AN Organizer's Dream Job

 In July our church held a Mission Hartsville Week.  Members signed up to work in areas that needed volunteers.  I signed up for The Clothes Closet a project of Carolina Kids.  The group had to move all of their inventory to a second floor classroom in the abandoned school where they are housed while their normal room was treated for termites.  Carolina Kids needed people to help bring the things back down and reorganize them

Did I say I like to organize?  I mean I LOVE to organize!  This compulsion has gotten me in trouble with daughters-in-law, and teachers who worked for me when I was a principal.  But here I can organize to my little heart's delight.

 This is what greeted us when we came in to work today.  Twice as much stuff as when we left last week!

The good, no great news is that they were donations from the local consignment sale held over the weekend.  Every thing was sized! Yee Haw!  Every thing was on a hanger....hallelujah!

These are shots of the girls side of the room

                                               Note the lovely green baskets are each labeled as to what is in them
(pants, shirts,pjs) and what size.

This side of the room is prepping for next week when we will begin filling 257 poly grocery bags a week to go home with children on Friday.  These are kids identified by their teacher or school social worker as to having a need.  Our director went to pick up food at Harvest Hope in Columbia, SC yesterday and were told that "their" food which really belongs to the US Gov't had been pulled and sent to Hurricane Irene victims.

Fortunately, our group has grant money and went and purchased the items needed for next week's bags.  But the grant money won't last long if we have to purchase all the items. A food drive is being planned.

I am thrilled that a donated book is included in each food bag.......as a librarian that is some thing I can get into!

Family Reunion

Erica Gates......Michael's wife...baby boy due in October.

 I have two older brothers, Buddy (Herb) Gates and Wayne Gates.  I named my son Wayne after ...guess who.  (My older brother already had a son and now a grandson named after him and he is named after our father.)

Brother Wayne is a bit eccentric and elusive so I have not seen his family ofter throughout the years.  Six years ago his wife, Carmen died and Buddy, Curtis and my son Wayne all went up to Pa for the memorial service.  There I got to see my niece and nephews again and meet their spouses.

We have kept in touch a little through email and Facebook since then.  And my brother remarried and I did see him and one of his children at his stepdaughter's wedding.

We saw on Facebook that all his children were vacationing at Topsail Beach in NC this week and my son said, "Let's go visit them!"  Today we did just that.  I am so proud of them for spending time together......with no mom or dad to organize them just be cause they are family.

 Just for the record....the two on the second row left side are Michael and Erica and in front of them in red shirt is their son Aiden.  To the extreme right, second row is my niece, Stacey Nelson her husband Mike is in the middle of the third row to his right is their son Brian and behind them is Drew their other son.

Second row left is my nephew Paul his girlfriend, Chrissy....beside me is Aislan his daughter and son Jarret  is behind me.  Chrissy's two children are in front of me.  I assume you can identify me, Curtis, my son Wayne, and Gates.

My  parents would be so proud that at least part of our family got together.

This and That

 It has been 20 whole days since I blogged.  Really I haven't done anything very interesting and when I did I forgot to take my camera :(

This is Caity sewing her little dress to go to Africa with her Aunt Niki for some lucky little girl.

 This is our wish for house at Lake Wateree.  We went looking for a cheap house on the lake yesterday.  We took a picnic lunch and sat right on the deck below overlooking the water.  Man so serene and peaceful (does that mean the same thing?)

 The house looked neglected.  Weeds growing up the steps etc...but still furnished (perfectly)....we hoped for a foreclosure....but alas a call to the owner revealed his asking price $440,000....perfect....he will entertain offers (Um...what about $50,000....that would probably be entertaining to him...LOL)

 I took this as our local pool this summer.  I think I counted 35 people there that day.  So nice to have a pool in our rural community.  I always see a friend or neighbor I won't run into any where else.  We have had a lot of "new" members in the last few years so I get to meet some new people too.

 This is my hunk of a grandson Michael.  He is only 12 but looks at least 14.

 Megan on the slide.  The slide was a big hit with everyone that day.

 Megan caught the first fish of the day over at "Aunt Dianne's pond".  Actually, Aunt Dianne's father built the pond back in the day and now her three children live around it with their children.  They are generous to let my grandchildren fish there when they come visiting.

Michael made a catch, too.  In all they both caught about a dozen.

This is another fantasy of mine.....I want a small vintage camper....for cheap.  There is a group called Sisters on the Fly; all women with vintage campers dolled out oh so cute and I want to join them.  So far the closest old camper I've found has been in Kentucky and I haven't put my money down on it yet.   It will show up here when I do!This is a picture of two glamed up campers.

Fun in the Sun on Lake Wateree

 We rented a house at Lake Wateree with our daughter and family for a long weekend.  None of us had ever been to this lake but we had heard good things from friends.  It did not disappoint!

 Fortunately, the house came with a pontoon boat so we spent some quality time on the boat.

 Ashli and Marty are chillin here.

 Connor,and sister Caitlin (next picture) spent a lot of time swimming and fishing.

I think Caity was top dog in the fishing contest but I wasn't on the pier to photo document her catches.

Do you have a favorite Lake or other body of water you like to visit?