ASP Winter 2013 - Friday, Saturday

Our final day was a full work push to complete a variety of projects.

   
Tim set Mary up to lead the evening prayer before dinner - to which she rose well to the occasion.  
We had the opportunity to invite our families to the center for dinner and a presentation from John and "the famous" DJ - panther wrestler.  It was wonderful to sit down to share a family style meal and coffee with them.   

George made a warm welcome to Donna and her daughter in law Nikki and two of her children Hanna and Joseph who just turned 10 on Thursday, and little Joshua Donna's grandson who is three but could only hold up two fingers at a time!  
Following that the evening ended with card playing, guitar playing, singing, and always, always sprinkles of laughter.

  
Saturday morning both the 6:00 am departure group and the 7:00 departure group got a wake up call at 5:25 ( that's A.M.) from the building alarm system.... This author doesn't know for sure but rumor has it Mickey set it off! Val's response was "geeez you guys, do we really need the lights on?   

Steve relayed that this trip at such a needed time, to do and think and act about the important things in life. He did a wonderful job of leading devotions for the group each day, and we thank him.  

Mary and Debbie set off with John Casale , Sue Anderson and Tim Buckley in the lead.   

The remaining caravan of John A, Betsy, George. And Val, Steve, Mickey. and   Kerry, Mark and Johnny O will be departing with bittersweet feelings to be consoled by breakfast at Biscuit World!   

-Betsy K.

ASP Winter 2013 - Thursday

Thursday team 2 was finishing up projects at Mary Beth's house.   It was difficult to anticipate leaving her on Thurs and starting a new project with a new family on Friday.  So they kept looking for projects to fix and make better and complete.  The team had put in a new window so they went to Magic Mart to get a curtain rod and curtains for the window.  Sue Anderson also painted a vine scroll on the window molding to match the curtain.  The team had an emotional prayer shawl presentation to Mary Beth.  Mary Beth then told the team her good news.... She had worked out a payment arrangement with the power company so her electric power would not be cut off AND she got a job!    Praises and Thanks!!!

Steve and Big John continued working on the electric at Nicky and John's house (Donna's son and daughter in law).  They have been raising their 3 children in a house whose service is fed from the house in between Donna and Nicky's house via an extension cord.  Imagine trying to wire a home that is already built, occupied and has been in place for decades!  

John A didn't see the light of day for more than 15 minutes yesterday.  He was running plumbing lines at Nicky and John's house in the basement all day.  There was a failed attempt to snake out the waste line that is backed up....but the manual snake could not get through the plug.  If ASP can not find a power snake to rent for the day, the pipe will need to be cut at the point of back up and new pipe installed.  

Mark and Mickey needed a 2x10 to replace a rotten floor joist at Donnas ....Donnas husband Troy led them to the house in between where the two families had been storing supplies for projects on their houses. And there was a 2x10 that was just long enough for the span!  They cut and placed subfloor and Mark took on the task of stapling in netting on the joist that would hold the insulation under the subfloor.  George and Debbie cut and installed insulation for that back room and cut the paneling to be installed on Friday.  

We came home to an evening of bluegrass with the Blue Grass Cross Ties.   ASP staffer Mary also loves blue grass and Bertha and Burt (husband and wife lead singers) called her up to play with them.   Mary gave her guitar to John A ( the strap being set for little tiny Mary set the guitar around John's neck!) who proceeded to keep up with them and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to play!

The entertainment was followed but another thank you and welcome to the new crew that had just arrived from DC from Mary (our Mary this time, and first time ASPer) with a DQ ice cream cake.   

-Betsy K.

PS: John Casale and Steve Yacik spent the first day installing a door at the trailer home of Don and his family. Don is a widower in his mid-seventies. His family consists of his daughter, Brenda, and son, Stevie. They are warm, friendly and love to give hugs. At one point during the installation of the door, a tearful Brenda explained to John and Steve that the trailer is painted bright purple because it was her late mother's favorite color.

When John and Steve went to pick out a prayer shawl for Don, Brenda and Stevie, at the top of the bag of shawls was a beautiful one knitted by Rose Suits. It's color? Bright purple.

ASP Winter 2013 - Wednesday

Work is rocking and rolling here. ASP staff THE BEST EVER. We are getting more work done than expected and we see the staff several times each day- bringing supplies, advising next steps, visiting with us and families.

Amazingly, at 5:35 when I came down to cafeteria, only evidence of life was coffee made and Mickey's butterscotch krimpets out! We are tired but as usual enjoying the opportunity to be here in this place at this time. What a blessing!

So. I dont have a report now from the other teams, but can relay Team 1 Wednesday progress

Kerry. Debbie and Betsy competed the back porch railing. George and homeowner Troy tackled the bathroom tile.
John A and Big John and Steve went to John and Nicky house two houses down from our site.
They are the son and daughter in law of Donna and Troy at our site. That group has put in new electrical service, established new hot and cold water lines, new lines for washing machine and hot water heater.

At Donna's we moved the roof trash pile from the back patio to the street, and put new layer of T111 on exterior of back porch.

Mark, Mickey and George removed the appliances in the back porch and the flooring that needs to be replaced. Measurements were taken for new door that had been kicked in preceeding a burglery. A floor board in deck was removed and replaced and the siding was painted...one coat for now.

Peace to all our friends and family at BBPC!!

- Betsy K.

ASP Winter 2013 -- Day 4

John Omelias crew leveled the floor in the closet. They installed a new window that appeared to be the cause of the leak that led to the floor needing to be replaced. We replaced a light fixture in the bedroom. On the back porch, the homeowner was so thrilled with the floor, she looked up and said now she had to paint the ceiling, to which Mary defensively told her - not without a drop cloth you don't! Big John and Steve finished the trim on the new door.

There was a very emotional presentation of a purple Prayer shawl to Don.  His daughter ran out crying saying that her mother had painted the house purple and then died a few months later. Don got his guitar and played bluegrass for the two. Then they went over to check out the electrical box at Nicki's house.

She is the daughter in law of Donna - the homeowner where Team 1 is working. There they helped Kerry, Debbie and Betsy with their railing project by (gently?) removing the back Porch railing. Mark and Mickey started the day painting a few sheets of T111 siding which they proceeded to cover an exposed wall, currently covered in asbestos siding. They also lent a hand in the railing project.

John and George and Donnas husband Troy did some piping under the house in order to line up the Waste pipe and installed a new flange on the toilet. John was then also called over to Nicki's House to strap up pipes and electrical hanging in the basement and then drilled holes in the floor in order to run new pipes.

Debbie, Kerry and Betsy completed the spindles and top railing on the front of the porch and ripped more spindles, pre -drilling holes for the spindles to go on the back railing the next day.

The day overall brought a lite drizzle in the morning - cold and windy, followed by sun followed by outright rain followed by warm sun and then hail (no, I can't make this up!) then a little light drizzle and wind again and warm sun and then I clouded over before we cleaned up and headed back to the center.

One group watched October Sky and another group retreated to the cafeteria to play a few rousing card games - Nicole from the staff taught them a new game Euker.

 - Betsy K.

Winter ASP 2013 -- Days 2 & 3

So we arrive Sunday and enjoyed meeting the staff and admiring all the updates to the center.
Monday we headed out to meet our families with the staff. At DP site team 1 divided into 3 work groups. John A and George Hellerman tackled the bathroom. The floor is rotten and the cast iron waste line is about 14 inches from the back wall where it should be 10 to 12 inches. Mark Huddell and Mickey Hauer took charge of repair of the roof. They started with a 3x3 section but ended up replacing the roof deck and singles over a 10x10 area. Betsy, Kerry Huddell and Debbie Fry gently removed one portion of a deck railing and end floor board. They ripped 2x4s into porch spindles and secured 3 new railing posts to the porch.

John Casale and Steve Yacik went to another site where DT welcomed them with many hugs and a few tears. They replaced a door, having to temporarily leave the new opening while temperatures outdoors were 15-20 degrees (F) until a door could be secured to fit the opening.

Team 2 went to another site. Tim. Sue. Val Mary John O replaced a laminate floor in a bedroom and cleaned out closet to prep for new flooring. They put closet belongings into bags and moved to another room to prepare for new flooring there too. There was ongoing water damage surrounding a window which would have ruined the new floors going in, so the team waited to show the situation to Nicole. She is one of two Asp construction manager staffers. So the area was prepped for a new window and the team patced the area until Tuesday when a new window can be installed. Tuesday work will continue on floor installation.

--Betsy K. 

Winter ASP 2013 -- Day 1

Day 1...blinding snowstorm on 81 followed by dazzling sun so driving was a challenge.
Even more of a challenge for John Casale, Tim Buckley and Sue Anderson who had to leave the highway in search of gas.  

Sweating bullets-they put 25.1 gallons in a 26 gallon tank!   

So Sunday we headed off to the Guyan Valley center with plans to stop for lunch before our arrival.   Following the gps to Hardees along Turkey Creek road the caravan of 5 cars drove 30 minutes along rocky single lane mountain paths. We drove straight into the driveway of a local resident!  Imagine the sight of 5 muddy nj cars roaring to a halt at a dead end and then trying to both turn back and head back along the single lane mountain road

-Betsy K.