"If I had a hammer...

...I'd hammer in the mornin." And hammer I did!!

Yesterday I volunteered at a Habitat for Humanity homesite. My job was to hammer 4' x 8' sheets of styrofoam insulation board to the exterior of a 2-story duplex. So I did a LOT of hammering. It was hard work but a lot of fun too.

The weather was great; in the low 80s and sunny. I worked in the shade for 1/2 the day, which was nice.

Surprisingly I was the only 1st time volunteer at the site. The other 7 volunteers seemed to be 'regulars' who have worked on several HFH sites over the last year or so. By looking at them they appear to be retired. I really admire these men for spending a day every week doing this kind of volunteer work.

A great thing about volunteering for HFH is that you don't have to have construction skills or experience. The site coordinator or other volunteers will teach you how to do the work. They were also adequately concerned with safety and volunteers' comfort. Since shingling the roof was also on the day's agenda, I was asked how I felt about heights. I responded that I wasn't afraid of heights, but was afraid of falling. So I was not selected to shingle the roof, but I did have to climb a ladder and skaffolding several times to nail the insulation board to the upper section of the house. I felt uneasy when I had to lean off the side of the ladder, but also felt like my discomfort was for a good purpose. I was doing something that contributed to a new, modest home for someone needy.

I encourage everyone to consider spending a day volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. You'll be glad you did.

Crush du Jour: Roger Paiva