Our English House, Part 5

So- I kind of left y'all hanging.  I was all into showing you different parts of my house and then I just quit blogging.  Sorry about that.  I have no excuse except that life gets in the way.  I intend to blog- especially with family so far away -I want to keep y'all updated about what is going on with us, but it just doesn't happen.  A big reason is that I can't post a blog heavy with pictures at night- the internet is too slow.  And I am used to getting things done at night. If I plan ahead (like I did today, but that doesn't happen often) I can upload the pictures earlier in the day and then write the blog at night.  But, yeah... that kind of planning is not a regular thing here.

For a refresher or if you missed the first four parts, I brought you inside my kitchen and three of the bedrooms in part one.  In part two, I mainly concentrated on the outside and now reading it again, I remembered that I wanted to take more pictures of the outside when everything in the garden was in bloom.  And now that has all passed and I forgot.  Oops.  Hopefully, I remember next summer.  We took a look in my craft room (an out building) and the office in part three.  And part four brought you inside the dining room for a cup of tea beside the wood-burning stove.

I decided today was a good day to take a look in the bathroom since my lavender is in bloom outside and I have been waiting for it to bloom so I could put a few sprigs in there.

The entry:

 In England, there are no electrical outlets or light switches in bathrooms. Because of their 220 voltage, they fear the possibility of electrocution with all that moisture in the bath.  So, older homes have these pull cord light switches that turn the light on (newer homes have a light switch OUTSIDE the bathroom door in the hallway).  The other cord you see there is a pull cord that turns on the shower.

 I was elated to see this clawfoot tub when we looked at the house- and it is beautiful.  But, the reality is that it is pretty cold in this cavernous bathroom and you can freeze to death while sitting in that bath.  It is also quite a pain to clean.  

 I found a beautiful pitcher and wash basin at an antique store and thought it would go nicely in this bathroom.

 I found the towel rack at an antique shop but it was in bad shape.  I gave it a nice little paint job and now it looks great!

 The picture there on the wall is a canvas print of one of my photos I took this past summer of the roses around the back door of the house.

 I found this little plaque while shopping one day and had to have it!  I have also placed the little bottle here with sprigs of lavender from the plants I put in a few months ago in the back garden.

 Lavender from my lavender plants:

 The shower:

I think the only rooms left are the guest bedroom and the living room. Hopefully, I will get to them before we leave (in two years).

In other news, the kids started their new year of school end of August.  Noah is now in his last year of elementary school and I am choosing not to think about the fact I will be the parent of a middle school kid next year.  Zoe is trucking along in first grade, working on reading and memorizing poems for class.  

Noah starts back up with piano lessons and his new piano teacher (the last one moved back to the US) this week.  Both kids started swim lessons two weeks ago and are doing well considering their hatred for getting their faces wet. They are still in the "armband" class and I imagine will be in that class for some time.  I feel bad for Noah, though, because he is ten years old and in a class, wearing floaties, with a bunch of children all five and under.  Even Zoe seems a little old for the class, but they both have to learn.  As much of a lover of the water as I am, I did not pass that trait on to either of my children and I was unable to teach them to swim.  

As for school, they are both currently working on a project for the librarian sponsored by the PTO.  They are hosting a pumpkin decorating contest where the children are required to decorate a pumpkin like a storybook character and the pumpkins will be used as fall decor for the library and school.  Both kids know what they are aiming for and I am going to a craft store tomorrow to see if I can find supplies.  Stay tuned for those reveals later.  

And last, I have mentioned over and over how the Air Force world is a small one and it is amazing how we tend to cross paths over and over again or with people that have mutual friends.  Back in New Jersey, I had a friend that I made when we were both pregnant with our first kids and our husbands (in the same squadron) were deployed at the same time.  Our boys were born 6 weeks apart and were each other's first friends.  They left New Jersey in 2006 and we haven't seen them since.  Well, they found out last summer they were moving to England this fall.  Her husband arrived today and she and the kids will arrive on Friday.  We are so very excited to see them again.  DJ met up with Jeff today to take him to get a rental car and hopefully, once Claudia gets here, we can maybe see them this weekend.  Here's hoping they can find a place to live near us.

The Window and "I'm Cold"

When I was reading through my last post taking you into my dining room, I discovered that I had left the most important feature of the room out:

The window.

In various photos I have posted before of my sideboard, several people have asked if that was a dumbwaiter. It isn't, but has a great (to me) story!

When I first introduced you to our house, I told you how it used to be a home and a shop.  Our living room was the shop. During that time, the owner would have primarily lived in the dining room space- warming around the fire.  They would have needed to know if someone walked in the shop, so rather than having to keep checking, they built a window that provided a clear view of the shop door from the vantage point of someone sitting by the fire in the dining room.  (Remember, I told you the shop door has been turned into a built-in bookcase in our living room).

(the view if you zoom in on the window from the chair next to the fireplace- see the bookcase?  That used to be the shop door.)

Now, onto other things.  In order to cut down on heating costs, which are expensive here, I have had to learn to get used to a cooler temperature in the house than I am used to.  In New Jersey, we kept it around 70 (21 C).  Here, it generally stays around 64 (18 C).  I just keep thick socks and a hoodie or cardigan on.  So, this morning, after I walked the kids to the bus stop, I could not get warm.

I have my fuzzy socks:

I am wearing a hoodie AND a hat:

And, although you can't see them, I am also wearing thermals under my jeans.  When I am sitting, I also have a blanket on.  As I type this, my hands actually ache from the cold.  We filled up our oil tank in September and were hoping to make it through the winter as oil is more expensive in the winter. But, it is becoming apparent to us that we will probably have to fill it again by January.  And that should cost a small fortune.

Anyway,  as I was saying, I cannot get warm.  So, I wandered in to the office to look at our thermometer.  Fifty-eight degrees (14 C).  No wonder I am freezing!!  I went upstairs and bumped the heat from 16 to 18 to try and warm it up a little more in here!  I am so thankful, England doesn't get that cold!  I don't think I could take New Jersey temperatures in this house!  OR.. I wouldn't be able to AFFORD New Jersey temperatures in this house!  THIS is why these houses are built with so many fireplaces!  It is a shame ours don't work!

So, for now, I sit in the corner of my couch, typing this blog within easy reach of the radiator (see it behind the curtain?).  Aside from the heat radiating from it,  I also like to alternate between placing my hands on it to warm them up.

Our English House- Part 4

One of Mama Kat's writing prompts this week was: "Friends are on their way over to your house for a coffee date.  What kind of afternoon can they expect with you?"  I thought this was an excellent way to marry the Writer's Workshop link-up with part 4 of my series on our house here in England.

I don't drink coffee, but I do drink tea.  Perfect for England, right?  So, assuming you are coming over to my house for tea, you will have to see my dining room which is less spectacular than the rest of the house, but quaint in it's own right.  Since it has not yet been revealed, this is the perfect opportunity for it.

Upon entering the back door, the dining room is immediately on your left. The print hanging over the fireplace is one of the original deeds to the house complete with a wax seal.  The landlord left it there and I think it is a nice touch.

The view from the back corner facing the dining room door (you can see the back door in the background):

The house has four fireplaces but they have all been sealed off.  All except the one in the dining room which was fitted with a wood burning stove.  It has been really cold lately, so when you arrive, I will have the fire going to keep you warm.

I got this tea set at a secondhand shop for £30.  It includes service for 5- 5 teacups and saucers, 5 dessert plates, the cake plate you see above with the biscuits (cookies) on it, sugar bowl and creamer.  I was lamenting the fact I didn't have a teapot to go with it when I remembered the little teapot DJ bought me on a trip to California last year.  It actually goes really well with the set!

Here is your seat with a cup of tea waiting- one lump or two?

And if you are having the kind of day where tea just doesn't hit the spot, the landlord also left a nice bottle and glass rack on the wall- I would be more than happy to pour you a glass of wine.

Cheers.


**If you missed the first three parts, let me catch you up.  In August, my family moved from New Jersey to England and are living in a charming English home built in 1812.  I am writing about and sharing it's quirks and rooms so my friends and family can experience this adventure along with us.  Part 1 shows you the outside of our house, the kitchen, the kids' bedrooms and our bedroom.  For Part 2, I give you some of the history of the house and take you around the back yard showing you the remains of an old cottage, the well and the furnace in the blacksmith's shop.  Part 3 explores my craft room I set up in one of the out buildings and then brings you back inside the house to see my favorite room- the office.

Our English House- Part 3

My last post about our house, I took you around the outside and told you some of the history associated with the various buildings and features in the back garden.  My craft shed was mentioned in one of the photos and you were able to see it from the outside.  This building was originally built by the landlord because he works from home several days a week and wanted an office separate from the house.  When I saw it, I knew it would be my craft room.  I mean, DJ gets a two car garage that we can't manage to swing our cars around the angle and into the bays, so he has the WHOLE garage, minus the back corner where I have my holiday decoration bins stacked, to himself!

So, once again, here is the craft shed from the outside:

 When you walk in the door, this is what you see:

 The black IKEA bookshelf along the back wall was in our entryway in the old house, but wouldn't fit in this one so it has been repurposed in the craft room.  The shelf hanging on the wall is an IKEA shelf too that used to be over our television in New Jersey.  It has special hanging brackets so it looks like it is floating, but those brackets were on the wall already, so I just set it on top.  Note the little space heater which is necessary because the building is not heated.

 The cabinet under the window was our tv cabinet, but there was no room for it here, so it is enjoying it's new home in the craft room as well.

 In New Jersey, I had some nice counters and cabinets that DJ built for me to use as a workspace.  I don't have that here, so my folding table is set up permanently as my workspace.  My sewing maching is in the corner over there and can be set up on my table as well.

 The view of the door from the back of the room:

Now, I just need to motivate myself to go out there and do something!

In my first post about our house, we explored a little bit of the inside and I promised you I would show you the office next.  I think this is my favorite room in the house- the landlords left it painted and that along with the chandelier and the other details of the room, make me love it so much!

 I also love the floors!  Those are the original floorboards.  It used to be covered by carpet and the landlord wanted to expose all the hardwood.  He started with this room and quickly realized it was going to be a lengthy project as the floors were not in great condition due to all the carpet tacks and required a lot of sanding and finishing.  So, this room is the only one with the exposed floorboards. The living room and upstairs are carpeted.  The kitchen, dining room, entryway and bathroom have laminate over the wood.  I think these floors are beautiful!

 See that chandelier?

 That door on the left is the half bathroom we have downstairs.

 We needed a chair for the desk and happened upon this little gem in an antique store for £16.

In the picture below, you can really see the dampness on the walls. The wall behind the chair and that built-in bookcase is one of the worst spots in the house.  I try to open the windows for a few minutes most days to cut down on the moisture.  The room directly above this one is our bedroom and this same corner of our bedroom is also very damp.  In fact, I just noticed mold on my bedroom window (which is directly above this window) this morning and had to clean it with bleach.  The windows are double pane, but when I put the blinds down at night, condensation collects on the inside of the windows.  I never put this blind in the office down, but I always put the one down in the bedroom.  It's just another English quirk.  In fact, as we sat Saturday and watched it rain outside the living room window, DJ remarked, "I truly think the moisture holds everything together in this country!  If they ever had a true and serious drought, I think everything would just turn to dust and blow away!"

 I really do just LOVE this room!

This past weekend, we bought a table for the entryway.  I need to find a large mirror to hang on the opposite wall in the entryway as there are still large screws in the wall from the mirror the landlord had there.  I need to cover those screws!  I need to find something for the walls in the upstairs bathroom as well because it just looks really bare right now.  The next piece of furniture we are going to purchase is hopefully a bed for the guest room and we are still looking for a small cabinet or shelf for the living room.

So- still left to see: living room, bathroom, entryway, dining room and guest bedroom.

Here is a little teaser of a future post- a picture of the table we bought for the entryway at an antique dealer this weekend: