Notes from the Queendom

Up the stairs, just outside the door hangs a sign that reads, “Welcome to the Queendom.” Step inside and you’ll see it’s not a tower in a castle. It’s not the typical queendom of fairy tales, although fairy tales may be written or told here. You won’t find a throne, a crown, or a scepter. It’s not a place of finery. This queendom is furnished with overstuffed, mismatched bookcases topped with special gifts and memorabilia. An old farm table, constructed with reclaimed wood from a chicken coop, works as place to make art, and a round gateleg table, piled high with papers and notes for various works-in-progress, functions as a desk. This space has a cozy Kelly-green sofa with lots of pillows, and the only thing gold in the room is the fabric on a chair and ottoman. The yellow walls don’t have royal portraits, though there is one portrait. These walls hold the paintings and photos given to me by my nieces and sisters. The Queendom is an ordinary space where extraordinary things happen.

Virginia Woolf wrote that in order for a woman to write fiction one of the things she needs is a room of her own. The Queendom is my room of my own, my creative space. To someone else, it’s just the bonus room above the garage, but to me it’s the place where I primarily write, but also where I read, paint, work on crafts, or relax with a cup of high tea and consider my subjects.    

At least one battle has been fought over this space. When we built this house, my husband wanted to claim the Queendom for his own, but as the room was framed-in and sheet-rocked, and I had a better sense of the space and light, I knew we would have to negotiate. My husband came around to my way of thinking when I offered him the dungeon, err, the basement, twice as big as the bonus room, where he could practice his woodworking and build his model train layouts, and where he can house his massive collection of tools. In the peace talks, I might have agreed he’d never have to clean up.   

Naturally, the Queendom is a feminine space, a celebration of feminine energy and right-brained thinking. This is where the women in my life gather when they come to visit—my sisters and nieces, in-laws and friends, and maybe even a princess or two. It’s where we talk, where we laugh and cry and tell secrets and support each other. We’ve been known to stretch out on the floor and tumble and do yoga. We have danced and played music and told stories. It’s not unusual for us to break into spontaneous song.  

The Queendom—it’s where I’ll be writing my blog. This is a new experience for me, an exciting adventure where I hope to share with you my thoughts about writing and reading and anything else that comes to mind. I promise there will be no decrees or proclamations, just topics to spur ideas and prompt conversation. I hope you’ll check in often and share your thoughts, too.   

Welcome to the Queendom.