Harmony

I used to go to sleep-away camp every summer when I was a kid. It was for three weeks, and I started going when I was seven years old.

The idea of sending Catherine to camp for three weeks right now by herself blows my mind. But if it was with Mr. Guy and Ms. Beth Tanner (the owners of Kueta-T Camp for Girls in Norwood, La.), I wouldn't hesitate.

Those guys were saints and grandparents and leaders and listeners all rolled up into one. They had six kids (plus them made eight, hence the "Kueta") and a dream of having a safe, fun, nondenominational camp for girls.

They also opened it to churches during the winter for retreats, and I think anyone who ever had any contact with Kueta and the Tanners came away loving those guys.

At Kueta the days were divided into activities you signed up for at the beginning of the session. You went to four or five a day, I can't remember. And the options included horseback riding, canoeing, archery, riflery, sign language, crafts, swimming, tennis... all the typical camp fare.

When I was a SMITY (Staff Member in Training) my last year to go, I taught drama and journalism. The journalism kids made an end-of-session newsletter and the drama group ended with a play. It was something about a princess and I can't remember what. Seems like there was another P-word in the title. (No, it wasn't "Pea.") It was hilarious.

My favorite part of the whole experience was the singing. Mr. Guy and Ms. Beth had graduated from LSU way back in the 1940s, and they had rewritten a bunch of the great old songs from that time with Kueta lyrics.

They were all about how great it was to be a camper at Kueta-T, and we would all sing a few after breakfast each morning. There were usually one or two that were divided into rounds.

Campers at Kueta aged from seven to seventeen, and after three weeks, everyone knew the songs. The year I was a SMITY, I got to help lead the singing after breakfast with Diedra (an actual grandaughter of MG & MB). It was awesome.

I also liked the sessions when they'd have a chorus option. A camper friend of mine Hayley and I loved to sing together. I remember Hayley had a really strong voice and the most beautiful, well-behaved blonde hair. There was no electricity at camp, so you can imagine what I looked like after a day.

During the sessions we were housed in open-air cabins called "Hogans," and the bathrooms were a hike down the hill from where we slept. Night-time bathroom runs were always ... exciting. We were out in the piney woods, you see, and it was Dark.

I thought about all this last night. I was feeling very tense and I had to go to choir practice at church. Since we moved here, we joined a small church that has an equally small choir. But it's a great bunch of folks--friendly and warm. They'd fit right in at Kueta.

We sang a song last Sunday that we hadn't practiced in a while and we hit a few wrong notes. The Duck in our choir fussed the whole way back to our seats about it. Something about sounding like cats and wishing she hadn't had a dog in that fight. Ms. Duck cracks me up.

Richard told me the Duck said she fell at the car wash one time and decided to just lie there until paramedics came and helped her up. She's one of the funniest, scrappiest old ladies I know, and I Love. Her.

Anyway, what all that has to do with harmony is this. I'm not the strongest singer in the choir, but I've got a decent ear for harmony, and I'll tell you something. There is nothing in this world like being surrounded by a group of voices ringing out a perfect four-part harmony.

I left last night feeling more relaxed than after a yoga class. Refreshed, too. Bro. Randy, our minister of music, is one of the hardest working men in show biz, and he always likes to say we're lead worshippers.

I don't always feel like a leader, but I always come away from that group restored, refreshed and ministered to. It's almost as good as coming off three weeks in the woods with no electricity and nothing but singing.

Kueta's no longer open. Ms. Beth's not doing so well, and Mr. Guy's up in heaven.

I like to imagine some of the songs he gets to sing up there including the words, "We call it fun, but you may call it ma-adness. Stay here with us and you'll forget your sa-adness. Happy campers are we having fun 'neath the trees and when we are gone you'll remember our song we call it Ku-eta-Tee, Ku-eta-Tee, Ku-eta-Tee, Ku-eta-Tee, Ku!"