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Post by casimira on Apr 16, 2024 18:26:36 GMT
Home Search Explore Reels Messages Notifications Create zimpelt0n's profile picture Profile More thecarrolltonian's profile picture thecarrolltonian 1,440 posts 13.9K followers 988 following Emily Manger Vignettes of historic Carrollton, New Orleans 📍 Est.1833 ⚜ Annexed by New Orleans 1874 www.carrolltonianpress.comFollowed by lonepalmyerg, nita_5235, friscobee + 6 more POSTS REELS TAGGED Meta About Blog Jobs Help API Privacy Consumer Health Privacy Terms Locations Instagram Lite Threads Contact Uploading & Non-Users Meta Verified English English © 2024 Instagram from Meta http://instagram.com/p/C2uzP1prqiE thecarrolltonian's profile picture thecarrolltonian Carrollton, New Orleans Liked by uptown_shorty8838 and 529 others thecarrolltonian's profile picture This new build in the neighborhood means a lot to me because of the people who came together to turn a tragedy into a triumph. Several years ago, the craftsman bungalow of dear neighbors and lifelong friends burned down due to an electrical fire. In the pouring rain, friends and neighbors stood in shock watching as fire consumed what the couple we love had built over many decades. The home of my childhood babysitter was a complete loss. The grief over our friend’s loss was felt hard by our community, they were dark days. Then talk of rebuilding began and a spark of hope was ignited. Building in New Orleans is not for the weak. This city is a mess and making any progress is a daily battle. Slowly, each battle was fought, and progress was made. In a bizarre coincidence, the architect the couple hired to build their new center hall home is Jeff Treffinger who saved me from living in a tent in the backyard of what used to be my home in the 9th Ward after Katrina, but that’s a whole other story. Point is that I dearly love all of the people who made this home a reality. The home is crowned with a weathervane in the image of a phoenix. It is named The Phoenix House, a nod to rising from literal ashes. I lovingly welcome it to the landscape of Carrollton. 11w January 30 Add a comment… |
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Post by bjd on Apr 16, 2024 18:58:46 GMT
So that's your new house, Casi? How nice. What is the meaning of the colours of the flag on the veranda?
Now can we finally see your garden?
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Post by mickthecactus on Apr 16, 2024 19:11:53 GMT
It’s a bit confusing but if that’s your house casi, it’s lovely!
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 17, 2024 4:41:31 GMT
It's beautiful, casi, and I'm pretty sure that that's a mardi gras flag.
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Post by onlyMark on Apr 17, 2024 5:09:43 GMT
Stunning Casi, really attractive. I could imagine sitting on the veranda for ages watching stuff going by.
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Post by whatagain on Apr 17, 2024 8:02:05 GMT
Superb.
It has charm and personality.
We say cachet in French.
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Post by breeze on Apr 17, 2024 11:15:21 GMT
Casi, I was hoping you'd post photos of your house someday. It's terrific, colorful, and charming. This is how I picture houses in New Orleans, never having been there.
I can see the photo is from January and the front garden is at a low ebb. I bet by now it's full of plants. I seem to recall you wound up with a smaller front yard than before, but maybe that means you have more gardening space in the back?
Such a lovely tribute to you and T in the caption and comments!
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Post by casimira on Apr 17, 2024 21:04:12 GMT
Thank you good people for your kind words. (I have to admit there is a clear cut dilneation of members who have aligned themselves with one who threatened to ban me. One never knows the direction and just how the synergy is in line with oobeying orders from on high)
Apologies for the vent. I just had to go there and this is proof positive of how many members have left the forum and continue to stay in contact with me. It's heartening.
Apologies also for all the garbage contained in the link which may attribute to the confusion dear Mick. I haven't done any tech like stuff in awhile. I just had to give this a try because of the loving tribute and ensuing replies. It is truly a testament to the community in which we live.
The young woman who posted this is a bona fide local historian who acquires all her knowledge directly from the residents of the homes she posts. By walking her dog "Jack" early every a.m. she just latches on to the people she sees and hears poignant details of the home and the era that they remember. No other New Orleans historian has ever contributed this caliber of personal testamonials and anecdotes.
When were were dithering about whether to rebuild or buy we were in a car with our lovely real estate agent when out of the corner of my eye I spot this young lady but she is moving way to slow for it to be "Jack". Then we saw that she was walking her pig "Rosebud".
T and I looked at each other and told our agent, nevermind, we're not going anywhere.
And that was it...
We had no clue as to the hoops we were going to be forced to jump through.
All our documents, title to the property, surveys, marriage certificate etc. were in ashes and we had to wade through a City Hall that was still hiding behind Covid to very slowly begin the process.
Good memory Breeze regarding how we had to build according to the city's building codes, zoning etc. We really did want to be set back further but it would have entailed rezoning and a public hearing before the BZA.
Impateint to move on we went with what the city required.
Two and a half years later we were able to move in.
It's a lot of house and a tad more than we had in mind but after sitting down with our architect we came up with this design which as Breeze noted is unique to New Orleans. A variation of a Carribean/Creole Center Hall raised structure. (NO more sandbags YAY!!!!!) The colors chosen were a bone of contention and I won out.
The front area has been tilled and the soil ammended (I lost all that primo soil I so lovingly nurtured for years and years) The construction took it's toll with all the clay and sand, concrete remains etc.)
The rear garden has slowly come back to life with my many different gingers and of course my lemon grove.
I want to say that we are still decompressing from the whole ordeal and are pacing ourselves accordingly. We now have this haven to grow old gracefully in this oh so loving and kind neighborhood/community.
Not a day goes by when someone walks by and sees one of us which leads to a whole dissertation. The most relevent of comments is how did we pull this off and the admiration for the patience and stamina we endured at our age. (T.just celebrated 75 years).
Mark, the front veranda is a lovely place to perch oneself and there is also a less visible screened in porch at the rear of the house where we sit mornings and evenings.
I have two native passiflora planted on each side of the front fence along with two climbing roses, "Peggy Martin"and "New Dawn". (the sweet peas bit the dust due to a unprecdented sustained hard freeze in December.
I am in no hurry at this point.
I am not going anywhere.
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Post by mich64 on Apr 17, 2024 21:52:13 GMT
Such a lovely home Casi! I am so happy for you both that you were able to rebuild in your home neighborhood. I do love the colors you chose and can imagine you enjoying the spring by planting a beautiful front yard garden. What a journey this must have been but so rewarding.
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Post by onlyMark on Apr 18, 2024 5:22:27 GMT
Mark, the front veranda is a lovely place to perch oneself and there is also a less visible screened in porch at the rear of the house where we sit mornings and evenings. Spoilt for choice then. I'd use the back for times of wanting some quiet place and not to be seen but I'd certainly use the front for people/area watching and being nosy but also as a proud statement of yes, this is my house. Good eh? Just showed Mrs M the photo and her face lit up with a smile and the first thing she said was, "I love the colours".
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Post by questaredux on Apr 18, 2024 12:42:46 GMT
Do you have 2 cats in the yard? Perfect!
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Apr 22, 2024 16:08:18 GMT
I love your home Casi, it is spectacular. I've shown my family and they all love it too  It's a testament to your fortitude and excellent taste. Beautiful...and unique. |
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Post by casimira on Apr 23, 2024 17:21:02 GMT
Many thanks for the lovely comments.
Mich: I knew you would like the house as it seems "right up your alley" and can picture you making it even lovelier with your garden skills and good taste.
Mark, I am thrilled that you showed Mrs. M and she liked it. as noted, the colors were a bone of contention but he backed down once he saw it. I would have preferred a more muted shade of yellow but I was overwhelmed by all the different shades and I was under a time constraint. Yes, I could have prepared myself more but that just didn't happen. My thinking is it will fade in due time.
And, yes we have taken to using the front porch more. In the early evening there are a lot of pedestrians mostly dog walkers who stop to interact with our dog "Papi" and chit chat with us, and, yes, catch up on the gossip in the hood.
Questa, we only have one cat, "Pompeii. But he has some buddies so at any given time there is another one around.
Thank you Cheery for your kind words. It means a lot along with all the other good people who took the time to reply.
It's flattering a comment coming from the ever talented and innovate of the creative person you have shared with us over the years.
The landscape is slowly coming into it's own. Unfortunately, many of the flowers I wanted to plant are too late in the season to be planted as they will not thrive in the heat here that has already reared it's ugly head (So early!!!).
But, as I mentioned, i have all the time in the world so i gave up angsting over it and will continue to plant what i can right now with my sights set on autumn for more extensive installations.
There's still plenty to do slowly decorating the inside. We lost a bunch of original art and have acquired somme new pieces but again, there is no hurry.
I don't want to slap up a bunch of mediocre art work etc just to fill up the bare wall space.
Next, are window treatments which will vary but, likely some well made shades to block and or allow light in.
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Post by Kimby on Apr 25, 2024 12:04:33 GMT
Wow, casi! How did I miss this? I’ve been hungering to know more about how your (unasked-for) project turned out. It seems all the hassles were very much worth the effort. Well done, casi and T.
I don’t know what the old house looked like, so can’t tell how similar or different the new house is, but from the one photo it looks historically appropriate, like it could have been there forever.
Makes me happy to think of the two of you puttering around in the yard and relaxing on the porch and walking Papi in the neighborhood full of folks you know and love.
A rare happy ending in this troubled world! Well done!
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Post by casimira on Apr 27, 2024 19:44:25 GMT
Such kind words Kimby especially in light of your keeping up with me from start to finish. Your correspondence with me (despite my being a poor correspondent with you and others which I apologize for.) really meant so very much at a time when I was feeling overwhelmed, stressed, depressed and an all 'round mess in many respects.
My single focus was trying to keep up with the everyday details and decisions that had to be made while keeping up with the budget (which we did go over but it paid off in doing so as it was for important and necessary details. The customized state of the art dog ramp that was carefully designed for our elderly dog, a very carefully and well thought out necessary feature. (the contractor knew our dog and is also a huge "dog person" so he "got it" when we emphasized the importance of this).
The fire and loss of our "old" home really took a toll on T and he was in a depression which rendered him into a state of not being very proactive in the process. I completely understood and that made me feel that i had to really rally like I never had before (save the "Summer from Hell during which he was hospitalized for the whole summer with Gullian Barre Syndrome). It's amazing how one reach far into one's energy bank and summon it up when you have to.
I was pretty much on automatic pilot throughout the whole thing.
In any event, the "journey" which many referred to it is in the final chapter of our lives.
Chalk one up for a victory. I don't know if I would have it in me to come close to doing anything of this caliber again.
Thank you again for all your support and encouragement.
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Post by Kimby on Apr 27, 2024 21:35:30 GMT
Casi, I sympathize and can relate a little to the stress of being the project manager as Mr. Kimby was working 60-hour weeks when we built our Montana house. I had to make so many decisions and gather so many options for Mr. Kimby to mull over after work. It was probably the most stressful time in my life at that point, and I was in my 30’s. Building the lake cottage in our 50’s was more of a communal effort as Mr. Kimby was working 1/2 time and headed for retirement.
I cannot imagine taking on such a project in my 70’s. Well done, you two!
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Post by fumobici on Apr 28, 2024 18:11:13 GMT
Looks amazing! It can't have been easy but it was obviously worth the struggle.
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It's a testament to your fortitude and excellent taste. Beautiful...and unique.
