218 CIT Pin

218 CIT Pin

Object: Counselor In Training pin

Acquired: 1999

From: The CIT program at my summer camp

Notes: 1999 and being a CIT was one of the best summers I spent at camp. It's when I got my camp-name of 'Qui', and it was one of the first years that I actually had friends at camp. Friends who liked me, and whom I enjoyed being around. It was a curious state of affairs.  There were some low points, too, like the mouse that had a baby in my pajamas (inside my suitcase, AAAAHHHH), and...I didn't like everyone in the program. But I had a lot of fun, and I got this pin proving that I'd gone through the program.

215 Tajar Pin

215 Tajar Pin

Object: Safety pin wrapped with masking tape and string

Acquired: Unknown

From: A Tajar party

Notes: This was a camp tradition based on a silly kids' book. I'd say more about it, but since it's a 'super secret society' I don't think I should...

214 CBH Anniversary Pin

214 CBH Anniversary Pin

Object: Pin

Acquired: 1996?

From: Camp Black Hawk

Notes: I think this was given to meas just one of the things that I got for being at camp one year.  I'm not sure if it was a few years late and given as a left-over, or if it was given to everyone in '96. But either way I have this pin now.  I went to the 50th anniversary, too, but I don't think they gave me a pin.

212 CBH Year Pins

212 CBH Year Pins

Object: 7 year-pins from Camp Black Hawk

Acquired: Between 1994-2005

From: Camp Black Hawk

Notes: Every year that you went to camp you received one of these pins.  The color was different for each year (well, a few were the same), and it was a way to bring the camp together as a community.  I always had a determined goal of reaching the inner-circles of the ceremony where we got the pins (literally circles), and I was so proud to finally receive a silver pin (for 10-15 years).

I spent a portion of 10 different summers (11, actually, I think) at that camp, and while you can tell that some of my year-pins are missing, these are all the actual ones that I actually received each year.  I have another collection somewhere of a full and properly-colored set. They are slightly less abused than these, and I rather hope they are in the correct color-order because it bothers me that I can't recall which colors went with which pins, since it was such a large and important thing for so many years.

207 Qui Button

207 Qui Button

Object: Another Camp-tag button reading 'Qui'

Acquired: Unknown

From: CBH/I made it

Notes: Here's another tag, just like object 206.  This almost looks like I didn't make it because I was never one for those sorts of curly queues, but I'm pretty sure that's my handwriting, so let's assume that I did make it. This one might also be made with gel pens.

206 Qui Button

206 Qui Button

Object: Camp Name-Tag reading "Qui

Acquired: Summer Camp years

From: CBH/I decorated it

Notes: Over the years that I worked at summer camp, the policies slowly changed from 'whatever, we know who the staff are' to 'ZOMG YOU MUST WEAR AN OFFICIAL NAME-TAG AT ALL TIMES OR WE WILL NOT RECOGNIZE YOU!!!' I have my opinions about all that, but it wasn't like I could complain.  Anyway, several of the between-years had us make other sorts of name-tags, and I'm pretty sure this was from one of those.

I'd guess that I secretly used my own gel pens for the image, though, rather than whatever markers Camp provided. And I never wore it much.

199 Wood Cookie

199 Wood Cookie Name Tag

Object: One wood cookie turned into a name tag for me

Acquired: Unknown

From: Oh, I probably put my name on there myself

Notes: "Qui" was my camp-name or nick-name for most of my life (since 1999!), and this was one of the first name-tags I had with that name on it.  It's still one of my favorites, but I learned that people had a hard time pronouncing "Qui" as "Key" when they had a spelled-out version of my name in front of them, so I eventually stopped wearing name-tags.

195 Rings

195 Rings

Object: two Amymade rings

Acquired: 2002ish

From: I made them as a summer camp craft

Notes: We had a really interesting arts and crafts person this year.  I didn't always get along with her, but we found some common ground because we both had the same problems with camp management that summer.  Anyway, whatever else I thought of her, she did a great job with the crafts and the kids.  This was one of the crafts the campers did, and I did along with them.  It's just craft wire wrapped in a circle and going through a bead, but it's pretty snazzy and makes for great camp fashions.

147 Necklace

147 Necklace

Object: Necklace

Acquired: Summer camp summer

From: Liquidator's shop

Notes: My summer camp eventually adopted the habit of having "formal Friday," which meant that all the staff were supposed to dress up for the last dinner the campers were there for that week. I think I only owned one dress at that point, so I just dragged it along and wore it, but twice I ended up without jewelry.  The first time I bought a cheap plastic pearl necklace, but I forgot to bring it the next year, so I got this (and matching earrings) instead. It's a bit cowgirl, but it's not like I ever wore it much to begin with.

Lost: 5-5-2011
I'm never going to wear this again, and the memories are now preserved here on this blog, so I've gotten rid of it.

121 Ring

121 Ring

Object: Cheap glittery ring

Acquired: 2002-ish

From: a northern Wisconsin liquidator's store

Notes: I was all set to say that this was just a cheap ring I picked up somewhere, but then I remembered; it IS a cheap ring I picked up!  Haha, but actually, I got it as my "superhero ring" for a superhero class (technically a "U-Pick") that me and a camp-friend invented, because our class choices were sorely lacking.  It sounds like a silly little thing, but actually it was a very well-thought out class wherein you discuss the merits of superheros, have the kids make costumes, and then put them through 'training'...so they get a dash of psychology, some crafts, and a bunch of team-building.

Because me and this friend were teaching the class, we obviously needed to be superheros ourselves, so I was 'Super Qui' with the power of creating impenetrable domes...or something like that, and this was my Ring of Power. It was fun.

067 Crazy Creek

067 Crazy Creek

Object: Crazy Creek Chair

Acquired: 2000-something

From: Staff gift one summer

Notes: This is one of the best staff gifts we ever got. It's a bit worn in places, and nibbled in places, but it still works as a camp chair. There are plenty of times when I couldn't have survived without it.

058 Clipboard

058 Clipboard

Object: Decorated Clipboard

Acquired: 1999

From: Gift from my CIT counselors

Notes: This was decorated by my counselors at summer camp the year I was a Counselor in Training or CIT.  That was a good year, and the year I picked out the nickname 'Qui' which I still use to this day. The clipboard is getting to be a bit abused, but I still like it.