What is the White Church Gallery?

Mike and Carrie Zaitz are renovating an old Methodist Church in Grindstone City, Michigan. Mike claims he just wanted a place to work on his art. He sold Carrie on it, since she's usually up for adventures. From that happy December of 2011 till now, the investment in time and money has seen the church rebuilt from its glorious bones into a work of art, in progress. Carrie is documenting the process because, well, it's easier to hold a camera than to hold an edging sander. She's done both, because she is having an adventure, but it is Mike who drives this project with his intelligence, talent and energy. Together they are working toward creating an art gallery. A gallery which holds objects of beauty and inspiration, but which always points back to the source, our heavenly Father.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Drywall!

I've been in the habit of bolting out of school on fridays and driving north. I say goodbye to the Astronomy Club kids, hop in the car and drive two hours in the waning but magnificent burnt orange sunlight 'til I make my way to Grindstone Corners! I get to the church with some pent up energy and literally run around like a kid.
I know, no running on ladders...in a skirt!
Mike arrives after me, since he has to stay later at his job. So on this particular day, I got to see it first.

See what? 
See the new drywall, of course! 

What does it look like? Well, I knew that Mike's jaw would drop when he saw, so I had the camera ready when he arrived. 
Let me indulge myself by showing you a happy person!

Hi Hunny! Notice anything different?
Ye aulde dropped jawe...
DANG! What a difference! 
So I don't have any nice, Pinterest-worthy photos of what new drywall looks like, but here's what I do have:
North side of Church
before...

...and after.
And the south side of the Church.
DRYWALL!
Wayne and son came back on Saturday to do some mudding. It was the cutest thing; Wayne up on  the scaffold slapping down drywall mud, and son pushing the scaffold along!
Teamwork!
Before you know it, the team had finished up, and we had walls!

Awesome!
Stucco-finish paint next. Color choice will be an intense decision. Stay tuned!