We're on the way back and just east of St. Louis in Litchfield. A week without Internet access, other than iPhone, is quite a challenge but here's the Reader's Digest version of the past 5 days.
We worked on Dan's House all week on the second floor doing drywall...mudding, sanding/washing, patching and muttering about the previous crew who could have done a much better job of taping...which made our work more difficult and time consuming. However, we managed nicely and Dan was on the property most days to thank us and tell his story which we'll save for our general presentation. Today we were able to move downstairs and start the repairs to the drywall there...we are actually pretty good at it now and did more than a day's work in 5 hours.
Kurt's cousing, Kelly, really took care of our every need regarding meals and accomodations despite her 16 hour days caring for Bob who has advanced Alzhiemers. We had a very nice version of Wonderful Wednesday one evening...a short church service at her church...Grace Episcopal and the Eucharist (Communion) then a $1 dinner of Italian pasta, sauce, salad, bread and special cookies from a baker who bakes traditional treats you'd find in Jordan...where their church sponsors a school for the death and blind.
Interestingly that school accepts Jews, Arabs and Christians and it's the only school in the Middle East that does so and teaches to each faith.
You can't believe the damage that the tornado has done...it even moved the local St. John's Mercy hospital off its foundation causing it to be abandoned...it is a seven story cement and steel structure...taller than Munson Hospital in TC.
We met and worked in tandem with at least a dozen teams of volunteers from churches, colleges, high schools and private individuals who just "wanted to help out." There was not even one person with an "attitude" that we observed and the street where Dan's house is located had another 6-8 homes going up or in some stage of completion with large crews of folks in team T-shirts. Several of these crews shared our one Porta John...pictures later. There was electricity by generator, water at a neighbor's home (just completed) across the street and plenty of sunny/breezy weather in the 80s all week...very pleasant.
This was a great team, the days flew by and our evenings were planned out by Kelly and Kurt...even including an evening at the Senior Center where a five piece country band played and everyone did the Texas Two-step...even me. If you want dancing lessons you only have to ask Carla and Jim...they were turning heads of the locals and the band members!!
Carthage, MO, is the site of the first Cival War battle west of the Mississippi and a drive down their main thoroughfare is a blend of 6th street mansions, traditional post-war homes and the mix you get by being at an exit of an Interstate...the downtown is centered on the courthouse (see photo gallery) square and much of it was constructed in the late 19th and early twentieth centuries. The stores reminded me of downtown Manistee.
It's midnight, Michigan time, and we're going to be on the road for 12-14 hours tomorrow so...until Sunday,
thanks for checking the blog.
Staton
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