The Reading Room

The Reading Room

Once upon a time, this was our formal dining room.

You know the kind of room...the one set aside for special dinners and holidays, while most everyday meals somehow happen everywhere else. Eventually, we decided a room hardly used was a room waiting for a new purpose.

So, we gave it one.

Today, it’s The Reading Room. A quiet, comfortable place filled with books, soft chairs, and a wonderful view of the world passing by outside. It has become one of my favorite places to settle in with a book, a cup of coffee, or simply a few minutes of quiet.

Of course, I’m not entirely sure Thelma and Louise would agree with my description.

To them, this is not a reading room.

It is Surveillance Headquarters.

From their carefully chosen posts by the windows, they can monitor every person, vehicle, squirrel, delivery truck, and most importantly, dog that dares pass within sight of the house. While we read, they work.

And they take their responsibilities very seriously.

Most mornings, I jokingly refer to the view outside as Westmonster—our own neighborhood version of Westminster. One by one, the morning contestants parade past: little dogs, big dogs, fluffy dogs, dignified dogs, dogs pulling their people, and people attempting to convince their dogs that perhaps they should keep moving.

Inside, our two judges watch every entrant with intense concentration.

No ribbons are awarded.

No trophies presented.

And I’m fairly certain their judging criteria would never pass Westminster standards.

Still, there is something wonderfully comforting about it all.

A room that once waited for special occasions has become part of our everyday life. We read. We talk. We watch the neighborhood awaken. The dogs assume their positions and keep watch over their little corner of the world.

Perhaps that’s what makes a house truly become a home...not using every room for what it was originally intended, but allowing our spaces to change along with us.

Our formal dining room may be gone.

But I think The Reading Room, and its two very dedicated security guards, suits us much better.