The view out the window clearly confirms that spring has arrived!

Well, time to rip off the plastic really.  Some of our windows have fairly decent storm windows while others are missing or in such bad shape that you might as well leave the window open.  In the master, the pull down shades would blow into the room about 5-6 inches whenever it was windy outside.  The living room also had a couple of really bad drafts particularly behind the couch.  In early December I got tired of freezing and got some plastic window insulator kits.  It made a big difference.  In the master it was tricky to figure out how to get the plastic up and I ended up sealing the blinds behind the plastic.  It feels like winter is behind us so I went ahead and removed the plastic.  The tape did take some of the paint off on the master windows but they needed scraping and painting anyway so I wasn’t too surprised.

In the fall, youngest daughter and I were at the big box store (yes, I am sure that is not news.)  There was a woman looking at plastic window film that you can apply to give your windows the look of stained glass.  We commented that we were lucky to have actual stained glass windows at our house.  When we got home I started to think that the stained glass in the living room looked awfully similar to the stick on film at the store.  Surely my historic mansion has ACTUAL stained glass in the living room!  It was one of the things I really liked when we viewed the house.  I had always been intrigued as to why the front window and the bay were the only living room windows with stained glass transoms.  Mr. Tillinghast had a great eye for detail and symmetry.  It seemed odd to me that all the living room windows were not the same.  Perhaps the stained glass transoms were not original and added by another owner.  Turns out that was true.  The stained glass was just plastic from the big box store! Imagine my disappointment…

I kept them up all winter but when I took down the winter insulating I decided it was time to get rid of the “stained glass” as well.

Now all the living room transoms match.  I feel good because we have restored the windows back to their original appearance.  Really, that is my story.  It is disappointing to realize there isn’t stained glass in the living room but I have to admit they look better all matched.  I am sure it won’t be the last surprise or disappointment we deal with.  Just another adventure in owning this historic home.