not true. Because if it was true I’d have to sleep in the van for the next month.

We haven’t really done much work yet, but have been settling into our Tennessee lives. We arrived Thursday afternoon. We came up and down and up the windy roads of the Tennessee Hills to Pickett State Park. The seven girls stay in a cabin right up the hill from the park office, and the boys stay in a cute chalet down another hill. Then went over to Hull State Park (a 50 minute drive…I’ve since bought generic Dramamine), where we met our sponsor, Robin, and attended the meeting and dinner with the Friends of Hull Park. There were mostly a bunch of very sweet, welcoming little old ladies and men that had left Pickett County and returned. Hull State Park exists because it is the site of the birth cabin of Cordell, who served as Secretary of State in the ‘30’s under Roosevelt and was the father of the United Nations. There is also a trail that leads to what is supposedly a very cool cave. Hopefully, when the Americorps teams leave (us, and another team after us) there will be a mile long trail that leads out of the cave (now you have to walk back out the way you walked in). Friday we got up for work, and huffed and puffed when the boys were not there and we were supposed to leave half an hour before. And then we realized we were half an hour early – the boys cell phones had flipped into Central Time, which is the correct time here, but because there is little/no service anywhere in the park or around here, ours were in Eastern. Ooops. We braved the windy roads again and met with “trail guru” Dave and learned about making trails. There is actually more rhyme and reason to it than I realized, and a lot of work. We swang maddoxes (a cross between a shovel, an axe and a sledgehammer), shuffed fire rakes, and cut with loppers for a couple hours. It was hard. I am a little afraid of eight hour days, but we’ll see how it goes. Whenever I got annoyed and it felt hopeless (the initial raking is satifying, but then you just have to chop and pick to break up roots and remove the top layers of schtuff – called “duff” by us trailbuilding pros) and cut in (when the trail is on a hill, it has to still basically be flat so you can walk on it easily, but not sloped in so it creates a ditch that will catch water and erode weirdly), I pretend I’m making this very specific trail for my grandma to walk on. We used to go for walks a lot when she lived up North, and I can’t work if I have the idea that people might not walk or appreciate this trail, so its for Grandma. After lunch, Robin, who is an incredibly kind sponsor, showed us around the town where Hull is, Byrdstown. We got a library card, saw the post office and the lake, and that pretty much completed our tour. J Saturday, we spent most of the day at an Eckerd Youth Alternatives school, which was really neat. We met a man in the parking lot (who, coincidentally, turned out to be the Bishop of Karleen’s church here – crazy world) of WalMart who recognized our Americorps uniforms and asked if we wanted to come check it out and do some work. The school is basically a last resort (we’re talking Maury Povich style drag-you-away-in-the-middle-of-the-night) for 10-18 year old kids getting in trouble. The come live in groups of ten in the middle of nowhere in cabins and cook their food and hike and go to school and build tents and stuff. It’s basically Americorps, with even less freedom (hard to believe). Actually, some people were pretty cynical when we first started the tour, but we all really were sold on it. The Program Director, Rick, was a really nice guy, and they have a lot of really good ideas about getting the kids to work in teams, set goals and recognize consequences for their actions that aren’t just meaningless/unrelated punishments. We mostly just toured the place, talked to some of the girls (and tried to talk to the boys, but they just grunted at us), and asked Rick questions, so we didn’t really help them that much, but it was a great experience. We did tear down an old cabin/tent for them. Rick bought us lunch, because he’s great.

The park we live in is neat. There are lots of pretty trails to meandering around, so I’ve done a fair amount of hiking the past few days. There is even a swinging bridge, Indiana Jones style. We’ve been playing games, watching DVD’s (no TV), sitting around talking, making food again (I missed cooking for ourselves…I made chicken curry tonight), and driving to WalMart (25 minutes away, and the closest and biggest thing). I have to tell you, this lovely little cabin makes me crave a night of drinking games or candlelit chats with a glass of Merlot in my hand – it’s the perfect place for such activities – but, alas The Man strikes again. Wholesome fun is for weenies. Stupid rules. There has been a bit of drama I’ve mostly tried to stay out of between “the girls” and “the boys,” but I think (hope) maybe things are turning around and going to go in a more positive direction. I went to church this morning, which was interesting – I think churches have a lot more to do with the region than the denomination.

It looks like I’m going to get home for a week! Yay! I don’t know the details yet, made even more difficult by my lack of cell phone reception, but my dad is going to fly and get me on the 3 and return me on the 12. I might spend some of that time in Nashville with my parents, but I’ll spend most in Wisconsin. Give me a call (you might have to leave a message for now, which I can check when I’m in the main town) if you can hang out.

That’s all for now. Time for “Marley and Me/” I borrowed it from the library (I love having access to a library!) and am loving it. Go listen to Amos Lee, it’s good for the soul.

Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Lots of love,
Shell

Thursday, March 1 – 12:30pm

Oddly enough, I continue to embrace this weird little Tennessee life. I’m enjoying being outside, reading, and finding new ways to entertain myself. Last night I made a tote bag – a teammates idea – out of a brown and blue leaf print fabric I got at Walmart. I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty proud of it.

Team morale could be better (much better) – people aren’t enjoying working on trails and being cut off and it’s causing…hatred. I’m trying my best to just be understanding but stay out of it, which is a little hard to do considering we’re with each other all the time.

Yesterday, our sponsor Robin took us on a fun day. We got to see a neat waterfall, Rugby (a historic English colony that was supposed to be a utopian community, but kind of faltered because the weather was bad, things weren’t like they expected and the people were lazy…sounds strangely Americorps), picnicked (I played on the best seesaw ever), and Jamestown (the town nearest where we live, complete with a roller rink and bowling alley).

That’s really all the news for now. We worked in the rain for the morning, but came in for lunch early because of thunder and lightning, and we’ll probably just watch videos about the park this afternoon.

I’m pumped to see my family this weekend and spend some time in Wisconsin, especially with the Babas, next week.

Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

PS - I'm posting a few more pictures of hikes and our cabin on www.photos.yahoo.com/shellbell2002

Address

I have more to say about life in the hills, but for now, just an address for those of you so inclined.

Pickett State Park
Shelly Whittet - Americorps NCCC S3 - Staff House
4605 Pickett Park Highway
Jamestown, GA 38556

I don't have cell phone reception most of the time and have only occasional internet access. But I love letters (that's my address until March 19).

I think I'm coming back to Wisconsin March 4ish through March 12ish. Let's play!

Love,
Shell

I Hate Bunkbeds III

Things are good back in Charleston. Lots of a sleeping, a little jogging, some reading and internet surfing.

On our way back, we stopped in Augusta - a huge accomplishment for our team to make it that far in one day - at the EconoLodge. It was great. There was a lounge in the parking lot where a bunch of my teammates hung out. It was more of a really cool basement than a bar, complete with karaoke and all. There were maybe ten people there, about seven of them being my team. We were all tired and lazy and in need of beers, so we turned our uniforms inside out (no drinking in the A). A woman at the bar asked how we were all related, and I explained we were in a service program. She said, "Yeah, I was trying to figure it out. I thought maybe ya'll just got out of jail. But some of the boys hair is too long." Another woman thought we were a softball team (which would also be kind of pathetic...). I'm thinking of responding "We're the second best curling team in the nation, and we're on our way to a competition." I figure making us the number two team makes it more believable. I don't know for sure if there are curling teams, but I suppose neither will the people I lie too...

Let's talk again about bunk beds. I hate them. Hate is a harsh word, and my dad says I shouldn't say hate. I'm amending that rule, and I say everyone gets three things they can say "hate" about. Bunbeds is one of mine. And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE not-bunkbeds. I slept on a bottom bunk in New Orleans. Now, a bottom bunk is SUBSTANTIALLY better than a top, especially when there was no one above me, but still bad news. "Oh, come on, there wasn't anyone about you, and you were on the bottom, it's just like a bed!" you say? WRONG. Let me give you a few reasons why...
- Bunk beds = more people than there should be in the allotted space. My darling Megan O. came to seem me, a much needed visit. She is staying in a 3 bedroom Habitat home (Habitat homes are decent and affordable, but not spacious) with 12 people. She had told me a few weeks earlier how two of her male teammates had worked out a system with a couch and ottoman that allowed them to both sleep on the couch in the living room every night. She explained with great excitement that they had now gotten bunk beds, so "at least we're not on top of each other anymore." She was not amused when I pointed out that, yes, indeed, they were literally on top of each other.
- Bunk beds = concussions. Every time I got off my bed, I had to negotiate trying not to hit my head on the top bunk when I got up. When I managed not to not hit my head on the bed above me, cleverly leaning forward a bit, I would then hit my head on the top bunk of the bed next to me. You just can't win with bunkbeds.
- Bunkbeds = plastic mattresses. If you are a seasoned bunk bed-sleeper liek I am, you will notice that many, many bunkbeds come equipped with what we at camp affectionately call "bed condoms." For you who have the good fortune of sleeping of mattresses made of some sort of cloth, bed condoms are the plastic sheets/covers that ensure the child (or drunk) that is supposedly sleeping on said mattress will not soil the mattress. Now, granted, these may serve their purpose. Case and point, my friends Johnnie's story of a camper that woke him up in the middle of the night to tell him the rain was leaking in on him through the window - though it was not raining. In this case, a bed condom on the 8 year old top-bunk-sleeper would have been helpful in preventing the rainstorm our bottom bunk friend was trapped in. For those of us who have managed to figure out how not to pee the bed, bed condoms are unwelcome. There is no good way, despite all my best attempts, to keep a sheet on top of a mattress covered in plastic. And there is nothing enjoyable about waking up sleeping on plastic, falling asleep sticking to plastic, or reading while sliding around on your plastic bed.

I applied for a few jobs today doing youth program coordination stuff with Habitat for Humanity International, which I think would be really great. One starts August 27, which would be PERFECT if I got an admin job with camp (which would be amazing). I'm also going to look into KaBOOM, but the project coordinator positions I would be interested in aren't open right now. Though I seem all on top of things, really all this is because I can't sleep at night without tossing and turning for at least an hour about how I'm going to buy a car or ever get my teeth cleaned again.

I have a spring break in March, and I'm looking forward to exploring Nashville with my mum or heading back to Wisconsin for a bit. Still figuring it out, but excited just the same. I miss my mum.

We head to Byrdstown, Tennessee on Thursday, and will be there until March 19. The project sponsor is supposed to be really wonderful, and it will be a definite change of pace, so all in all, it should be good.

That's all for now. I forgot to make the pictures public when I posted them before, but now you should be able to see them at www.photos.yahoo.com/shellbell2002 in the Recovery School District file. Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

The Last Two Weeks in New Orleans

It's been a crazy ride since I last wrote. We leave tomorrow at 8am to head back to Charleston, and then head to a bitty town (Byrdstown) in north central Tennessee to do trail work at Hull State Park. Here's a bit about the past week or two...

First, I was unscathed by the tornado, though apparently my mum was the only one that wondered. (Thanks, Mom!) There was some wind damage (trees down, houses that already needed to be demoed knocked down) in the areas I'm in, but I didn't even wake up. Some of our students lost roofs or had damage to homes just rebuilt or fixed by Katrina, which is just heartbreaking. This city needs a break.

Mc42, the school were barcoding books and hauling things up stairs for, opened on the 5th. I have no idea how Mrs. Wide, the principal, did it, but kids came and got to class. It wasn't perfect - the teachers don't even have a copier - but at least it's a start. Jason, the new teacher we worked with setting up the school, quit after the second day. He was so excited about the job, and hopeful about the kids, and I think it is a testament to the endless frustration teachers in the NO public schools are facing - no supplies, kids that haven't gotten a decent chance and may take it out in the wrong places, a lack of training, and the list goes on. I've heard that the teacher shortage is being reported nationally, and I know sometimes things can be written off as being sensationalized, but it is very, very real. And the children are suffering for it.

Case and point: We were pulling down old library shelves so new ones could be put in the other day at a high school here. Which speaks partly to the disorganization, lack of communication and stupidity of people that make the decisions (who are far removed from the people on the ground that have a better idea what is actually needed), because the shelves were not in that bad of shape, and there is little point in brand new books shelves if you don't have books (except for hundreds of donated "OC" paperbacks...for black, innercity, Louisiana-born-and-bred, poor, public school, post-Katrina kids) or students that can or will read. A teacher came in and said, "Why are you doing this? I need you! You are smart people. I need you in my classroom. I teach tenth grade English. The highest reading level I have is fifth grade. We have non-readers in this [high] school. It's not that they can't or won't, but they need someone to sit there with them and teach them and encourage them, and I have thirty students in my classroom." No child left behind, huh? While it speaks perhaps to the efficiency of what RSD was sometimes having us do, the real heartbreaker is that the need to teach these tenth graders to read exists.

Which led me to a little research. According to a study, "Fourteen urban school districts have on-time graduation rates lower than 50%; they include Detroit, Baltimore, New York, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Denver and Houston." We should be ashamed of ourselves. http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2006-06-20-dropout-rates_x.htm. I'm hoping to do some more work increasing literacy and helping in schools, and I encourage you to do the same.

We've spent a lot of time at Dibert Elementary (which is K-8 here), and had a ton of fun. I spent a lot of time with Mrs. Sturgis' second grade class, and I adore those kids. Tarik has decided he is my boyfriend and has promised me shoes and a car, and Shawn is getting me tickets when he graduates college and becomes a star basketball player. I'm a pro at turning rope for double dutch and give a pretty good piggy back, am a big softy about sharpening everybody's pencil and helping on workshops, and I think I'll have "Miss Shelly, Miss Shelly" ringing in my ears for weeks. They often overwhelming dismay I sometimes feel when I look at all of the problems this city has doesn't come close to overshadowing my hope for these kids.

We got to do another Kaboom playground build at Dibert on Tuesday, which was especially fun because the kids and school we were building it for meant a lot to us personally. Kaboom does a great job of making a fun day that volunteers feel good about. We painted the basketball court area and put in a sweet new playground. We were bummed the kids couldn't be there as it went up (school was cancelled because the tornado took out the power), but I know they'll enjoy it. Perhaps it seems silly, building a playground when there is SO MUCH to be done, but these kids deserve a childhood.

I had an amazing two hours tonight playing with an 18 month old boy named Dennis. Dennis' parents are two nice, loving people who have hit some rough spots lately. Dee, a woman who works in the kitchen at the Salvation Army where we live and is the human embodiment of love, has taken them under her wing. They have been able to eat here the past few days, Dee found donations for a hotel for them the other night, and the first floor was made into a shelter tonight because it's a "freeze" (if they temperature goes below 37, they have to house anyone that needs a place). People weren't allowed in until 9am, but Dee didn't want the baby out in the cold, so she asked mom and dad if they'd mop the floors. While they did that, I stole away Dennis and had the time of my life. Mmmm, warm toddler love.

That's what I've got for right now. It's been an physically and mentally exhausting time, and I am looking forward to a bit of a break from New Orleans, but this city holds a part of my heart. I'm posting pictures on www.photos.yahoo.com/shellbell2002 tonight - check them out.

Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Life has been crazy, but fairly good. We've been busy working with RSD to get two of the schools ready to open for Monday. We've unloaded, barcoded, scanned, reboxed and delivered (mostly to the third floor of the elevatorless schools) at least 3,000 textbooks. It's crazy to see how unprepared they are, and how poor communication is. There are certainly people that are working tirelessly to make it happen - the principal at Mc42, Mrs. Wide, and a new teacher we've been working with, Jason - but there is so much disorganization and so much work. Mc42 seems to be...manageable - teachers got in Friday and Saturday to try to set up, and Mrs. Wide is so kind and determined and smart, she'll figure somethingn out. At Rosenwald, they are planning on having all the kids (100 6-8th graders) in the cafeteria because they only have four teachers. But there are books covering the cafeteria. Yeesh.

The team dynamic has been sort of better, or at least I feel better. We had a fun, crazy, family style bickering, full-of-laughter dinner.

We've met some characters here. My future wedding with our "sponsor" Troy is off, because he suddenly hates us and we don't work him at all. We don't quite know the deal, but he is not our biggest fan. Steve, the book guy, says he was a hippi until 1982 and insists books are only set on rectangular tables.

There is a reason it's called the Salvation Army. They don't mess around. There are signs everywhere that say "No Cussing" and the curfew is 10 on weekday and 11 on weekends. The security acts like he's doing a big favor and problem if you come back half and hour BEFORE curfew. And they DO NOT like clutter. There are also many signs demanding areas be kept "Neat and Tidy." We (the people staying here) were sat down to address this problem. (Please keep in mind the room was actually pretty clean...a few shoes on the floor OUT of the aisle, a contact case on the nightstand.) The woman told us we were messy, and even homeless people weren't as bad as us. She said we should put things in lockers, and that we should each just use 3 lockers if we had to, because NOTHING is to be out (this includes under your bed or on your nightstand). Except she's crazy, and there are only enough lockers for one per person. Then, she said "All you people are coming down to help rebuild the city..." and we thought we were going to get a short moment of thanks, until she said "BUT THIS IS NOT YOUR HOME. THIS IS NOT YOUR HOME." They're very welcoming here. PSYCHE. She then came into our room at 10pm that night literally screaming "Get a locker! Put it in a locker. You young, you can walk to a locker. What's this...move these shoes, don't have them under this bed [perfectly lined up in a row], get a locker." Okay, so really, it's okay, it's warm and dry and my bed is good, but it is pretty funny.

I went to my first Carnival parade last night, and it was lots of fun. It was a small one for here, but not by normal standards. I just loved the energy and mix of people and silliness of it all. I'm looking forward to more next weekend.

Today on the roster is trying to get my cell phone fixed. It's completely dead. Which is making me very sad. And is the reason I haven't called anyone back. I REALLY hope they can fix it. After that, either church with Karleen or the WWII museum.

Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

"Run to the other side of the playground and pretend to be jello! JIIIIIIIGGGGGLY JEEELLLLLO."

Some lovely little petunias sent messages that made me feel a little less alone and a little more loved in this crazy world. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Today was a good day, overall. We set up classrooms and moved boxes and boxes of supplies to the three different floors of (elevatorless) Mc42 today. Students will begin there on Monday. Right now, 80 of the 6-8 grade students are in one hallway of a high school building, and the other 300 are not in school because there is nowhere to go. So, it is good school will start. Except, as of today, they have about eight teachers. 8 teachers, 400 students, a building that badly needs a paint job, gunshots outside, and has nothing in it but furniture and a couple hundred boxes of basics (paper, tape dispensers, calculators...no books yet...) yet to be unpacked and delt with. They are maybe getting some teachers from a local Teach for America-like program, but do to budgetary reasons (and perhaps insanity), the people (coming from random other non-teaching jobs and/or college) will learn to teach in a "hands on environment" (aka "Here's a classroom full of kids, we didn't give you any training, go."). The kids have to take the LEAP test, which decides if they can move to 5th of 9th grade in March...after one month of school after who knows how long. (Good thing No Child will be Left Behind, thanks to those tests. Coughcough.) This wasn't meant to be depressing, though perhaps it is, but I just want to put a little bit out there about what it's like down here. There were so many problems pre-Katrina, and so much left to do.

Moving on, the best part of the day was lunch and recess at Dibert. We wanted to interact with kids, so we went over there for the three lunch periods (K-3, 4-5, 6-8 grades). The K-3 lunch and recess was the highlight of...a long time. The kids are young enough they are immediately interested in the new, smiling strangers that want to be their friends (while the 6-8 were nice, they were more interested in hanging out with their friends, understandably). We (me and my gaggle of munchkin friends) ruffhoused and jumped rope and waddled like a penguin and pretended to be squirrels and giggled and high-fived. Absolutely stupendously wonderful half hour, and I wish it last all day, every day.

I'm still feeling a bit lonely and isolated and frustrated, which is making me act whiny and bratty and isolate myself. I feel like I can't really be myself, because people have led me to believe they don't really like that, so I'm a bit lost. Just remember to breathe, pray, and laugh, right? I'm trying very hard. But mostly it comes out wrong lately. Keep on trying, right?

That is all for now. Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

I Love Microbes

http://www.giantmicrobes.com/

I was looking around the Web site Martie works for, and I stumbled onto this. Everybody loves a plush virus.

Moving On...

Nothing is ever so simply in Ameriland. We've left Camp Hope (so don't send mail there, send it to Charleston and I'll have to get it when I get back or in a FedEx), because the Charleston team leaders staged a coup because of concerns about health problems. With no heat, no insulation, moisture, mice, etc. a lot of people were getting sick, and the problems are continually not fixed, so we were pulled on Thursday and stayed at a motel until today. In some ways I feel like we just need to suck it up, but a third of my team does have upper respiratory infections, and half the team had them last time we were at Camp Hope (and didn't get them anywhere else we've been), so that is a problem. After a whole lot of hoopla, we got moved today to a Salvation Army center. It's warm and clean, so that is good. I'm feeling kind of anxious at the moment, because they have a lot of weird rules (two people from every team here have to stay back every day to clean here, we have to be in the building and can't leave at 11 on weekends and 10 on weeknights, there is no cussing and everyone is expected to uphold Christian principles theough we are a government program, we can't even go in the guys' room, there are 40 other people in my bedroom, I don't know where the hell we are, etc.). I'm sure I'll adjust and it's just all the moving and changing.

This was one of the toughest weeks for me, climaxing in an embarassing, though necessary, crying tantrum. I'm just so sick of all the CRAP surrounding just getting something done. There is SO MUCH need here (and everywhere, for that matter), and I'm feeling like my soul is being sucked out by rules and guidelines and lazy people and bitchy comments and being judged not for my own work or ability but by a group that I don't want to represent me. I'm being very sensitive and it's makeing me feel bad about myself, and it's all becoming a bit of an ugly circle. It's making me feel nauseated. Urg.

On a better note, I've been able to do some good work with Recovery School District this week. We delivered a whole slew of donated books to schools, un-boxed all the furniture for a school that should be opening next week (that is a much bigger project than it sounds like), arranged classrooms, and inventoried supply shipments. Next week we're supposed to start eating lunch with kids and do a big painting project. So that's mostly good (except for the crap mentioned in the above paragraph).

I'm trying to focus on the positive, but just feeling...consumed. I know I can, and will, and have to, work through it, but I would love a normal life right now. It would be nice to know, or have some idea, what I'm doing next (Hope? What's that?), but I sent in applications for two jobs, so all I can do is wait. Nonetheless, I think it is good/necessary to try to reflect on why I an doing this and what I am gaining. Even in the midst of all this when I feel like every ounce of free will is being stolen from me, I am still choosing to be here everyday and there are really important things I'm learning and getting out of it. Like I've discovered/reinforcred/learned...

• Helping people is important to me, and I just see too much need not to commit my life to doing something I feel is doing some kind of good
• The idea of a 9 to 5 is not so scary, and actually pretty danged appealing, at least for a while. Separation between friends and coworkers and home and work would be grand.
• Anywhere can be "your space." There are two kinds of home, and one will always be in Wisconsin where my mom is. And then there is my other home, and that is pretty dang flexible. I caught myself saying "It's at home" about our hotel we stayed at for two days. Im okay with that, and like that I've become a little more able to deal with change. (Okay, not right now, but up until now I have been really good! Cut me some slack.) I'd like to move somewhere new, and explore, and I think I can do it. I think.
  
• Other people don't think like me, and I need to communicate better how I'm feeling/why I do things the way I do and work harder to understand the same for others. When I don't, I feel frustrated because of what is often just a miscommunication. I've figured out this is important, but not necessarily how to be brave enough to actually do it. Baby steps.
  
• I like working hard, and it's just how I am, and I am proud of that. Even if sometimes other people don't like or understand it. That's one I'm not willing to give up or compromise on.
• Choosing your company is a very wonderful thing. There is something to be said for being able to get along with lots of different people, but being able to choose the people you love and spend time with because they are like you, or not like you, and make you happy, is nice.
  

So, perhaps, all is not lost. Even if my soul is. (Dramatic much, Shell?)

The Baba email chain has started again, and it makes me happy. I love and miss them tremendously. I could use some Baba hugs and laughter.

That is all for now. Send some love. Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Our little gussy

The sad news of the day is that everybody's favorite hamster, Gussy (Becca's hamster), passed away. Gussy was a good little guy, fun at parties, had amusingly giant balls, and made Becca smile, which makes everyone smile. We'll miss you, friend.

Life in New Orleans is good. I've embraced the "Live simply, so that others may simply live" philosophy, and all is well. I have come to love red beans and rice, and wearing two layers at all times. This weekend we went to "Freedom Writer," Barnes and Noble, and watched the Saints game at a bar downtown. Sad news they lost, but they sure did have a good run. I definitely celebrated a little too hard, especially considering they didn't even win. Oops. Carnival parades start in two weeks, which will be exciting. At the bookstore, I got free calligraphy pens, because they weren't in the inventory system and the cashier just gave them to me. Clearly, they were meant to be mine. Next weekend I think I'm going to go to Bay St. Louis to see the official opening of the volunteer center we worked on there, and Megan will be in town.

Today we dropped off more books. Actually, in the morning, we dropped off a lot of books, and in the afternoon we mostly just drove around (there apparently are two Landry Avenues in New Orleans...unfortunately, we didn't go to the right one...). We're hoping soon to actually go into the schools and do something - read to kids, tutor, organize stuff, whatever needs to be done - but it seems like there is so much need no one really even knows where to begin.

My pops sent me a new wireless card and software, and this one is the diggity. Yay for Dad! And for the package from the fam with sweatpants and poems. I heart packages. And letters from grandma, like the one that came yesterday and made me all weepy.

I'm still waiting for my future to appear at my feet. (Please?!) I applied for Admin at camp and another job (ideally for after camp), so we'll see. Fingers crossed. Ideas welcome!

Time to watch a crappy girly Hilary Duff movie. :)

Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Back in New Orleans

We've arrived safely back in New Orleans. Being at Camp Hope is the same...with less lights, less heat, and less food. But, our six weeks here earlier prepared me well, and somehow sitting here in three layers typing in the dimness isn't so weird. Which is weird, but that's okay. :) I am determined to make some new Camp Hope friends, but unfortunately the only people I ever make friends with are retired people. They love me, and I love them, but it does make me wonder. Hmph. I was going to make friends with UW people here on an Alt Break, and was telling my teammate Amber and saying "Bucky Badger? Bucky?" in the hallway. But then when I walked by a group of people who looked up, one of which was wearing a Wisconsin shirt, I kept walking cause I didn't really have anything to say. Oopie. I've managed to avoid the rusty pool FEMA water thus far, but I don't think that will last much longer. I'll readjust quickly. I've been making bedtags out of construction paper. They don't put this stuff in the brochure.

But really, I am happy to be here thus far. We had a good first day of work with Recovery School District. Troy is our sponsorman, and we're engaged. He doesn't know it, but I'm sure he'll be down. He's really nice, a native New Orleanian, passionate about making changes in the public education system and kids, funny, likes a drink, and is tall and blonde to boot (Don't worry, ladies, he's not a dude. Seriously, he really isn't.) Today we organized nine huge pallets books that were collected - 15,000 by an 8 year old in Baltimore. We seperated them out to go to about 13 different schools in the area and repalletized them. Troy figured it would be a side project we'd have to work on for the next month, but we got it all done today, which was pretty satisfying.

Sunday is the Saints game. Yahoo! We're excited about it. We'll be here for Carnival, the celebrations that lead up to Mardi Gras (though not Mardi Gras itself) too. I'm saving my going out money and energy for later, but it should be fun.

Time for a movie. And to make more things out of constuction paper. And find a hat.

This was perhaps the worst written blogspot ever. Forgive me.

Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Faith?

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase."
Martin Luther King

I always really liked this quote. I stumbled across it again when I was looking for quotes for MLK day and laughed. Apparently it's not as catchy to add on, "Unless it just really isn't there, and then you'll just end up with a broken arm."

We've been working with East Cooper Habitat for Humanity for the past two days, and will be there building walls on Monday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We've been doing a lot of grunt work - getting the sewage pipes to drain away from the house, cement the blocks the house sits on, cutting pieces for the floorboards, etc. You don't really think about these things someone has to do until you're someone. I wouldn't mind, except for we were going to be able to go work with kids except for my team leader decided he wanted to do Habitat instead. Ameridemocracy BLOWS.

I have a funny story from Megan, who did get to go work at a school. Lucky her. Poor me. (I'm whining. Deal with it.) It's pretty great, and why I love kids. The Americorps folks were asking the kids what they know about MLK, and they said "He was good" and "He was a pastor." One boy said, "He got shot in the HEAD!" Good job, little Timmy. Later, it was time for playing. The kids at the school aren't allowed to play dodgeball, because, well, chucking things at other people is generally frowned upon. Knowing this, the kids decided they should play a different game - not dodgeball, but MARTIN LUTHER KING DODGEBALL. Where it only counts if you hit someone in the head. What a clever loophole in the "No dodgeball" rule. I love children.

Because I'm supposed to be "stretching myself" or some crap like that (I was hoping for more of the "helping people" or "keeping my sanity"), we found out our last two projects (two months) are both environmental projects. I'm trying to maintain a positive attitude. [But really I'm just faking it, because I want to be around PEOPLE and pulling out weeds for 50 hours a week (x 8 weeks = 400 hours of weed pulling type activities) doesn't really feel like serving anybody, and it's not fun, so POOP on that. (Sorry, grandma.)] Buuut, on a positive note, I will get to see new parts of the country and have new adventures and read a lot. We'll be near Byrdstown, Tennessee (North Centralish) in Hull State Park, which may actually be the very middle of nowhere. There is lots of water, so hiking and being outside will be good. Maybe some boating (if I can find one with a motor) and horseback riding. And our housing is supposed to be good, meaning that it's a house, complete with doors and windows and rooms and flushing toilets. So that's quite exciting to me. And we'll be two hours from Nashville, so hopefully somehow I wil be able to get there to explore. I might spend some time with my great Uncle Denny, which would be fun and a nice break. After that we head to Florida. We haven't gotten any details yet, other than that it is also an environmental project (probably wetland restoration instead of trail work), we just know it is an hour outside of Orlando. So, I'm going to try to save up my money and go to Disneyland. That's pretty exciting. :) Sometimes I pretend to myself I'm an outdoorsy type (just like I pretend like I'm patient and calm), but then I realize that's not just true. I like the idea of the outdoors. I don't MIND the outdoors. I'm more of a once-a-month outdoorsy person. I think that makes me not outdoorsy, huh?

I sent off my first set of cover letter/resumes yesterday, and my application for an admin position at camp will go out this weekend, probably. Cross your fingers. And let me know if you have ideas!

We have the weekend off, so hopefully there will be some napping, sleeping in, DVD watching, reading, and room cleaning. What a wild child I am. Miss Megan is still in town until Tuesday as well, so that is pretty great.

Pretty please Send me mail at Camp Hope until February 15th at:
Shelly Whittet
Americorps NCCC Silver Three
Camp Hope
6701 E. St. Bernard
Highway Violet, LA 70092

Time for the galley. That's all for now. Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Lots of Love,

Shell

New Year

I'm in Charleston getting back into the swing of things. I kept meaning to write over break, but was far too busy reconnecting and watching cable TV. We're glad I didn't write yesterday when I was feeling heartbroken over leaving. Today, I'm still a bit sad, but hopeful about the possibilities that await.

First, break was glorious. I got to spend time with my family, which was really wonderful. There is nothing as safe and relaxing and able to make me feel loved as home. I got to sleep a lot, and got ridiculously hooked on "Dog the Bounty Hunter." If you haven't seen it, you should. I got a chance to spend time with friends, and it was so good. I didn't get to see everyone or spend as much time with people as I wanted or say goodbye to some people, but it was so nice. I got to celebrate Melissa's birthday twice, go to bars in Milwaukee, eat at new and wonderful resturaunts with the girls, hang out at Pizza Shuttle with the Babas, and look for pants with Steph at Bayshoreville. I loved spending time in Madison (though I don't know how I survived four years!) with Nate, Ben and Mike. I told them I missed hanging out with normal boys, and they seemed a little shocked they are my gauge for normal boys, but I had such a wonderful time with them and I'm so very lucky to have such funny, caring, adoring, interesting friends. On New Years I got to see Tamar's apartment and see lots of people, incluing Nama, Jess, Dan and Josiah, which was wonderful. The next night, I had a glorius evening with Erin, Sarah and Jess playing games and giggling. I so appreciate these people in my life, and am at a loss for words to describe it.

I found out my team is going to New Orleans to work with Recovery School District on the 16th until the 15th of February, then Tennessee for an environmental project, and then Florida for something. I'm excited. I wish we had an education project, but I'm still looking forward to those.

The future is looming. I have little idea what I'm going to do, but there are some possibilities. I'm going to apply to be Girls Unit Director at camp, perhaps to be a leader for a Junior Americorps for a month, and a job I found mentoring youth that seems amazing.

Nate is hero of my life for finding my digital camera. And for being Nate.

I have to run to spend time with my Megan. Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Beginning the New Year...

I'm in Charleston getting back into the swing of things. I kept meaning to write over break, but was far too busy reconnecting and watching cable TV. We're glad I didn't write yesterday when I was feeling heartbroken over leaving. Today, I'm still a bit sad, but hopeful about the possibilities that await.

First, break was glorious. I got to spend time with my family, which was really wonderful. There is nothing as safe and relaxing and able to make me feel loved as home. I got to sleep a lot, and got ridiculously hooked on "Dog the Bounty Hunter." If you haven't seen it, you should. I got a chance to spend time with friends, and it was so good. I didn't get to see everyone or spend as much time with people as I wanted or say goodbye to some people, but it was so nice. I got to celebrate Melissa's birthday twice, go to bars in Milwaukee, eat at new and wonderful resturaunts with the girls, hang out at Pizza Shuttle with the Babas, and look for pants with Steph at Bayshoreville. I loved spending time in Madison (though I don't know how I survived four years!) with Nate, Ben and Mike. I told them I missed hanging out with normal boys, and they seemed a little shocked they are my gauge for normal boys, but I had such a wonderful time with them and I'm so very lucky to have such funny, caring, adoring, interesting friends. On New Years I got to see Tamar's apartment and see lots of people, incluing Nama, Jess, Dan and Josiah, which was wonderful. The next night, I had a glorius evening with Erin, Sarah and Jess playing games and giggling. I so appreciate these people in my life, and am at a loss for words to describe it.

I found out my team is going to New Orleans to work with Recovery School District on the 16th until the 15th of February, then Tennessee for an environmental project, and then Florida for something. I'm excited. I wish we had an education project, but I'm still looking forward to those.

The future is looming. I have little idea what I'm going to do, but there are some possibilities. I'm going to apply to be Girls Unit Director at camp, perhaps to be a leader for a Junior Americorps for a month, and a job I found mentoring youth that seems amazing.

Nate is hero of my life for finding my digital camera. And for being Nate.

I have to run to spend time with my Megan. Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Home soon

Basically, I have nothing to say, but that I'm really excited to go home. Sydney and I are going to PARTY! Really, it's going to be lovely. I have gotten to see my parents while I've been down here, but I have never been away from Wisconsin for this long. Everyone keeps asking my plans, but I don't really have any - I just really want to hang out with YOU, so give me a call. I'll be in WI from tonight until the 4th. If you want to take me out the bars (I can do that now, you know), let me crash at your place in Madison, eat good food, watch some reality TV, or generally love on one another, please let me know.

Shell

New Years Resolution?

I have decided thatI need to do things in my life that don't involved bunkbeds. I really, really HATE bunkbeds. Yet, somehow, my life choices all lead to bunk beds. College student? Summer camp counselor? Traveling volunteer? For a person with the passionate dislike of bunkbeds that I have, one that grows more by the day, I really didn't think this out well.

When I arrived at Camp Jim, post staph-infection quarantine in Charleston, my teammates were already settled in - and my top bunk was waiting for me. This was more of a skyscraper than a bed. "Don't worry," said Amber, "Justin climbed up there only using one arm yesterday." Ah, yes, my arm was still in a cast. Little did I know one armed climbing was the least of my worries. Higher on the list was the danger of decapitation, as the ceiling fan actually turned over my bed, which was only three feet from the ceiling. "Thud thud thud." "What's that sound? Shit...my hair...shit...oww..my head."

Ironically, I helped build a dozen bunk beds at St. Rose for the 150 people that arrive today. Why?! Have I no morals? No compassion or decency? Subjecting others to the torture that is the top bunk? Then there was the great food poisoning incident of 2006, which happily began at 3am yesterday morning...just five hours before we departed back to Charleston (10.5 hour drive -- or 13, if you're on our team). Let me assure you, the only thing for thrilling than waking up in the middle of the night thinking "Oh, no, I have to throw up, bad..." is waking up on the top bunk in the middle of the night thinking "Oh, no, I have to throw up, bad."

So, I clearly do a pretty miserable job of avoiding bunk beds. Harumph. I think the only place I haven't gone that has bunkbeds is prison. Knock on wood. For now, I'm safe and sound back in Charleston on my regular, glorious twin bed, and haven't vomited in nearly 24 hours. Score. I'm THRILLED to be headed back to Wisconsin on the evening of the 19th to spend two weeks with family, the Babas, roommates, Madison folks, sweet Sydney, and my very own walls. Actually, my parents' walls, but they said I could use them. They're pretty nice like that. A door too. And the bed is only like two feet off the ground. Home sweet home. :)

Let me know if you'll be in Wisconsin to give me hugs! Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

All my love,
Shell

Beer on the porch

I was bummed last night because we walked to the bar/resturaunt that is in walking distance, and it was closed. And then no one wanted to go tonight. But, the wonder of Bay St. Louis strikes again. I was sitting outside the coffee shop that lets us use their wireless checking me email, and the friendly Irish owner offered Justin and I a beer. It's a lovely local brew, and I am a happy girl. I'm looking forward to more fun in Bay St. Louis. This weekend is "Second Saturday," a monthly event where all the shops are open late and there is free wine and food on the streets. This place is neat-o complete-o.

Life here has been good overall. Monday and Tuesday I was uber frustrated because our construction supervisor is sort of a jerk. He treats us like we are his lowly, stupid construction crew, rather than the volunteers with little experience trying our damndest to do something good. He called me lazy when I was working my butt off. I wanted to kick him in the teeth. Actually, I still kind of want to. And, despite his obnoxiousness, I am getting better at trim. There is a lot of trim to put up. If you have trim in your house, you should be very grateful to whatever poor person hung it. Hopefully they were making more than $13 a day. But, really, it is good here. We're getting a lot done, though there is a lot to do, and the people are really nice. Loretta, who does all the kitchen stuff, got a Christmas tree for the dining room. There are some days where I don't feel as up as I do now about this whole insane adventure, and am unsure what the heck I'm supposed to be getting out of it, but I think it is helping me be aware of what I value most (sometimes because of the absence of these things). Hangers, kindness and true friends are high on the list.

My teammate has a staph infection on her booty. This one is not "thigh" or "crotchbutt" or anything, it is truly on her butt. Teehee. Today I bandaged it for her. I may have to rethink my future in nonprofits and consider a career as a staph infection doctor.

Much love to you all. I am going to back in Milwaukee the 21st or 22nd, and staying until at least the 2nd (maybe the 5th if I go to camp the 5-8, which is in the works). I will probably spend New Years and another night in Madison. Let me know your plans so I can play with you.

Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Joyful news

Toya was able to talk to Janet from camp, and is recognizing people. There is still a bit of confusion and she can only whisper, but it she is smiling. :)

I had a wonderful long Thanksgiving weekend with my family. I got to show them a piece of my Amerilife, hot tub, eat good food, explore more of Charleston. It was nice. I posted all the pictures on www.photos.yahoo.com/shellbell2002.

Yesterday I spent part of the day doing odd jobs around Hope Lodge, a place for people needing cancer treatment to stay organized by the American Cancer Society. The woman we worked with there, Cinthia, was so kind and loving. She survived breast cancer last year, and now works as the weekend manager there. The home was decorated for Christmas and beautiful. It was really nice to do a bit there. This afternoon we're going to work at an afterschool program for a few hours, and then we'll head to Waveland, MS tomorrow.


That's what I know for now. Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

I'm grateful for...

Little moments of laughter. The ability to keep learning and growing, even when it's not easy. The opportunity to help others. The chance to continually broader my small vision of the world. The Babas. Spending Thanksgiving with my whole family in my new, if transient, Charleston home. My mom, for the hug she's going to give me. Remember-whens. My Camp Heartland family. The fact that Camp exists. My health, and the health of most of those I love. My roommates. The boys. Endless possibility, however overwhelming. Compassionate, passionate people. Cozy purple sweaters and comfy sweatpants. Warm weather. Relaxing in front of endless cable television. Good writing. Mattresses and comforters. My team, for making me laugh and helping me grow (even when I'd rather not). Amber, for being my rock. Karleen, for being an example of strength and faith and love that I admire endlessly. Alana, for being a feisty, gentle woman. For moments of calm and gratitude when I remember just how luck I am.

Take care of yourselves, take care of one another. Happy Thanksgiving.

All my love,
Shell

Time to Breathe

I posted pictures of Baton Rouge on www.photos.yahoo.com/shellbell2002.

My friend Bob placed by graduation cap in the Madison time capsule in the Overture Center, along with his HIV meds. There are pictures on his web site, http://www.hivictorious.org/onetoughpirate/timecapsule.htm.
Apparently my mom and grandma were stacking the votes to get me in. ;)

Thing are good back here in Charleston. It is a much needed break - little work to do, my own room, plenty of space and sleep. We've done some stuff to officially close out our project, but it's been a lot of sleeping, reading, movies. I jogged a 5k yesterday (35 minutes...getting better...), and jogged again today. Woot. My mom, dad, brother and sister come on Wednesday afternoon to spend Thanksgiving here, which I am very excited about! It'll be nice to explore Charleston some more, show them around, eat out, and sit in the hotel hot tub.

Our projects after break have shifted aroun a bit. We're going to head to Waveland, Mississippi to finish drywalling/mudding/painting/installing doors/etc. in a volunteer center that is opening in January. We'll be there for about two weeks, and then head to New Orleans to learned to ropes with Recovery School District. Then we'll head back to Charleston, have five days with the whole corps, road trip back to the Midwest with Megan O/Andrew/Dan Henry for Christmas, head back to Charleston for a week on the base, and then head out to New Orleans to do RSD until mid-February. Sweetness. I'm looking forward to a lot going on and a lot of new adventures and learning.

Jessica Teng got 100 cool points for sending me a "Save Darfur" boottag. Who ever thought, sitting drinking wine and watching "America's Next Top Model" on our futon, that a year later she'd be sending me a tag for my steel toed boots so we'd both have one?! Grandma is up to 432,534,693,234 cool points because there was a letter waiting for me from her when I get back. That's reason #453 you should try to be more like my grandma.

Oh, wait...I got another staph infection. I'm just that cool. My mom says I shouldn't tell people where it is, while she was laughing at me. I thought the last one was the most awkward place ever, but this is. Yes, on the lower scoop of my butt lies staph infection #5. This one wasn't so bad, and just required one doctor visit, one scalpel, many pieces of gauze, and 20 Bactrim pills.

I have a pen pal class. I'm excited. They set us up, if we wanted, with a local class to write to about our adventures with Americorps. I hope my class writes me back. Man, apparently I'm really hard up to talk to non-Americorps people...hehehe.

That's all I know for now. Have a safe, joyful Thanksgiving. Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Baton Rouge

Quick post while we have internet by breaking into the church we used to stay in. It's not breaking in if you know where the keys are?

We've moved to "Saintsville" - two bunkrooms behind a church. It's close to nothing, really, except are work site. But it is comfortable, and there is lots of room, and a real kitchen, and real beds. So that is super neat. There is also the hugest Christian store you've ever seen in the parking lot. They have tons of those.

I was super frustrated earlier in the week. Constantly being around the same people and all the little annoyances that can entail was just getting to me. It's a lot of hoopla to just try to help people, and there is an endless amount to be done. After a few teary phone calls to my precious Megan Oleson and my mum, and a few days of working basically by myself, I'm betterish. My mom told me working with people, even when it sucks, is part of life. I told her that means I'm going to have to be high all the time, because that sucks.

The past couple of days have been better. Rob, Karleen and I have been going with our nice NCCC alumni sponsor, Megan, to get a few houses ready for inspection. I've been learning to do lots of random tasks - put up blueboard (insulation on the exterior), hang deadwood (a place to attach drywall to the ceiling), put in doorknobs, prep for siding (laying very exact lines, or everything is crooked), installing siding channels, etc. It's been a lot of learning and a fair amount of actually feeling like I accomplished something, so that's good.

Most of team is headed to New Orleans for Alana's birthday weekend, but I'll be sticking around Baton Rouge. I'm not in love with New Orleans, and I'll be on spike there for another two months after Thanksgiving, so I figure I might as well enjoy my time elsewhere. Probably a lot of reading, sleeping and movie watching, but that doesn't sound bad to me.

I got a purple sweatshirt. How great is that?! I was walking to get it in my Badger sweatpants, and the streets are filled with people for the LSU Bama game (major rivals). I got a lot of dirty looks from LSU fans and cheers from Bama fans. The Bama fans would scream "YEEEEAH. SAY IT!" I looked at them funny, smiled, and said "Wisconsin Badgers?!" I think were too drunk to understand or care. The people drinking on the sidewalks, school sweatshirts, traffic, excitement and occasional street vomit made me yearn for a Badger game.

I'm missing the comfort of people and places I've known for a long time, but things are good here. We leave for Charleston Thursday, so I may not get a chance to update before then, but much love to you all. Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Home Dedication

I thought this prayer from the Habitat home dedication I went to was beautiful, so I thought I'd share...

With gratitude to God for providing the materials and giving us the strength to build this house,
We dedicate this home.
To the dep and abiding love that binds together families and friends in true connection,
We dedicate this home.
To the service of this house as a place of rest, shelter and lauhghter,
We dedicate this home.
To the vision, courage and faith of our donors, volunteers and homeowners working in partnership,
We dedicate this home.
To the guidance and wisdom of our Lord in this project and all our endeavors,
We dedicate this home.

Afterward, the staff, donors and volunteers at the dedication laid a hand on the home, along with the homeowner, and said the Lord's Prayer.

That's all for now. Do something nice for someone.

Love,
Shell

The Disneyland of Service

Things are good here with BR HFH. I'm continuing to love the sponsor and work we're doing. We've been doing a lot of sodomizing (our word for laying sod...teehee), wrecking forms and vinyl siding. They do an incredible amount here, with few staff or volunteers. We got to go to a home dedication on Sunday, which was neat. I went to church Sunday at our housing, and they have this wonderful liberal woman pastor. It is good.

My graduation cap will go down in history, thanks to my mom and grandma obsessively voting for it. http://timecapsule.c3ktogo.com/

This is a cool new video about camp Argent put out. They donate a ton to camp. You'll notice a lovely blo nde girl helping a camper on the climbing wall for 2 seconds about a minute and a half in. ;)
https://filestore.xmr3.com/758464/110700385/heartland

I'm sleepy, so I might nap, watch a movie and go in search of my purple sweatpants. I'm reading "The Lovely Bones" right now - it's great. Yay for a lazy day off.

Love,
Shell

Happiness Runs in a Circular Motion

There is much to celebrate today.

First, and best, Toya is doing okay-ish. She is slowly going to start coming out of her coma. Our camp nurse, Karen, says she is not out of the woods yet, but doing well all things considered. It will take a few days for the meds to wear off, but for now her family is staying in Chicago with Ronald McDonald House and we pray.

Second, I got my cast off today. Freedom! My arm is very weak and pathetic looking (skinny, white, hairy), but at least it doesn't smell and I don't have to cover it when I shower. I'm working with a splint for a few weeks, but otherwise he said I don't have to wear it. It'll take a few months to get full strength back. But I was not sad to see my hunk of plaster go.

We had another good day (morning, for me) at work today. The people at Habitat BR have been incredibly kind, hardworking, knowledgeable, welcoming, etc. We've had plenty of work, which we are thankful for. We've sodded prepared three lawns for sod (raking, shoveling out chunks, spreading huge mounds of dirt), wrecked 2.5 cement sidewalk/driveway frames (2x4's are nailed to make the frame to pour the cement, but then have to be taken apart - hard physical labor!), and sodded two lawns. We got a vinyl siding lesson, and will probably do some tomorrow and help volunteers on Saturday. Our housing continues to be wonderful - I had my first beer sampler (of Abita beers, a Louisiana beer). I'm hoping to run around the lake (3.5 miles) sometime soon, when I'm not so freakin' exhausted!

My mom is incredible levels of awesome. She has donatd to the purple sweatpant fund. I love her.

On a less thrilled but still positive note, we found out our next spike is with Recovery School Districts in New Orleans. RSD is working with a Boston consultation firm to deal with the schools (many of which have had to shut down due to flooding, and/or had major issues before Katrina). We will work with them from Thanksiving until Christmas, and then from after Christmas break until February 7. I'm looking forward to working in a school district and hopefully making steps toward making things better. Camp Hope was more comfortable and nice when we were just back, so that should be fine. I'm not thrilled about the idea of spening two more months in New Orleans. I understand why some people love it, but it's not for me. Meg-O has been working for RSD for the past month and struggling because of lack of work/inability to make a difference in schools that have seemingly endless issues that can't be fixed by people coming for a few months ("It's toilet," she says). Just the same, I am very excited to get to do anything surrounding education, kids/youth, bettering the schools, etc. Hopefully RSD will have learned something from having three other teams there before we arrive.

What should I do with my life? It's probably about time to start filling out applications or searching or something. I've thought about being an NCCC Support Team Leader or Team Leader, doing City Year, doing Teach for America, getting a "grown up job" with a nonprofit, going to grad school for some kind of nonprofit management (that's low on the list right now), pimping myself to a rich old man who wants to give me money to travel the world (or maybe just working abroad, as to be able to afford to go abroad). Please decide for me, set it up, and let me know ASAP, because it is too difficult for me to figure it out. Thanks.

That's what I got for now. I love you and miss you out there. Take care of yourselves, take care of each other.

Shell

An Update from Baton Rouge

We got to Baton Rouge this morning, and it has been heaven since the get go. We went to the Habitat office. First, we didn't get lost. Second, they actually have an office, unlike some sketchy previous sponsors. Then, the people were so nice and welcoming and happy to have us and all introduced themselves and talked to us for a bit. Then Megan, a construction sup who used to be in NCCC as a corps member and team leader (so she will be a huge asset bc she "gets" us) took us to the site. We only went to one, but there is another one on the north side of town some of us will work at. They (Baton Rouge Area Habitat for Humanity) are building 46 houses this year (20 for residents of BR before the storm, the rest for families affected by the family), compared to the 14 they did last year. We're going to be doing a lot of near-finishing stuff on a bunch of houses, focusing on some houses that we're going to be a blitz (built in one week) until they realized they didn't have the volunteers that were supposed to do it. We're only here for two weeks, but I'm really hopeful we can get a lot done and live up to the great rep NCCC has here and make a difference. Baton Rouge's population has doubled since Katrina, and there was already a housing problem before the storm, so there is a lot to be done.

Our housing is incredibly wonderful. We are living at a Presbyterian Church for the week. (Because it was set up last minute, next week we have to move to some dormlike retreat center, which doesn't sound bad.) One of the rooms converted into a bunk room. (It held pregnant women and new mothers around the time of the storm.) The room is big, and we have run of the rest of the church - rooms with couches and games and a TV and DVD player. We just have to be clean and such on Sunday, and I'm excited to actually be able to get to church Sunday! We are right near (two blocks) LSU's campus, which is BEAUTIFUL. I have REALLLY been craving Madison lately, and it was SO nice to walk around (I wandered off for four hours today) a beautiful college campus (ALMOST as beautiful as UW - that is a big deal!) and see college kids playing Frisbee and poke around the Union and see all the school pride and the stadium. It made me overjoyed. I also really like LSU because there school color is purple, and we all know I LOVE purple. I found purple sweatpants. I'm in love with them. I'm hoping to find a Steve and Barry's, bc the ones I saw were pricey, but I would REALLY like some purple LSU gear. Also, I like LSU because they have Mike the Tiger. Now, I question the name "Mike" for a tiger. It doesn't sound very badass. But, really, come to think of it, neither does Bucky. So maybe they're friends. But back to business, they apparently have an actual live tiger. I saw his large and beautiful habitat. I saw no actual tiger, but I can only assume he was in there. I think Wisconsin should invest in a real live Badger ASAP. Seriously. So, clearly, I am very happy to be here.

It's also nice to be out of an area that is so devastated. It gets annoying not having access to things, and emotionally draining to be constantly surrounded by such devastation. (I tried to think of another word to use there, but no other I can think of covers it.) I am so lucky that I have the option and resources to go somewhere else. Please, please do not forget about Katrina and Rita and the people of the Gulf that are still fighting to figure out how to pick up the pieces. There is far to go, and a hand up is still greatly needed.

I'm hoping this project will help get us all back on our feet. I'm feeling kind of disconnected from my team - I think a combination of being in SC away from them, a shitty time in Mississippi, being at Camp Hope where we are all scattered with other friends and boyfriends, and just how I am. Hopefully we can reconnect and do some amazing things. I'm so excited to use what I've learned before with Habitat and hopefully make a lot of progress on these houses and get more people into homes. There should be some home dedication ceremonies coming up, which I think will be pretty neat. I am also hoping to go to a talk on the LSU campus Thursday on "Integrating Baton Rouge." Maybe no one wants to hang out with me because I'm such a freakin' nerd...!

I haven't heard an update on Toya, my cocounselor from camp. I'm scared, and sad, and praying. Please do the same. I was grateful to spend some time with a piece of my camp family in New Orleans (my lovely petunia flower of goodness and beauty, Megan o), but I sure would love me some Willow River.

To end with, the lyrics to Amos Lee's "Keep It Loose, Keep it Tight." Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Well I walked over the bridge Into the city where I live and I saw my old landlord
Well we both said hello
There was no where else to go
Cause his rent I couldn’t afford

Well relationships change
Though I think it’s kind of strange how money makes a man grow
Ah, some people they claim if you get enough fame
You live over the rainbowOver the rainbow
But the people on the street,
Out on buses or on feet
We all got the same blood flow

Oh in society every dollar got a deed
We all need a place that we can go and feel over the rainbow

Some times we forget what we got
And who we are and who we are not
I think we got a chance to make it right
Keep it loose
Keep it tight
Keep it tight

I’m in love with a girl who’s in love with the world
Though I can’t help but follow
Though I know someday she is bound to go away and stay over the rainbow
Got to learn how to let her go
Over the rainbow

But sometimes we forget who we got
Who they are and who they are not

There is so much more in love than black and white
Keep it loose child
You gotta keep tight
Keep it loose child
Keep it tight
Keep it tight
Keep it tight

Wishing for Sweet Soft Summer Breeze...

"All My Friends" by Amos Lee, for beautiful Toya and our mighty Camp Heartland family that is praying for her to face the winds...

All my friends
They got broken wings
Never will you hear them asking why the caged bird sings
All my friends
They know how to live
Oh, so much sorrow and so much love to give

We’ll face the winds that break the strongest of trees
Beckon for the sweet soft summer breeze
Now we all know that the storm is coming
Every body wants to know which way to go I see the crowds a running
The wind’s gonna blow

All my friends are dear to me
'Oh when the storm comes they’re as close as family
All my friends are the ones I choose
Oh, if I hear them knockin’
You know I can’t refuse

We’ll face the winds that break the strongest of trees
Beckon for the sweet soft summer breeze

All my friends

(http://www.amoslee.com/lyrics.php)

Life at Camp Hope

My posts are kind of funky because some saved as drafts without posting.

Today we didn't do much - the rest of my team hasn't had a true day off in weeks. I ran the levee nearest Camp Hope for about half an hour today. What a strange and wonderful adventure this is. Some of us got great Mediterranean food downtown and yummy food from Whole Foods.

I'm wildly craving Madison right now. I went to Bourbon for a bit last night, and it doesn't have anything on Madison. All the Halloween pictures and football pictures on facebook gave me a hankering for some Bucky. The roomies and I have been emailing, and I'd give a lot for a week living make in The Fort watching cable with the girls and carrying beers in my purse over to the boys' to cuddle, clean and watch more cable. :) Hopefully I'll be able to spend a few days there around Christmas, so ya'll get ready for me.

Not much else for now. I'm excited for Baton Rouge - to build with a new Habitat affiliate (Katrina didn't hit Baton Rouge, but it was really affected because of the influx of people), see LSU (it's a big deal down here, and it's supposed to be cool, and it'll be nice to be around a college for a bit - we might be living on the campus for at least part of the time), and to just get back on an actual project.

Feel free to join the facebook Silver Three fan club. We coo'.

Take care of yourselves, take care of one another.

Love,
Shell

Ponytail Pete

My spirits are higher today. I got to go to 'Cuda (the bar down the street) and hang out with David and Andrew and some of my teammates (including a very drunk Amber, which is weird and funny - though her hangover this mornign is not). I got to lie on Megan's bed and tell stories, which I fully plan on doing a lot more in the next few days. Today I am putzing in the community garden with a lovely old hippie named Pete.
Shell