Year Three at Lake Waccamaw
A weekend in utopia.
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I’m still buzzing from our third annual Creative Retreat to Lake Waccamaw, which unfolded last weekend. I wrote about this cherished tradition last year, and the bones remain the same. Each February a group of friends—some old, some new—descend upon a large lake house an hour outside Wilmington for a long weekend of crafting, cooking, laughing, hiking, eating, napping, and following our whims wherever they lead. One woman, who joined us for the first time, described it as utopia, and I have to agree.
My favorite moments from Year Three:
PowerPoint Presentations! Some of this year’s topics included: Smash or Pass: Sci-Fi Edition (with live voting); the history of witches (ending with a group spell); Emma’s 2024 Dating Unwrapped (with charts and graphs—mustaches are on the rise!); an exploration of the plot holes in Reba McEntire’s “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” (how had I never heard this song before?!); 7 Reasons You Should Watch Women’s Basketball (a slam dunk); Weightlifting and Mortality (die strong!); and A Short History of Zines (my presentation, which leads us to:)
A Zine Making Station! After sharing my presentation and some prompts, I set up an area where we could all create pages for a collaborative zine, based on our weekend at Lake Waccamaw (colloquially referred to as Myrtle’s Mansion). I’ve spent most of this weekend editing and assembling the zine, and I can’t wait to send everyone a copy.
The Fatmucket 10K Trail Run! Kat and Abby are training for a half marathon, so we last-minute signed up for a 10K on Saturday morning at the nearby state park. It was a small race, and we had so much fun running along the misty trails and under the longleaf pines. As we approached the finish line, Abby yelled for us to sprint. Somehow I pulled ahead at the literal last second and ended up as the first female finisher. I was both elated by the attention and ashamed by my utter ruthlessness. Sorry, Abby and Kat!
Our Meal Planning Spreadsheet! Before the trip we circulated a healthy number of spreadsheets, the most important one being meal planning. Each person claims a meal to shop for and prepare, with additional spots for helpers. This means that even though we’re there for eight or so meals, each person is only responsible for ONE. As the resident meal planner in my house, it’s such a gift to be fed a delicious, lovingly prepared meal without any effort or thought on my part. True luxury.
Stab and Gab! Kevina brought needle felting materials and even though no one had ever felted in their lives, we were all able to stab loose bits of wool until an assortment of adorable animals emerged. Watching my small parrot take shape one stab a time made me understand how Michaelangelo must have felt when he was sculpting David. The body knows what to do!
The Spirit of Myrtle! The house we stay at was once owned by a woman named Myrtle, whose family photos and personal portraits still cover the walls and shelves. Over the last three years, we have elevated Myrtle to saintly status, a powerful and benign spirit who watches over us, smiles down on us, and bestows miracles upon us. Let’s just say the zine includes many, many homages to Myrtle, and we may be planning a Myrtle-themed photoshoot for year four.
Looking back at this list, there is one common thread: a sense of play, made possible by the gift of unstructured time. Listen: I love a color-coded calendar as much as the next Type A girlie, but a weekend with no plans, no rules, no responsibilities, no meetings, no schedule? Three days with nowhere to be and no one to answer to? Where your only job is to hang out with your friends, experiment with arts and crafts, and maybe wash a few dishes?
It’s a gift, a revelation, a joy. The kind of utopia we all deserve. Proof that a different life is possible, at least for one weekend a year.
A true Myrtle Miracle. 💛
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👋 About Me: I’m Chrissy Hennessey, an enthusiastic snacker and native New Yorker living in coastal North Carolina, where I stayed after earning my MFA. My writing has appeared in a decent number of journals, I’ve received fellowships to some fancy residencies, and I’ve written three novels, all currently unpublished. This newsletter is a passion project I started in 2019 as a way to connect with readers and writers, share my creative journey, and build a community. Thank you for being here!
this sounds like such a great time! I am almost 72 and have decided when I sell and move back to my birth state of Ohio, I am going to plan summer camp for me and my artist friends, family and new friends. I remember summer camp in Ohio so fondly. Your experience is a great reminder of what I want to do!
I love this idea! What I loved even more were the memories your pictures brought me. I grew up in NC and had relatives that lived on the lake. I have fond memories of spending time swimming in the lake and family outings there. Of course, this was a good 40 years ago or so... I'm thinking maybe a visit is in my future. :)