A Room for a Family

I remember most the large stone fireplace that my father built with rocks he carried home from his trips to central West Virginia. The stones were large and smooth and rounded. The Elk River had smoothed them over the years. I imagine him wading in and selecting them for their size and shape.

He built the large family room off the back of our home when I was in junior high. The room had a slate floor and three large sliding glass doors and one small window high on the fourth wall. There was an opening or pass-thru into the kitchen where a window had been. Interior doors led into the kitchen and laundry room.

The walls were white, as were all the wall in our home. There was huge a wrap around couch that covered two walls. It had several pieces that could be moved and arranged in different configurations. It had a nubby tan and brown upholstery. The cushions came off and were often scattered about the room when my kids and my sister’s kids were present. There was a large, tall shelving unit behind the far section of the couch. It held books, treasures, and a collection of commemorative liquor bottles. There was a large octagonal coffee table in front of the couch where many rowdy card games were played over the years.

My Grandfather’s desk sat in one corner. My Mother had painted it white, with a pickling kit at some point in time. I preferred it dark wood. There were two rocking recliners by the fireplace where my parents sat. The large television sat along the kitchen wall with the player piano.

This large room was filled with laughter and song. We could fit a lot of people in there. It always held the Christmas tree. I remember one Christmas when all our kids – my four and Meredith’s two were somewhere between four and eight. Toys and wrapping paper littered the floor. There was much commotion and happiness. My Mother made her famous fudge that evening and everyone licked spoons ad beaters. It was a happy day.

This post is the second in a weeklong writing retreat I am doing called, Writing for the Soul at Days of Deepening Friendship. Today I am challenged to remember a room in the home I grew up in.