UPSTARTS

Vincent and I managed to pack in Fat Friday on Frankfort Avenue and I the Cherokee Park Art Fair as we passed out flyers for our own church's plant sale, art sale, and traditional English cream tea. The youth mission fund-raising event, a successor to more conventional yard sales of past years, took place from 9-3 today - and Vincent and I were more heavily involved than we might be because most of the high school students in Vincent's youth group go to Manual High School (a rival school - see the Hillary Clinton entry) and Manual had its prom last night (so other youth dragged in around 1 p.m.). I had essentially served as publicity chair, getting notices in the paper and yard signs up. Other parents and our staff spent even more hours planning the menu (scones, tea, lemonade, and sandwiches). This morning Vincent was the main waiter for almost four hours (his nice suit is now too small, and so we tried to cobble together another outfit), and meanwhile I passed out the flyers and did various other tasks. We didn't get as many people as with the yard sales, and I fear our art and plant sales weren't that brisk, but it was still a good event and raised a decent amount of money (and we aren't stuck with zillions of books, junk, and old clothes). (Children's Fellowship kids had helped paint pots to sell at the plant sale, my manager had contributed lots of plants [and another manager showed up with her spouse]. And Stephanie showed up towards the end and we enjoyed a coupleof scones.) The English theme (masterminded by our British American co-coordinator of children's and youth ministries, Ian, who wore a kilt) seemed to go over well, and Vincent won lots of praise for his work as a waiter (something he's done at a few other church events also, but rarely also taking orders). (Funds generated will help subsidize Vincent's participation in the Presbyterian summer youth event at Montreat.) Nice going, Vince!