Sometimes Good Things Happen To Good People....

I went back to the young family's new rent home today to work, armed with old toothbrushes, sandpaper, tack cloth, spackling paste, etc. and there was good news to be heard. When I got there, the couple that owns the carpet company that's donating the carpet and installation, were there and had some answers as well as solutions.

First of all, contrary to was suspected there is no mold. Period. There is some mildew, which we believe we've now contained with massive quantities of Clorox bleach. Frankly, it's just too dry out here in West Texas for there to be much (if any) mold. They are replacing sections of the wood floor where it's soft, so they are clearly taking responsibility here. There is no way they would donate carpet & the labor for installation if they thought it would be a waste.

The floor we thought was mold ridden is not. Additionally, there is a covering of some sort that is laid down before the carpet that inhibits moisture of any kind to seep through from underneath, up into the carpet. The termites will be tested for at a later date, but that wasn't the biggest problem anyway. Our biggest concern was the possible mold but it is no longer an issue. Some of the wood flooring will have to be cut out and replaced before the carpet is laid, but the couple who owns the carpet company said that was no problem.

So, I finished my caulking job today, and then did some sweeping up of debris and a bit more cleanup. However, I held off on much cleanup until after the carpet is laid, since there is usually a mess after that. They are laying carpet in every room except the kitchen and two bathrooms. It's beginning to look like the perfect little *starter home* and all my fears of yesterday are beginning to fade away. We did get most of the touch-up painting finished today as well.

I was talking with the mom for a while today and she said this house was like a castle compared to the dump they were in before Christmas, during freezing temperatures, with no heat. From the look on her face, I could tell that she said this from her heart, and meant it. After that, they've been in a one-room motel room that has just sucked away their money (to the tune of over $350.00 per week), so they are very proud of this new home for their family that they have helped with and worked so hard on. I shudder to imagine how horrible the place was that they were booted out of by the worse slumlord. They are a good, loving young family and didn't deserve the hard times life had handed them.

To be honest, the woman who is the agent for this house was appalled at its condition and is now doing everything she can to make things right. Evidently, the company that bought this house bought it along with five others in a block sale, and is located in Dallas. She's just the messenger, as it were. Still, she wants to make things right and pay for whatever she can get the company to agree to. That's not always as simple as it sounds, as we all know. But, we're moving in the right direction, so this is all good.

You know, we've so often donated to organizations such as the Cancer Society, the Lung Association, the Heart Association, and a long list of others, yet were never able to see what we gave have an affirmative effect. It feels good to know that we've done a job where we can actually see the fruits of our labor. It isn't often one gets a chance to see the positive outcome of charity and hard work. I know I'm not the only one who has benefited from this union of souls. I will be changed forever by this experience. I may even be getting hooked on this feeling, meaning that I'll be needing another fix before too long.

Oh, wait! Tomorrow being Martin Luther King Day, everyone is meeting up over at the house to get everything as close to finished as possible. The family of five is due to move in this coming Tuesday and the excitement is building as I speak. It's always satisfying to see a project come to fruition. I can only imagine how the family feels.