Summer in a Box

Moving to Arden, I was rather meticulous. I say, I, because I did most of the packing. We moved in June 2013, almost two years ago. I started packing in November 2012 after our Thanksgiving meal. I had no idea where we were moving (Arden had yet to be conformed) just that we were indeed moving. I packed my china first because, after Thanksgiving, we wouldn't need it for a while. I was careful, wrapping each plate in paper, stacking it in strong boxes, labeling each with a bar coded sticker, and giving each a colored dot that indicated the destination room. In the case of the china the dot signified that it was for dining room (which is ironic since our new house doesn't have a dining room). In all, I think the boxes numbered into the 190's. (I can't be sure; I took the moving app off my phone after the move). We moved all the boxes into a storage unit in April where they lived for two months prior to our move in June. I didn't lose one item to breakage or one box to the ethers, but then again, we moved ourselves and were very careful. Even with all this organization, I had periods after the move, when the boxes were stacked oh, so, high, that I burst into tears from the feeling of overwhelm. What had we done? Our realtor and friend, Cynthia, brought us cronuts (donut croissant hybrid) that her husband, and our friend David, had made. Baked goods helped.

After a week, I felt better. We had stacks of empty boxes. I put the call out on the informal town bulletin board on Facebook that I had boxes to share if anyone needed them. Our neighbor Betty claimed some to help move her art classroom. This started a conversation in which Betty found out that I had been an art substitute and Viola! I had a gig the following school year subbing at the private school where Betty teaches. Other of our boxes went to the ACRA (Arden Community Recreation Association) Summer Program, so they could pack their supplies up after the program ended in July.

The summer program is a tradition that goes back seventy years in Arden. In its current incarnation, kids who live in the Ardens, or whose parents or grandparents live in the Ardens, can register for the donation-driven, five-week program. Every morning for five weeks, Arden kids swarm to Buzz Ware Village Center to pick from one of at least five daily activities. They have a choice of art room, outdoor games, playground, indoor games including board games and foosball, puzzles, reading, and actives driven by special guests, who are usually members of the community sharing talents and hobbies with the next generation. Last years' guests led the kids in activities ranging from hip-hop dance to an Ardens history treasure hunt. I have not seen any program like it. Last year, our son was the one of the outdoor activities counselors, and I was a visiting guest, who taught the kids to make journals. I am totally enamored and transfixed by what goes on in this program. It accomplishing so many goals, from cohesion (the kids in Arden go to quite an array of different schools) to intergenerational interaction, from community spirit to plain old fun. The kids can't wait for ACRA to begin. Many of the summer program participants start their mornings at swim team practice and then they walk across the street to ACRA Summer Program. They are busy and active. The teen counselors, many of them alumni, have employment. As an ACRA board member, I got to sit in on interviews for the counselors. Time and time again, the candidates sited the freedom to choose their activities as the reason they loved ACRA Summer program. Parents feel safe in sending their kids somewhere where their they are engaged with something other than an electronic screen. Kids had the autonomy that keep them coming back for more.

Today is the day that we move the boxes from the sheds and complete the ACRA summer takeover of the Buzz. The town loses revenue for the five weeks because it cannot rent the space for parties or events, but they deem the loss to be a worthy investment in the future. The takeover is quite a process from laying down and taping of carpets, to the removal of appliances. Last year when I helped I almost had an episode of PTSD because I had to carry boxes that still had the labels and stickers on them from my move. I don't mean to make light of PTSD, but moving was traumatic and to think about it, to this day, makes me a little queasy--except for the part where I crave a cronut. I will help with the Summer Program transition again today. I will carry the boxes with the knowledge that I am now a part of the cycle of the year here in Arden. Open the boxes. Bring on Summer.