Friday 5 June 2009

by invitation only.....



i thought i should say why i have decided to pop an invite only rule on the Sea House blog......
it is not due to any problems that i have had with nasty folk, it is in response to my lovely chap saying on a number of occasions that he is uncomfortable with any local lurkers reading the blog and knowing how the build is progressing and what the inside of our home looks like.....
gradually it has started to worry me too..

you see - we already feel like we live in a bit of a goldfish bowl.......
most days we will find cars stopping in the lane that runs along our lower field - folk staring at the wood house - some are a little more discrete and just drive v.e.r.y s.l.o.w.l.y past!
at this time of the year we are even more of an attraction as it is tourist season..... camper vans, walkers and cyclists pass by...... we have been alarmed on a number of occasions as cars slow and swerve whilst craning their necks to look at our home.

these are the only tourists that we like to see...... especially when they pass in the dead of night - you look out to see a cruise liner passing silently by lit up like a fairy castle - stunning x



we know it is our fault for building a house that is so totally different from anything else on this North East Coast, we know that most folk are just curious, and we know that we would slow down and stare if we did not live here too!!!!
but
what really annoys us is those that get out of their cars and take pictures - i swear some days it feels like the paparazzi are outside!!
i now stand in the large window with my binoculars and make a point of staring back, i have even threatened to show them my bum - eeekk.....
thankfully for one and all i have not been pushed that far - yet

anyhoo - sorry about the little moan and i will get round to sorting invites out as soon as i work out how too - i love sharing the inside of my home with you all, i value your opinions and would miss not logging our progress..
i just need to know folk driving past gawping are not also aware of what the inside looks like, that my paint choices are not the subject of local gossip!
and for all the lovely local folk that stop me or my chap in the street and say..... ahh hah - are you the ones that live in that beautiful wood house - can i come round and have a look?
...... well ......
no
sorry
we love that you think are house is nice looking, and we feel very lucky to have it.....
but we have to draw the line somewhere....
when we start charging an admission fee and have a tea room and gift shop then feel free, until then the wood house by the sea is closed ......

gawd i sound like a misery guts!



right that's me done for the day.....
must away to clean the house before i put any new pictures on the Sea House blog!
i also have a cricket that needs attention x
back soon

t x

26 comments:

Cat said...

I understand. I'd be upset if the neighbors were lurking as well.
I can't believe how much the "little miracle" has grown. The photo is beautiful. He looks like he has aways belonged there. Somethings are just meant to be aren't they? Kiss him a scratch behind the ears for me.

julie said...

hi tracy gremlins with my blog at the moment so I will try again with my comment. Cricket seems to know he is the bees knees and has fitted in nicely to the way of life up there in scotland. I understand what you mean about seahouse we have a similar situation here in france we are regarded as the mad english that brought the wreck that no one else wanted. But they will pop in at every chance to take a peek. I would love to still be able to visit your seahouse blog if that is ok
love jules xx

JacquiMcR said...

Cricket is absolutely beautiful and my son is still lusting after your whole brood. I can imagine how you must feel with everyone watching you. I live in a small town and have spent a year and a half part demolishing/rebuilding my cottage. As we are two doors down from the church there is a constant stream of "well meaning" elderly (shall we say!) people who just love noticing everything that we are doing. You get used to the " thats your new bath in now" and "are the builders still in then". As this is an ongoing project I just smile and get on with it. Have a lovely weekend - jacqui x

Anonymous said...

Oh dear. I'm sure that as the house progresses, the novelty value will wear off., but I do understand what you mean. You move up to the North-East of Scotland and become the focus of unwanted attention. I guess it kind of goes with the territory, though. ;-) It won't last forever, chin up. :-)
I'd love to keep up with your progress, not least because one day I want to move to Skye and I'm safely down in the South-East of England! lol! Very best of luck - your doggits are gorgeous, btw!

Carmina Corazon: Desarma said...

Hi Tracy, I think I have never left a comment before, but I am a sure fan of your blog, especially whippet goodness I understand the circumstances that made you take this decision. But I would totally love to still be able to read your blog, but if you decide otherwise I would understand. If you need further information about me let me know, anyways there is an ocean an a bit more between us ;) .
Love,
Carmina
PS- Sorry for the crappy English as it is not my mother tongue.

SweetRaisin said...

Perfectly understandable about wanting a little privacy. Just don't exclude me from this blog, please. I show the pictures of your whippets to my whippet, Ripple, and she would be very sad if she couldn't see them anymore! This is her first high-tech venture, after all!

teacakebiscuit said...

*perfectly* understandable. I feel a bit the same about my blog when hubby's family read mine. It's like they're reading it less for enjoyment, but more to pry. One of my in-laws even leaves anonymous comments which is just odd. My family don't even look at it as they see it as being my own bit of personal space. I've considered making mine invite too or blocking their IP addresses, but it'll probably create drama, and I'm not a drama person *boo*.

I hope the tourists stop soon. It must feel like you're been mentioned in the Rough Guide or something (which I hope they don't do). xo

French Knots said...

Would love to be invited as I'm very nosey and enjoy seeing the progress on your lovely home. Promise not to take photos if I ever drive past!
Can't believe how much your sweet Cricket has grown, what a cutie!

Vintage to Victorian said...

Hee hee - I was going to suggest you put a sign at the gate charging admission and a fee for taking photos!

It must be a tad worrying, though - I quite understand your reasons for inviting only the best people to the Sea House blog!!!

Sue xx

Foxtail Lilly said...

Please dont forget me and Ede, how she would miss all the doggie lovelyness as would i !!

All my love Tracey xxx

Sweet Virginia Breeze said...

Tracy,
I can understand why you do not wish for your Sea House blog to be available for local lurkers and curious neighbors. I think I would find it very annoying to have my privacy invaded as yours has been.

I did not realize that your house was so different from others in your part of the world. What are most of the houses there like? We have quite a few natural wood siding homes in our area.

I enjoy the pictures of your sweet animals and have enjoyed watching your progress on Sea House. I would appreciate an invitation if you see fit.
Mary

Pam said...

Hey Tracy, love the updates on all the whippets, and especially Cricket. I would like to be able to still follow your Sea House blog, I live in Florida in U.S. so I won't be one of the ones stalking at the front gate! LOL

abbeysmum said...

Hi Tracey, I have been following your progress on Cupcakes, (love the puppers) and Sea House, since last year.I can sympathise with all the ups and downs as I am renovating my little house. Would love to be included in the invitation to keep up with the news of Sea House.

Kristy said...

I understand it may feel like you are on show but be careful you don't miss out on some new friendships. Inviting the odd person for tea might be nice. It might be you they want to get to know aswell as your lovely house! They might even bring cake!!!
I'd like an invite too if that's okay.

Anonymous said...

Oh dear. I had never thought about that aspect of having the house on a blog, but I see what you mean. You have been very generous in sharing you new life with readers and lurkers, and i have derived huge vicarious pleasure in sharing your adventure. Since I live an ocean and a continent away, I hope you'll invite me.

If I were closer, it's dear Ghillie you'd have to worry about xx;-) . . .and Cricket is pretty irresistible too. well, all of them really!

Bohemian Sister..... said...

i love the group pic...so cute...and i have just remembered that you 6 whippets(I left a comment on the previous post at how you are so blessed to have 4 whippets, but duh just remembered that you have 6, you are very blessed)
how awfully intruding it must be for you, i think i would put up a sign at the roadside....

p.s. i would love an invite to seahouse blog..... i love keeping up with the progress and what you are doing...

lynn said...

dear tracy i totally understand the invite only ..don't stress.. you already share a zillion things with all us bloggers out there you must do what you have to ...luv lynnie

Bear Lake Cabin said...

I'm a fan of your blog and would love to keep up with what's going on....

Fabric Nation said...

Hi
Thanks for sharing all your adventures with Seahouse, I really enjoy hearing about it, so hope to keep in touch. It must be odd moving somewhere so lovely and having far more intrusion than you might get in a city! Perhaps you could satisfy local curiosity with a one-off open house, and show off your work too and get them to make donations to the Wild Breeds work if they want to come. And get a few locals to open up theirs too - see how they like it! Good luck with the house, it is very inspiring. xx

Heart in the country said...

I can understand why you want to go 'private', it is lovely living in village or more remote areas but sometimes it really does get a bit claustrophobic with everyone knowing everything about you.

Give cricket a hug from me :0)

Emma said...

Hi Tracy I love both of your blogs. I would love to be able to still see how Sea House is coming along but completely understand your need for privacy. And as much as I'd love to be able to see the house by driving past I won't be able to from way down here in Australia!

Barbara said...

Ooh yes I can imagine how odd it must be to have people staring at your house. Sadly they only do it at mine because the garden is in such a sorry state! I've been reading your blog since just before you moved and have been so impressed with the life you have carved out for yourselves so far from home. We too moved from London to Scotland though not on such an extreme scale as you! Anyway I'd love to be able to continue reading your sea house blog if you decide that's ok. Bx

benshort said...

Please can I have an invite to your sea house blog.

Ben

Lucia said...

Good luck with your wood house! I came over from Fig and Lemon. I love your doggies, so cute!

Unknown said...

I can totally empathise with you - when I was with my previous partner we lived in a beautiful cottage in the woods on the Duke of Devonshire's Yorkshire estate - the woodland trails went right past our garden gate and the people we had knocking on the door asking things like 'Can we borrow your hose to wash the dog off as he's too dirty to go back in the car' 'We're doing a car treasure hunt and we need the answer to this question' 'The public toilets in the stable building across the way have a queue, could we just use your toilet' It was unending! And sadly because it was a tied house with his job we couldn't be rude to the people in case it got back to the Duke. Sometimes the general public have no idea of the concept of privacy

blueberry hill said...

Totally understand why you need to draw boundaries. If you let everyone in for a wee look around you'd never be finished chatting and serving tea and answering the same questions a thousand times.

Have been away for a few weeks as have a new arrival of my own so have been catching up today as the little girlie sleeps.
Love the new doggie pics - cute as buttons.

Annie xx