Raven's Challenge 54

Today I face another Raven's Challenge.

sugar bowl, cotton, wizard, fund-raising, Ben Hur, salmonella, luke warm, telescope, bank, walk-a-thon

Mini Challenge: challenge, sparkling cider, melancholy, snail mail, master carpenter

Lisa's committee would be arriving soon to plan a fund -raiser. She found that it was easier to plan while sitting around a table, and snacking. She put on her new cotton table cloth , and her favorite sugar bowl and creamer. She was told that Larry Fin was a wizard at holding fund-raising events so, she hired him. Her committee would meet with him as soon as they arrived. Mr. Fin was walking around her house as she prepared for the guests. That was making her nervous.
" This is neat really neat," he shouted from her sons bedroom.
"What is neat?" she asked. She quickly walked to her son's room. Mr Fin was using the telescope looking out the windows at the arriving committee getting out of their individual cars.
" We should go out and meet them," said Lisa.
Everyone was seated at the table after introductions and coat removal. Lisa brought in some goodies she made and poured the coffee and tea. Mr. Fin seemed to be very interested in different displayed items. He noticed the DVD player and the DVD Ben-Hur.
Then the planning for the fund-raising began. A pot luck received a luke warm following, and was ruled out for fear of salmonella. A walk-a- thon was agreed on, with Mrs Snow and Miss Lane doing the publicity. Mr. Fin would take care of the financial end, making arrangements with the bank. Lisa was to organize the walk itself.
Every thing fell into place and the pledges were coming in for the local hospital. Lisa felt better despite her concerns about Mr. Fin.
The organizing of the walk took a lot of Lisa attention. On the day of the walk she was very busy and Mr. Fin was in charge of the donated monies, so she did not give that end any notice. She returned at the end of the day exhausted to her home. Her house was empty of all of the furnishings. She called the police.
She was sick to her stomach. She put her family into a motel, and because of her gut bad feelings, she called the bank only to find out she was correct. The walk-a thon account was empty. She was devastated. The hospital needed the funds. She had to again report to the police.
At this point there was nothing she could do but wait for the police to do their job. She gave a description of Mr. Fin, and they found his rental car had been returned . Lisa and her family watched the news and tried to avoid reporters.
The police did their job, following all the leads. Lisa and her family watched the newscast of the police chasing a moving truck from their motel room. The truck moved in and out and around the traffic. There were many near collisions. The chase ended when the truck could not manage a curve because of it high speed and turned over. Mr. Fin was injured and was taken to the hospital. Although the hospital tried to give him the best of care they were lacking more modern equipment. The reason for the walk-a-thon. All the participants in the scam and burglary were arrested.
Not all of Lisa's furnishings were damaged. The money raised was recovered.
Lisa thought to herself she would never do a fund-raiser again., but with volunteers from the community it would be worth it.


Mini Challenge:

Sparkling cider did not alter Jenny's melancholy mood. She received snail mail with a challenge to build a play house for her granddaughter. She bought many plans, but she knew that she was not able to implement them. She turned to newspaper ads and found a master carpenter. He did cost a lot but what is money when you can please your granddaughter.
The carpenter did not work alone, for Jenny was right with him as he guided her in the construction.
Five year old Cindy jumped out of her family car when it came to a stop in front of her grandmother's house. She gave her grandmother a big hug and whispered "Do I have a play house?"
"Come see."
In the back of Jenny's house was a miniature Victorian house. It was not finished for Jenny wanted Cindy to have the fun of painting it with her. The family after instructions by Jenny took up the paint brushes and gave the house a pretty exterior and a bright interior.
Jenny felt very happy as she watched her granddaughter play, and she joined her for a tea party in the new house.
















sparkling