We had to wait till 6:30 for dinner (which they call "tea"), and we talked to the Miller parents, John and Rosemary, in the meantime. Then we all trooped into the dining hall and had spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad. Pretty good stuff, although the sauce was different from what I'm used to, and runny. We 3 American girls sat with most of the young guys. (One of them, Jason, is also American but has lived in all different places, including Ireland and Holland. He's been living and working in Christian hostels, which sounds cool.) Janice sat between me and Daniel, and I didn't get to talk to him much then.
After dinner, we waited in a central hall area ("we" being most of the young workers) and chatted while waiting for the workers' meeting. At first I was so shy & didn't talk much or get talked to much. Then I went and sat in a chair a short ways away from a couch where Janice and a couple guys were (J being closest to me). After a while she stood up and went up to the girls' room for something, and then Daniel wandered over from somewhere and took her old seat. He smiled at me & started to talk to me. I was feeling a bit nervous; you know how it is with a new person you're very attracted to. But I hope I managed to carry on a decent conversation with him for a while.
We had our workers' meeting at a quarter to 8. We all had to go sit with someone we didn't know and learn a bit about each other and then introduce each other to the group. I was with Jenny who is 20 and from Tipperary, Ireland. She seems nice. Then we went over some rules and procedures, schedules, etc. It was a good meeting. But I was getting tired & struggled to keep my eyes open at some points.
After the meeting, we split up into our groups who would be leading the different age groups of kids. I am in the Green group (6-8 yr. olds) with Shaz and Joanne. We went to our assigned room and started to lay out plans for the week. Shaz is outgoing and fun and nice, and she took charge. I contributed a few things (and made a great pun at one point! Ha ha!! We were trying to figure out what to use to make leis for a craft, and Shaz remembered she has some wool [yarn], and I blurted out, "Where there's a wool, there's a way." LOL!) We went to the car to retrieve craft and activity supplies, and then we made a rough schedule for Monday--Friday. I have to teach a lesson on Joy, second fruit of the Spirit (our theme). I also have to help Shaz teach Kindness/Goodness. And I might teach the kids to play an apparently American game, Heads Up Seven Up.
We are going to make a big banner-like display over the course of the week with a tree holding fruit and such. It's going to be so cool. ... We'll tack on some of the kids' crafts, and sponge-paint their hand- and footprints on too. (It's a double bedsheet, by the way.) I came up with the heading: Green and Growing. :-)
Anyway, after we had made plans (we'll start working on the banner tomorrow night) we went and hung around the manor for a bit, had some tea and cakes for "supper," and ended up over in Densmore Cottage with many of the other young people. They had older American music playing, and sparkling grape juice, and it was like a little party. I enjoyed it. I mostly observed, but I did help Red group paint their banner.
Janis and I left around 11:00, as we were tired. We went to the girls' bedroom, and I made up my bed and changed into pajamas. I've since been writing in here. And I really need to go to sleep now!
Looking forward to meeting the campers tomorrow. All the cute little Irish kids... We'll have 6 boys and 7 girls in our group, I think. (One is named Maeve. Cool!!)
Oh, I also caught a cold from our excursions in Dublin. I have been sniffling back the snot this whole time!
To bed...
(down the hill a little ways from the manor)