it was not even...

... my yard where I put in three hours of cleaning up on Saturday. The acreage surrounding my house is a mess, with lots of limbs and sticks everywhere, since I have not been out there in weeks or possibly months to do any trash duty. I felt very accomplished when I spent the morning picking up tree trash, but it did not make my yard look any better, because the helpfulness did not occur in my yard.

Left home about 8:30,  drove up to Harris County to the retreat center where I find myself volunteering for a weekend each spring and fall. The governing body had declared a work day, and was asking for people to come up and get an assortment of tasks done. I suspect it is really a challenge to get anyone to show up and donate a day to little 'honey-do' jobs, when everyone who might make an appearance knows there is a long list of honey-do projects at home being neglected.The jobs on the list for Saturday included a number of things that required power tools or ladders or both: not something I am interested in or skilled enough to attempt. My laddering days are long past. Plus, I  know when you let a man get his hands on an electric or power saw, he is going to be on the lookout for things to cut whether they need it or not!

In the past, I have offered to devote time to painting, when they talk about needing to freshen the dorms or meeting room. I volunteer the information, to anyone who will listen, that I am a 'trained professional', even though my painting skills are not the sort that uses a roller and pan full of liquid. They just assume I am planning to dip my brush in the gallon can and start slapping the paint on the trim when I announce I have my paint brush in the car.

I was picking up tree trash most of the morning, after getting a slow start. Ironic that I was concerned about being late, when I was the first one to arrive. Sitting in the car listening to my talking book, waiting for the organizer to show up and provide direction. Someone else appeared to report our leader had another meeting, but there was a list, so the first person there could just take her pick! Ha! I started picking up tree trash and piling it up for someone else to come along with a gator, or truck and trailer to pick up.  If I had been given  wheelbarrow I would have cleaned up my mess. As it turned out, I just put in my time and departed. All the while thinking how I should be doing that at my house...