People ask me where I write. Truth be told, I’m constantly plotting and thinking and jotting down notes on handy scraps of paper but when I write I’m here at my desk, pounding away on the laptop. And I do pound the poor keys – learned to type at age 7 on an old Royal typewriter with keys that actually rose up and struck the paper. (Bought for me second hand by my Dad, I’m not that antiquated!)
The desk was my great grandmother’s. It’s over 100 years old, made of rosewood (I’ve been told – not an expert on woods), has a drop front and hidden pigeon hole cubbies. I still have the key! We used to have a family photo of her posed at this very desk, writing a letter. I wish I still had that picture but alas, no one seems to have kept the right photo album. When I was given the desk by my grandfather, there were two old Civil War tintype photos tucked in the locked drawer. No one knows who the gentlemen are but I’ve kept them safe in the drawer because obviously they had great meaning to her. Probably a story there!
The desk was literally falling apart by the time I came to own it. My late mother-in-law’s best friend did furniture restoration and as a wedding present for me, she had the desk completely taken apart, refurbished and put back together to last another 100 years.
I’m pretty sure I’m a little more light hearted than my great grandmother was and I keep an ever changing assortment of knick knacks on the desktop to keep me company, bring a smile, dillydally with when I should be writing. As you can see, I have quite the Egyptian theme going at the moment, topped by a framed copy of the fabulous Priestess of the Nile cover. (Which started out entitled Song of the Nile but that’s a long story…)
You have to love the Bunnykins Tuthankhamun and his Queen Ankhesenamun! And my fierce Papo crocodile warrior – I keep his 
twin on my desk at the day job for good luck. And the chariot…and the pharaoh…ok, I obviously never grew up all the way. And no, I don’t dust much.
I need an ergonomic chair though – great grandmother didn’t have that problem!
So where do you do your best writing? Do you indulge in knickknacks with special significance or do you keep your writing space clear of distractions?
I have an office with a door that comes in very handy. 🙂
Love your desk. I like refinishing furniture and am always on the prowl for something unloved so I can fix it.
I can shut and lock my bedroom door, wish I had the luxury of a separate office – someday! I was so grateful my late MIL had the desk redone for me! It was too loved, you know? and fragile! Thanks for stopping by!
My husband built my desk…for my then 4-year-old. I took it over when her room got too crowded for it. It’s got stuff shoved haphazardly in all the cubbies and papers draped out of in-out trays and kid scribbles on the white paint. But all that clutter piled around does a fine job of keeping the cats off my laptop!
Well keeping the cats and their fur off the keyboard is good! As long as we have someplace to write, we’re ok, right? Nice that your husband built the desk!
Beautiful desk, and I love the twist of something so old being used with modern technology.
Thank you! It does please me to have that link to my great grandmother’s time while I do all this internet/laptop work!
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Your desk is lovely, and even lovelier for its history. I’d cherish the chance to work at something like that as a constant reminder of old loved ones.