I have no profound thoughts on the process of recovering. I suppose I am recovering from pneumonia. I'll learn more about it next week. I suppose we are recovering from the effect Covid had on us, and still does. The important brains of the world constructed an algorithm to send children back to school and cause restaurants to open.
Yesterday I gathered up my important right hand algorithm and went shopping. Last month, for the first time, I realized Laura has no convenient laundry facility, and invited her to bring her laundry. Her collapsible laundry basket was packed to the top. This time I texted Laura to remember her laundry, and it looked far less.
Laura lives in a very old neighborhood, the kind near and dear to my heart. I believe it will become a little more seedy, then gentrification will start. I went over a few minutes early, hoping to find black squirrels to photograph. Instead I fell for the houses.
This house is at the end of Laura's street. I am fascinated first by the screened in porch and second by the size. I believe it was built that long, not a cottage added to. I also like the tile work on the front porch step risers. Nice bannisters, too, says the old lady who no longer uses steps with no hand rails.
A small suburban attempt at midcentury modern? It's big enough.
Another interesting house to speculate upon. Is it a cottage of many additions? Does that second floor extension have windows on the back side? It can be a bedroom if it includes that second floor window, but I'd hate to use it. And why go to all that remodeling and not have a front porch?
OK, no railing and no decent front porch. However, it is true to the style of early 20th century middle class architecture. The several additions are well done, and that actually is one mighty big home. We had those greenhouse windows. The larger one succumbed to overhanging ice cycles.
I like this. A front porch from which to greet the neighbors. Back to that first addition, it is similar to the house I grew up in. It's my guess that the first addition has the new kitchen and family room with big screen television. Added behind that, a screened in sun porch. Well done.
Pure speculation, but I bet this house had the second story added to a cottage. The side addition came later; its windows are different. And finally, another addition out back for the new kitchen. The front steps have railings, and the red front door is fun.
Well done. And, this little house is not in the yard of any house I admired.
Interesting houses, Joanne. I like houses that have some character/good bones/various roof lines. I especially love 'widows walks' and large or wrap around porches. People don't seem to build houses like that anymore.
ReplyDeleteI like these, Joanne.
ReplyDeletewell established homes that I love! They look substantial and charming. You should be in bed !
ReplyDeleteA very interesting selection of houses. It is always good to see this kind of diversity in a neighbourhood. Those little libraries seem to have popped up everywhere in recent years, and they are a great addition wherever they appear. Hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was just starting out, I lived for about 15 years on the second floor of a house. I had no laundry facilities there either and had to schlep my laundry by bus down to a laundromat about 3-4 blocks away. It was one long pain in the butt. However, you do what you have to do!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are recovering. Fast.
ReplyDeleteI was fascinated by the houses you shared (and hooray for porches).
I loved the library too (of course).
Lovely houses. Look after yourself.
ReplyDeleteI love these houses! I especially love the classic older homes with big, comfortable front porches. As a child at my Grandmother's house, I remember how everyone moved out to the front porch after dinner to visit and relax. It was almost a different world back then.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are being careful and not doing too much with that pneumonia. I've had pneumonia several times and learned if you are not careful you can have a relapse. You sure don't need that!
First, I hope you're getting better. Then, I do like house pix and surmises about the changes in them. We used to live in a Sears Roebuck kit house, colonial style, 1930s, and came to realize a lot of people built them at that time. handy country folks did this, maybe hiring locals for the electric, but doing a lot themselves. The kit materials were high quality.
ReplyDeleteOur house abutted a main rail line and the kit was delivered off the train at the end of the property and hauled into position. The owner's daughter told us this when we bought it from his estate.
When we were in West Seattle, our house was built in 1920. The upstairs was reached by an exterior stair that ran up the side of the house. Several families got their start there. Three houses below us were brick and were Sears kit houses. One belonged to the family who built our house, and the other two had lived upstairs. That was the best house, it had a full basement and views of Puget Sound. All the houses in that area were different. We can't live there anymore - too expensive now.
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteThe first one is definitely my fave - and thanks for the tour!!! YAM xx
What lovely homes. Here, we do not have such architecture. We have adobe, very old adobe, faux adobe, Spanish-style, and extremely old frame homes along with typical 1980's construction of suburban homes that are cookie-cutter.
ReplyDeleteFun to see all the houses!
ReplyDeleteI suppose driving a car keeps you upright and breathing well--good for your recovering lungs. Poor lungs, they work so hard!
Having lived without a washing machine, I can attest you are doing a Good Thing.
When I was first married and lived in an apartment, my mother said "Don't put the money in the laundromat, put it in the gas tank. Do your laundry here and visit!" So I did. It's what you do.
DeleteA wonderful array of old houses. I love them too!
ReplyDeleteI love looking at houses.
ReplyDeleteThat first house really is very pretty. I love looking at houses.
ReplyDeleteOh my... such memory-evoking photos. My grandmother's home had a huge front porch and a screened in sun porch where we ate most of our meals (though she had a huge dining room just off the living room). I loved looking at those houses--and especially the library house at the end. We have a library house in the block after our mail box stanchion. I visit it regularly and have donated some of my cookbooks to the owner of the library house. Take care of yourself!!!! Lungs are a one-time thing in this life and we need them to survive.
ReplyDeleteWhen we lived in Rochester, NY in the 19th Ward.... there were street after street of houses like the pale green and yellow ones interspersed with some other styles. Ours was built in 1915 with leaded glass windows and a lovely front porch... and UNPAINTED gumwood trim.... and hardwood floors. Still miss it!!
ReplyDeleteA fascinating and unique variety.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun looking at your photos of the differently styled houses. Don't you wish we could see the inside rooms too?
ReplyDeleteFascinating houses!
ReplyDeleteWe can't rush recovery...of any sort.
Take care xx
A old neighbourhood has so much more character than the modern subdivisions.
ReplyDeleteThe one with the red front door is my favorite although it has no front porch. I am imagining it has a porch in the back.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the little house on the tree has a small street library. What a wonderful idea.
ReplyDeleteThese older homes are so interesting and fun to speculate on. Like you, I like the light green one best. I have a small front porch but the house of my dreams is one with a wrap around porch like you see in some older homes, especially in the south. Today people prefer their back yard and back decks and are alone. I grew up in NYC where everybody sat on their front stoops and knew and talked to everyone in the neighborhood. I rather those times.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting to see, Joanne, that all these beautiful houses are made of wood - you very seldom find that in Germany - almost every house here is built from stone. When I visited a n American blogger (I knew her only from blogging!) near the Hudson River, I saw that it was cedar wood, which is said to keep insects away.
ReplyDeleteI like houses and cottages like that too. I grew up in a yellow saltbox, and in many ways miss it.
ReplyDeleteI like a house with character. While I no longer climb stairs easily a big two story that is not a box will catch my eye. The more porch the better. I really didn't like the green paint on the one house though.
ReplyDeleteI love old houses like that and the more additions and the more higgalty piggalty the better.
ReplyDeleteHouses are interesting. Sometimes I go online to look at the interiors of houses for sale in my neighborhood because I've walked or driven past the houses and I'm curious about what's inside. How is Laura?
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Some lovely homes there. I love looking at all the wonderful houses in our neighbourhood. A lot of them still have the original stained-glass windows that were common at one time. Plenty of bay windows too - still very much in fashion.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun to see all the houses on Laura's street. They are so very different from the homes in Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteI love looking at houses in various neighborhoods. I wish I had a front porch! Where I live, back decks are much more common. (which I do have) There are several fun walking areas in older places in Tacoma and Seattle. Once the weather gets nice anyway!
ReplyDeleteNice pictures - unique neighborhood. I like houses 1, 4, and 5 the best!
ReplyDeleteI love looking at houses and trying to imagine the layout inside. I'm the creepy woman who walks at night to catch a glimpse of the inside of the houses I like. Only from the road, though. No hiding in the shrubbery. That's a whole different class of creep
ReplyDelete