Bow Window

  Yesterday, we had yet another chapter in our leaking window saga. As you might remember, a few months ago, we found that our living room bow window was leaking. We were hoping that some recaulking would be all that was needed. Nope. That didn't do it.

After many phone calls and emails, the window manufacturer said they would replace the window. Okay. But we still weren't sure whether the window was the problem. After meeting with an experienced contractor and architect, the conclusion is that we need a roof extension and relaying of the bricks that the window sits on. Apparently, there is not enough overhang of the roof or slope of the sill to keep the water away. The original window in that spot was also showing signs of leaking, so it seems that there's more to it than just a faulty window. Anyway, we haven't heard any estimates yet, but this is going to be a very expensive job. 

The original window to the house, which was still in place when we moved in. You can't see the rotten wood in this picture unless you look very closely, but it's there. 

Installing the new window. 

All done. This is the one that is going to be replaced.

The cats liked to sleep in front of the window.

Oh, well. We want it done right, so we won't have to deal with it in the future, because I've watched home improvement shows and know you don't want any moisture behind the walls to rot things. If it goes too long, you've got BIG problems on your hands. Hopefully, we have caught this in time before too much wood has been damaged. I guess we'll find out when the work for the new window is done. Sigh.

Until then, I've started some seeds on the window seat. Since there is already water damage there, I'm not worried if the trays leak, etc. The silver lining, I guess.

The tomatoes and basil have sprouted so far.

Until next time...

Wednesday Afternoon

Anniversary flowers

I just made my cranberry relish for tomorrow. It's best if it sits overnight, so it's resting now. Ward is going to bake a ham in the morning before we head off to my brother-in-law's house for Thanksgiving. Most of Ward's family is gathering for a crowd of around 25-30. It's always a lively time. Theo is making a sausage, apple, and sauerkraut dish, and Wally is bringing a pecan pie. They will join us for the ride, which is about 1 1/2 hours away. 

This morning I went to the dentist. They have moved into a newer, bigger office, and everything was shiny and new, including the TV overhead of the chair. My cleaning passed by quickly as I watched an episode of Tiny Houses. Luckily, there were no further actions needed at this time.

Besides the new office, there were new rules for taking X-rays. No lead chest protection needed. Because the X-rays are done digitally now, they are using a much lower dose than before. They said that even in some hospitals, they aren't required to use shields anymore. 

Sunrise yesterday morning

And speaking of new technology, at least new to me, while I was waiting for Ward the other day, I was checking out my blog on my phone. I saw an option for listening to the blog, and I played it expecting a text-to-speech reading of a post. Nope. It was an AI chat about the posts between a "man" and a "woman". It was freaky! AI advancements are amazing and offer many useful possibilities, but, as with any new technology, finding the right balance of when to use it and when not to is difficult. But it's here to stay, and I hope sooner rather than later we figure out how to best utilize it. 

Back to the concrete world, our bow window is still leaking. While Ward's caulking may have helped, it didn't solve the problem. We have contractors who are supposed to call us back next week to set up an appointment to look at it. After the problem is solved, there's going to be a lot of work to repair the damage that has been done. But such are the joys of home ownership. :)

Tomorrow is my wedding anniversary. We're going out to a nice dinner to celebrate this evening. We got married as soon as we finished college, and both of us have changed a lot since then. I feel very blessed that over the years, we have grown closer together. I could easily understand how people could grow differently and no longer be compatible, but we were lucky that it didn't go that way for us. When I came home from the dentist, the flowers you see at the top were waiting for me. Yep. Ward's a keeper. :)

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, whether it is with a large family gathering or a quiet day watching the parades. 

Until next time...