Rebuilding

Long time blog readers will remember how the lone wooden house on our block (every other house is cinderblock) burned down in October of 2009. The woman woke to sounds of popping glass, realized what was happening, got her grandchildren – who she was watching for the night as her daughter lives just down the other end of the block – and broke the bedroom window. She threw her then (IIRC) 4-year old grandson out the window and tossed his 2-year old sister to him, after which she climbed out and stood in the street with her neighbors as her past went up in smoke and ash.

Every time I tell this story I think of friends of  mine who are grandmothers, and of children I know who are of the same age. It never stops making the hair on the back of my neck rise.

ANYWAY. Again, long-time blog readers will remember how she was able to rent Unrentable Death House right across the street from us, and we’ve gotten to know her, and on and on. Well… she’s finally rebuilding!

She’s doing it that same funky way that a friend of ours, John Chambers, built his house (only he’s a bad-ass and did it all himself). It’s like these crazy foam legos that you put together, and then pour concrete into. This house? This house ain’t goin’ nowhere.

I hear there’s going to be a block party in April, when she’s done. I can’t wait to see the smile on her face.