Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Adventures in Construction

Yesterday I decided to go to the home improvement store and buy supplies to make raised garden beds. I had set aside the Christmas money from the church for this and had begun planning them last summer. I had found instructions for building them complete with a supply list on line. One of the home improvement stores had the wood I needed on sale, so off I went. When I arrived at the lumber area, discovered the board I needed were up the steps in a loft area above the other wood. I went up and pulled out 12 8' 1" x 6" boards. I picked up 2 and headed for the steps. The steps were open metal grates. I don't do well on steps. I hate steps I can see through. I pondered the 2 boards in my hand. I went and put them back and went in search of an employee. I confessed to the two guys I found that I was a wimp and wasn't comfortable carrying the wood down the steps. They readily retrieved them for me. The one young man informed me, "I don't think you're a wimp, I think you're smart." I liked him.
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I had to put the back seats down, but I managed (with more help) to get everything into my car. By the time I got home I had numerous splinters in my hands, so I put on my leather garden gloves to take the wood out of the car.
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I had purchased a tool kit some time back that came with a cordless drill, work light, circular saw, and two rechargeable batteries. I had never had reason to use the saw, so I brought it and the blade for it into the house to figure out how to put the blade on. I looked in the manual and on-line. I discovered that I wasn't the only one who had trouble with the attached allen wrench moving the entire mechanism, not just the bolt. I also found that there isn't a lock on this saw. The manufacturer recommends putting the blade on scrap wood to hold it still when installing and removing it. They don't say what to do when you can't get the blade on.
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Tonight on the way home I stopped at the super store. I bought an old fashioned saw. I came home and cut one of the 3 4 x 4's into 5 pieces, and cut two of the boards in half. Then I painted the outside of everything I'd cut. I still have paint left from the privacy fence I painted last summer. Tomorrow the property guys are gathering at the church. I think I'll ask them to figure out my saw for me. They like a good challenge.
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Holy Week is going relatively well. Maundy Thursday is done, including the sermon. Bulletins are done for Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I have an outline for Sunday's sermon. Good Friday still needs a bit of work, but it should be relatively easy. Today Administrative Assistant and I worked on the brochure for the day camp we're hosting this summer. The coordinator wants to put the brochure in the Easter bulletin. We rewrote most of what she'd given us, and I think she'll like what we've done with it. I hope so, anyway.
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I continue to hear positive comments about Sunday. One woman pointed out yesterday how subdued everyone was after worship. I saw a number of people in tears. One man commented to a woman that he'd always known the story of the Passion, but never in that way. I thought the same thing. We always look at the Passion story from the perspective of the resurrection. Looking at it from the perspective of that time without the confidence of the resurrection made the whole thing much more powerful. I've written lots of drama for worship-- but always from the perspective of today. This really did help me experience it in an entirely new way.
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Daughter informed me last night she was depressed and needed to come home. I told her she was home. She didn't appreciate that answer. This evening she's happier, an is in a better mood. I told her about what I did tonight, and she wanted to know if I still had all my fingers. We had the usual discussion about men's work vs. women's work. Sometimes I think living in the time warp of Tiny Village for 14 years did permanent damage to her.
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Now I'm off to figure out the noon prayer service for tomorrow. AA and I were congratulating ourselves for being in good shape, and then I realized I hadn't done the prayer service yet. Oops.

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