Cathy and Wendy decorate Christmas cookies With no December project at Faith UMC this year, we had a more flexible schedule and a more fluid group of volunteers. It also gave us time to prepare for the start of the official project in January. And in between, we found time for Christmas shopping and festivities.
Dave painting roof of containers “Contain”-ment
The work on the new storage containers continued throughout the month, even though the work force was coming and going. Cathy and Dave finished patching and painting the roofs of both containers so that the water no longer ran down the walls inside. However, they wouldn’t be completely dry until the ends of each were enclosed. Don was the architect of this process, cutting the framing 2 x 4’s and the T1-11 sheathing to size, with help from Cathy, Karen and Dave. Bobbi primed the boards before they were installed. With some caulk around the edge, the containers were now protected from the elements and would (hopefully) remain dry inside.
The work on the new storage containers continued throughout the month, even though the work force was coming and going. Cathy and Dave finished patching and painting the roofs of both containers so that the water no longer ran down the walls inside. However, they wouldn’t be completely dry until the ends of each were enclosed. Don was the architect of this process, cutting the framing 2 x 4’s and the T1-11 sheathing to size, with help from Cathy, Karen and Dave. Bobbi primed the boards before they were installed. With some caulk around the edge, the containers were now protected from the elements and would (hopefully) remain dry inside.
Floor installed in south container With the assurance that the containers would be dry, we started installing the floor. Since the containers were originally refrigerated, the floors had some closely-spaced stainless steel ridges that would support the floor for most of the length. However there was a 2 foot gap on each end that needed some framing. Don fabricated the frames for each end out of 2 x 4’s. The boards were screwed into short pieces of wood that slid between the metal ridges. Over the holidays, Karen stained the boards that we laid down. Now we had a process to repeat in the other container once the official project starts.
Barry and Jack inspect the new container opening One problem with our enclosing the ends of the containers was that they were not so easy to enter any more. The huge doors on the opposite end were heavy and difficult to open. The solution was going to be a door cut halfway down one side to enter from the outside. Then, an interior passageway would be cut between the 2. Our first attempts at the passageway cut were problematic, but another Nomad from the Pd 1 project who arrived early managed to put the right tool to work and cut through both containers neatly.
Backflow preventer installed and ready for testing Looking further ahead to our 2nd project in 2019, Dave and Morris worked with the Beyond90 organization to understand the renovations required to their first house that will eventually be rented to new immigrants who are beyond their first 90 days and the support of World Relief. Dave also helped Pastor Rigo patch the roof of a recently donated fifth wheel that would house his wife’s mother and father when they return to the area.
No trip to Faith is complete without some plumbing work. This time, we started with a project to install a backflow preventer at the parsonage on its irrigation system. We are nothing if not flexible.
No trip to Faith is complete without some plumbing work. This time, we started with a project to install a backflow preventer at the parsonage on its irrigation system. We are nothing if not flexible.
Philmore Upholstery Supply in Pinellas Park, cutting our foam and coating with Dacron New Cushions
The foam in the seat cushions had been flipped and rotated, but the undeniable conclusion was that we needed to replace it. We have our preferred seats in the RV, and Dave’s end of the settee was getting pretty bad. Cathy’s wasn’t great. (Perhaps that sends a message about how much time we sit on them. Hmm . . .) On our trip to visit Wendy’s family in Bradenton, we stopped by Philmore Upholstery Supply in Pinellas Park. We had last visited them in 2012, when Cathy was replacing the cushions on Orion Jr, and had been pleased with the prices, quality and service. We weren’t disappointed this time either.
The foam in the seat cushions had been flipped and rotated, but the undeniable conclusion was that we needed to replace it. We have our preferred seats in the RV, and Dave’s end of the settee was getting pretty bad. Cathy’s wasn’t great. (Perhaps that sends a message about how much time we sit on them. Hmm . . .) On our trip to visit Wendy’s family in Bradenton, we stopped by Philmore Upholstery Supply in Pinellas Park. We had last visited them in 2012, when Cathy was replacing the cushions on Orion Jr, and had been pleased with the prices, quality and service. We weren’t disappointed this time either.
Fabric on hand at Philmore Since we hadn’t been sure we could make the stop, we just arrived unannounced, with the old cushion in tow. The new owner helped guide us through the choices of foam, and custom cut our 2 cushions, covering them in Dacron for a softer feel. We were back under way in short order and our first time sitting on the cushions back in the RV told us we had made the right choice. They are on-line, and if you’re in need of foam for cushions or other upholstery supplies, you should check them out.
Dave and Cathy posing in front of George and Gail's Christmas tree. Christmas Before, During and After
December started with Christmas preparations at Faith. After helping decorate the sanctuary for the season, we enjoyed several celebrations for Christmas with the UMW, the Seekers Sunday School class and a church-wide potluck for Pastor Appreciation Sunday. We welcomed a visit from Miami and Shelley as they passed through on their way to be with family, and also said goodbye to Nomads who were on their way back home for the same reason.
December started with Christmas preparations at Faith. After helping decorate the sanctuary for the season, we enjoyed several celebrations for Christmas with the UMW, the Seekers Sunday School class and a church-wide potluck for Pastor Appreciation Sunday. We welcomed a visit from Miami and Shelley as they passed through on their way to be with family, and also said goodbye to Nomads who were on their way back home for the same reason.
Dave works with a pre-schooler on a Christmas project. Our visits with family began the 2nd weekend as we drove to Bradenton to see Wendy and Dave, Janelle, Mike and Jack (Cathy’s birthday buddy). On Sunday, we joined Dave and Wendy at church. After service, we “refreshed” ourselves with Christmas cookies before joining Wendy and 13 pre-schoolers for a Christmas craft session. Not quite the same as our work with teens over the summer, but we managed to make the transition and the kids seemed to have a good time. The ladies had a cookie exchange in the afternoon, while the 2 Daves went to see what a snow tubing run in Florida looked like.
Dave's Mom, sister Diane, and Pam at Christmas dinner We headed north on the 20th in a pouring rain, which followed us off and on over the next 10 days. Our first few days were spent in Winston-Salem with Cathy’s mom and sister. To catch up with Cathy’s sister Grace, we passed through Raleigh to join them for church on Christmas morning and brunch afterward. On Christmas Eve, we picked up Droz for the trip to Whitehall to visit with Dave’s mom, sister Diane and friend Pam. We managed to break up the trip with a late lunch at the Shady Maple Smorgasbord, the “largest buffet in the US”, which was a hit with Droz. Christmas Eve services at St. John’s UCC have become a tradition over the last few years, and they were followed by a low key Christmas day with the 6 of us. By Friday, we were driving south (again in the rain) for a slow trip to Richmond to return Droz home, and then finally to lay our heads down at our daughter’s house in Jarratt.
Bonnie and Adam laugh over her gift After a wonderful celebration with the kids and grandkids hosted by Bonnie and Troy, we made a slow trip south the next morning. Very slow, since we started by heading east to Poquoson to visit Steve and Linda. On New Year’s Eve, we had a great visit with George and Gail in Leland NC before pressing on to bring in the New Year in Manning SC. By New Year’s afternoon, we were back in Faith – and back in shorts, ready to roll up our sleeves for the project that would start in less than a week.
Parting Shot
Our first visit to the new Georgia Welcome Center on I-95 allowed Cathy to meet Forest Gump.
Our first visit to the new Georgia Welcome Center on I-95 allowed Cathy to meet Forest Gump.
