Today, in addition to being Syttende Mai, Norway's Constitution Day, was the day we welcomed worker bee guests from the Port Townsend and Woodinville congregations to help us with a huge blitz of work all day on the new building.
Both these congregations had offered to send crews to help us with our building project and we decided that today was the best day to organize it. We'd stored up several major efforts that were perfect for a large work party to undertake. And, luckily, the clouds parted and we had a beautiful warm day as well.
Several weeks ago, when Woodinville and Port Townsend agreed to come on May 17, our building committee reacted with a little alarm. Would we have enough work for them to do? Who had thought this up?
So since I was the one who had thought this up, I suggested that I organize a picnic as a hospitality gesture to our guests, and then I started worrying about it. But it all turned out beautifully!
We had a simple picnic with hot dogs, chips, salad, and dessert, plus soda, water, a little beer. People brought mountains of cookies and other sweets, plus salads. I provided the grill and the hot dogs (did you know they make vegan hot dogs? and some people were grateful that they were provided), chips, and drinks, plus the condiments for hot dogs and the tableware.
And we had a total of about 30 people, if you count the few who just wandered through, had a hot dog and left. All the cookie leftovers will have a second showing at social hour after church tomorrow, as will the leftover chips.
It has been a truly marvelous day. We got so much done on the building----painting, particularly----and on the grounds, removing blackberry bushes (did you know how well a front-loader rips those babies right out of the ground?). Our new sign out front is beautiful and now fully visible from the road. The earthy color of the building, with its dark green metal roof and dark red trim, is perfectly suited for the locale. It is really looking fabulous.
I'll post pictures when I get some more. But right now I think I'll go take a hot bath!
2 comments:
Excellent! Sweat equity is a great way to save money on a construction project as well as create ownership amongst the users of a building. Hope the painting turned out well!
It did turn out well, Pixie, and it's beginning to look just beautiful! Thanks for the encouragement.
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