Greetings from New Orleans.

Let me first request that my fellow bloggers post some "after" pictures. Part of yesterday was spent putting the icing on the cake - we applied the first coat of white paint to the walls and ceilings of four of the rooms that we restored, not including the kitchen and the bathroom. The paint in the colors chosen by the family will be applied by the team that follows us. Because of that one coat of paint, we were able to see the shape of things to come in actuality, not only in our imaginations, though we had to fill in a few details with our mind's eye, such as the casings around the doors and windows, the floor in the kitchen, the paddle fans reinstalled on the ceilings, etc.

When I thought about this trip beforehand, I thought I would probably be pulling down moldy sheetrock. In fact I did pull down a little bit of old sheetrock, but it wasn't moldy. Most of that had been done already in the house we worked on.

I didn't think we would be able to help a family that we would actually get to know. It was a delight to be able to do so. This family had something that I daresay many of us do not have. They lived (live!) in a true community, where generations of families live in the same place and know their neighbors across a broad spectrum of life. Speaking for myself of course, and leaving aside the obvious financial considerations, if my home in Sherborn were destroyed, I would be emotionally able to consider relocating anywhere in the vicinity, or even not in the vicinity, without feeling as if I were being wrenched from my community. Where I park myself and my belongings is optional. My "community" is spread quite thin, with friends and family all over the world. I can hardly even call it a community without feeling as if I'm compromising the meaning of the word, after I saw the real thing before my eyes this week.

There are many people here in the same position as this owner of this home. Without some toehold of momentum, grant money is not available. Various formulas determine who will and who will not get financial assistance to rebuild their home. For example, read this article or Google "road home" new orleans protest. Insurance companies have been very slow to pay claims, often denying them for spurious reasons.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/11/us/11louisiana.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5088&en=5f8aae429b7fbb9a&ex=1320901200&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss


I believe we were able to provide that toehold for Miss Orean and her family to be able to continue the process of rebuilding their home. It once housed three families in two apartments on the second floor and one on the first floor, though I don't know whether the first floor was occupied when hurricane Katrina hit. At this point, Miss Orean's apartment is almost completely renovated, and the front entrance has been reconstructed. The front door was painted, and the corner door, which is unused, has been replaced (thought not fitted) with a beautiful hardwood door that the UU church here has not been allowed to replace in their structure due to fire codes. Previously it was covered with a sheet of plywood. We learned last night that the group who will follow us into that building includes individuals with considerable building skills, as did our group. They will be able to connect the kitchen sink, put the casing on the doors and windows, and deal with additional structural damage in other parts of the building, in addition to painting the kitchen and three other rooms that we only primed.

Thanks to all the people back home, who we were able to count on so that we could come. I am truly grateful - a week of hard labor is like a vacation for me. I loved hanging sheetrock - it's like piecing four giant solid quilts with holes for doors, windows, outlets and light switches.

Well time to pack and catch my cab to the airport! See you all on Sunday!