And so it begins.
I am posting later this morning.  I do this sometimes of a Monday but today is not the usual reason.  Today I opened up for people that are insulating our church.  Merril and I went down and opened up.  We made sure there were biscuits and drinks for the workers.  (I later mentioned to the guy in charge there was cake that needed to be consumed today.  He saw that as a challenge he was willing to accept). Their labour is free. 
We have done real well with the insulation.  The cost of it has been covered by donations.  There is no doubt it will be very welcome when done as the place gets incredibly hot in summer.  We have air conditioners and fans on to try to provide some cool.  We are hoping this will make a big difference not only during the Sunday service but for those that sit at tables waiting to enter the food pantry.
We were there earlier than those who arrived, and when stuff had been done Merril did a run to Macca’s for breaky.  Just as she was about to leave people arrived.  So Merril took orders.  Our worker who had donated his time ordered breaky and one other a coffee.  Merril and I were ready for breaky so we had it.
Our helper today is really good.  He had a nick name of McKiever who was a tv person who could do lots of stuff.  As far as I am concerned, he even looked the part.  Hi vis gear, good boots, and a workers helmet.
I was given a key for the fella in charge.  Keys are funny.  We could not get it to work on one door (I had Merril give it a go in case it was just me) but it worked perfectly on the other door (they are supposedly keyed alike).  That door is the designated entry and exit point.
Once all had been sorted and breakfast eaten, Merril and I went home.  Awaiting me was an email saying the granny flat could be started the 28/10.  We have banking to do later, lunch to collect from subway and tonight I am subbing at table tennis.
We feel like we need to be organized.  We are giving it our best shot.

I was pretty excited by the prospect that maybe they would win.  But I really could not watch the Lions match at the start.  I actually saw the very beginning which was not good.  But after half time, when I thought they might have it in the bag I watched and yea we won!
After that I watched a show I thought was really good.  It featured an eye hospital in Nepal.  One of the poorest countries in the world.  Kids had operations on their eyes which took 12 minutes but changed their lives forever.
Before the ops they could not see and were condemned to a life of darkness and total dependence on another.  They could not work or provide for families.  Things totally changed as a result of them being able to see.  As one person pointed out it costs as much as say a palates class costs in Oz, but changes a life forever.
As I reckon was rightly pointed out, there are many times a palates class is the right way to go but this highlighted to me the minimal cost of a huge change for someone.
Bit like what we do on a monthly basis in providing a meal for visitors.   The food is excellent.  As one couple who had never been before pointed out to me it is “better than a restaurant.”  I feel the same.  Donated food and food cooked by people we know are combined and the result is absolutely delicious.  It really provides for those doing it tough.  The cost is minimal (recognising the time and effort that goes into it) and the rewards are great.  Apart from being fed in the short term, a safe place is provided.  And a place where new friends are made and meet with.
It amazes me how people want to give back.  One guy helped with the pack up yesterday.  It was out of the blue.  These days I make a point of accepting assistance.   To me it is a dignity thing.  People are grateful for the food and helping out is a way of giving back and promoting their sense of self-worth.
Once I may have said “no it’s ok.” These days it is “thank you, if you could just….it is appreciated.”
So there is no denying it, yesterday was a good day.  A Lions win, a good feed, old and new friends and something on telle that inspired rather than depressed.  A smorgasbord of good stuff really.
(Picture a smorgasbord example only and does not depict ours)

Well for sure this is different.  I was put onto it through the weekly James Clear email.  I so did not expect to be travelling this road.  Yet what I read sent me scurrying to find out more.
It was to do with rubber gloves – their invention.  I will put word for word what I read.  “Playwright and poet Sarah Ruhl on love as a creative force:  "There was once a very great American surgeon named Halsted. He was married to a nurse. He loved her—immeasurably.  One day Halsted noticed that his wife's hands were chapped and red when she came back from surgery. And so he invented rubber gloves. For her. It is one of the great love stories in medicine. The difference between inspired medicine and uninspired medicine is love...  [He] loved her to the point of invention."
Rubber gloves have evolved since then and are better than they once were, but for me what stood out was the motivation that led to the invention of the first rubber gloves.
That story was built on what I regard as really important.  Care born of love.  I often encourage others to get a second opinion as too often an original diagnosis seems to not to come from “care for another” but “care for oneself.”  That to me is at best useless and at worst dangerous.  A saying of mine is “no one cares about me like I care about me.”  My experience is sometimes that can be taken to the extreme and another’s lack of care about me can cost me big time.
But in this instance care born of love is on display.  What is obvious is that people see through insincerity and people gravitate to sincerity.  It is obvious to me when someone cares or they don’t.
To know someone I study them in the longer term.  It is what is produced that tells me the story and not what is said alone.
For me personally I am willing to put up with some things when I know that the motivation towards me is care.  Some things can be gotten wrong, and many can be gotten right.  For me the difference is motivation.  If I know someone cares, I will take the journey with them.