Mini-makeover

I love watching "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," especially when the team is building a house to make things easier on the family of someone with a disability. I'm amazed at some of the conveniences the team builds into a house to help people with disabilities become more independent in their own homes. I've often wished they would come to my house!

Now, we're getting our own mini-makeover of sorts. A Missions team is in Pampa this week, building ramps for several elderly and disabled families. My mom will be getting one of those ramps at her house.

Volunteers are here from all around Texas to build the ramps as part of a Missions project of the Methodist churches. There's about 100 youths and sponsors working here this week with the R.O.T.C. (Reaching Others Through Christ) program. We met some of the volunteers at a cookout last night before the workers begin construction on the ramps today.

The ramp is really going to help both Mom and me! I'm not saying Mom is getting old, but it's been getting a little harder for her to climb the steps on her porch. She's even fallen on the steps, so I'm glad she's getting a ramp. It will help me, too, when I go to her house with my scooter.

I've written before about the portable ramp I use now to get into her house. It's not very safe because it doesn't have handrails, and it is pretty steep. I have to get up enough speed to get over the bump at the threshold. It's fine going into the house, but coming out I can almost go airborne if I hit the bump just right! The metal ramp makes quite a racket, too, when I come flying out the door and hit the metal. Almost sounds like a plane taking off.

So no more "Dukes of Hazzard" dare-devil stunts once we get the new ramp.

I'm thankful to the youth volunteers of these churches who are giving their time and labor to build it. And thanks to the friend who submitted our name. You all are a big blessing to Mom and me, and the ramp is really going to make a difference in our lives!