Our First Week on the FMCA Habitat Build

Jim & Linda Matheny and Larry and I arrived in Preston Georgia on Saturday, March 21st around noon and were met by other FMCA Habitat members, we have a total of 12 coaches. Our team leader, Fred ODonnell, showed us where to park the coaches and after we got all set up we Jim said it was ice cream time and that the best was in Plains, Ga. and it was peanut icecream, can you believe that? We drove over to Plains, had lunch at Mom's which was started years ago by an old "black" lady and is former President Carters favorite place to eat in Plains. Actually one of the few places to eat in Plain. After lunch we did have peanut ice cream.
Sunday most of us attended the 11 am service at the Baptist Church and then rested, had a 4 pm meeting to find out about our schedule for the week and then had the grand breaking for the house, met the owner to be and some of the Habitat staff then went to "SUPPER" at the church. Now you have to remember we are in the South and it is breakfast, dinner, and supper. As usual there was more food then anyone needed but we tried to see how much we could eat. Butter beans, creamed corn, fried chicken, ham, other vegetables and of course every dessert you could think of. I spotted a caramel cake and it was wonderful. Found out later one of the men in the church made it.
Monday most everyone started to work on the house but I had to go to Albany to have a root canal. Got back around noon and then I went to work.A lot has been accompished this week with all the walls, inside and out going up, most of the roof trusses up but had to stop yesterday due to rain. The outside shed has been built so we are moving forward.
Today we are waiting to see if the rain is going to pass but it is not looking good so we probably won't get to work at all which is going to put us behind schedule.
Larry and I are going to Canton, Georgia tomorrow morning for a "mimi class reunion" for my 1962 high school class. I am excited about that.
These people here in Preston have been so wonderful to all of us. They are insisting on feeding us dinner and most night supper so we are not having to prepare many meals and unfortunately we are all going to leave this build a few pounds heavier than when we got here.
More later

Oh what a Story to Tell 3-18-09

Sometimes things happen to you in life that makes you remember what a small world we live in.
Sunday night Larry, Peggy, Jim and I went to the Appreciation Dinner for the Volunteers. While we were in line to go into the building for the dinner there was a gentleman standing at the door directing us where to go. I looked at his name tag and saw that his name was Ivey and he was from Brinson,Georgia. Now you have to realize Brinson is a small area outside of Bainbridge where I grew up that most people would not know where it is. I said to the man, Brinson, Georgia? I grew up near Bainbridge. He ask me what my madien name was and when I told him he asked me who my Daddy was. I told him and he answers I knew him. He then tells me he wishes we could talk longer but the line has to keep moving. Later that night I tell Larry I need to find out who this Mr. Ivey is and that I will check with the information office to see if we can find him. I thought he was one of us here at the FMCA.

What I did not know was he was hired by the Georgia Fairgrounds to work here during the Convention. We lives in Warner Robins and so when he went home that night he
called his sister in Kentucky, tells her the story then he calls a lady in Brinson that he knows and he figures she knew my family and she remembers that I married Larry Halstead. Mr. Ivey calls the FMCA and tells them he met someone on Sunday night that he had not heard anything about for at least 60 some years and they gave him my phone number and he called me and wanted to come over on Tuesday and visit with us. His grandparents lived less than a half of mile from us and I knew all his aunts and uncles. Larry enjoyed hearing us talk about all the people we both knew and the family stories of how one of his uncles killed a brother in law and then a sister killed the brother. I remember hearing this story when I was a "little girl".He had to tell me the story of my birth, (that I have heard all my life) of his Uncle Prentice coming home and telling his Grandmother that Miss Louise had a baby girl and named her Remember Louise. Most of you know my name is Memorie Lea so Prentice was a bit confused. We talked about my Mother and brother whom he knew well and a lot of people in the area that we both knew and by the time he left I was emotionally drained but enjoyed it very much.
We are having a good time at the convention now that the rain has stopped. It is going to be interesting on Friday when all these motorcoaches start trying to get out of here through the mud. Hopefully it will not rain again before we leave. Today we visited a lot of the vendor booths and Larry bought filters for the engine and generator. We looked at some of the new coaches on display and our Discovery is looking better and better to us when we see the pricetags on the new ones.
More later.

Family Motor Coach Convention 2009--Perry Georgia

After a couple of days in Cordele, Georgia on Saturday 3-14-09 we started our little caravan of 5 motorhomes, with the ladies driving the tow cars, on up Interstate 75 to Perry, Georgia. We arrived without any problems and got settled into the generator parking area and after that we went to explore the Fairgrounds to see what was being set up. Most all of the activities will start on Monday so we can have a rest day on Sunday. Larry, Peggy, Jim and I do have a 2 pm meeting since we are working at the information booth some during the Convention. I am still catching grief from Peggy about telling her to sign up to work. Oh well, whatever.
The weather is WET!!!!. It started raining about 7 pm last night and did most of the night. Today isn't suppose to be much better but hopefully the week will get better. We were here 2 years ago and it was beautiful all week but I don't think we are going to be that lucky this time. Don't know the number of coaches here yet, but trust me , there are lots of them. We are looking forward to friends from Buffalo NY coming in today. We haven't seen Jack and Irene in about 3 years.

On to New Adventures 3-13-09

The Big "A: Bus got back on the road yesterday after sitting for about 12 days in Bainbridge, Georgia while we rested, visited, ate, and generally did nothing. We always enjoy being at our cousins house and cooking for and with them and just catching up on the past year. Larry and Keith went fishing but that is a whole different story and I won't dwell on the fact that they did not catch fish. We did help them with a little yard work and also "babysit" their grand dog whose name is Fisher, a golden retreiver, that has not learned yet that you only eat dog food. He spent 3 night at the local vets office due to the fact he had eaten a little yellow rubber ball and was really sick.
We drove up to Cordele Georgia on the 12th and met up with four of couples from our Old Dominion Cardinals Club from Virginia. We are all going to the FMCA Convention in Perry Georgia tomorrow. We will be there for a week and then will all go in different directions except for us and Jim and Linda Matheny, who will be doing another Habitat Build in Preston, Georgia for 2 weeks.Then we will start back towards Virginia.
More later,

Mem

PS: I just have to add this since a lot of you who read this Blog know my friend, Clare. Well she once again proved what a friend she really is by going to the Tulip Time Costume Exchange to find a Dutch costume for Kate, our 4 year old grandaughter. Ally and family plan to go to Holland for Tulip Time this year and we have one costume that will fit Bella but needed one for Kate. Now you have to understand how much Clare dislikes Tulip Time to see how special this was for her to do this and also due to the fact that it was pouring rain when she had to stand in line to get into the Civic Center.Thanks again Clare.