Sunnyhill New Home

The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men

Gang aft agley,

An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain,

For promis’d joy!

So wrote Robert Burns in his poem To a Mouse. Though we're unlikely to suffer much grief and pain, it is true that one our best laid plans "gang aft agley." That was the plan to clear coat the front door so we could enjoy the beauty of the natural wood. In the process of finding just the right treatment for the door -- a special spar varnish or polyurethane -- we discovered that the door would require annual treatments to keep it looking good and to continue to protect the wood. We also discovered that the natural door makes the doorway quite dark; it doesn't stand out like our original red door. So we are going back to our plan to paint the door red to match as closely as possible the color of the door we are replacing. I suspect that many of you are saying, "good - we never liked the idea of going natural in the first place."

In this photo of the facade being stuccoed, notice how dark the door appears. UV inhibitors in the spar varnish would make the door even darker and certainly less welcoming.

In addition to the new front door being installed, we continue to make steady progress in many areas. In fact next week we expect to begin the cleaning process. Here's what's happening in the church.

The south wing has a new coat of stucco base. When weather permits the top layers with the color will be added. 

Inside most of the doors have been installed and the lock sets have been added. The door to Rev. Jim's office, on the left, has a standard key lock to better control access. The administrator's office (Roy's office) has a key code lock, which will allow more people to have access to the space when Roy is not at work. The other two rooms with key code locks are Jen and Beth's office and the closet with access to the attic. 

Wooden railings have been fitted to the tops of the safety rails on the wheelchair ramp to the stage in the sanctuary.

The steps and risers leading to the stage have been clad in stained maple. The craftsmanship is excellent, as you all will soon see. In the foreground are the steel sides to the ships ladder that is currently being installed. Photos of the steps in place may be available and added tomorrow.

The newel posts for the railing and banister of our new steps are being installed.

The mirror has been hung in the gender neutral bathroom...

...And in the women's room. The men's room mirror will also go in today, Thursday.

Tomorrow, Friday, we hope to remove three evergreens that are encroaching on our new Sunnyhill Oak. The red oak, which we believe is a progeny of our historical oak, has a beautiful shape, but it is being crowded by evergreens that were planted too close to it. Removing the evergreens will open up the area, give the tree more light and create a better environment for it to grow. We are doing this ourselves under the leadership of Michael Hennessy. We can use more help if you are available at 8 a.m., Friday, May 26. You won't be required to operate a chainsaw.

We are also planning to add a new tree to our property. It will be located near the memorial garden where it is unlikely to be disturbed in any future expansion, and will be dedicated as our new memorial tree. Beth Hedin and Margaret Hamstead are taking the lead on selecting a tree that will last for years, grow large and have a beautiful crown. The tree will be planted in October in conjunction with the dedication of our new space.