February 26, 2026

Front Room (Almost Done): Window Coverings

The to-do list for finishing the front room is getting shorter and shorter. After the walls were painted and the window trims done, it was time for curtains. For this, I wanted to use two quilt-look bedspreads. I had them on the windows previously, but discovered that, being one piece, they are a bit inconvenient when it came to opening them for light. That was because standard curtain rods have a center support bracket, so I could only push the two edges of the quilt to the center. That just didn't work well for me. 

Dan suggested "the kind that open with a pulley cord." I remembered my mother had those when I was a kid with pinch pleat draperies, but I couldn't remember what they were called. A quick search with that description and Brave browser AI told me these are traverse rods. (And that's noteworthy because it's the extent of my AI usage. I like Brave AI because it documents its information sources). 

Traverse rods are quite updated compared to the ones my mother had. There's no longer a pull cord, rather the curtains are either opened by hand or with a "wand" (which looks like a mini blind wand). Of the wand models, one can choose left, right, or center draw. Hanging choices are ceiling mount or wall mount. Here's the link to the ones I bought for a close up view.

We went with the wall mount option to suit the size of the quilts. 

side window

I can easily push the quilt to either side to let in the light.


Now it's very easy to let in plenty of light for weaving.

front window


My next step ought to be putting the furniture back in place, except we ran into an unexpected problem! More on that next time. 

February 21, 2026

My Super Duper New Can Opener

 When Dan and I got married, he still had his military issue P-38 can opener.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

I used it ever since, until recently the tip broke off so that it would no longer puncture the can lid. We reckoned his old P-38 was over 40 years old. 

Many cans come with pull-ring lids nowadays, but I still needed a can opener, so I bought a cheap squeeze handle rotary wheel job.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

It lasted for a couple of months before the wheels wouldn't turn when it was applied to the can. But it would still punch the can lid so I used it to start the cut, and then switched to the p-38 to finish removing the lid. 

One day I needed an inexpensive item to make up the difference for free shipping on Amazon. So I took a look at can openers. Some of the newest designs were odd interesting, but many did not look at all practical. Or made for longevity. I think sometimes people have innovative ideas that can't muster practical reality. 

Electric can openers were out, especially the battery powered ones. But I do have an amusing memory of my mother calling her cat by running the electric opener. Said cat always came running, even if no cat food was being opened.

In reading product reviews, I discovered others had the same problem I did with their squeeze handle can opener. The gears just weren't up to more than a couple months of usage. Then I found new P-38s for sale, but wondered about the quality of the steel. Building materials have been cheapened so much over the years that I'm cautious about buying things without seeing them first hand.

Then I saw the Ganji Kankiri
 
Source: Amazon

This is a Japanese can opener (kankiri) which basically works the same as the P-38. Except the blade is larger and heavier, and I loved the hefty sized handle. It wasn't expensive, either.

It felt a little awkward at first but it's easy to use and does an excellent job of opening cans. Some reviewers complained that it cut a somewhat jagged edge, but once I got used to it, I thought it cut a smoother edge than the P-38. I anticipate not needing to buy another can opener for a long, long time.

I never dreamed I'd ever be excited over a can opener, but I do love me some good manual tools. 

February 15, 2026

New Look For the Masonry Stove

I have one more project update to share with you, this one is for the masonry stove. After we made the adjustments and improvements on it last summer, I wasn't sure that I liked the resulting look of it.
 

The improvements in efficiency were well worth the change in aesthetics, but I was used to the visual variations of the bricks and wasn't sure I liked the solid white. I felt something was needed. Here's what we ended up doing.


The newly painted green alcove matches the thermal curtains I bought last year. I got the cast iron tree silhouettes from Etsy. All in all, I like it better. I liked the brick look best, but this is a good alternative.

February 9, 2026

Painting the Front Room

On our cold, windy, snowy, icy days, I've been painting the front room. Besides the window coverings, painting means this remodeling project is finally almost done. Once the walls are painted, I can finally start putting the room in order and using it again! I have a weaving project in mind and I'm looking forward to getting back to my loom.

The room certainly needed fresh paint. We could see the old layers of paint on the walls when Dan replaced the windows, and mine is it's third paint job in 100 years. And all of them have been green! I chose a green that coordinated with the window quilts and the throw rugs


The old paint was glossy, and I find glossy paints don't take new paint well. Or at least new paint will scratch off more easily over the years. I didn't want to use messy paint remover, nor do a dusty job of sanding, so I washed them down with hot water, dish soap, and Bon Ami. Bon Ami is a non-bleach scrubbing powder that works very well and is safer for graywater systems. I rinsed it off with vinegar water. The walls definitely needed a good cleaning and this took the sheen off the old paint too. 

New color on the left, old color on the right, .

The only "oh well" I have is that when Dan installed the cubby units, he attached them to the wall and desk with angle brackets. So I couldn't move the desk to paint behind it. I did the best I could, but if the desk and shelves are ever removed, it will be obvious! But then, I figure whoever comes behind us will likely re-do the walls anyway. Really, the 100-year-old tongue and groove should be replaced with new walls, but that's beyond the scope of our time, energy, and finances at the moment. A future project out there in someday-ville. For now, fresh paint will have to do.

I'm happy with the way it's turning out. The old color was dingy and dull, but this new shade is fresh and cheerful. It improves the room tremendously.

February 3, 2026

Snow, Colder, Easy Winter Window Energy Hack

On the last day of January we got snow, real snow with fluffy snowflakes, not frozen raindrops. Thankfully, it's not as treacherous as ice, except where it hid the thick slippery patches of ice that haven't melted yet. It snowed all day.

Meowy's early morning footprints on the back steps. 

Early morning view of one of the girls' pastures.

The goats sniffed at the snow but had no intention of leaving the barn.

Big Duck came out after Dan filled the ducks' pan with warm water.

The video is a little out of focus, but it's the best I could do with heavy gloves on my hands.


We got a total of four inches of snow. Not a record breaker, but enough for the neighborhood kids to build snowmen to their hearts' content. It was our coldest day so far, with a high of 25°F (-4°C) falling to a nighttime low of 7°F (-14°C. The greenhouse got down to 19°F.)

Wood yard with the boys' pasture in the background

Driveway gate

Back side of the house approaching the greenhouse

Side gate to the front yard

Greenhouse and keyhole garden

Late afternoon sun trying to burn through the clouds

After a walk around the yard, there's nothing nicer than coming back into a wood cookstove warmed kitchen with a pot of soup cooking.

The window idea is one I found on permies.com. Windows (even energy efficient ones) are notorious energy leaks. When you put your hand on the window on a cold day, the glass is colder than the walls. That's why most of mine are covered with thermal curtains. 

The cold air from the windows sinks and is one reason why floors are so cold. The idea here is to install a simple barrier to prevent the cold air from cascading down from the window and further chilling the room. All I did was to take a piece of 3/16 inch foam board, cut two layers 6 inches times the inner width of the window frame, and glue them together. Then I slid them into place, resting on the window sill.



I could immediately feel that the air below the window ledge wasn't as chilly! It didn't magically make the room warmer, but it definitely makes a difference, and without blocking the view or the light. 

I only bought one sheet of foam board, but I took the remaining piece and fitted it to my kitchen sink window.


This window leaks cold worse than the bathroom window, so even one layer of foam board made an immediate difference. A double layer works better, so I'll add a second layer when I get more foam board. I plan to install these in my other windows as well. Even the energy efficient windows don't completely keep out the cold. 

This might be a good time to put in a plug for a really good book because it has an entire chapter on easy ways to stay warm while decreasing your energy bill. The authors call their ideas "luxuriant environmentalism." I did a book review on it a few years back here.

It offers easy solutions for global environmental problems, ideas anyone can implement, from urban renter to rural land owner. These aren't problems that only governments can solve, we can all do something to help. This book focuses on actionable ideas. 


We're supposed to be heading toward a warming trend, with the snow and ice melting during the day and refreezing at night. I'm not sure if the winter weather is over, but it will be nice to have a reprieve.

How about you? How are you surviving your weather?