It's been a long while since I've posted anything here. When I wrote my last blog, we were at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. And here we are ten months later and not much has changed. It has been challenging to say the least. There has been much sadness but also some positive things coming out of 2020. But we will move on now and hope that 2021 will be better as we continue to pray for those affected by the pandemic and our country.
A lot has changed in our personal lives and a few things have changed in our home on Brignac St. over the past several months. The family is doing fine and we have taken a few road trips to connect with them. Christmas was so different and not normal but we enjoyed the time spent with the loved ones that we were able to see. There were no bonfires on the levee and no large family gathering so our Christmas was much quieter and relaxed than usual. We missed the time spent with family and celebrating on the River Road while a line of fires burned on top of the levee for miles. It's always a beautiful site to see. However, we did appreciate the quiet of Christmas this year.
At home, we did manage to get a few projects done. The most important update (not a project) was finally getting our gas connected to the house in July. You see, if you live 500 feet or less from the Mississippi River and the river is above a certain level, there can be no digging of any kind on your property. This is to ensure that there is not seepage of river water from under the levee that is there to protect us from flooding. The Ole Muddy Mississippi stayed above that level from February to late July. Since we had no natural gas at the house, we had no hot water and could not use our gas stove. Therefore, we showered and cooked most things in the garage apartment but actually lived in the house. That was fun!
As far as projects go, the main ones had to do with the porches. We completed screening in our back porch, added a swing and other seating to make it nice and cozy. We love sitting out there now as it is more private than the front porch and the wind is blocked by the closed in sides. The front porch was also completed with the addition of the iron porch railings and new cedar planter boxes. It is much safer now and so beautiful! We still enjoy sitting out there in the evening watching the birds and squirrels. Inside, not much has changed. We've just been tweaking things and finishing minor details. I've been more focused on décor. We are enjoying cooking on our gas stove and using everything in our kitchen. We are very comfortable in this old house and love every part of it.
What will 2021 bring? We still have more projects to be done. There are always projects, right? There are a couple of things that we want to get done for sure. One is replacing the old chain link fence with a new fence and connecting the fence to the garage to have a completely fenced in area. The second project will be adding a brick patio out in front of the house connected to the porch steps by a short walkway. We will also be adding some simple landscaping with a couple of flower beds and shrubs. We have already added some fig trees, rose bushes, and a few fruit trees.
I've added a lot more pictures to the Gallery page in '2020 Apr-Dec' and a few in '2021 January'.
Thanks for following along with us and we hope it inspires some of you to save an old house in 2021. Happy New Year!