What a great way to start a birthday week! 56 new and old friends from two main groups gather in Tuscaloosa to "Blitz build" a house in 5 days!
     Larry and Cheryl Winger brought 26 of their Kairos Carpenters to work with us for the week . It had been advertized for quite a while that we would be doing a blitz build. This, naturally, got everyone excited- to be able to start and finish a house in the same week is something to experience. The Kairos Carpenters have been going on mission trips for over twenty years. A number of the married couples that come along are in their 70's and have been married over 50 years. All are quite capable with whatever is asked of them.  
     The other large group was from Ziegle's Church in Pennsylvania. Lori and Terry have been travelling and bringing groups to the Gulf Coast, Texas, Louisiana and now here in Tuscaloosa for many years. They too had heard that they would be taking part in a blitz build.
      Brandon Kastellar, our construciton manager and scheduler of people and things, did a great job this week keeping everyone happy. Typically on a blitz build, around 30 would be the ideal number of vounteers on one house. So, what we did was have all 56, plus the Mennonites, plus the RV CAre-a-vannners, plus staff, all work on the first day to put up the shell of the house . The rest of the week, we divided up into 4 or 5 other projects, while twenty or so stayed with the Blitz to make sure it got done this week.
      One of the points that is stressed in our tuypical Monday meeting is the request for the volunteers to be flexible. That they were this week! Part of Kairos finished up details on our "sock the block" project from a few weeks back. Little lectrical, little painting, little drywall, lots of schlepping of tools and materials,etc. Part of Ziegles came with me and we dug a new footing on 18th st.(also in the west end), hand dug the trimming thereof, and set all of the reinforcing steel, passed our footing inspection and poured what Brandon said was the best footer he had ever poured. Yours truly has a reputation for never doing anything the same way twice (always trying for a new and better way). Normally for our foundations we use a subcontractor, Rocky McCluskey. That's all that he does and has been doing it for years and years. The guys that work with him are all artists with shovels . They place the concrete right where they want it with minimal effort, using grade stakes placed every 6 feet or so as a guide for the correct depth. I added a 2 x 2 on the grade stakes that acted as a continuous screed to place just enough concrete in the trench and to have something solid to drag the come-a-long or rake or shovel just to the right height. Once the conrete was set up some, we pulled the wood out.
     At the same site, we also worked on two storage buildings and two safe room walls.
     On yet another site, at Ms Audrey's on 16th, we also started another storage building. A new volunteer named Donovan worked with two of the Mennonites on that one. Word on the street is that we are now going to get Ms. Audrey home by Christmas also, just like we did her friend and neighbor, Jackie Wright, about the same time last year.
     We also started another major addition for a family whose young son Ryan suffers from Spinabifida. Part of the Kairos Carpenters started a 12 x 16 storage building for a years worth of medical supplies that had been stored in the families single wide trailer . We will also add on a 12 x 12 bathroom. Ryan has such a bright spirit! I met him at the dedication of the 15th Nick's Kids house, which also took place this week. Busy week!
     It was such a joy seeing all of our "boomerangers"- vounteers and friends that have been returning to help us for years.
     Happy Thanksgiving to all next week. Me, I'm headed up north with son Alex for the gathering of our clan and my sister Mary's home. All 5 sons travelling from 5 different states to converge for the event. Habitat Board and Staff lunch at 1st http://www.alabamas13.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=9562796#.UpIskpVSZw0.facebookPres. Monday.   that's all for now- Love- Peter
P.s. here's link for the dedication with Nick Saban: