Here I am, sitting at my desk: an old solid wood desk that shows the years of work done on it. It is on loan to me by the owners of the building that The Health Club for Seniors is preparing for occupation. I really like this desk. I worked hard to clean it and restore it to a usable condition. I could do more to make it even better, but that would just be silly with all the other, more pressing things I have to accomplish before we can open. I like working with my hands, and like to do the labor if it will save money. I have to weigh the benefit with the cost. Time is money. The mural that I am painting in the Jeter-Charles Dining Room is totally worth my time. It is a simple horse farm vista. I am devoting three hours each weekend to it, so it should be finished by the end of May—-God willing, like everything else that has to happen before we can open at the end of May.

The Health Club for Seniors becomes more beautiful with each passing week, and that makes me happy because beauty, in the form of art, has been shown to improve health outcomes. At the formal opening ceremony I attended last week for the UK Healthcare complex, located where Turfland Mall used to be, art was featured as a vital part of the design and mission of the building. The art curator, Jacqueline Hamilton, was mentioned in the speeches that were made. Jackie graciously agreed to share some of her knowledge with me as we met for coffee last year. I first met Jackie when she presented at one of our Rotary meetings. I envy her job, because of all the marvelous art she is privileged to view on a day to day basis. I don’t envy the hard work she does, though. But at least she gets her exercise. People who are not familiar with the visual arts have no idea how much labor is involved in carrying, hanging, positioning, placing, taking down, and caring for visual art.

The sun is going down and I have a van load of items to carry into The Health Club for Seniors before I call it a day. I haven’t gone for my usual walk for a few days, but have been getting an aerobic work-out speed cleaning our house for an appraisal, moving the rest of our son’s and grandson’s belongings out of our house (still more to go) and moving stuff that I have been collecting for the last four and a half years to The Health Club for Seniors. It feels so good to see it all coming together! In God we trust!