An Amazing But Exhausting Weekend

Friday - Sunday, December 11-13, 2015
Friday was set up day for the huge Missions yard sale held at Clubhouse 2.  Ken and I were there moving tables at 7:15 in the morning and worked all morning unpacking contributions, getting them out on display on tables both inside and outside and pricing them.  We also set up the tables and equipment on the porch for the bake sale and hamburger/hot dog sale.  Over 40 volunteers showed up to help get everything done.  And once again we found ourselves amazed at the amount of stuff that comes in from residents.  In fact, there was more than we've ever received before.
 
At 11:30 we allow all the volunteers to shop for items they would like as thanks for helping.  Ken and I picked up dishes, silverware, a toaster oven, a chair, bedspread with matching pillow shams and alot of other stuff for the home we bought last night.

After lunch out with our friends Glen and Lana Buchanan who had also been working we returned to work on the signs that would be posted out at the entrances and at the corners along State Road 54 the busy street closest to our park.  Ken is in charge of signage as well as picking up ice to keep the water and pop cold that we sell during the Saturday sale.

I also created cookies for the bake sale.  Truly a busy and exhausting day!!

Then Saturday morning I was off to the Clubhouse by 6:30 since stuff shows up overnight and needs to be priced(that after returning Friday afternoon to price things brought in late) and put on the tables for sale.  While we advertise the sale for 8-Noon, we know that by 7:30 crowds will be gathering and we must start at that point.  We sold gobs of stuff, ran out of food, shortly before noon, and started packing at that point so we could give all that remained to Habitat for Humanity that was sending a truck to pick things up.  Cleanup was done by 2:00 including the regathering of signs.  Then Berta Mercer and I sat down with the money and rolled coins doing a final count to prepare for depositing it in the bank.  We made just over $3,000 dollars!!!!!!!!!!  We were exhausted but reved because of the success and numbers of people we'll be able to help.

Then Sunday, we sang for worship in the morning, attended an hour and a half rehearsal in the afternoon for the evenings Memorial and Christmas program during the ice cream social.  And before we knew it, it was time to perform at 6:30.  The program went well but by the time it was over we were done in!!!

That was alot to pack into a weekend.  But it was gorgeous weather - sunny and in the 80's and we had helped earn lots of money, remember those who had died over the past year and ushered in the Christmas season here at Hillcrest with the paegent and Christmas music telling the story of Christ's birth.