To think of even colder winters surviving in this ancient cottage does not make me happy!
I've been blessed to have made adaptations each winter to improve the chill I felt my first year here, but the place IS over 200 years old, after all, and is not known to have been built for 'tightness' or warmth to begin with. It was the kitchen, and that alone was supposed to have made it bearable, LOL!
Who in those days in the south cared much about the poor cook who apparently lived in the loft upstairs right under the un-insulated roof. I can only imagine how many "quilts" she must have slept on and under. And how many times she had to trek down the narrow, steep stairs at night to stoke the cook fires.
The wing I have as my bedroom was added much later, late 1980s, and is a DIY job at its most "minimal" skill level. The floor tilts at a noticeable level to the outside corner where I have my armoire against the wall. The closet backs to the front porch wall and is cold in the winter. No door, only a drape covers it. My feet freeze all winter so I am never without with socks AND shoes until the minute I put my feet under the covers in bed that I now first warm up with the electric blanket, gift from my sweet daughter. Getting up to tinkle is a real treat, LOL!
Nope, do not want to even think about the 'great minimum'.
Jan in VA -- wishing about moving to south Florida!!
