As a writer, I like to think a room made purposely for writing is a great idea. It would be a place you could display awards you've won, rejection letters you've received (if you keep them {I do}). You could hang posters that inspire and sit on that comfy chair at your favorite desk. And like so many authors, you'd have a room to go to and just write. ...Or sit there, staring at a blank paper or screen, wondering what in the world you should write about. At least you would have that writing room!
A couple of months ago, I started rearranging our TV room, with the thought of making it my writing room. We hadn't been using it much, so I thought it would be perfect.
I had about everything I needed, except one really important item--a desk. Grandma was cleaning out her garage and had an old kitchen table. When I saw it, I knew I wanted it! Later, we had the pickup and loaded the three legged table, extra leaf, and fourth leg. (Somehow one leg had broken off, don't ask me how.) At home I gave it a good scrubbing and wiped off all the years of dirt. When I finished, I had a slick, perfectly conditioned vintage table.
I called Grandma to get some information on it: She told me it was probably the first table she and Grandpa had when they got married. She thought it could be as old as 57 years old, thus it's from around 1959. (So cool!)
Grandma said so much happened around this table--birthday parties, family gatherings, homework, the announcement of my aunt before she was born, Christmas decorations...meals consisting of fried chicken, pickles, mashed taters, and corn from the freezer.
Oh, the stories it could tell!
When we talked yesterday, Grandma even mentioned she still has some of the tablecloths they put on this table. I'm looking forward to getting to see those before long!
Now it lives on in my writing room. My three little pigs from a dear pen pal sit at the back, against the wall, my Newton's Cradle is on the far right corner, and my Journal Jar (writing prompts) is on the left. And there's me. I'm sitting right here at it, typing away on my computer, Dizal.
For a chair I have a $6 mismatched chair from an antique store. It's not very pretty, but it is cushy and a good height for the table.
I've also spread some various antiques throughout the room. There's an old blue jar, family history book, and ranch plate on the cedar chest. And the old watering can my cousin gave me, shown in the first picture.
There's another chair which was my other grandparents' and it has some years under its belt, so to speak. At the foot of it, there's an old horse rug made by my great-grandfather.
On Mom's shelves, we have a family picture (in an antique frame, no less), a tea pot, cup, and bird feeder.
On the walls you'll see a painting of a horse and her young one, a picture of a coyote, and a painting of a tall cactus in the sunset, painted by my great-grandmother.
Finally this room doesn't have worn out furniture and a bland feel. But in the end, it's not exactly what I thought it would be. It kind of turned into an antique room, which is great, and we all like it, so that's great, but it actually doesn't have a true writing atmosphere. Oh, well. I like being surrounded with old things and I can and do write in here. So at least I have a large desk to spread my papers and computer on for writing and editing. That was the main point I needed a room for.
