FINISHING THE CASTLE

Fact: this project (THE CASTLE) has been five plus years in the making.
Fact: it is no secret that the money to finish this project is tied up in another project, a “work of art” the builder, my husband (Castle John-more on nicknames in a future post) created. This “other” project was completed at the beginning of this year JUST as the real estate market took a dive.

Everyone is always asking, “when will the castle be finished?” My answer, “my crystal ball broke” or “how much money are you willing to give or lend?”

I’ve been focused on trying to discover the vehicle that would enable us to finish the castle.
It’s on our vision board. My obsessive and constant thought: be creative, pro-active, daring. I wish we could raffle off this “work of art” (we call it the sweetheart cottage or gingerbread house). Actually, I saw a “piece” on TV on a couple who did just that in Maryland. Well, no, we cannot. That’s illegal in Hawaii - unless you are a non-profit organization. Then an attorney told me a contest of skill is LEGAL. Ok, fine… I’m developing a plan. A brainstorm. My husband would say, “be careful, it’s in a strange place.” A solution and an answer to a prayer. We will give the home as a grand prize. Without forgetting to give back to the community. After much soul-searching we decided to benefit the future – the children. Our local schools are so much in need during this time of “budget cuts”. And in exchange for this gift, kokua (help) from them - Judges! Perfect - teachers (and especially retired teachers who HAVE time) will be the judges for the contest of skill. An essay contest. Essay 101. The teachers “judge” essays and give grades all the time! Tithing as well. We believe (the builder and I) that tithing is a no-brainer. This won’t be easy, but it will be soooooo worth it! Stay tuned. It’s gonna be big! The idea is filling my heart with aloha as I type. I’m blessed-out anew.

So check out the sweetheart cottage – imagine winning it for $101!