Work focus: Consentration on 2 residential homes, Hang suspended ceiling, Some trim work, install hardware, minor electrical, some framing, insulating, hanging sheet rock, mudding, taping, 

 

Volunteers : Led by Gary and Rosey Asher, Including Denny Seever, Betty Fischer, Dan Kalstabakken, Phyllis Onstad, Bob and Marcia Peeso, Gary and Mary Lou Hager, Dick and Jean Kilde, Ron and Mailyn Sinz, Joe Fedie, Gary Lauer. 

 

Notes:   A Watermark Week in Northern Minnesota

 

Day 1 – Thursday, Nov 7, 2013 Ten Watermark Mission Volunteers arrived late afternoon and early evening to continue to work on rebuilding homes affected by flooding the summer of 2012. We will be staying at the First Lutheran Church in Duluth. Dean Minardi, Lutheran Social Services Rebuild Volunteer Coordinator met with us in the church dining hall while we enjoyed Kentucky Fried Chicken. He informed us of the work we would be doing ---insulating, sheet rocking, framing, hanging a drop ceiling, trimming etc. One of the homes is in Cloquet and the other in Barnum. Tonight our team includes Gary A, Gary L, Rosey, Joe, Marcia, Bob, Dan, Phyllis, Betty & Denny. Others will join us as the week progresses. We are Thankful for safe travel and the wonderful people at First Lutheran.

 Day 2 – Friday, Nov 8, 2013 The first full day of work. After prayers and then a breakfast of sausage, and waffles with Eau Galle syrup, the volunteers spilt into two groups. Gary A, Rosey, Joe, Gary L, and Denny went to Cloquet to the home of an elderly woman. There are many things to do carpenter-wise with the major task being hanging a drop ceiling with multiple nooks and crannies to maneuver around. After a few “hiccups”, we managed to get a good start on the ceiling. Tomorrow should be more productive. The local church provided us with Sloppy Joe’s for lunch and the homeowner kept us in coffee and dessert! Betty, Marcia, Bob, Dan and Phyllis traveled to Barnum to work on an entire basement that had been gutted after flood water reached up to the basement windows. The two men firred out the walls, and the three women insulated and polyed 80% of the basement. The men were able to get a start on the sheet rocking. Not bad for a days work! Our family provided us with a scrumptious lunch and when the children came home from school, the little girls were quite amazed that there were both girls and boys working on their basement!

 We experienced our first snowfall – a shower of giant flakes that quickly covered the ground. After returning to our “home”, we had a delicious supper of chili and cornbread provided by Phyllis and Dan. We spent the evening playing golf, the card game. Joe was the winner!

 Day 3 – Sat, Nov 9, 2013 After breakfast and prayer service, lead by Gary A, team one is back to Cloquet where the homeowner is so happy to have us help her. Shortly after we got there, Rosey was sent to the group in Barnum to get a tool from Bob. Once there, it was off to Moose Lake to pick up some supplies for the Barnum team. A couple hours later it was back to Cloquet, just in time for pizza. During lunch, the homeowner told of the last group to come to help at her house. There was a 92 year old volunteer with them! The oldest in our group has a few years to go yet to catch up with her!Today we got the ceiling in the first room done and the second room started. A lot of the trim got done, too. Maybe one more day and we will finish at this house. The Barnum team picked up where they left off yesterday. Betty, Phyllis, and Marcia finished insulating the walls and covered them with poly. Dan & Bob framed in support columns with wood and constructed a header to support the ceiling. After a wonderful lunch of lasagna and garlic bread provided by the homeowner, we earnestly began sheet rocking and left today with about 1/3 of the basement rocked. Our team works well together! We had a nice visit with the children in the home about what colors they would like in the basement. It would be pink and green if they get to decide. Betty tackled pulling over 300 carpet staples, nails and screws out of the stairway. Another big job done. After work the whole group went to eat at Grandma’s in Duluth where we relaxed and enjoyed visiting each other. We even fitted in a quick stop at the downtown casino.

 Day 4 – Sunday, Nov 10, 2013 All 10 of us concentrated for half a day on the Barnum home. It was amazing how much was accomplished in that short period of time. When we left at noon, half the sheetrock had been hung and a lot of it taped in the six basement rooms. The Mom and 2 kids helped to clean up and are happy with the progress we are making. The Dad is off hunting – won’t he be surprised! Bob and Marcia had to head home today. What a great asset they are to the team! Thanks, you guys. We spent a quiet afternoon, then went to 6:00pm Mass at St Michael on Superior St., then gathered at the China House for delicious Chinese cuisine and a rollicking time telling stories with lots of laughter.

 Day 5 – Monday, Nov 11, 2013 Veteran’s Day – Thanks to all Veteran’s! Gary led us in our Prayer Service, reminding us with the prayer of St Teresa of Avila that we are the hands and feet of Christ on earth. We are blessed to be able to do His work here on earth. Roads were slick in spots on our way south out of Duluth to Barnum. Gary L, Dan, Phyllis and Betty continue sheet rocking all day and were joined about 11am by Gary H and Mary Lou. Today we had brats and potato salad for lunch with the homeowner. We enjoyed her company as she has a positive spirit and ready smile. Betty’s cookies are a welcome addition to coffee breaks. When we left for the day, we had managed to frame out a closet as well as hang rock in all but one room. We received good news from the team working at the Cloquet house, where things went real well, that they had finished and the full team could concentrate on the Barnum home on Tuesday. Dick & Jean had arrived in the afternoon at our “home away from home”. We came back to a delicious lasagna, salad, garlic bread and chocolate/caramel and apple bars that they fixed us for supper. Our social time in the evening was filled with games and a couple people went across the street and washed clothes. We are staying in a great location overlooking Lake Superior and we are close to everything we might need, (except our work). Special Thanks to First Lutheran for letting us stay in there wonderful facility!

 Day 6 – Tuesday, Nov 12, 2013 Today we had the present crew of eleven at the Barnum house – Denny headed for home after breakfast. Thanks, Denny for all of your work and putting up with a woman “boss”! All except one small closet are sheet rocked, taped and one coat of mud is put on everything except a couple corners. What progress! So far our group has worked 423.25 hours on this trip! Dan & Phyllis had to head back home around 2:30. Sorry to see them leave and Thank-You for everything! Ron & Marilyn will be joining us this evening. It is great to see all the cooperation an ability to work together – where one leaves off, another just takes over! What a great crew. Thanks, everyone! Betty and Mary Lou are making goulash for supper – it smells great!  Day 7 – Wednesday, Nov 13, 2013 We met with Supervisor Dean at 7:00am and seeing we are so far ahead of schedule, Jean, Ron & Marilyn will head to a house in Cloquet for a painting job. No water or bathroom – could be bad at our age! The rest of us are heading back to Barnum for more rocking, taping, mudding and everyones favorite, sanding! The painters got done with everything early and the “rocking’ crew got the second coat of mud on. A very productive day! We had supper at “Eddie’s” in Superior. Thanks to Gary H and Mary Lou for suggesting it. It was good food - ribs, steaks and seafood. Some of us stopped to see the Christmas lights in Duluth Park – what a display! and reminder that Christmas is not too far off. Cards in the evening and a restless night for some of us.

 Day 8 + Thursday, Nov 14, 2013 We met with Dean again. Betty headed home after that. Thanks for everything, Betty, especially the cookies and glad you could join us! Ron & Marilyn are to be doing a small framing, rocking job in Proctor, which turned out to be bigger than expected! The rest headed back to Barnum. Around noon, Gary, Gary, Gary and Mary Lou joined the Proctor crew. Gary H and Mary Lou headed out this afternoon. Thanks, guys! We’re so glad that you could join us again. Jean, Dick, Rosey and Joe finished up the mudding in Barnum. When that was finished, Joe & Dick joined the “Gary” crew and the women headed back to get a supper of leftovers, started. Jean & Marilyn enjoyed a walk along the lake and picked up ice cream for dessert. After a few hands of Pfeiffer, five of the crew walked to Sir Benedict’s (tradition, you know) for a little Irish music!

 Day 9 – Friday, Nov 15, 2013 The eight of us finished up the final touches and clean up at Barnum – should be ready for priming and painting! Ron & Marilyn headed out after finishing in Barnum. The rest are heading back to Duluth for leftover, leftovers for lunch, packing up and heading out. Once again we surpassed expectations – Our assignment was to finish work for the homeowner in Cloquet – done! And to put up the rock, 70 sheets of it, in Barnum – done! Plus we did all the taping, mudding and sanding. We also painted four rooms and ceiling for a homeowner in Cloquet and framed up a double closet, a wall and got a good start on sheet rocking for this homeowner also in Cloquet. Thank you to the best, cooperative, willing, hard working crew ever!!! We worked a total of 586 hours. We are truly blessed! p.s. Dean says “keep in touch” – wonder why?