Wednesday, June 25, 2008

new windows

For the past several days, we have had workmen in our home replacing all our old windows. It's very exciting and will hopefully ease our heating bill during our cold Canadian winters. I will miss our old windows, though. Rotting and drafty as they were, they had character. And, as I have a hard time letting go of things (and see art materials everywhere!), I salvaged some of the hardware.

Each window had these little toggle-thingies that kept the window up when you opened it. To me, they are very vertebrae-like. I will certainly hang onto these and find somewhere to use them!

Hardware from our kitchen window. I will miss them.

These decayed wads of paper were found stuffed in beside one of the windows. They are lovely objects on their own, but I may use them later for collage. They are very fragile and tear easily, but I managed to ascertain that the biggest wad is from The Montreal Daily Star, Monday, May 9, 1949. Our house was probably built around that time. A post-war house: small and simple.

3 comments:

jo horswill said...

Kate, this is so amazing! I love all your precious salvages...they hold so many memories and secrets! So much more than just bit's of paper and window fittings! We have just gone through a major 12 month home renovation, our poor old house almost toppled over with decay. I was like a 'mad woman' constantly taking photo's and collecting things! The builders thought I was crazy at first, but by the end of the project, I think they sort of what I was doing, and even started to help 'save' stuff!

kate said...

Jo...great story! I love the way your actions caused the builders to shift their perspectives. We "mad women" have the power to affect the way of things! I believe that appreciating the soulfulness of objects can really enhance one's quality of life.

Ronna said...

Love the bits. Who knows what marvellous creations you can create from them!