Thanksgiving Day

I've been sitting here thinking: Door hardware and locks, sinks, banisters and ballisters, framing hardware, nails, shelving, faucets, washer, drier, refrigerator, and electrical wiring items are some of the materials I have been able to purchase at Habit for Humanity's ReStore over the past four months. And so far everything from them has been brand new! In this economy some retailers going out of business donate their unsold inventory and I'm able to buy extremely reasonable, and the proceeds help someone get a house from HFH. Then Gene gave me nine windows, seven of them brand new, and four new interior doors. Instead of a cost of $9000 (if I had to pay retail) we are out $2787 for everything to date, including the nail guns and chain saw I bought! I probably shouldn't be amazed at the goodness of God, but I am. And humbled. I also knew there would be some big ticket items ahead. Today I jumped into the first one. I ordered the cabin roof. It is a custom fabricated metal roof designed specifically to shed the worst extremes the northwest has to offer, and this system hides the screws so they can't be sheared by sliding ice. I am blessed to have a friend (Gene) with a lumber yard to advise and counsel me, and also get me sweet deals. If I had bought a roof without him I would probably have gotten a lesser roof, never considering sliding ice and loose panels if screws sheared. I am blessed to have several friends who are contractors who help with reading plans and my general construction questions. And I am blessed to have a wife who is into this adventure. Without her it wouldn't be happening at all.