still a hopebuilder

I firmly believe in the hope that comes with having four walls and roof at night.
That's why I became a Hopebuilder for Habitat For Humanity years ago...
and it's why I have remained one to this day.
My monthly gift of twenty-five dollars provides needed funds on a regular basis.
That's money for the plywood and concrete and steel for support...
the money for nails and bolts and screws to hold all together...
the money for the paint and sealant and varnish to protect those surfaces.
Amazing how those little amount of money make a house for a family...
even more amazing that the family makes that house a home.
How fortunate I am to be a part of such an endeavor!
How very blessed I am to have a house that is a home.
i thank You, God.

culture for my birthday62

Most of the venues I have loved this past decade, if not longer, are dark now.
Their doors have been locked, as we all shelter at home.
That is a loss I have felt keenly throughout my psyche.
I decided today to give myself something I haven't had in years:
a two-year subscription to the Smithsonian.
Every month, I will receive history, art, nature, and science in my mailbox.
Even better, this will be in print format, a gift to hold in my hands, a monthly magazine to reassure me that treasures still exist, that research still goes on, that stories of the past still live.
All of this is given to me because of a small contract of support with the writers and editors, the researchers and photographers, the publishers and administrative staff.
I look forward to being enriched by reading and inspired by art.
My many thanks.