Yeah.
Everything’s going very well, indeed.
Arleen started back to work, two days a week, on September 8. She’s increasing to three days this week and will be doing four days a week (which is what she did before the surgery) by October.
She’s still getting stronger every week, but she’s already noticeably better than she was when she was working full time before the surgery and before we realized something was wrong.
To say I’m impressed with this surgery would be an understatement. Her heart is obviously stronger than it ever has been in the 10 or so years I’ve known her. Since the age of 16, she had spells of arrhythmia when stressed or fatigued, typical of mitral valve prolapse and not dangerous, but it would shut her down and it was upsetting. Now that doesn’t happen at all, and the difference is striking.
Thanks to the help of everyone on this board, along with some good luck and Arleen’s accomodating employer, we’ve gotten through without serious crises, the period when she wasn’t paid and my time was taken away from business to help her.
The time she was able to devote to the children over the summer during her recuperation has made a noticeable difference in the children’s well being. They’re obviously happier from having so much time with their mother, even though she couldn’t be very active a lot of that time.
You may remember, just before Arleen collapsed, one of her patients, who is an accomplished tradesman, showed up to help with my house trailer reconditioning business. Both Arleen and I had talked to him about that from time to time over the last couple of years, but somehow, he never got around to checking it out until then.
Gary had worked about a week when Arleen collapsed and we had to head to Boston for her surgery. I didn’t have money to pay him, and I asked what he wanted to do. He said he would keep working while we were away and I could pay him when I had the money. So I walked him through three house trailers and we filled up three pages of things that needed to be done on them.
When Arleen and I returned from Boston, Gary had completed every task on all three lists and a few things more, and he did everything exactly right.
He’s the eighth handyman who’s worked for me, and I had decided before he showed up, to shut the business down because I couldn’t find anyone competent and honest and I couldn’t do all the work myself. When Gary eventually moves on, I’ll probably shut the business down then. It’s very unlikely I’ll ever find another like him.
Two of those three trailers have been sold and delivered, and they are now homes to people whose lives are better for having affordable, respectable housing they can call their own.
We’ve almost completed a fourth trailer that I was able to purchase shortly after the first one sold, and I have good prospects for selling both that one and the third one that we started with. (To buy these, I borrow money from two individuals who work with me as financial partners. I don’t have resources of my own to do this.)
I was able to purchase another trailer Monday, and it arrived here today. I have a connection through whom I can continue to pick up trailers at good wholesale prices, and Gary and I will work on them through the winter, so hopefully, I’ll have several ready for the spring construction season.
This is day and night different from the previous four years since I started the trailer business but was stalled most of the time. Last winter, I was the world’s only full time, professional pennywhistle tweaker. Now my time is allocated about 50/50 between the mobile home business and the whistle work.
In case you haven’t figured it out from what’s written above, in addition to meeting some immediate living expenses, your contributions made it possible for me to pay Gary and get those homes in condition to sell. Now the income from those homes is coming back into our household and helping us work our way through the expenses that accumulated over the summer and that we had to put off. We’re going to make it, thanks to you.
My point in telling this is to let you know, the money you so generously provided wasn’t simply taken and disbursed for expenses, urgently needed and profoundly appreciated, but once distrubuted, gone. Rather, it made it possible to resuscitate a business that will continue to provide income for this family for a long time into the future.
And more as well. That business is also providing a steady income for Gary and his family. He makes about as much as I on each trailer we do. Gary is a terrific guy and a pleasure to be around. He’s 60, retired county crew foreman, and he’s taken in 30 foster kids over the years.
And even more than that. I pay a monthly storage fee for each home I keep here on my neighbor’s land. That’s bringing an average of $275 per month into my neighbor’s household, where both parents are working and struggling to keep a roof over their heads and feed their two kids. That $275 makes a huge difference, believe me, and it would have stopped if not for you.
I hope I’ve made a clear picture of what you’ve done. Your generousity has not only gotten me and my family through a crisis, it blesses each customer Gary and I are able to provide a home for, and it has blessed and will continue to bless three families in this little village for a long time to come.
And more than that. As I’ve mentioned before, you have changed my outlook, my entire perception of humanity in a way that I will carry with me the rest of my life. Despite the sorry state of human affairs, the world I live in is different than it was and will forever be known to me as a place where kindness is the ruling principle.
Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Best wishes,
Jerry
P.S. There are two people who still haven’t received the tweaked Shaws they won in the raffle. I apologize for taking so long with these. Jessie, do you still have the list? Or, if you happen to read this, could each of you send me a PM or email, and I’ll get your whistles in the mail.
