It is Saturday afternoon and we have been grounded, again. McKee received about 6" of snow, but in Mt. Vernon I heard they got about 10". In Kentucky terms, that is staggering! So, our day has consisted of teaming up with Kristen and attacking the laundry/storage room and giving it a deep cleaning. It took us about 3-4 hours and we accomplished much. The room looks awesome, you can actually walk around in the room and I just hope people don't go looking for all the stuff we through out! I am sure what we tossed was so old and forgotten that no one will notice. I think that there are many things left behind by former volunteers and they have totally forgotten what was all there.
This week we spent alot of time going to the Workfest homes with Robyn, our manager. She needs to see all the jobs and approve the plans that have been set for them. All is good and we have the go ahead for almost all the jobs. Angie is still working on the grant writing, but that should get taken care of next week. This has been a huge learning experience for me and I have appreciated all of it.
We were expecting a new volunteer today, but she has been detoured to another volunteer house due to not being able to get down Sand Lick Road. She should be able to get here tomorrow, God willing and the creeks don't rise. We are all excited to meet her and begin a new friendship with another CAP volunteer. Her name is Bridget and she is from the New York area, but I think I already told you that last week.
My big question of the week is: what is the difference between a holler, lick, branch and a fork? I am asking people around here and getting some mixed answers. A holler dead ends in the middle of nowhere. A branch usually leaves the road and then curves it's way back to the same road. I am not sure about the lick and the fork. I was on a holler that was called May Fork, so I think we have some explaining to do. If anyone wants to add their opinion I am all ears.
My other thought of the week, why do I feel that I am more patient with my current housemates than I am with family members and some friends? I have said before that I feel I am a better person here than I am at home. Why is that? Do I look at this time as short lived so I need to let things not bother me? So I keep myself on my best behavior because I want to make sure that I treat people with kindness? Is this not how we should approach life in general? We don't know when our time here will end, so shouldn't we always strive to treat people with kindness and respect? I hope that when I return home I can keep this same sense of not letting the small things get to me. And, hopefully will treat people the same way that I would like to be treated. Or as Angie would say, I do people the way I want them to do me.
I think that is the way we should all be. Til we meet again,
God Bless
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Getting Out There
What a wonderful week this has been. I have been involved in getting jobs set up for Workfest, which starts in March. Donnie, the crew leader, Angie, the housing coordinator, and I have been driving around Clay and Owsley counties making home visits and checking on the feasibility of these sites to be included in Workfest. It has been amazing! First of all, I am not driving so I can just relax and look at the beauty of Kentucky. Donnie and Angie are both from Clay County so I felt very comfortable in the hands of someone who grew up driving these roads.
Let me take a moment to explain Workfest. College students come in groups to work on houses in the Appalachia area. It is an alternative Spring break other than going to Daytona beach or some other party place. We have crew leaders that take them out to the houses and then guide them through such things as replacing roofs, putting on siding, adding underpinning, replacing doors and windows, building a new porch and steps or perhaps putting on a much needed ramp. It is awesome to see the amount of work that gets done and the changes to these homes and the families that live there. It is a gift to see the relationships that grow between the participants and the work crews. I am looking forward to being a part of all this.
Anyway, some of the jobs we looked at were on major roads, not that interesting. But, most of the jobs were way down the hollers, which was awesome. Hearing some of the directions given to our office is a treat in itself. Example: Drive down the road until you see a pair of tennis shoes hanging over the power lines, then turn left. In another county a participant told the CAP employee: drive down the road until you see the McDonalds bag in the road and then turn left. Apparently, that bag had been there long enough to become a landmark. What a hoot!
Anywho, there is much more involved in picking a Workfest job than I had realized. We need to consider how much work needs to be done. We do not want a crew at a site and there is not enough work to keep everyone busy for at least a week or two. Is the road passable in bad weather. Can't have people getting stuck out in a holler somewhere. Will there be too much mud. If there is wet weather we don't want people working in mud or getting stuck in mud. Are there a lot of dogs and are they friendly. Will the family interact with the crews and enjoy having that many people there. Is the drive too long from Camp AJ and then too much of the day is on the road. Angie also takes a look at if the families fit into our income guidelines and are they capable of making a payback for some of the funding. It is much to look at and take into consideration.
It was a treat to be able to drive down these hollers and completely take in the beauty of the area. There was one home that was at the end of the holler. I just stood there drinking it all in: the calling of the birds, the river running by on the other side of the road, the horses near the barn, the colors of the bushes and trees, and the smell of autumn. There were two kittens playing at my feet as I stood and took pictures of the job. I could have stayed there all day. The family was very nice and we visited with them for awhile. Not all of the homes were this beautiful, but I thoroughly enjoyed visiting all of them.
I hope that when my friends come in April I will have the opportunity to take them to such a magical place. Kentucky is surely one of the most beautiful states I have visited.
On a different note, Monday night dinner had 12 of us at the table. I just love it when there is such a good group to share a meal. Tom and Dorothy came up and then Lucas' brother and father joined us also. It was a great time for fellowship and Janet made a delicious dinner for all.
Hope you are all well. Until we meet again, God Bless
Jane
Let me take a moment to explain Workfest. College students come in groups to work on houses in the Appalachia area. It is an alternative Spring break other than going to Daytona beach or some other party place. We have crew leaders that take them out to the houses and then guide them through such things as replacing roofs, putting on siding, adding underpinning, replacing doors and windows, building a new porch and steps or perhaps putting on a much needed ramp. It is awesome to see the amount of work that gets done and the changes to these homes and the families that live there. It is a gift to see the relationships that grow between the participants and the work crews. I am looking forward to being a part of all this.
Anyway, some of the jobs we looked at were on major roads, not that interesting. But, most of the jobs were way down the hollers, which was awesome. Hearing some of the directions given to our office is a treat in itself. Example: Drive down the road until you see a pair of tennis shoes hanging over the power lines, then turn left. In another county a participant told the CAP employee: drive down the road until you see the McDonalds bag in the road and then turn left. Apparently, that bag had been there long enough to become a landmark. What a hoot!
Anywho, there is much more involved in picking a Workfest job than I had realized. We need to consider how much work needs to be done. We do not want a crew at a site and there is not enough work to keep everyone busy for at least a week or two. Is the road passable in bad weather. Can't have people getting stuck out in a holler somewhere. Will there be too much mud. If there is wet weather we don't want people working in mud or getting stuck in mud. Are there a lot of dogs and are they friendly. Will the family interact with the crews and enjoy having that many people there. Is the drive too long from Camp AJ and then too much of the day is on the road. Angie also takes a look at if the families fit into our income guidelines and are they capable of making a payback for some of the funding. It is much to look at and take into consideration.
It was a treat to be able to drive down these hollers and completely take in the beauty of the area. There was one home that was at the end of the holler. I just stood there drinking it all in: the calling of the birds, the river running by on the other side of the road, the horses near the barn, the colors of the bushes and trees, and the smell of autumn. There were two kittens playing at my feet as I stood and took pictures of the job. I could have stayed there all day. The family was very nice and we visited with them for awhile. Not all of the homes were this beautiful, but I thoroughly enjoyed visiting all of them.
I hope that when my friends come in April I will have the opportunity to take them to such a magical place. Kentucky is surely one of the most beautiful states I have visited.
On a different note, Monday night dinner had 12 of us at the table. I just love it when there is such a good group to share a meal. Tom and Dorothy came up and then Lucas' brother and father joined us also. It was a great time for fellowship and Janet made a delicious dinner for all.
Hope you are all well. Until we meet again, God Bless
Jane
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Change of Season
Earlier this week we were debating whether we should go out on the roads and risk the ice and snow, or stay put and be safe. There were a couple days we waited for 2-3 hours and then ventured out to work. On Saturday I went to Berea to spend the day and saw a young lady lying in the sun in her swimsuit. Gotta love Kentucky!!!! I know this has been an abnormally cold winter thus far for Kentucky, and the quick change was surprising. Berea was bustling and it was a great day to just take a long walk and make a lot of phone calls. It was a wonderful day to relax and enjoy the warm weather. From 6 degrees on Tuesday to 57 degrees on Saturday. I think that even beats Wisconsin.
Work has been a lot of fun this week. Now that the Christmas basket program has been completed, I can focus on many other things that get placed on the back burner during that time. With all the cold weather, there were many families in need of assistance for heat. People use electric, firewood, coal, gas or sometimes small kerosene or propane heaters. This is my first time to be involved in purchasing coal to heat a home. I really don't know if people still use coal in Wisconsin for heat. Anyone want to fill me in?
When I was home for Christmas I received some sweater sets that were hand made by a friend of my sister. They were beautiful!!!! Little boggins that matched the sweaters. I had a young mother come into the office with her son and daughter. The little girl was about 5-6 years old. I asked her if she would like a new sweater and she got that really cool look on her face that in my opinion meant "Really Mom, can I?" So I brought out a set of bright yellow and orange and some other darker tones and she put it on. Her face just lit up!!!! She looked beautiful and she was so excited to have something new. So a big thank you to Jeannie and her wonderful gift of knitting.
We are getting a new housemate at the end of the month. I believe she is from the New York area or there abouts. I am excited to meet her. She stayed at the Rockcastle House when she came for her interview and the people there loved her. I think she will be a grand addition to our Jackson volunteer house.
And, we now have a couple from Wisconsin living at the bottom of our driveway in their RV! Tom and Dorothy are from Tomahawk. They are very nice and have been spending some time with us here at the house. They have come to do much needed work at Camp AJ and get that project completed. I am sure they will also be helping out with Workfest which takes place in March. I guess we will have to have that brat fry now!!!!!!!!!!
On a totally different note, in the past week or so three of my friends had a parent that passed away. You are all in my prayers and I rejoice with you in knowing that your mothers are now in the presence of their Savior. What an amazing thought. I look forward to the day when we will see them again in the New Jerusalem.
May God bless your week richly.
Jane
Work has been a lot of fun this week. Now that the Christmas basket program has been completed, I can focus on many other things that get placed on the back burner during that time. With all the cold weather, there were many families in need of assistance for heat. People use electric, firewood, coal, gas or sometimes small kerosene or propane heaters. This is my first time to be involved in purchasing coal to heat a home. I really don't know if people still use coal in Wisconsin for heat. Anyone want to fill me in?
When I was home for Christmas I received some sweater sets that were hand made by a friend of my sister. They were beautiful!!!! Little boggins that matched the sweaters. I had a young mother come into the office with her son and daughter. The little girl was about 5-6 years old. I asked her if she would like a new sweater and she got that really cool look on her face that in my opinion meant "Really Mom, can I?" So I brought out a set of bright yellow and orange and some other darker tones and she put it on. Her face just lit up!!!! She looked beautiful and she was so excited to have something new. So a big thank you to Jeannie and her wonderful gift of knitting.
We are getting a new housemate at the end of the month. I believe she is from the New York area or there abouts. I am excited to meet her. She stayed at the Rockcastle House when she came for her interview and the people there loved her. I think she will be a grand addition to our Jackson volunteer house.
And, we now have a couple from Wisconsin living at the bottom of our driveway in their RV! Tom and Dorothy are from Tomahawk. They are very nice and have been spending some time with us here at the house. They have come to do much needed work at Camp AJ and get that project completed. I am sure they will also be helping out with Workfest which takes place in March. I guess we will have to have that brat fry now!!!!!!!!!!
On a totally different note, in the past week or so three of my friends had a parent that passed away. You are all in my prayers and I rejoice with you in knowing that your mothers are now in the presence of their Savior. What an amazing thought. I look forward to the day when we will see them again in the New Jerusalem.
May God bless your week richly.
Jane
Friday, January 8, 2010
Pictures for Your Pleasure
The Christian Appalachian Project is closed today due to the weather and bad roads. This will be a nice long weekend. Just wish I didn't have this stinking cold.So, let's start with some pictures of the new babies at their first Christmas. All cute as a button and I now have officially been moved into the "grandparent" level. Life is good !
This is the storm on December 18th. Beautiful but damaging. Really???? Kentucky?????
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Back in the Saddle
Well, it has been awhile and I need to do a little catching up. I had intended to place a new post on the weekend of December 18th, but we were hit with a very heavy snow and were without power at the volunteer house from sometime Friday night until Monday afternoon. No power, no heat and no post. It was quite the adventure. There is a small gas fake fireplace in the living room, but we all agreed we would wait to turn it on because of rumors that it might smell and we didn't want any headaches or sick stomachs. We just all grabbed a blanket and made a nest in every corner of the living room and hung out. Some told stories, some read to themselves and also aloud to the group. We sowed by flashlight and tried to do some work on computers for those who had a good battery. We started up the grill on the porch and cooked old hot dogs and warmed frozen leftover pizza. At some point we all gathered in one corner and watched a movie on a small computer screen. At this point we agreed to turn the gas stove on and it was great! No smell and it warmed the one room quite nicely. (After we hung blankets in the doorway to hold in the heat.) All in all was a wonderful day and a great time to spend with family.
On Sunday we were actually able to get out and have a little space. Still no power, but the roads had cleared enough that some of us went in to town for a bit. That night we all gathered in the living room again and shared stories and some potatoes cooked on the grill. It was the night before my birthday dinner so we decided to do birthday devotions in case we didn't have electricity the next night. It was wonderful and the evening turned into a night of deep conversation about relationships and marriage and divorce. Great insights by many different minds.
On Monday, my 50th birthday, we all made it home from work to find the power back on. Whew! But, I had decided that I wanted to spend my birthday night at Opal's Diner in McKee, KY. It was awesome! We all went to town and enjoyed a variety of sandwiches and a special cake. It was one of the most wonderful birthdays I have ever had! About a year ago I had talked to some friends about spending my birthday in Greece. Well, instead, I spent my birthday eating grease and a friend at the table is Greek. Close, but much more wonderful than I could have imagined.
On the 22nd, Diane Beckmann and I left for Wisconsin. We had a great ride with no problems traffic wise. It was a great time to be home and see my family and so many friends. It really was wonderful! It was absolutely great to be back at St. Paul's and see my church family and be able to worship with them. I big thank you to my niece Ann who had all the patience in the world to let me yak after the service. Thanks again Ann, I truly appreciated your tolerance. The time went very quickly and I wish I could have seen more people, but bad weather and time only allow so much visiting time.
I am back at work and it feels right. I told some friends that when I was home I felt like I didn't really want to go back to Kentucky, but as soon as I hit the road with Diane I knew I was headed where I am meant to be. These first two days have been very busy and I was a little surprised by that. I thought with all the snow and the cold not many people would be out, but they are. It has been some crazy weather here and I have to tell Leif Gigstad that it is as cold here as it is in Wisconsin. So, no gloating on my part for being in the warm southern weather.
I have some pictures to share and I think I need to say that you probably saw them before you read this post. I haven't quite gotten the picture thing down, but what the heck. Have a great week and I will keep the once a week schedule now that I am back to my computer, the internet and electricity. Until next time, God Bless!
On Sunday we were actually able to get out and have a little space. Still no power, but the roads had cleared enough that some of us went in to town for a bit. That night we all gathered in the living room again and shared stories and some potatoes cooked on the grill. It was the night before my birthday dinner so we decided to do birthday devotions in case we didn't have electricity the next night. It was wonderful and the evening turned into a night of deep conversation about relationships and marriage and divorce. Great insights by many different minds.
On Monday, my 50th birthday, we all made it home from work to find the power back on. Whew! But, I had decided that I wanted to spend my birthday night at Opal's Diner in McKee, KY. It was awesome! We all went to town and enjoyed a variety of sandwiches and a special cake. It was one of the most wonderful birthdays I have ever had! About a year ago I had talked to some friends about spending my birthday in Greece. Well, instead, I spent my birthday eating grease and a friend at the table is Greek. Close, but much more wonderful than I could have imagined.
On the 22nd, Diane Beckmann and I left for Wisconsin. We had a great ride with no problems traffic wise. It was a great time to be home and see my family and so many friends. It really was wonderful! It was absolutely great to be back at St. Paul's and see my church family and be able to worship with them. I big thank you to my niece Ann who had all the patience in the world to let me yak after the service. Thanks again Ann, I truly appreciated your tolerance. The time went very quickly and I wish I could have seen more people, but bad weather and time only allow so much visiting time.
I am back at work and it feels right. I told some friends that when I was home I felt like I didn't really want to go back to Kentucky, but as soon as I hit the road with Diane I knew I was headed where I am meant to be. These first two days have been very busy and I was a little surprised by that. I thought with all the snow and the cold not many people would be out, but they are. It has been some crazy weather here and I have to tell Leif Gigstad that it is as cold here as it is in Wisconsin. So, no gloating on my part for being in the warm southern weather.
I have some pictures to share and I think I need to say that you probably saw them before you read this post. I haven't quite gotten the picture thing down, but what the heck. Have a great week and I will keep the once a week schedule now that I am back to my computer, the internet and electricity. Until next time, God Bless!
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