Windows

Missionary friends in Madagascar just had their roof replaced ... their LEAF roof! They said the inside of their house looks like someone spread bags of mulch all over, as the old leaves disintegrate, and when they're removed from the roof, there is a lot of dirt.  Ai-yai-yai! 

It makes our window story sound tame ... very tame. But I will record it anyway. ;) 

For years our (less than 20 year old) windows leaked (from the top), rotted the wood in the sash, let cold air in, and in general were a source of frustration. 

We're not quick to start home projects, and once we started researching, we almost stopped immediately because of sticker shock, slick salesmen, etc. 

Eventually we signed a contract, and were told it would be July or August. You can imagine how that went.  As time passed, we were told that the window guys would put our windows in September 11 & 12.  Perfect! 

My nurse was here the 11th & I was hooked up to an IV pole in the TV room, but they planned to do the 2nd floor on the first day and the 1st floor on the second day.  So we were okay. 

She had a view out the back window as the workers set up a ladder, and started climbing. And she was livid!! Apparently the guy climbing the ladder had a cigarette dangling out of his mouth, and she was ready to go show him her badge and tell her that this was a medical facility that day, and he absolutely could not smoke in our home! (He put it out before she took action.)

They quickly realized that our house is 2x6 construction and the original windows had been installed in an unusual way.  So for weeks we ended up with windows looking like this:  

And then they took that off: 

And eventually, one by one, they looked like this:

So, in the end we have custom windows. 

But the window guys ended up being in and out (mostly out) for almost two months.  They'd say they were coming, and then not. Or they'd show up unannounced. Or I'd walk out of our bedroom and hear someone say, "Hi, J-." The worst was 7 PM on a Saturday.

During that time, all our blinds & curtains were down (except for LM's two layers of sun-blocking curtains).  (We still haven't put them all back up.) 

But, I definitely tried to tidy the house and make our bed everyday because I never knew when they would be roaming around. :) 

Now to enjoy our non-leaking windows, better insulation, and custom-built window frames! 

(And on February 6 they returned for a 3-hour visit with 2 repaired screens and the screen door for the sliding door.)