the dining room

[ewein2412]

sartorias has been posting about houses and home. It is a timely subject for me, too, because it is exactly 6 years ago yesterday that we moved into this house. That is longer than I've ever lived in ANY house at one stretch.

 

The center of our house is actually the kitchen. Believe it or not, just like in the olden days. It kind of drives me crazy that it's the Number One Most Inhabited room in the house because, being in the middle of the house in the middle of a row of duplexes (or semi-detached, in Britspeak), and facing north, it is also the *darkest* room in the house. And one of the big reasons we moved into this house was to get more light.

 

The house is about 100 years old, and for the record, it is very typical of its age and of this part of Scotland--a stone-built bay-fronted (both downstairs and up) duplex.

 

The dining-kitchen, where I seem to spend most of my day when the kids aren't here (in preference to my desk) and most of the evening when my husband isn't here (in preference to the living room), is carved out of two smaller rooms and a ghost hallway. The owners previous to us converted this big space into a galley kitchen and a dining area separated down the middle by a breakfast bar type thing. It really is in the *middle* of the house, with the old kitchen (now a utility room, though I think of it as my back porch) on one end of it, the living room on the other, and the big central hallway at the side. The kitchen area is really not big enough for more than one person to use at a time, but has a window the size of a door behind the sink, looking out to a lilac bush full of bird feeders (and a fence). There is a narrower window in the dining area, with a built-in window seat. One wall is entirely covered by the kids' elementary school paintings. Our piano is wedged in behind the dining room table. There's also a built-in china cupboard with glass doors, and I've painted the inside of this turquoise, like all the old corner cupboards from my part of Pennsylvania.

 

When people come over, they immediately sit down at the breakfast bar (there is a row of high stools). My next door neighbor calls it her "comfort spot."

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Oh, that sounds lovely! (So does the northern light, without the merciless sun blasting in and heating everything an extra 20 degrees.)

[ewein2412]

The lack of light is the number one thing that will eventually drive me out of Scotland, I think. I am SO TIRED of being cold all the time. I mean all the time, not biting, killing cold, but low-grade chill that won't let you ever wear shorts or t-shirts or go swimming outside. All year long. (whine whine whine)

Jane Yolen has the right idea, six months on and six months off. Like Persephone!

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I forget that cold exists, but I do remember feeling cold, many years ago, and yes. It's a low-grade debilitation because your inner temperature gauge has to stoke higher all the time.

[ewein2412]

hence the constant craving for chocolate!

[ajl-r.livejournal.com]

"The lack of light is the number one thing that will eventually drive me out of Scotland, I think."

And the rain - don't forget the rain! :)

[ewein2412]

not to mention the avg summer temp of 59 F / 15 C.

actually it's the lack of pub gardens. or maybe it's just a combo of all those things.

[ajl-r.livejournal.com]

I think one just has to be extremely hardy for most of the time. I remember going for 'a nice wee stroll' [sic] one March with my Glasgow cousins a few years ago and nearly being a) frozen solid and b) blown off my feet. They thought it was a lovely Spring day... I'm just too soft, that's the trouble, down here in the south of England.

Sorry to have just dropped in to your blog, by the way, and thanks for responding. Nice to see a different part of the UK through your eyes.

[ewein2412]

how did you end up dropping in on my blog, anyway? (I am always curious!)

[ajl-r.livejournal.com]

Followed the link from one of your postings on Robin McKinley's blog... The blogosphere is a strange 'place', isn't it. :)

[ewein2412]

definitely! but you're welcome any time.

[ajl-r.livejournal.com]

Thank you - most kind.

The reason I originally followed the link from your blog comments over at RM's was because I liked your nice lucid style of writing. Arriving here, I see it's the domain of a professional writer... Another author to look out for. :)

[ewein2412]

I liked your nice lucid style of writing

that wouldn't have been the "confusion of antecedents" comment, then. hah.

thank you! I am absurdly flattered and a little surprised. I sometimes think that my on-line comments don't really convey much of my personality OR my ability to speak coherently. And I use too many exclamation points and FAR too many "really's".

My books aren't published in this country (I am another American ex-pat), but you can find them on amazon...

thanks again for looking in on the blog!

[katranides.livejournal.com]

actually it's the lack of pub gardens. or maybe it's just a combo of all those things.

Weather alone doesn't dictate the lack of pub gardens. Paris, where the weather is not so fabulous, is famous for its sidewalk cafes; meanwhile, in Honolulu there are very few. Here in Leipzig people hang out in the Biergaerten and cafes as long into the fall as they possibly can. Establishments with outdoor seating provide heat lamps and even fleece blankets.

[ewein2412]

fleece blankets! The Scots are just clueless.

[handworn.livejournal.com]

Pictures?

[ewein2412]

watch this space! I really meant to put one in --especially now that the front door and all the trim is newly painted green, and we've got the horrible shop windows on the second floor replaced with sympathetic sash-and-cord. But I don't think I've got a recent photo and it's too dark to take one now.

[handworn.livejournal.com]

I'll look forward to it. I remember seeing and admiring houses like the one you're in in Edinburgh when my wife and I were there on our honeymoon in '02. Guess you were only just in your place then, come to think of it.

[tiboribi.livejournal.com]

I liked your kitchen/dining room. It was cozy.

North facing windows are perfect for orchids. Orchids are easy, they thrive on neglect almost as much as cacti.

I have a thing where I don't think a barn is a proper barn unless it has hex signs. It also helps if it's brick red. You're from the same part of Pennsylvania as me, do you have this quirk too?

[ewein2412]

to tell the truth, most of the barns in Lebanon County (where I'm from) are stone built and dont' have hex signs. They all have forebays and ramps, though. Red barns with hex signs say "Pennsylvania" to me but not "home". If that makes any sense.

[tiboribi.livejournal.com]

It makes complete sense. I lived on a farm outside Reading, and we had a red barn with hex signs, so...

[ewein2412]

having said that, i have a long-term as yet unrealized plan to put a hex sign on our garage.

[marguerlucy.livejournal.com]

Your house sounds cute! what influenced your move to scotland?

I told my mother about your generosity in helping me get to read "Fire" and she says "That's it! you have to meet her!" and i was like "um, Scotland??" and she says, "I bet your father would take you!"

LOL however I am not planning a stalkerly trip to Scotland, though it's one of my top dream places I visit in my life (I really want to take like two months and travel all around britian, wales, ireland and scots!). If I ever do, I'll let you know, as I would of course hope we could have some coffee.

[ewein2412]

my husband got a job in Scotland. I was dragged up here kicking and screaming. Before that we lived in Marlow.

If you do come to Scotland, I know many wonderful places for coffee. The situation is muchly improved over 20 years ago.