Lucky 13

By Nancy Armstrong

It is said, When the camp bug bites youre hooked for life!
Nancy and her husband Tom caught that bug during their youth and jumped at the opportunity to own and direct a summer camp in southern Maine when they retired.
Retired again, they enjoy life at their cottage off Cape Cod, where Nancy, always a story teller, writes about a new campers experiences at a camp called, Hideaway somewhere in northern Maine. Its a must read for new campers and their parents. And fun for seasoned campers to remember their own first summer.
The Armstrongs still serve as Visitors for the American Camping Association, Accreditation, each summer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481753371

Nancy Armstrong

Nancy Armstrong is Nancy Duke Lewis Professor of Comparative Literature, English, and Modern Culture and Media at Brown University. Leonard Tennenhouse is Adjunct Professor of Comparative Literature and Modern Culture and Media at Brown University.

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© 2013 Nancy Armstrong. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 5/14/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-5339-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-5338-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-5337-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013908673

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Prologue

Chapter 1 A Teen At Last!

Chapter 2 A Walk Around Camp

Chapter 3 My First Campfire

Chapter 4

Chapter 5 The Counselor Talent Show

Chapter 6 The Camper Talent Show

Chapter 7 A Standing Ovation

Chapter 8 The Senior Dance

Chapter 9 Sisters Forever

To Tom, the love of my life, husband, partner, and protector.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I’d like to thank my many friends that have encouraged me to write my stories.

My daughter Rindy O’Brien and grandson, Corey O’Brien, for helping me find Jackie’s new voice. Corey was a camper with us in Maine, not too many years ago. Summer Camp today is still the summer camp I remember in the 1940’s, but our voices change from one generation to another.

I’d also like to thank Denise Westlake, our Office Manager at Camp Waziyatah for her help putting together the Waziyatah Times when Jackie’s voice sounded like the 1980’s Deborah Vetters, an instructor, at the, Institute for Children’s Writers, who helped me gain confidence. New friends, at the ‘Bourne to Write’ writers group, Barbara Wales, Marjorie McClung. Geri Rider, Christine O’Leary-Eldred, Jane Doherty. Charles Derrick, at the Buzzards Bay Community Center. A special thanks to our Waziyatah campers and staff who gave us these happy memories.

PROLOGUE

Lucky 13

People say the number 13 is unlucky, but this is my 13th birthday so 13 is my lucky number. I’m now a real teenager!

Mom took me shopping for my birthday. Dad and Wendy, my eight year old sister met us for dinner in the evening. They gave me this fantastic journal to record my first summer at a sleep away camp and the beginning of my teen years. In the front they wrote:

"Dearest Jackie,

A new journey deserves a new journal

With Love, Mom, Dad and Wendy"

CHAPTER 1

A Teen at Last!

June 20th

A few weeks ago Mom saw a notice about an American Camping Association Fair at the community center. You know Mom, has to have all the facts, so she said, we could get information about all the different camps, and talk to the camp directors. This is going to be way different from visiting my grandparents in the country which we do every summer. Mom and Dad had promised me last summer, after I went to day camp, that this summer I could go to a sleep away camp. Lucky 13.

I’m going to Camp Hideaway. I chose it after Mom and I met Charlie and his wife, Miss Jenny, who are the camp directors. They showed us a video of the camp and I got to see all the activities that I want to take like theater and dance.

If I can’t sing or dance every single day, I think I shall die.

I remember Miss Jenny said , I’ll put you in ‘Hill 1’ with the youngest girls in the Senior girls division. Sally, the dance teacher, will be your cabin counselor. How cool is that!

I nudged Mom, "Did you hear