I have been on a one-person campaign to update my sun porch and turn it into an office space. It may be the second most expensive thing I will do in my childhood home (the first will be electrical in nature). The room is not insulated; in fact, a doofus of a roof installer had an infamous argument with my father some three decades ago by calling it a “shed” so he didn’t need to put shingles on it. There are three other houses within eyesight built exactly the same way to refute that insult. But I digress. It means I may need to either put out for interior wall insulation or use a space regulating system (air in summer, heat in winter), but I think it will be wonderful to have that part of the house in a usable condition again.
One of my most recent projects involved a handyman putting up new shades, which was step one of the window treatment process. Step two was putting up new curtains, which I did (and put a valance up wrong side in, but that’s another digression). Step three is in progress and involves taking down the old curtains, which have been up since we moved in. Yes, they were that good and that sturdy that we didn’t need to replace them. They’re a neutral color and were insulated themselves, so their replacements, if I go that route, would be the same.
These drapes were hung with hooks which resemble an EKG readout, inserted into a series of metal tabs with holes and run with ropes to open and close. The new ones will likely be rings and poles and operated manually, if I elect to close them at all. The sun comes in much of the day in summer, so the area is toasty and perfect for plants. Winter will be a different story, which I will improve upon as I go.
Over last weekend I put together another bookshelf for that room and moved it in. A couple of days later, one of the window shades popped out and fell. Either the handyman didn’t click it into place properly, or my house is haunted. Both are possible. Last week a picture I hung, using those wonderful adhesive strips with three letters in their brand name, popped off the wall and landed on my head before settling in my lap. Fortunately the picture weighs nearly nothing. I remounted it with a hanger that takes up to eight pounds, so we’ll see if a poltergeist is behind the incidents or not.
As I remounted the shade, I also took down another curtain. This involved popping each hook from the bracket while navigating nearly eighty inches of stiff fabric and standing precariously on a ladder. Some of you would say, “Stay off that ladder at your age,” but doing these little tasks are what will keep me going until I reach another “at your age.” One at a time is part of the key to success, and not pushing too hard past one’s limitations.
The curtains must come down before shifting any more furniture, since some of it will go into the corners where the drapes are, well, draped. The project is half finished, and once completed, I can have the handyman measure and mount the new curtains if I get them. Move the other pieces around, assemble my L-shaped computer desk, have an electrician check for voltage safety, and I can then hook up my work and personal gear and move in.
By that time, I also expect to be a little more broke, but when the curtain closes on one part of life, it opens on a new one.
Hopefully well insulated.
Susan's Scribblings the Blog 