AND THE RAINS CAME

And did the rains come and come!

We are a little slow covering the Garage / Bake sale but much has happened since that event filled day. So here goes!

Things were going so well. The morning had been a little slow at first, however by mid-morning things really began to pick up. The hamburger / hot dog concession was drawing a few hungry customers and the bake goods were selling at a moderate rate. Items we thought would possibly never sell were being snatched up by happy purchasers. Yes, things were certainly humming along at this point.

 

There had been a forecast of a forty percent chance of showers late that afternoon but let’s look at it optimistically, there was a sixty percent chance nothing would happen.  It started to look a little dark off to the Southwest and anxious eyes kept glancing in that direction. Then our ever faithful Parish Council Vice-President with his weather app on his cell phone gave the unwanted warning.

BIG THUNDER STORM WITH HIGH WINDS IMMINENT!

And then the sudden burst of wind quickly followed a driving rain descended on our happy event. Customers scurried to their cars, Parish members hung on to the uprights of our  two 10 X 20 canopies while others braving the driving rain ran about moving items located outside under the protection of the canopies. Other items too large to be moved were ceremonially draped with whatever water proof covering we had at hand. At this point it did not look too good for our happy band.

At last it passed and as everyone stood around accessing the damage a buyer showed up. An individual from 35 miles away from the University community of Fayetteville, AR drove in inquiring if we had any bake goods for sale. It seems she had purchased items from the Parish in years past and had seen our notice in the Garage Sale section of the newspaper. A quick assessment was made of the remaining baked items and a bulk sale price was agreed on to the satisfaction of both parties. “Whew!”

As we prepared to go to our homes the last item was to drive ground pins into the bases of the canopies uprights as a safety measure. Now we felt secure that all was complete and following mass the next day we could make a determination of what items would be useful donations to the local Helping Hands ministry. How little did we know? Sunday morning found the canopies blown over on top of the contents with several bent upright legs. However this did not deter the parish from its goal. Items were separated and picked up Monday by the Brother’s & Sisters ministry truck with the reaming items to Helping Hands.  Later in the week the canopies with hardware were loosely stuffed into the front of the storage shed to be folded and stored when it is cooler.

The parish exceeded it goal in sales with plans already under way for another event to be held in October. These ladies of the parish seem to never stop. 

In our efforts we had several teenagers who are not members of the parish helping out. Imagine their surprise when each one received a Certificate of Appreciation for their help.

Keep tuned for the continuing saga of St George's Garage Sales.

Mayor Bill Edwards and Fr Bob with the ALS Challenge

This is now Sunday afternoon following the City Meeting. Mayor Edwards and I are about to be doused with ice cubes and water. All for a good cause.

Mayor Bill Edwards is about to have a wet Sunday Afternoon

Fr Bob about to be doused with Ice cubes & water

City of Centerton meeting

Saturday morning along with wife Patricia and Parish Secretary Anna Marie Lewis attended the City of Centerton monthly meeting where development news and local input are the issue. During this meeting I received a ALS challenge which Mayor Boll Edwards and I will hopefully fulfill Sunday afternoon amidst a complete dousing of ice and water.

Tune in Sunday afternoon for more chilling news

PRE GARAGE SALE

 

St. George Annual Garage & Bake Sale

The parish is literally running in all directions as the finishing touches are being done for Saturday’s big Garage/Bake sale. The two oldest men in the parish were pressed into somewhat voluntary service erecting the two 10 x 20 ft. shelters. The ladies continued pulling stuff out from the outside storage building while others continued bringing in their old treasures in to be sold. From the looks of all the bake goods being stacked up in the parish’s kitchen there will be many a sweet tooth satisfied by Saturday night. One cannot walk through the parish proper for all the items stacked and priced hither and yon.  The one glaring question is at this point “Will the parish be cleaned up in time for Sunday Mass?”

The next pressing question is how many of the totally bushed parishioners from Saturdays activities will fulfill their Sunday obligation for mass?

THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED.

St. George had installed our carillon bell system some months ago and it was working just fine. It marks the quarter hour faithfully with chimes and tolls the appointed hour. Every other hour, it plays a randomly selected hymn by the system following the hour strike. On Sunday it calls the faithful to mass at the appointed hour by striking the Angelus. A marvelous little system when it’s working.

Then one of the parishioners remarked, Fr. Bob is the bell system being repaired?  All of a sudden I realized that I too had not heard the bells for some time. Wandering back into the parish office we quickly took note that the computer, amplifier and other associated gadgets had been quietly moved into the corner by the printer/fax machine.  It seems that the ladies of the parish had determined that the office would be better arranged by relocating the system. Ok, but what’s up with no sound?

The computer was on, the amplifier, was on, all the little lights were where they were supposed to be? Closer examination showed that someone had accidently turned the volume control almost fully off in the process of moving the system. A simple adjustment of the volume control and we were back in business again. The mystery was solved.

Perhaps the next time the ladies elect to rearrange the parish office they may seek my humble input.