Wednesday, February 17, 2010

My Inspirational Surroundings

Inspired by Macmillan's fun new blog, Get to the Point, which routinely features various Macmillan staff members sharing the fascinating and sometimes mysterious-sounding contents of their desks, I want to share with you the current contents of my own hallowed workspace. And then you'll understand a little more about why I am the way I am. (It involves being acutely disorganized and overrun by animals.)

On my desk (which is actually two desks shoved together) at this moment, you will find:

1. Laptop – much-loved old Gateway held together with painter's tape
2. Cat (Sage, six-year-old notebook-obsessed Tortie)
3. Notebook with several versions of a scribbled outline by which to revise my current work-in-progress (under cat, of course)
4. Pedialyte (for my sickly and dehydrated dog, Buddy)
5. Syringe (with which to squirt the aforementioned Pedialyte down Buddy's throat every hour on the hour)
6. Worming powder (for our foster puppy, Rupert, who was diagnosed with worms based on his awful gas problem)
7. Candle garden (Valentine's Day present from my honey) filled with scented candles (to try to mask the aforementioned doggie gas problem)
8. Singing bowl (Birthday present last spring from Mom and Dad)
9. Collection of Feiwel and Friends books
10. Coffee cup (sadly, sadly, sadly empty – I am trying to cut down on caffeine and it is no fun)
11. Cough drops (getting over the flu)
12. Tissues (multi-purpose – for mopping up coffee spills, cleaning up sick-dog vomit, and dabbing at splatters of Pedialyte) (Oh, and blowing nose)
13. Little figurines of a roan horse and an orange cat who represent two dear pets I used to have
14. Several vet bills and receipts
15. And my feet.


(Feet not pictured. I'm not agile enough to take a picture of my own feet on my desk without flipping over backwards. And yes, that is Facebook, not my WIP, on the screen. Ssshhh.)

What's in your workspace? Spill! (The beans, I meant. Not the contents of your desk.)

8 comments:

Heather Kelly said...

Sarah--your work space looks terribly uncluttered after that vivid list. I love the idea of a candle garden. I just killed off my 2nd house plant this winter. I just can't keep track of everything--you know like watering. A candle garden I think I could (maybe) keep alive. Right now I have tissues, pens, notebooks, two coffee mugs (both empty), a note from my son's teacher about spring conferences, my iPod, and various kids drawings.

Sarah Dooley said...

Heather -- notice how I deftly only photographed HALF my workspace. That's because it's the other half that's a cluttered mess! The cat won't let me keep this half messy, since that's where her notebook (notice the possessive pronoun) lives and her fluffy tail knocks over any excessive clutter I dare to leave out.

Floot said...

"2. Cat (Sage, six-year-old notebook-obsessed Tortie)"

Much laughter :) she's gorgeous, by the way!

Now, I'm pretty sure I know what a singing bowl is, but I can't get away from the image in my head of a set of crockery that's singing in close harmony...

Sarah Dooley said...

Although she's not a bowl, now I'm seeing Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast! Ha!

No, it's a metal bowl that you make "sing" by running a wooden stick-thingy (there's probably a more elegant term for it) around the lip till it hums. My mother says it raises the healing energy in a place.

Floot said...

*laughs* Mrs Potts! Yes, 'xactly!

Ahh yes - I think I've seen one, it did sound vaguely familiar.

Wooden-stick-thingy works for me :p

B. WHITTINGTON said...

I have to tell you now about my work space. I have two desks in my office/laundry room. It's not an ideal situation for writing. When we moved into this ranch almost five years ago I didn't want the laundry in the basement so we put the washer and dryer in the closet space in the third bedroom and I claimed the rest of the room as my office. Works well until I have to do laundry and then it's too noisy to work. Since I do laundry nearly every day even tho there is only two of us - well never mind. I have books, pens, everything that one would find on a desk, all the things you mentioned minus the cat- no pets here - I have my first novel stacked with notes from my college professor friend - who swears it's good; Next week begins corrections on that novel, I have the beginnings of two other novels, five notebooks, book by Liza Palmer whom I love except her F words; Another novel given me by my daughter Lisa and scraps of papers filled with ideas for stories I might never write. I believe that's it. How embarrassing! Barb

Sarah Dooley said...

Barb -- Thanks for stopping by! Your writing space/laundry room sounds like the PERFECT excuse to skip a load of laundry or two from time to time! "Well, I can't do laundry in there right now -- I'm writing!" LOL -- Good luck with that! And thanks for sharing! :)

Unknown said...

Sarah, I agree, your work space does have the appearance of being uncluttered and inviting. Love Sage! My cat, Mickey, also sleeps on desk while writing. Sometimes, he sits up, stretches and gives me the most perplexing look. I think he wants to give me some advice. Cannot wait until your book comes out. I have a fourteen year old granddaughter. Is this a good book for her age???