“You wake up every morning in the greatest country in the world,” said Avni, war veteran and former special forces officer, now head of the construction crew. “Every day, you have the gift of freedom. Don’t ever forget it!”

Anyone ever had it rain in your kitchen? During Tuesday and Wednesday nights’ torrential downpours, I was setting the timer every ten minutes around the clock to empty twelve five-gallon buckets of water spread out across the floor. This will continue with every rainfall until the roof in our addition is complete by Tuesday. Until then, your most fervent, hyper, gyrating, super-spastic anti-rain dance is requested.