Thursday, June 23, 2011

An Seomra Beag*


* The little room

I don't exaggerate. This is the smallest of the bedrooms in my house. I started out with 5. Yeah 5! But they are teensy tiny dooshy little rooms. This seomra is 6' x 6'. And an odd thing. It sits at the end of its own little hall separated by a door leading to another hall and the other bedrooms. A Coventry situation for any guest, bad or good.

I put a single bed in there, a tiny handpainted round table and a little chair. I hung a cute toiletry holder on the back of the door and put some gorgeous bedlinens and quilts on the bed. In bright yellow. And hung flouncy sheers on the windows.

And no one has ever opted to sleep there. Or if they did, they crawled back into the exclusive owner apartments beyond The Door within a few hours. Some insist it is haunted. I've never slept there, even to test drive the mattress.

So I was left with this brand new bed. And an unused room.

Oh and this room. Ocean view. Grey ceilings, grey walls and grey floor. Imagine the thought that went into that. The previous owner must have been in a depressive state, d'ya think?

Leo wanted the brand new bed. Coveted it. His own is falling apart, he says. He takes it apart today and carts it outside and comes back in. It's no good to him: no headboard, you see. I try and convince him to use another headboard. Can't. Once Leo has his mind made up you can engage in a lifetime argument or just shrug, or just agree. I've learned to agree, it takes the least amount of energy.

I'm thinking yellow for the whole of this room, including the floor, which will become my sewing/knitting room. A place, finally for the sewing machine, in front of the window, overlooking the bay. Floor to ceiling shelves for the supplies. A place for some treasured crafty books - like this: "How to Make Paris Frocks at Home" published in 1948.

It's about time I got at those frocks, right?

35 comments:

  1. sounds intriguing...was it maybe a maids room once upon a time ?
    I find old houses fascinating...yellow sounds good btw.

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  2. Sounds like just the kind of accommodation that I would be comfortable in during one of my retreats!

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  3. What a perfect private place, and with a view yet. I want it!

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  4. Possibly, Twain, though in speaking to the original owner's son, it seems it was used as a large family closet and the bedrooms kept empty of clothing, etc.
    XO
    WWW

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  5. Ramana:
    Or perhaps you would prefer the Tigeen (little house) overlooking the whole bay up the hill at the back of my house with the huge skylight for starwatching?
    XO
    WWW

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  6. Anne:
    Anytime you'd like to visit!
    XO
    WWW

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  7. 6 x 6' is a curiously small room - trying to imagine it by thinking of a tall guy lying down....Hmmmmm!
    Lovely view though - the sea not the tall guy!

    We anxiously await pics of your first Paris frock. :-)

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  8. It looks beautiful to me. Not sure I could sleep in it though if it's haunted.

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  9. The guys who have visited have been under 6' but none opted for that room. Most take another front room (mine is also front) overlooking the bay which is the biggest room but only a 3/4 bed, 48" wide which came with the house.
    I will start on the Paris frock anon, I am taking orders, T. It would be perfect for those afternoon teas you love so much.
    XO
    WWW

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  10. H'm I've thought mine could be haunted too, Marcia, late at night I hear crying sometimes, very sad. The original owner's wife was very sick in this house tho I don't think she died here. I hope not.
    XO
    WWW

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  11. I'm not quite sure what to make of that, WWW, but I have to say I found the post interesting all the same...

    As for the grey room - for sure, give it an overhaul. The brighter the better :)

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  12. BG:
    What part did you have trouble with? ;-)
    Yes it needs to yellowize!
    XO
    WWW

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  13. Maybe people were put off the room not by ghosts but by all the grey? It would certainly have a depressing effect on me. A sewing/ knitting room sounds like a much better use for it.

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  14. yes, a yellow sewing room! with lace curtains. And would love to see those Paris frocks.
    My little room is a bit bigger than that but pale yellow with lace curtains. It is a peaceful place for me and my cat. I have a craft table in there and my crafty stuff.

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  15. Yellow is so right for a sewing room. Can I come and watch or help with the Paris frock?

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  16. It sounds like a lovely room for sewing and knitting. I live in a house plonked right in the woods. Everywhere I look there are trees and green - which I love. I know I am very lucky to live here, but if I could be completely selfish there would also be an ocean peeking through those trees.

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  17. I like little rooms because they are a challenge to figure out what to do with. It sounds like yours had found its destination. Yellow sounds like a good color. I can imagine you sitting in front of the window being industrious. Don't worry about the haunting. It's probably a friendly spirit.

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  18. Great idea - make somewhere productive or indulgent or both.

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  19. Nick You are right, I do believe it is the grey, and this is a particularly awful industrial shade of grey.
    I can hardly wait to brighten it up.
    XO
    WWW

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  20. Zuleme:
    I'd love to see a pic sometime.
    And I must post a few pics out of Paris Frocks....yes.
    XO
    WWW

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  21. GM:
    I think we'd fall over from laughing so much if we even started the Paris frock!!!
    XO
    WWW

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  22. Heather:
    Welcome. And I feel inordinately lucky with this gorgeous place.
    XO
    WWW

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  23. Nora:
    I always love small rooms, mainly because my bedroom growing up was 6 X 6 called a boxroom in Ireland. Large rooms I feel lost in, like I need to anchor myself.
    XO
    WWW

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  24. Sounds like you have the beginning of another wonderful short story (or maybe longer). Not all spirits are scary and learning more about your unseen guest, if indeed there is one, could lead to another "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir"!

    Movers are here and gone and my meager possessions (of which there are far too many, but that's *another* story) and on their way to the mainland. In another 40-hours I'll be right behind them ... well at least on the ferry!

    Fad saol agat, gob fliuch, agus bas in Eirinn! :-)

    veep

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  25. Now you will still be blogging, Veep?
    Somehow "many" and "meager" don't look altogether OK in the one sentence describing the one thing, do they? :>)
    Good luck on your ferry trek, I do so love the ferry and now that Argentia is on for the summer, good times are rolling.
    Thanks for the good wishes, as Gaeilge, and backatcha, mon cher.
    XO
    WWW

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  26. I hope to keep blogging, but who knows? I've had a number of blogs in the past that eventually faded away, so we'll see what happens.

    You're right about many and meager. My goal over the last year has been to downsize to the point where I could comfortably fit into a one-bedroom apartment. Ain't gonna happen for now but the goal isn't gone - just delayed.

    This will be my first trip on the Atlantic Vision. With all the start-up problems they had with that ferry, I have my worry beads twirling so it will be an uneventful crossing.

    Be well. veep

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  27. I'll see if I can get a good photo of mine and Harper's room.

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  28. Strange this, Veep, but I feel like I'm losing a good friend in you and that makes me sad. :-(
    I was on one of the first Atlantic Vision runs and it was awesome, the cabins are glorious. Only downside was there was no high-speed. (What is it about NL and highspeed anyway?)
    But the windows were enormous and the views breathtaking (moonlit night helps!).
    Stay in touch.
    XO
    WWW

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  29. You know it's truly amazing how cyber friendships develop. I remember talking with Frank Ogden (Dr. Tomorrow) years ago and he told me a story about "The Well" in the USA. It was one of the early online communities. When one of the members was dying with cancer and without any family members, members of The Well set up a schedule and in the last couple of months of his life, he was never alone.

    A number of years ago, I had the good fortune to moderate a forum on CompuServe. At its peak, we had sixty thousand members and about fifty discussion leaders. I probably attended more than a dozen gatherings all over the USA as forum members came together to celebrate their friendships.

    No wonder governments are so afraid of the Internet.

    Let's maintain the pixel flow.

    veep

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  30. and once you start using it, i'll be curious if you find it haunted, too.

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  31. ps we have one small bedroom that we painted yellow. the color is called BEESWAX and it is perfect. sherwin-williams. check it out.

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  32. I'd sleep in it!

    Great idea to paint it completely yellow though. I dare you!

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  33. Honey, if you're still willing to wear anything called a "frock," you're now ahead of the curve in this current fad of everything retro.

    Love this little story about the little room and the possible little ghosts. Let's talk (email). I'm starting a new blog and want to reconnect with you. I've been away from myself for such a long time!
    Big virtual hugs!
    v

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