The last of the ceiling went up yesterday. Yay!

We also said goodbye for now to a special helper friend this week.

We’ve really made great progress on the house in the last 6 weeks. You might think that’s strange since I was gone most of July. (Or maybe I’m not as “helpful” as I think I am. :) But actually, knowing that I’d be gone and really, really wanting to get this finished, we’ve tried getting a helper this summer. It started with looking for someone to help dig some trenching, but then we had hopes of someone doing more.

Mostly, they weren’t that great. Some didn’t show up for days with no word. Some stopped coming altogether. (One actually moved across country…we heard…not from him.)

Then we found Eddie. Eddie has been a dream. He showed up every day. On time. He had a pleasant personality. He was skilled (especially with taping drywall, which is not my favorite job.) He worked hard all the time he was there. When there was a break in whatever we were doing, he’d always find something helpful to do. Sweeping the floor. Cleaning up. Gathering trash. Whatever.

While I was gone in July, he worked with Brad. And then when I was back, the three of us worked together. Until today, when Eddie headed back to college.

We’ll miss Eddie, but I think we’ll stay in touch. And of course, we’ll think of him often because his mark is on this house. Oh and he does artwork too.