Fortunately, with practice, everything goes more smoothly and before long, we were more or less done.

In the evenings, a little crafty activity was shared around the dining table, accompanied by a glass or two of a clear liquid which could have been sparkling water but wasn't.

And those who had succumbed to a purchase or two during the day shared the fun of opening up the boxes.

If they could get the polystyrene packaging off, of course.

It's been a long haul since last July, when all of this began, but along with the hard work and time away from home, it's been fun to be with good friends and share the pride of being associated with such a great project.