BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, GOT THE T SHIRT… AND THE BLESSING OF SERVING

Last week our company got an unexpected invitation. We were informed that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was in Lincolnton and needed landscape volunteers. For quite a few of us, the answer was a resounding, YES! WE WANT TO PARTICIPATE. Where do we sign up? So the excitement began. We looked up the family and it is an amazing story of giving and sacrifice to say the least. This family has fostered over 30 children over the years. We talked about what shift was best for us, signed up for a time, and discussed how we would meet and get there. The anticipation was building. We checked out the news channel websites all week to follow the progress. Finally, Thursday night arrived and we headed off to our great adventure. As we met, grouped up, and started out we were worried that with this build-up, we might be disappointed. So we were eager to get there and find out what it was like.

While I am not going to get into the detailed descriptions of the build, (you need to watch the episode to get that and I do not want to spoil it), I will describe the adventure. When we arrived, we were met on the road in by Police officers helping us get to where we needed to be. Big bright spotlights filled the perimeter of the parking lot and lit up the evening sky like a big city. From there we had to go and register. This is where the t-shirt comes in. They gave us the official Extreme Makeover: Home Edition t-shirt. That was our ticket in. And as an added bonus, we got real hard hats to wear (although we did have to give that back when we left). Quite honestly we were kind of like kids at Christmas. Once the necessary paperwork was done, and after 2 trips back to the truck to get gloves, etc, we headed in.

You could not see the build site from the road. You had to walk through fenced areas, through neighboring yards and behind fencing and screening to get to the site. Appropriately enough there was a walkway between other houses that ended at a tent we had to walk through to get to the house. You could not see anything until you were past the tent. And there it was. An almost completed house, standing where another had been only Monday. It was dried in, windows in, roof on, siding and brick work completed, rear patio and wall only hours away from completion. It was a sight to behold. We had all looked at the video of the original house being demolished on Monday. Here it is 48 hours later and this new house is near completion.

Once we walked through the back gate, there was another amazing sight, people everywhere, working. Some were working on the patio. Others were working on the landscape. There were people up on the roof working, people inside the house laying tile and doing finishing work. Machines were moving carrying supplies and dirt, gravel, and whatever was needed. Generators running, large light carts everywhere lighting up the area. Carpenters, landscapers, tile installers, electricians, basically any occupation used to build a home was there working. Everybody had a job to do and it had to be done in a matter of hours.

The five of us quickly jumped to it, trying to figure out where to start and where we were needed. We were split into two groups. Some helped install some of the paver patio and walkway, some planted some trees and shrubs, dug bed lines, and did grading. Now we’re at the part that was most impressive to me. Imagine all the different forces working around your home, in a tight area, and crossing over each other for hours. In my case, we were working on the pavers, right next to the group working on the steps going up from the pavers. The spirit of cooperation was tremendous. Our group was leveling, adding base and compacting. Their group was building, sawing, and nailing. We were all on top of each other, yet it all worked. Everyone was working together in the spirit of cooperation. When a fork lift would come and need to lift items up to the second floor, everyone would clear the way. Not to say there aren’t issues with that many different people working in one area. Some work would be completely negated due to large machines plowing through an area you just graded or leveled. But once he finished, everyone went right back in and kept going. With as many volunteers as were there it doesn’t take long to redo or complete a task. It was simply amazing the number of people doing different tasks in a small confined space and yet no one was stepping on others toes.

It was a surprisingly calm environment considering the tight deadlines and the fact that everyone had 6 days to demolish the old house, clean it up, build a new house (an extravagant one mind you) and landscape it. Everybody seemed fairly laid back (while in a hurry) and extremely friendly, courteous, and happy to be there. Leaders would walk up and ask someone to do something, and they immediately did it. This was truly a project huge in magnitude, basically a project that would take months in normal circumstances, that was coming to together in days. The incredible coordination that goes on on-site is truly amazing, let alone the tremendous amounts of coordination that must go on behind the scenes in getting a town ready for such an impact. Our group left about 1:30 Friday morning. We all felt a great sense of accomplishment, knowing that our skill sets and knowledge was needed and helpful.

On the 1 hour ride home, I turned the radio off and thought about what I experienced. It all came down to one issue. People were there to serve. They weren’t there for the money, they weren’t there for the glory or self promotion. They were there to serve. So how does that translate into everyday life? What if… in our everyday jobs, service came first. And I’m not just talking about paying clients. I’m talking about everyone you come into contact with in the course of a day. What if your motive, your goal, was service? What if you approached all you do with the mind set of “how do I serve?” What if in those overwhelming circumstances we all run up against we looked to see how we could “serve” our way through them instead of just trying to get it done? To feel at the end of the day that we had truly served everyone we came into contact with. To have the people we came into contact with walk away feeling “served”. Because of the attitude of service, a very deserving family will be blessed. In the end, WE had the opportunity to serve THEM, because of the way they have been serving others. What a wonderful circle to be stuck in… THE CIRCLE OF SERVING.

This was a once in a life time opportunity we were presented with. It is kind of ironic it happened during the holiday season, but really it doesn’t matter what time of the year it is. The lesson is serve, and then serve more. 

Stephen, Joel, Cid, Albert, and Billy



Cid, Joel, Albert, and Stephen

Maintaining Monkey Grass

It is almost the time of year to trim monkey grasses. Monkey grasses are plants in the lily family that require very little care. Depending on the variety, these work well as a border, accent plant, or as a ground cover to stop erosion or fill in areas quickly. All are easy to maintain. Before we talk about trimming, you might need to know a little more about each variety…

Liriope Muscari

--At AA Tex Lawn, we don't plant the spreading type of liriope (Liriope spicata ) in our garden beds because in full sun, it is an aggressive spreader. Its runners can take over a bed relatively quickly, choking out other small plants around it. These types are excellent in areas where you need a groundcover or are trying to stop soil erosion (such as bare hilly areas). You would not want to plant this type in garden beds with other flowers unless you plan to divide it regularly.

--The clumping types (Liriope muscari), however are a welcome addition to most garden beds. They are attractive and extremely hardy. They handle drought, soggy conditions, sun or shade. They sprout pretty purple blooms in summer.

As I said before, liriope requires very little care. Liriope creates new growth every year, so trimming off the old growth before late spring will ensure the best look for your plants by removing any foliage damaged by the winter cold and keeping the plant compact. Trimming rejuvenates the plant and stimulates new growth. You can trim any time outside the growing season from early winter to early spring. There is some debate over how to do this. Many people worry that you will damage the plant if trimming is not done with pruning shears or clippers. Actually, as long as you are trimming before the new growth begins, using a mower or using a weed eater to trim these will not damage the plant at all. If using a mower, set your blade height to 3 inches and mow just like you would turf grasses. If using a weed eater, trim at about the same height.

This method is much faster and more efficient than using clippers. In early summer, your liriope will fill out again to become a beautiful addition to your landscape!

Thanks,
The AA Tex Lawn Team