A Finished Room of My Own

One year ago today, I started this blog.  I did so at the urging of Michele Kort, senior editor at Ms. Magazine.  I had the privilege of speaking with her on the phone because a family member of mine happens to be Michele’s good friend.  Michele spoke with me on two separate occasions, looked over some of my work, and promoted blogging as the way to go.  Boy, was she right, and not because I’ve been “discovered” or because I have writing contracts now.

She was right because, for me, blogging has been a great blessing in my life.  It has urged me to write, even when the subject is silly or unimportant to a large audience.  It has helped me to schedule my writing and to keep track of the books I read, the main purpose of this blog.  I find it useful to document my reading and to have these documents available to look back on and to help me remember the words I soon forget.  Blogging has also given me a community of people to share ideas with.  I enjoy the interactions I have with you on my blog, and I also love the opportunities I have to read what you write and to exchange views and opinions in a friendly forum.

Because today marks one year for me, I thought it would be appropriate to remind you of my very first post.  I’m sure many of you haven’t read it!

Do You Leap Out of Bed in the Morning?

I also thought it appropriate to revisit my third post, in which I told my then very small audience about a household project.  We were finishing the last part of our basement, and one of the rooms was to become my office, a room of my own, if you will.  From there, I outlined Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own (1929).  Her work speaks to me, and now that I have a room of my own, in which I can write, study, blog, relax, and read, I wanted to show how that turned out.

Here’s the room that is my own.  (As you can see, it didn’t end up being shades of lavender, darn it!)

It also doesn’t completely belong to me.  I share it.  With my family.  And that’s okay.

It isn’t complete, in my opinion.  I’d like to see some shelving along the wall above the computers and desks where I can keep books and files and maybe some decorative knickknacks and pictures.  That wall seems blank, so it needs something.  Any suggestions?

This is one of my favorite parts.

It is a cut out from a magazine that one of my students, Jill, gave to me last summer semester.  She saw it, full of pictures of amazing and kind women, and brought it to me.  I framed it and it sits beside my computer, where I can be reminded that some of the greatest moments in life are those in which we are kind.  And because of kindness, we can achieve much and pull others up with us.

I’m also a big fan of my curtains, which are a whimsical woodland pattern with bright colors.  My photography doesn’t do them justice (because it’s actually quite terrible).  So, I’ve included an image from the website where I bought them, Urban Outfitters.

The picture below is my wall of publications, which I have framed.  I dreamed of being a published author as a child, and although this sort of writing does not represent what I someday thought I would do, it represents for me that I can write and that I can achieve success there, even if it isn’t fiction.  I also like the artwork on the covers.  They add texture, color and interest to the room.  I hope to continue to add to this wall.

I also covered this bulletin board myself.  It doesn’t look professional, but a few yards of orange chevron fabric and batting and a spool of green ribbon from the local craft store made this old board, which has seen many years of use, into something much more cute, funky, and updated.

Thanks for following my blog and thanks for a great year!  I plan to continue because of the great sense of community I get from you and because of the value I see in documenting my reading habits.

Reading takes me to different worlds.  Blogging takes me to different people.

And, this post would not be complete without a picture of what my room really looks like, when I haven’t cleaned it up for pictures!