“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.” Maya Angelou

The hot weather continues this week. Today was in the mid-90’s and humid again. We just saw in the paper it has been the warmest summer in West Virginia in 75 years. At least we know we aren’t crazy…

Today we started the day at two different sites, but ended up all at one. We had a few little things to tighten up at a site out in Lilydale, and after fixing those few things and visiting a little, the crew headed up to join the other work crew who were building a ramp. The ramp is for a woman in Ravencliffe who needs a little help getting in and our of her house. It is actually a backwards ramp, as the entrance to her house sits below the road. It was a lot of hard work, but when all was said and done we were able to get all the framing and all the posts up and a good start on the deck boards.

Dinner tonight we had a cookout and enjoyed veggie burgers and regular burgers, along with pasta salad and beans. Always a good and satisfying meal.

With all our sore muscles from the day, today’s reflection was well timed, as we started it with some stretching and relaxing breathing. After a short reading, we shared and reflected how we are stretched while we are in West Virginia as PVs.

“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.” Maya Angelou

The hot weather continues this week. Today was in the mid-90’s and humid again. We just saw in the paper it has been the warmest summer in West Virginia in 75 years. At least we know we aren’t crazy…

Today we started the day at two different sites, but ended up all at one. We had a few little things to tighten up at a site out in Lilydale, and after fixing those few things and visiting a little, the crew headed up to join the other work crew who were building a ramp. The ramp is for a woman in Ravencliffe who needs a little help getting in and our of her house. It is actually a backwards ramp, as the entrance to her house sits below the road. It was a lot of hard work, but when all was said and done we were able to get all the framing and all the posts up and a good start on the deck boards.

Dinner tonight we had a cookout and enjoyed veggie burgers and regular burgers, along with pasta salad and beans. Always a good and satisfying meal.

With all our sore muscles from the day, today’s reflection was well timed, as we started it with some stretching and relaxing breathing. After a short reading, we shared and reflected how we are stretched while we are in West Virginia as PVs.

“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.” Maya Angelou

The hot weather continues this week. Today was in the mid-90’s and humid again. We just saw in the paper it has been the warmest summer in West Virginia in 75 years. At least we know we aren’t crazy…

Today we started the day at two different sites, but ended up all at one. We had a few little things to tighten up at a site out in Lilydale, and after fixing those few things and visiting a little, the crew headed up to join the other work crew who were building a ramp. The ramp is for a woman in Ravencliffe who needs a little help getting in and our of her house. It is actually a backwards ramp, as the entrance to her house sits below the road. It was a lot of hard work, but when all was said and done we were able to get all the framing and all the posts up and a good start on the deck boards.

Dinner tonight we had a cookout and enjoyed veggie burgers and regular burgers, along with pasta salad and beans. Always a good and satisfying meal.

With all our sore muscles from the day, today’s reflection was well timed, as we started it with some stretching and relaxing breathing. After a short reading, we shared and reflected how we are stretched while we are in West Virginia as PVs.

“Love the earth and the sun and animals: Despise riches, give aims to everyone that asks; Stand up for the stupid and crazy; Devote your income and labor to others…And your very flesh shall be a great poem.” Walt Whitman

A great day. We broke into two work crews today to go up to Hanover and finished off two sites that carried over from last week. We finished plumbing a bathroom for the gentleman up in Hanover. He is all set except for one more two foot wall to frame and drywall. He has a working sink, toilet and shower.

We also went up to continue work on the site where we have been ripping out flood damaged drywall, replacing it, mudding and taping and painting it. We made some progress, but as always we have more to do. We are going to try to get up there one more day.

After a warm and tiring day, we relaxed on the porch at the house and felt like we were watching wild kingdom. There were birds, cats, dogs and more dogs. Being able to enjoy the nature around us was a real treat.

Dinner tonight was homemade pizza, along with corn on the cob, salad, banana muffins, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Yummy yummy!

Reflection tonight focused on water, the good and the bad of water. We were each asked to drink a glass of water and share whether it was good or bad, and why that was the case.

“Love the earth and the sun and animals: Despise riches, give aims to everyone that asks; Stand up for the stupid and crazy; Devote your income and labor to others…And your very flesh shall be a great poem.” Walt Whitman

A great day. We broke into two work crews today to go up to Hanover and finished off two sites that carried over from last week. We finished plumbing a bathroom for the gentleman up in Hanover. He is all set except for one more two foot wall to frame and drywall. He has a working sink, toilet and shower.

We also went up to continue work on the site where we have been ripping out flood damaged drywall, replacing it, mudding and taping and painting it. We made some progress, but as always we have more to do. We are going to try to get up there one more day.

After a warm and tiring day, we relaxed on the porch at the house and felt like we were watching wild kingdom. There were birds, cats, dogs and more dogs. Being able to enjoy the nature around us was a real treat.

Dinner tonight was homemade pizza, along with corn on the cob, salad, banana muffins, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Yummy yummy!

Reflection tonight focused on water, the good and the bad of water. We were each asked to drink a glass of water and share whether it was good or bad, and why that was the case.

“Love the earth and the sun and animals: Despise riches, give aims to everyone that asks; Stand up for the stupid and crazy; Devote your income and labor to others…And your very flesh shall be a great poem.” Walt Whitman

A great day. We broke into two work crews today to go up to Hanover and finished off two sites that carried over from last week. We finished plumbing a bathroom for the gentleman up in Hanover. He is all set except for one more two foot wall to frame and drywall. He has a working sink, toilet and shower.

We also went up to continue work on the site where we have been ripping out flood damaged drywall, replacing it, mudding and taping and painting it. We made some progress, but as always we have more to do. We are going to try to get up there one more day.

After a warm and tiring day, we relaxed on the porch at the house and felt like we were watching wild kingdom. There were birds, cats, dogs and more dogs. Being able to enjoy the nature around us was a real treat.

Dinner tonight was homemade pizza, along with corn on the cob, salad, banana muffins, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Yummy yummy!

Reflection tonight focused on water, the good and the bad of water. We were each asked to drink a glass of water and share whether it was good or bad, and why that was the case.

We are all settled into our house in Pineville and are all ready for the week ahead. Our group may be smaller in number this week, but we are a determined group, ready finish up the work in Wyoming County.

For our last community day, we headed up to Twin Falls for a hike to the falls, which included a little exploring in and around the falls. After we finished up the hike we drove up to the lodge. They have been spending the past several years renovating the lodge and it looks fantastic. You wouldn’t even know it was the same place. We then went down to the pro shop by the golf course in hopes of getting ice cream, only to find out the little cafe went away during the renovations. We were left with only one thing to do, we had to go to Dairy Queen. What a sacrifice!

After our long day of excursions, a few naps were taken before dinner. For dinner we retooled leftovers from our Thursday night dinner from last week, spaghetti, added some garlic and melted cheese over it, and ta-da we had baked spaghetti, bread and salad.

After dinner we spent some time getting reoriented and then went right into the commissioning service, to welcome the new volunteers. The evening finished up with getting signed up for jobsites for Monday. We are looking forward to another great week.

We are all settled into our house in Pineville and are all ready for the week ahead. Our group may be smaller in number this week, but we are a determined group, ready finish up the work in Wyoming County.

For our last community day, we headed up to Twin Falls for a hike to the falls, which included a little exploring in and around the falls. After we finished up the hike we drove up to the lodge. They have been spending the past several years renovating the lodge and it looks fantastic. You wouldn’t even know it was the same place. We then went down to the pro shop by the golf course in hopes of getting ice cream, only to find out the little cafe went away during the renovations. We were left with only one thing to do, we had to go to Dairy Queen. What a sacrifice!

After our long day of excursions, a few naps were taken before dinner. For dinner we retooled leftovers from our Thursday night dinner from last week, spaghetti, added some garlic and melted cheese over it, and ta-da we had baked spaghetti, bread and salad.

After dinner we spent some time getting reoriented and then went right into the commissioning service, to welcome the new volunteers. The evening finished up with getting signed up for jobsites for Monday. We are looking forward to another great week.

We are all settled into our house in Pineville and are all ready for the week ahead. Our group may be smaller in number this week, but we are a determined group, ready finish up the work in Wyoming County.

For our last community day, we headed up to Twin Falls for a hike to the falls, which included a little exploring in and around the falls. After we finished up the hike we drove up to the lodge. They have been spending the past several years renovating the lodge and it looks fantastic. You wouldn’t even know it was the same place. We then went down to the pro shop by the golf course in hopes of getting ice cream, only to find out the little cafe went away during the renovations. We were left with only one thing to do, we had to go to Dairy Queen. What a sacrifice!

After our long day of excursions, a few naps were taken before dinner. For dinner we retooled leftovers from our Thursday night dinner from last week, spaghetti, added some garlic and melted cheese over it, and ta-da we had baked spaghetti, bread and salad.

After dinner we spent some time getting reoriented and then went right into the commissioning service, to welcome the new volunteers. The evening finished up with getting signed up for jobsites for Monday. We are looking forward to another great week.