This past week on Thursday, we celebrated the completion of homes #30, 31 and 32- all on Juanita Drive. The volunteers who are with us this week, members of the office staff and board members, house sponsors (such as United Way) all gathered at Lee and Paulette's home to start and walked to the other two homes such that there was a mini-dedication at each of the three new homes.
     The volunteers this week had served with us here before and were from Georgia . Mercedes led the group of college students and they worked so hard all week, mostly working with Joey on Sharon Horn's new home.
     The other high point of the week came on Saturday when Kit Morgan brought a group of family and friends out to our site to celebrate her 50th birthday. What a great way to celebrate! Kit and I both attend Capstone Church here in Tuscaloosa. Pastor Bill Overstreet and his wife Allison also dropped by to visit. Soon-to-be-new-homeowner Sharon Horn and her daughter put on quite a spread for lunch for everyone that day- best ribs I've ever had in all my life, chicken, beans with hamburger, budayduh salad, fruit salad- man it was awesome. We've had caterered lunches before when various groups have been here with us, but I never experienced one that good! We built and stood up all of the perimeter walls on #21 Juanita drive, just one day after our concrete subcontractor finished pouring the slab for the home. Susie Cousett and her two sons were there helping also. She will be the homeowner for this house . I was a little worried when I woke up Saturday morning to the sound of rain on my metal roof, but (as usual) the worry was for naught, and it turned out to be a beautiful day. We also were visited for the day by good new friend Crystal Manoske, whom I met at the Millard Fuller Legacy Build in Peru last September and then again in Atlantic City a few weeks ago. She had been promising to bring a group to work with us in T-Town (she lives about 3 hours away) and Saturday she kept her word. Granted, it was a group of two, but, hey, it's a start.
     We have also started another home this week on short 25th, for Keisha McDougle. This one is on a sloped lot and is going to be a bit slower coming out the gate, but, as we know, it is not a competition between houses and house leaders, right?
     Hoping that son Alex will be able to join me here for a year now that he has graduated from college. He's thinks of going to law school after taking a year off. U of A's law school is good, so let's see. He may try to work with us as Americorp direct . Alex worked with me for a couple of months when I was working in Port Sulphur, La., just before I came here to Tuscaloosa. Throughout the years since I have found my calling of working with volunteers, all of my five sons have come to work with me on spring and summer breaks, with son Bob, I believe, holding the record of six tours to Biloxi, Texas and Louisiana. My wife Lois, too, has been to visit, but not enough. She is about to graduate form George Mason University in Virgina with a business degree.
     Visitors this week also include two RV Care-A-Vanner couples. Randy and Pam are originally from Fairfax, Va but most recently South Dakota. Both are retired Air Force. They are full time RVers. Jim and Betty Spencer are return offenders, having worked with us before. This month Jim will celebrate his 75th birthday and his 52nd wedding anniversary!   Congratulations to both for both! We have had a steady flow of RVCareavanners since we expanded the spaces from 2 to 8, due to a generous grant from the RVCareAVanner organization (part of Habitat) Mary Vanderveld leads the group of over 6,000 on her email list with up to 1200 full time active, RVing around the country and helping Habitat affilitates. Great partnership.
    That's all for this week-   Ciao!    Peter