The Secret Room

As I write the stories of my everyday life, my husband compiles the blog stories and formats them to be made into hard covered books for future generations.  He has completed seven books but lately the number of blogs I have written has come to a screeching halt.  I will have to reach deep into my memory to complete the next couple of books.  I don't want to stop writing but the pandemic and age has put an end to any great adventures.  I have written about deer, bluebirds, other wildlife around our home and the weather way too much, so any new ideas I have are few and far between. 

My daughter mentioned a while ago that her ten year old son Ewan is reading at an advanced high school level.  She said it was hard to find age appropriate books at a reading level that would challenge him.  That got me thinking of how and when he became such an avid reader.  I think it was before he was born.  His brother Dylan almost always has a book along with him.  His mother has read to him every night before bed since birth.  Both his parents have an extensive library.  I read quite a bit in my older years but I admit I never was much of a reader.  I like to make things, but Ewan's other grandparents attend every book sale in the area.  This is my daughter and son in law's family room/library. 

This is Ewan's room.

 

If you look carefully there are several interesting elements in this bookcase.  I am not talking about the massive numbers of books.  I am talking about some details that aren't apparent.  One of details is the little blocks put in the bookshelf frame with hints.

When she was young, our daughter wrote a book about going into her closet and finding a secret room.  I imagine I had read her the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but the details were totally her idea.  I should look in my memories box to see if I still have that book.  My son-in-law also always wished for a hidden room to go to.  Maybe this was foreshadowing because that's exactly what he built for his son.  

Ewan has a playroom off his bedroom.  It is where his toys are kept, and it has an open space to play.  One day he came home and went to his room.  The doorway to his playroom was covered with bookshelves.  Can you see the plywood showing on the right side?  It only took him a moment to realize what had happened.  His dad had built a magic door. 

   Inside the door was his playroom, all intact but hidden.

I would say Ewan is a lucky boy.  Even as an adult, it might be fun to have a hidden space to think, meditate or to hide things when company is coming.  Oh wait, no one comes to our house anymore so I guess I don't need that right now.  This secret room is something he will always remember and will most likely tell his kids and grandkids about.