moss cottage is having all of her original 1925 windows replaced and i couldn't be happier. although i am dreading the next week of upheaval and chaos that work crews can bring.
these old windows been in a state of sad disrepair ever since i moved in a dozen years ago. latches that don't latch, cracked sills, windows that don't close all the way, outside frames peppered with holes.
a local window/glass shop just a block away is doing the work. every single window and one slider are being replaced. everything goes except for one french window in my art room. good sturdy windows that open and close easily. now shiny panes of glass to reflect the sky and trees.
a couple of weeks ago all of the outside frames were replaced with redwood. new wood. new windows. awning & casement style!
every time i make a repair or finish a big house project that i've been dreaming of and planning for a long time i imagine the heart of moss cottage exhaling and going,
"ahhhhhhhhhh. yes. thank you. thank you."
mark twain wrote the words below about his house. and i've always considered them the poem of moss cottage.
To us, our house was not insentient matter
it had a heart, and a soul, and eyes to see us with;
and approvals, and solicitudes, and deep sympathies;
it was of us, and we were in the peace of its benediction.
We never came home from an absence that its face did not light up and speak out its eloquent welcome
and we could not enter it unmoved.
looking out the bathroom window this morning i saw the big yellow moon sinking into the fog.
a glowing portent i like to think of things to come!
of course, they may not come out this far, but it’s worth a call.
Oh, thank you so much for this referral. We have been afraid to have anyone touch our windows. I can’t wait to get that started.
gmail deleted your email from my feed, so I have to ask here. May I purchase a window or two? You can email me. Thank you.
i replaced a window last year in my bathroom (the one room of a house that shouldn’t have big plate glass windows!) with glass blocks. I love them, because it rendered an unusable window with blinds drawn into a light filled space for air plants to thrive. All in all, new windows are an overlooked asset; congratulations!
Are those the same windows from which Dalton Trumbo looked out when he wrote screenplays?
Let me know when I can come over and open and close every new window. I am an excellent window tester.
It is a lovely journey traveling through time with Moss Cottage. I’d like to see a floor plan and how you use the little space of yours. We’ve glimpsed corners and views and watched the changes over the years but I can’t well visualize the house layout. And how you fit all your goodies & necessities around.
unless it would be a security issue which is understandable.
The nifty thing about new windows is the moment after installation is finished and you walk seeing things look the same as when looking through the window holes with glass – the new glass looks invisible and the world is knife sharp and clear.
Be sure to post pictures of all your windows and moss cottage when all dust settles. Lucky you, don’t mind the dust and little gritties, it will be worth your effort!! Have a nice day…
Carrie
Oh those are nice. Happy for you and Moss Cottage. The cottage will become even more cozy than it already is. Delightful!
The first two photos looking out through the old windows look like Impressionist paintings. Both would make beautiful watercolors.
Oh how wonderful for you! There is NOTHING like things that slide easily, that we can open and shut without requiring a handyman! You deserve to have your own “Windows On Your World” to see your visions coming true! You’ll be able to see out and see in, too! You deserve this new ‘vision’. You will just walk around hugging yourself when it’s done. Have fun, lots and lots of fun. Fun.
Beautiful. Thanks for the Twain.
oh so sweet.
gosh I am so happy for you Mary Ann. Ahhhhhhhh the delight of new windows and frames….YES…and I LOVE the quote, indeed I couldn’t agree more…we need new windows so I can relate to windows being out of whack and off kilter…not in the near future for us but I can feel your excitement. Once all the hard work and noise and dust settle I can only imagine what it will be like for you when you have the pleasure of opening one of those new windows onto your gorgeous garden and the fresh air comes rushing in….I’ll be doing a happy dance for you….
Am going to post Mark Twain’s quote somewhere in my house for motivation. We purchased an older home and are in the middle of an extensive renovation. Am looking forward to the “Benediction” phase. We are currently removing years of grime and neglect and look forward to the day she becomes a home again.
I too dream of new windows. We were just discussing them again the other day even though they surely will not be a reality for some years.
I love that mark twain passage!
You will love your new windows! You can also keep some of your original 1925 windows and have a cabinet built with them as doors. My husband did that for me with otherwise unusable windows and they are beautiful. And? Thank you for the Twain.
New windows and moving my kitchen sink under a window were my best projects! Good for you it makes a difference for about a hundred years.
We replaced all the windows and doors on our house. It was a large, cold, noisy project. Because of all the trim work done on the inside, it took much longer than I had counted on. I so adore the outcome however… Definitely worth the chaos.
I saved and had new windows and sliding doors put in my ‘little homemade house’ a couple of years ago…….still feels like I have new diamond jewelry….:))))))
Missy from the bayou
Ps enjoy your new jewelry ;))))))))
Lovely
Ok, by now I know you are not much of a non-fiction reader but think you might enjoy “The Poetics of Space” by Gaston Bachelard.
I remember how it looked the day you first laid eyes on it! It’s come a long way!
I love your cottage. i love you for fixing it!
Moss Cottage is very lucky to have you. I spent 4 days in Palm Springs in a renovated 1938 Spanish style home. It was a wonderful weekend with family and we all dreamed of what we would do with the home if it were ours. I don’t think those rentals get the love that Moss Cottage does. You have a wonderful romantic soul!
Oh how I can relate! I have been having window and paint work done on my 1922 bungalow… annoying when they are doing the work but so rewarding once it is done! I am sure your little cottage is loving you for giving it new life!