If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade. ~Tom Peters
Do you like windows? I do. My favorite room is one full of windows. But to get the most out of those rooms with windows, you sometimes have to get out the spray bottle of window cleaner and squeegees.
Our church is getting ready to have a Homecoming Sunday in a couple of weeks. We always like to make the buildings look as good as possible when we invite everybody to come enjoy the day with us. That means a little extra cleaning. Our church building is old. The auditorium was built in 1889. The Sunday school addition dates from the 1940s and now we have an almost new fellowship hall built in 2009. So we’ve done many improvements to our buildings in the last several years, including putting in new windows. But even new windows get dirty. So that’s what some of us did today. Washed the church windows. And they looked good when we finished.
My dad always told me, ‘I don’t care what you do. Just aim to be the best at it. Even if it’s the world’s best window cleaner.’ ~Bruce Dickinson
Washing those windows has me thinking windows tonight. My mother told me once that my grandmother would sometimes stand and stare out a window. When she would ask her what she was looking at, my grandmother would say she was just looking. Somehow a person staring out a window makes us think they are yearning for something new perhaps or at least to see something new.
I can’t play bridge. I don’t play tennis. All those things that people learn, and I admire, there hasn’t seemed time for. But what there is time for is looking out the window. ~Alice Munro
I have windows on both sides of my working desk. I’ve always wanted a window when I’m writing. But it’s funny that sometimes I’m so into my imaginary world that I don’t pay much attention to what is out that real window by my desk. Then again, sometimes I do look away from spreading words across my computer screen to see what’s outside. Like this hummingbird that peeks in at me sometimes. Or the leaves doing a shimmy dance in the wind. Or birds at my birdfeeder. Or… Well, you get the idea.
In October, a maple tree before your window lights up your room like a great lamp. Even on cloudy days, its presence helps to dispel the gloom. ~John Burroughs
I’m blessed with many windows in my house. Windows I can stand by and stare out at the outside world the same as my grandmother once stood by her windows and looked out to see what she could see. Maybe she’s where I got my love of windows out on the world.
So, do you like windows that let in sunlight or show up the rain?
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I love windows, too. I can eat and look out and watch the bird gobbling up their birdseed. Also I watch the squirrels frantically running around with each other. Sometimes I glimpse a deer out of my window munching on acorns. Usually when I look out my windows it invites me to go out and walk and enjoy God’s creation. His handiwork is beyond amazing.
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It is good to go into the world of nature, Birdie, but sounds as if you have a pretty good view of it from your windows. I see deer almost every day when I walk Frankie. He’s almost given up on me letting him chase them. 🙂
I love windows ! Our kitchen has big windows and a glass door where our table sets. We can watch our 4 baby Nigerian Dwarf goats frolic on their play set , observe the hummingbirds on the flowers and enjoy the view of our historical bank barn built in 1841. No curtains at the windows as we live in the country also ! Our sun porch out front is a solid wall of windows where we have our bird feeders placed. We are so blessed to live in a historical home surrounded by such lovely and bucolic scenes .
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That sounds wonderful, Nancy. An 1841 barn has be a treasure. My husband just let someone tear down an old barn on our farm. It was falling down, except for the log inner parts, but I was still sorry to see it go. I know it had to date back to Civil War times. Enjoy your views out your windows.
Good question about the fairydiddle’s name, Ann. I always thought it was a common name for them, because it’s what Papaw called them. But over the years I realized most people didn’t know what I was talking about.
So I just looked it up. I see it’s not a made up name, but it must be one that only some regions use…(maybe an Appalachian term?)
At any rate, if my Papaw used it, it’s good enough for me…and it’s such a cute name for a cute little critter!
Thanks for asking.
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Well, thanks for looking it up, Lavon. I guess I could have done that, huh. But I do agree with you that if fairydiddle was good enough for your Papaw, then it’s good enough for me too. 🙂
Looking out the windows has always been special to me. My Mother said when I was a baby I was always looking up at the trees. When my beloved husband was still living, sometimes he would walk in and see me just paused, looking out the the big window in our breakfast nook. He would always say “What do you have treed?” Now, that comes to mind when I’m enjoying some scene of nature outside the window.
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That’s a fun memory, Fran. Your husband must have known about raccoon hunting and the hounds treeing the raccoon. My father-in-law used to love to coon hunt and my husband went with him some when he was a boy. I’m sure you smile as you remember your husband when you have something “treed.”
I so love windows! The sunshine streaming through, the rain falling from the eaves, just to stand and peer out .
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That’s what my grandmother loved too, Lisa. Just to stand and peer out at the world of nature or maybe the world of people according to where your window might happen to be. Today I’ve seen more rain than sunshine, but they say the clouds are going to move out of the way in the next day or so to let that sunshine stream through. When I peer out now, I’m thinking I might need to fill up my bird feeder. 🙂
I to love windows .My sewing machine always has a place in front of a window. Seem to alway be something to see out the windows!!Have a good day Ann !
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You and Lavon both have those windows where you sew, Evelyn. It is always good to be able to look out at the world outside your windows.
Absolutely love windows! My grandson and I were playing ball in front yard and he hit the baseball through my front window and it’s boarded up! I can’t stand it being like that ! I’d rather it be open with the shards of glass I believe! The old adage goes you don’t know what you got till it’s gone definitely fits this bill!
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Time to get that window fixed, Kathi. I’m sure it’s making your room feel way too dark. But your grandson must have hit a homer on that one. 🙂 I was sort of that way when we were adding a room onto the house and it was taking away my kitchen window over the sink. Thank goodness my builder had some good suggestions for moving my stove and tearing down a wall so the kitchen isn’t so dark. I still sort of miss that window, but I like my window filled room we added on.
I love lots of windows! My sewing room has 2 windows, with a view of my lake. And my sunroom, just off my kitchen, has 6 big windows. I find myself lost in the view quite often. There’s a big maple tree where a family of flying squirrels used to live. (My grandfather called them fairydiddles.) But now that I have Ollie, I don’t see them very often. He keeps the geese and squirrels out of the yard too. I find myself distracted from my sewing often when he’s out patrolling. 🙂
Have a blessed day, Ann. I hope you stayed warm on your morning walk with Frankie.
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Sounds as if you have some beautiful views out your windows, Lavon. We built a family room addition onto our house a few years ago and it has six windows and a glass door entry. My mom was still living then and she couldn’t understand why I didn’t want to put up curtains or blinds. I just have windows. But I’m out in the country where it’s unlikely anybody is able to peek into those windows.
I love that name your grandfather had for flying squirrels. Fairydiddles. Was that his invention or does it come from somewhere else?
Frankie is pushing me to get back out there and walk now, but i’m trying to hole him off until it’s not raining. We’ll get wet either way. But it will definitely be sweater time today.
I LOVE windows that let the sunlight in! We have a very small house, but we picked it because it had lots of windows in front. When I sit at my computer I look out the window LOTS and whenever I see a hummer or a butterfly I stop what I am doing and go out with my camera to try to catch a close-up. Often I am rewarded with a Monarch or Swallowtail with its wings spread completely open feeding on the flowers and staying long enough for me to capture it! I see God’s beauty out my windows every day and am blessed.
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I’m with you, Jeanne. Windows are a big plus. We need that light in our lives. And natural sunlight is different from our light bulbs even though I’m grateful for them. I wouldn’t want to have to fill oil lamps or depend on candles to see after dark. I don’t think my eyes would be able to read by the firelight the way they say Abe Lincoln did. But that was when he was young.