Our world has remained pretty small over the last 2 weeks, rarely leaving the grounds of the Faith UMC campus. However, it’s given us time to get better at Youtube livestream, re-keying locks and sewing. Our confinement is to the church’s and the park's benefit.
Finding the Key
We’ve expanded our locksmithing skills to work on more styles of locks – deadbolts and lever locks – in addition to the padlocks and doorknobs we mastered earlier. Of course, one tenant had to live without an interior doorknob for more than a week, but we didn’t say we were perfect.
The scariest part is Dave’s expansion into lockpicking. You had to know that was coming right? He has watched hours of youtube videos on the subject. The goal is not so much to begin a life of crime, but rather to reclaim numerous locks and key cylinders that we no longer have the key to. You can’t reuse a lock, if you can’t first unlock it. With his new skills, he’s managed to reclaim several key cylinders that were previously unusable.
It’s hard to say what skills we will develop in another 2 weeks.
We’ve expanded our locksmithing skills to work on more styles of locks – deadbolts and lever locks – in addition to the padlocks and doorknobs we mastered earlier. Of course, one tenant had to live without an interior doorknob for more than a week, but we didn’t say we were perfect.
The scariest part is Dave’s expansion into lockpicking. You had to know that was coming right? He has watched hours of youtube videos on the subject. The goal is not so much to begin a life of crime, but rather to reclaim numerous locks and key cylinders that we no longer have the key to. You can’t reuse a lock, if you can’t first unlock it. With his new skills, he’s managed to reclaim several key cylinders that were previously unusable.
It’s hard to say what skills we will develop in another 2 weeks.
Livestreaming
As March drew to a close, so did the ability to have drive-in services. The bishop indicated that all services had to be virtual. So, we moved inside on Sunday morning and set up our cellphone cameras in the sanctuary. It was actually easier being in the same “room” as the service. However, each Sunday brought another challenge or problem.
As March drew to a close, so did the ability to have drive-in services. The bishop indicated that all services had to be virtual. So, we moved inside on Sunday morning and set up our cellphone cameras in the sanctuary. It was actually easier being in the same “room” as the service. However, each Sunday brought another challenge or problem.
Palm crosses and sealed communion were prepared for Palm Sunday service. For example, on Palm Sunday, the sacrament of communion was observed. This meant another camera was needed to cover the pastor at the altar. In addition, we needed to display the communion liturgy. We wanted to combine the 2 in a “splitscreen”, which worked well enough that we had a request to do it for more of the service. So, the next week, we used it in several more places.
Some of the problems that appeared disastrous turned out to be in our own heads. Dave was distressed to find that the audio track was doubled and offset by several minutes to disastrous effect. Thinking the recording was ruined, we tried to figure out what could have been the cause. It turned out that Dave had been playing back the livestream on 2 different tabs without realizing it. The stream was fine.
So, maybe the best lesson we should be learning is to relax a little.
Some of the problems that appeared disastrous turned out to be in our own heads. Dave was distressed to find that the audio track was doubled and offset by several minutes to disastrous effect. Thinking the recording was ruined, we tried to figure out what could have been the cause. It turned out that Dave had been playing back the livestream on 2 different tabs without realizing it. The stream was fine.
So, maybe the best lesson we should be learning is to relax a little.
Dave cuts out several masks for Cathy to sew. Sewing Large and Small
After making a few masks for Adam and his co-workers, we moved on to sewing masks for Bonnie’s family and several people around the church. Unfortunately, the pattern we used was a little too small for Adam and Troy, so Cathy re-sized the pattern and we made a few more using the bigger size that worked better.
After making a few masks for Adam and his co-workers, we moved on to sewing masks for Bonnie’s family and several people around the church. Unfortunately, the pattern we used was a little too small for Adam and Troy, so Cathy re-sized the pattern and we made a few more using the bigger size that worked better.
Screens for the yurts at Pocahontas Cathy next turned her attention to making screens for the yurts back at Pocahontas. She had started this project while there in the fall, but there was enough screen material and velcro to make many more. This was much easier than the tiny seams of the masks, and sewing them was what her Sailrite machine seemed to like doing much better.
Hibiscus are always in bloom, and always spectacular. Parting Shot
So, it’s not all about work. We take a walk every evening, which have remained cool for the most part. We greet our neighbors while still maintaining social distance. There is usually an unspoken shift in our path or theirs to keep from getting too close. The church is open during the day for the parish to stop by, and we sometimes run into folks there as well. Not to say it’s not awkward on occasion, but it’s what we are all doing to stay safe, so it’s worth it.
So, it’s not all about work. We take a walk every evening, which have remained cool for the most part. We greet our neighbors while still maintaining social distance. There is usually an unspoken shift in our path or theirs to keep from getting too close. The church is open during the day for the parish to stop by, and we sometimes run into folks there as well. Not to say it’s not awkward on occasion, but it’s what we are all doing to stay safe, so it’s worth it.
