Speaking of the thermostat, there comes a time every autumn when the Bossy family must surrender their back porch screens to plastic.
The back porch is the reason Bossy and her husband purchased their house nearly nine years ago. It’s functional and breezy and overlooks the wetlands, and Bossy can’t describe the funk she gets in every year when she loses this beloved square footage by closing the porch off from the rest of the house—except she can refer you to the look on Bossy’s husband’s face in the above photo.
If Bossy’s husband didn’t winterize the porch, gusts of wind would blow directly into Bossy’s poorly insulated house, and freezing rain and snow would heap onto sections of the porch floor, further deteriorating the wood planking.
So it’s a necessary evil that saves money on the heating bill, but it’s so so so so so depressing.
Check out the (below) list of blogs participating in Bossy’s Poverty Party, and don’t forget to comb the comments for links to the latest Poverty posts across the web.
corrie says
November 11, 2008 at 9:02 amWould this new space be useful for keeping bulbs cold until you want to trick them into early blooms?
Maybe some clothes in storage bins could be out in the porch, since getting cold won’t hurt them and it may free up some space inside…
Could this be a root cellar?
There must be something useful for this space that could compensate for Bossy’s loss!
Kel says
November 11, 2008 at 9:11 amMy husband insists upon putting plastic on the windows every winter. It is depressing. But, we did finally reach a compromise – they make a clear plastic that is actually more of a vinyl. It’s a bit more expensive, but I don’t feel like I’m stuck in that movie “The Others” with Nicole Kidman where she’s dead, doesn’t know, and can’t figure out why she’s surrounded by a constant fog.
Ellie says
November 11, 2008 at 10:13 amWe just plastic-ed in my mother-in-law’s screened-in porch. The only thing more depressing than having your favorite room plastic-ed in is having to *do* it — it’s a bear of a job, and we have to do it on high ladders.
I feel your pain, I do. And it’s a great thing not to have to shovel . . . indoors.
Cat says
November 11, 2008 at 10:40 amI’m very sorry that Bossy and family is losing their porch. Very depressing part of winter.
ruthwells says
November 11, 2008 at 10:47 amI shut the storm windows today. I figure that’s got to save me a few cents off our $532,234,564 per month heating bill.
Tuli says
November 11, 2008 at 10:52 amI use DAP Seal ‘N Peel Caulk. Because I really can’t stand the plastic!!!
Tuli says
November 11, 2008 at 10:56 amExcept the DAP only works on windows – so Bossy is outta luck with her porch screens. Sorry Bossy.
Kelly says
November 11, 2008 at 11:41 amMy college roommate put plastic on our dorm window. It WAS Minnesota, but it still felt claustrophobic to me, I couldn’t wait until spring to rip it down!
I probably should put plastic or something on my windows, but I just can’t.
Yellaphant says
November 11, 2008 at 11:52 amOh that cold is a nasty nasty old man who sucks the joy out of all things joyful. Like back porches. And leisurely jogs. Check out my Poverty Post today.
Little Miss Sunshine State says
November 11, 2008 at 1:38 pmThis is why we moved to Florida, where Heating Bill=$0 per month.
Kim says
November 11, 2008 at 2:43 pmSince he already has the hammer & ladder out, why doesn’t he hang the holiday lights, too. Tell him “saving time is saving money”.
bossy\'s friend martha\'s sister says
November 11, 2008 at 3:42 pmand I thought, before I clicked, that we were looking at a bridal vail… nope just plastic, a real necessity in upstate NY, where it has already snowed, a couple times!
bossy\'s friend martha\'s sister says
November 11, 2008 at 3:43 pmright now…. 31 degrees…
Jen says
November 11, 2008 at 9:21 pmbeing a native TX, I have never had this problem. ask me about summer though…
today’s DPP is homemade laundry soap:
http://jlogged.com/