Anna Carrasco Bowling's Blog, page 6

Balancing Holiday Chaos: Tips for Planning and Productivity

This is technically last week’s post. This week, besides dealing with Thanksgiving, and Black Friday, I am focusing on the final details on getting ready to pull the trigger on putting A Heart Most Errant out there. Real Life Romance Hero is making ham for the holiday, and I am chomping at the bit to put up not only the family Christmas tree but Storm’s as well. Since Housemate and I shopped an early Black Friday sale online, that initiated the launch sequence, and we are now in Holiday Prep Mode. This does, of course, include my desk.

almost current state of the desk

The three-drawer unit in the wooden crate has dot markers (dual tipped) in the top, Tombow brush markers (also dual tipped) in the middle, and then the bottom has my favorite size lined sticky notes and glue runner refills. My small black pouch in front of the laptop is currently a lot more Christmassy-looking, because the blues and purples were making me cold. I live in New York. I’m already cold.

The end of this week is the start of December. How did we get here this quickly? Do I want to know? Since I am on the last month of the year in my planners and journals, that means time to think about next year’s lineup, as I want to be prepared for the coming sales and temptations, because I love all the formats. Bound books, disc bound, rings, traveler’s notebooks, spiral bound and wire-o, twin loop, reporter style, all of it. It’s easy to get dazzled, lost and overwhelmed. How do I sort it out? I go back to preschool.

Let me explain. I went to a Montessori school for preschool, and I loved it. I studied early childhood development and education in college (where the most important thing I learned was that I am not suited for that career) and once in a while, it does come in handy. What do I find myself naturally gravitating toward? What do I reach for first? What do I actually use? When I get in a groove, what is going on that helps me stay there? It’s been a while since college, and even longer since preschool, (and Early Childhood Education students also worked in the college’s preschool) but I am still going to call the method to my madness Montessori-influenced. Providing I remember it right, that is, but Maria Montessori started out with cats, and I have a cat, so I fgure I am on the right track.

Anyhoo, there is probably a video in this, because that feels more natural than blabbering here, but refer to the opening paragraph about this being last week’s entry. Domestic tornadoes do happen this time of year, but everyone is fine and bonus points, we have a mystery pumpkin that showed up on our stoop around the same time our downstairs neighbors left.

Some of my discoveries:

Even though I love my A5 rings, I am mostly in disc bound planners this year. Folding the pages over is a must, and I need to be able to move things quickly when Storm decides it is time to supervise. I love my everyday carry traveler’s notebook, but don’t need a weekly calendar in it; all it’s doing is copying what I have in my desk planner. A monthly insert will be fine.The bells and whistles, aka accessories, aka dashboards and charms and tabs and pen loops and pouches, et al, are part of the planning process.

Some of those bells and whistles actually serve a practical purpose. Since I am visually impaired, I need high contrast. If the lines are light, they may as well not be there, and my eyes generally view dot grid (unless the dots are dark) as “blank.” The solution? Line stencils. Pencil or fineliner, stencil, and we are in business. The decorative tapes at top and bottom aren’t just for pretties, either. They help anchor my sight on the page.

green inside border was already on the paper

Okay, I do also use the borders as a visual signal what section I am in, for multi section notebooks. I also like the process of preparing the page. I like the whole stationery process. Case in point, the current state of the EDC or at least the pouch and TN cover:

Pouch could probably be more Christmassy, but we’ll see.

That’s enough rambling for one week, especially since I need to stay on track with the whole publishing thing. I have forms to fill out and a release date to pick. I am waffling :;mmmm, waffles:: on whether I need a pre-order, but probably not, as this is a re-entry which means I am basically new again. Can we spot the overthinker? Yes. Me. Got it in one.

My reward for posting this blog is a cup of tea and some shortbread, so time to wrap this and move on along with the day. How’s your week looking?

as always, Anna

Typing With Wet Paws: Introducing the Boys Edition

Tails up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. Now that Mama Anna is finally letting me watch videos I want to see, we have play dates where I can watch those videos (and play with them) and Mama Anna watches. We were doing exactly this the other day when Papa called Mama Anna on the talky box (she calls it a phone) and I heard his voice. I love him a lot, so I ran to the talky box so I could talk to him, too. I have done this before. What was different this time, though, was that first I popped my paw on the keyboard and it paused the video. Mama Anna was surprised and happy. I don’t know why she is surprised. I have seen her do it about a million times. It’s not that hard.

never mind the eye booger

Anyway, whatever it is a cat has to do to get some help around here, it looks like I’ve done it, because now I get to train the new guys, Murphy and Oliver. They work remotely because they live with Aunt Melva in her house which is different from our apartment, but they both love the office over there, so I think collaborating will go well. I will let Aunt Melva introduce them.

Murphy (black) and Oliver (tuxedo)

        This is Oliver and Murphy. They arrived on the scene at my house during the summer. I had only been fur-free for a few months when I inherited these two boys. I did not seek them out. Rather, they found me and settled in. They made themselves at home by trotting across my keyboard and snagging my picture window curtains. They claimed the latter job was done to make my living room look more lived in. While I appreciated their efforts, I had been previously fine un -holey drapes.
        Since they made quick work of adding their own stamp on the house, they were looking for employment. Storm graciously offered to let them act as assistants to her blogging work should it ever become necessary. While I was hesitant to allow them entry into the business world, they insisted on joining Storm’s mentorship program. We’ll see how it goes.

–Melva Michaelian

Cat distribution system strikes again. Since they are Aunt Melva’s boys, I guess that makes them my play cousins. I can deal with that. I am awesome at playing. Also, I like everybody.

So, anyway, this week stuff. Mama Anna is all excited about paying her first invoice for the indie publishing thing. Papa has to help her with a thing or two, and then there will be news about fun things like pre orders and release dates and even a cover reveal. Did I mention she really likes the cover? She is already looking forward to working with the Killion Group again.

She also has some plans for future blog posts, both here and at MelvaAndAnna.com, plus how she is going to handle filling the storage on this account at its present level. She will probably have to ask some people about that, which is okay. She is great at talking to people, and most of those pictures are probably of me. If not, then they should be. She might be willing to open a gallery of only kitty pictures over at MelvaAndAnna if you guys want to see one. That would include me, Murphy, and Oliver, though not all three of us in the same place. (I do love car rides, though, so who can tell?)

Anyway, that was my week, and those are my play cousins. How about you?

Headbonx, Storm

My 2024 Reading Goal: 25 Books and Beyond

My reading goal this year is down to twenty-five books, which is down from forty, which is down from fifty-two, which is down from, well, you get the picture. These things happen. The thing is that I would prefer they not happen again. That is where I want to take the reins early, and that means now, before 2025 is upon us and I have new releases and two blogs to manage and all of that good stuff.

cat for scale

Enter the current iteration of reading journal. The cover is by Dyan Reavely, and made of canvas. It fits very nicely into a small canvas bag, along with whatever paperback I am reading at the moment and has two inserts at present.

Insert one (needs cover embellishment, but the faux leather cover is textured) is from Pen + Gear, and is for my daily logging. Right now, that is date, title, and what page I started reading. If needed, that’s also where I can put notes. The faux leather cover is refillable, so when I fill this insert, I can slip another right in there. I haven’t decorated these pages yet, but I know me, so I probably will at some point.

Second insert is a hardcover notebook by Archer and Olive (similar) and is for long-term planning. I find I work best visually for this aspect, so here is how I am keeping track of my long term TBR:

My goal here is to group books that I want to read together: series, the works of particular authors, specific settings, etc. I am still working out the exact information I want to record for each book, but this is not a place for in depth reviews; more like the essentials I want when I need to jog my memories. So far, this is working pretty well. I want to say the book tape is from Paper Studio, but it might be Archer and Olive. Having a visual representation of future reading probably does scratch some of the browsing a bookstore shelf itch.

These days, I get most of my books electronically or from a similarly inclined bookish friend. I still want to dig my books out of storage, because yes, I can get most of the books I want elsewhere, but there is something about having one’s own books on hand in physical form. I am working toward that. I will also be leaving space for group reads chosen by some of the historical romance reading groups I follow on FB. Discussion is a good motivator.

In the meantime, the next float in this parade is to make a regular, consistent reading routine. I am looking forward to that. My reading nook is almost ready for its closeup, and it’s pretty darned comfortable. I don’t know yet what my reading goal for 2025 will be, but I do want to set one. I am fairly confident I won’t need to move the goal posts any more before the end of this year, especially as I am trying out audiobooks to multitask with when doing other things. I’ll decide closer to the start of next year.

How does your 2025 reading look?

as always, Anna

Typing With Wet Paws: Now It’s November Edition

Tails up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. There is exciting stuff to share this week but first I must address a horrible injustice that has befallen our household. I am no longer allowed to be unsupervised around Mama Anna’s mugs.

still salty about that new rule

Now that we have the new desk setup, and I am sure it is staying (I am in favor of that) I am bolder about exploring it. For example, sometimes I sit behind the laptop and look at Mama Anna over the screen. Sometimes I like to sit on the end of the desk that is next to the window, because sunbeam. I would like more room on that end. Mama Anna says that is where her planner case goes, so I guess I will adapt. Anyway, on to the Unjust Ruling.

If you know me, you know I love my Mama Anna. I love her a lot. She is my favorite person. I like to give my favorite people presents. (Papa still has the hair tie I gave him, which I greatly appreciate. That man knows how to receive a present.) It is now tea weather, and Mama Anna’s superpowers are back. She drinks tea at her desk. I figured I would give her a present in a place that she would definitely find it. So, mug, right? First, I gave Mama Anna my absolute favorite thing to hoard, a silicone earbud cover. I guess she kind of liked it because she kept it. Then I tried supplying a snack to go with her tea. By that, I mean a few pieces of my crunchies (I mean kibbles, not what I put in my poo sand.) She did not know I had done that, so she was surprised when pieces of crunchies floated to the top of her tea. She made different tea, and that’s when she passed the No Unattended Mugs law. I did get a reward, though.

Mama Anna found movies that I want to watch. I love watching her screen no matter what she is doing (I really like when she plays Sims) but this takes it to a new level. This is a game that Big Sister Skye used to love, and I love it, too. There are different kinds: mousies, fishies, lasers, and other things I haven’t seen yet. There are also other ones that are movies of real life squirrels and stuff. This one is mousies. I love watching them do their mousie things and then when they least expect it, POW! Bam! My lightning paws smack them out of existence. Mama Anna says that turns them into crunchies and then she feeds me, so that checks out.

me in my sunbeam

I said exciting things, and they are indeed happening. Mama Anna has received the formatting proof for A Heart Most Errant, and then she needs to do the uploading form. Some parts of that are scary for Mama Anna because anxiety, but that is part of what I am here for, so it is okay. Right now, she is thinking early 2025 for a release date, and then it is time to put Drama King through the same process. The next two books in the Ravenwood series (the medieval novellas) will be A Heart Most Ardent and A Heart Most Wicked. She will also work on Her Last First Kiss, and then she and Aunt Melva will also work on getting Queen of Hearts out to readers.

Rest assured I will be here with her every step of the way. I am also excited for a future post on MelvaAndAnna.com, where Aunt Melva will introduce my new co-workers, aka her two cats. That will be up soon. Make sure that you are subscribed over there so you don’t miss a thing.

How was your week?

Headbonx, Storm

Celebrating Birthdays and Indie Publishing Updates

New week, new blog post. I voted early this year, by mail, and that was wonderful for my anxiety. Wonderful Therapist suggested I may want to avoid news and social media today, or keep it to a minimum, so that is what I am intending to do. (By literally posting on social media, ahem?) My reading nook is up and functional, though not yet ready for a photoshoot, but it’s there and it’s mine, and it’s a comfy place that is only for relaxation.

Skelly Mousepad says hello.

Updates on A Heart Most Errant:

I have final cover art, though I want to wait a little while to share it, Suffice it to say it is gorgeous, and captures exactly the scene I wanted for the cover. I have submitted the manuscript and formatting form, and the formatter has assured me it is in her work queue. All I need to do is decide on a publication date (looking at 2025, either January or February) fill out the uploading form and then that will be that. For anyone looking for indie publishing services, I highly recommend the Killion Group. I look forward to working with them again, which I will be doing because next up is Drama King, the second Love By The Book title, contemporary romance co-written with Melva Michaelian.

foliage outside my birthday lunch

Birthday was really fun this year. Housemate took me out to lunch, and Real-Life Romance Hero had my all-time favorite local food, pizza from Paesan’s, and pressies that made me feel exquisitely loved. Nothing like when your family gets you. Subbed coconut cream pie for cake, and settled in for a comfy evening at home.

This past weekend, out of state friends visited to keep the party going, starting with a visit to the New York State Museum. I will probably go back later in the month, as I want to take advantage of the special exhibits and talks for Indigenous People’s Month. A talk on contemporary Indigenous art was starting as we arrived, and I’d like to catch that another time. I did get to peep some of the art, and it is gorgeous. The big attraction for friend, Housemate, and I was an exhibit of early 20th century wedding attire (was that made for a historical romance writer or what?)

also, I caught a (vintage) cab.

Currently, I am endeavoring to forget that one of the bikes in the antique bicycle exhibit was made in 1978. #genxproblems. Also, the gift shop was closed, which was a bummer and another reason to go back ASAP. Double also the fact that I got pictures of my friends in the vintage train car which is probably my favorite permanent exhibit, (okay, apart from the forensic reconstructions of skulls from centuries past) the vintage train car. The trains my mom and I rode into the city were a little after the time of this exhibit, but I never get tired of visiting it.

Storm does owe a blog, which she will get up this week. She has lots to say about all that’s gone on here, including some exciting holiday news. For now, here’s her review of the new weighted blanket cover :

looks like it’s a hit

That’s about it for this week. How are things going for you?

as always, Anna

Indie Publishing Journey and Current State of the Desk

Right now, there is a possible cover for A Heart Most Errant sitting in my in-box. Am I writing this blog to postpone actually looking at it because it is exciting but scary? Yes. Absolutely. Wil it be okay? Also yes. It is an intermittently blustery day here in NY’s capitol region. There is a cat (Storm) on my desk, formatting and uploading forms sitting in my hard drive, and have hauled our grocery delivery upstairs and put it away. The only thing left on my schedule today is publishing prep and this blog.

My birthday was last week, and it went really well. Many expressions of love both in person and online. I had lunch out with Housemate, received some lovely stationery gifts, and Real Life Romance Hero got me both a glass dip pen (yes, with ink) and a gorgeous hourglass with black sand, perfect for timing breaks when using a Pomodoro inspired schedule.

the current setup

Keeping nothing but the necessities on my desk is working well. Cup is for tea. Today it’s vanilla chai. The new addition is an unfinished wooden crate turned desktop bookshelf for my most used planners and notebooks. Though I love the A5 rings format, I am mostly in disc bound right now, because folding them in half makes it a lot easier to prop open the particular page and refer to it as needed. Right now, this is the lineup for planners and notebooks:

daily plannerhousehold planner (month/week)writing planner (month/week)Poison box contains 20 count Crayola Supertips, pastel editionCurrent historical projects notebook??? Love the cover but still need to decide on fillings and purpose.

I am planning some Anna Log videos to go through the above and my favorite pen pouches and the like. I find what works best for me is when I can pick up everything I need for whatever project, so if I need to pick up and take my show on the road, it’s one thing, and I don’t have to reach or search for anything.

Now that I am effectively my own (and my and Melva’s) publisher, there is a learning curve and a lot more work, which means it’s an excellent thing I am good at organization. It’s fun. Taking something from chaos to order, it’s not that different from taking a bunch of wild squirrels of ideas and snippets of scenes and turning it into a kickline of chorus dancers. Maybe that’s not the best analogy, but I am sticking with it.

One of the things on the forms is the name of the series. While Melva and I plotted out the ongoing Love by the Book contemporary series together, this is the first time I have intentionally set out to write connected historical romances. I had decided that all stories in this series will follow the pattern of A Heart Most _______. Picking “errant” for the first blank-filler was easy, as the hero is a knight errant. After that, though? :blink blink blink: Ummm….

Now, I have settled on “Ardent” and “Wicked” for the next two , which do capture the spirit of the respective stories. The plan is to put all three together in an omnibus, with a bonus short story, probably holiday themed, when they are all out, which will be another project altogether. All together, they are the Ravenwood series. Trust me, it’s better than “Heart Most” series or “Medieval Hearts” because I am new at this series naming thing. Right now, I am looking at what is on my plate at this moment, which is The Forms. Organization is essential for me to keep track of this sort of thing. I know what I need to do and when I need to do it. One thing at a time, not DO ALL OF THE THINGS RIGHT THE HECK NOW.

Yeah. Long story short (hah, pun unintended) I am entering new territory here. Do I know what I am doing? Ehh, sometimes. That’s okay. Everything anybody is good at, they did for the first time once. This, for publishing, is mine.

Indie pubbed writers, share your wisdom. Readers of indie pubbed romance, what are your favorite aspects/pet peeves? Drop them in the comments for possible discussion in future posts.

as always, Anna

Typing With Wet Paws: Post-Birthday Edition

Tails up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. The birthday I am referring to is not mine (we celebrate that on February 14th) but Mama Anna’s. Mama Anna loves birthdays. They don’t always have to be hers, but this one was. She and Aunt Linda went out for lunch and then craft store shopping, and then after Papa got home from work, he ordered Mama Anna’s favorite pizza, and they did presents and all hung out. I gave Mama Anna lots of cuddles and head bonks. I could not make her a cake, but I did make her lots and lots of biscuits, which she said are even better.

Me, under Mama Anna’s new pink blankey

Even though this was Mama Anna’s birthday, I am the one who has big bed news. Aunt Linda got everybody new pillows (all the humans, that is) which means Papa and Mama Anna did not need their old bed pillows, so guess what — they gave them to me! Mama Anna had put my big cat bed on a small table next to her new desk, and, while it is super comfy, it is also too big for that table, so now it is a bed on the people bed during the day. What goes on the small table now? Glad you asked. It is the old people bed pillows. They are soft and comfy and they are parent-scented, so I love them a lot. One of them is going to go in my adventure cave, but that is for later.

Mama Anna also got another wooden crate to put on her desk to hold the planner stuff she uses on a daily basis, and before she put stuff in it, I put me in it. She didn’t get any pictures, and I didn’t stay long, because it did not have any pillows in it. I am all about the comfort. Technically, everything is a cat bed, but for actual bed-beds, I now have the big cat bed on the people bed, the pillow bed on the small table and then my tent on the desk.

this part below is a travesty

There is one more thing that I should mention this week, and it is about my tent. A couple of days ago, Mama Anna put her hand into my tent, to tap the cushion, which is her way of telling me she would like me to go there. Well. She felt something under the cushion, which did not feel like cushion, so she investigated. She picked up the cushion, and underneath it were the following things:

one empty perfume sample spray (Twilly de Hermes)two silicone earbud tips (my favorite thing to steal)two bobby pins (Mama Anna refuses to ask why they are bent)

She. Took. Them. All. She also says that now, she will be inspecting my tent daily. Next time, Mama Anna wants to take a picture of my stash before she confiscates it. If I stash things that are okay for me to keep, then she will let me keep them, but sharp things and chemical things and swallowable things are dangerous, and best handled by grownups.

Also, I gave Papa a gift earlier this week. It was a hair tie. One of the good ones. Papa does not have hair on his head, except for his beard, but it is the thought that counts. He very appropriately praised me. Papa loves getting gifts from me, and I wanted to thank him for the gushy food he gives me every night. He wanted to be the gushy food guy, and I think that was a really good decision.

That’s about it for this week. Mama Anna is working hard on doing her very first indie publishing venture. She is nervous but also excited, so it evens out. What’s up with you?

headbonks, Storm

Five Things I Love About My New Desk

Happy Monday and happy new week. I am coming to you today from the new desk, Storm by my right elbow today because there is a sunbeam on that end of the desk. Guess I don’t need to refer to my daily task list, even if I was planning on covering my daily/weekly planning for this post. Cats, am I right?

new mousepad with wrist restThe desk itself. I love that I put it together, with help from Housemate, and that it fits perfectly into the office corner of the primary bedroom. It’s more than twice the width of the TV tray type desk I had been using, and it really does feel like a grownup desk at last. Storm is absolutely delighted, because she gets a bed on the desk, a bed next to the desk and there is prime sunbeam real estate. The desk is also in the corner with the baseboard heating, so it will be nide and comfy on fall and winter days/nights. A place for everything, and everything in its place. The suggested use for the space at the far right of the desk is for a printer, but I already have it on a low table that is only a chair swivel away, so I didn’t move it an inch. Instead, I plopped down a gorgeous black wicker basket to hold my most used supplies, aka a home for my medium pink Delfonics pouch. I am planning a pouch tour video for later. In the meantime, I’ll pop a picture of the current setup down at the bottom. Drawers. This could have been included in the above, but the drawers are super cool on their own. They are actually made of fabric except for the fronts. The stuff that was cluttering the table that was next to my mini-desk is now stashed in the three drawers (two small, one deep) in the appropriate organizers, so what I reach for the most is in easy reach. I can reach for it without even looking, and still get the correct item. The bottom drawer had the ability to be set up for hanging files, but I opted not to used that, as I have a hanging file system in storage that I can bring home, so don’t need another. Now that drawer is where I put the printer paper, photo paper, sticker paper, etc. In short, paper. Storm’s tent. Of course I had to mention the benefits to my purr=sonal assistant. For those needing proof how much Storm loves her tent, I have done my first inspection for stash, and I am not disappointed. I have removed:two silicone earbud covers (probably her favorite thing to steal/stash)two bobby pins one empty perfume sample (confiscated immediately! All other fragrances are now securely stored away from curious paws.)Nothing. Wait, that’s not like it sounds. For the longest time, I have wanted to have a no desk clutter policy, and so far, I am keeping that for this desk. At the end of the day (still when Storm walks across the keyboard and plops herself between me and the laptop) I shut down, and make sure I have left nothing on the desk apart from the usual suspects: Storm’s tent, the laptop, mousepad and mouse, coaster (skull themed, of course) bottle of hand lotion (currently Crabtree and Evelyn Summerhill) and the tray with my pouch and my English Ruler ruler (I seriously do need the version with Charles III.) pink Delfonics in all its glory

And for cat tax, Storm in her tent. I guess it also doubles as a smuggler’s cave since I have now found a stash in it:

pure innocence

For those who haven’t yet heard, I am also blogging at MelvaAndAnna.com, which will be featuring free short reads by both myself and Melva Michaelian. If you don’t want to miss such things and get a front row seat to future Love By The Book installments, subscribe over there. We would love to have you.

as always, Anna

Typing With Wet Paws: New Desk Edition

Tails up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. The big news here is that I have two new beds, which is possible because Mama Anna has a new desk.

Me in the big bed next to the desk

I think the new desk is part of Mama Anna’s birthday, which is later this week, but it came early, so she and Aunt Linda put it together, together. I did not know what was going on at first, because we haven’t had new furniture in a while, but I got scared when Mama Anna started putting lots of stuff on the bed, that does not normally go on the bed. This is because that is how she used to get ready for moving out of a room when we were on our year-long camping trip to celebrate my adoption. I was concerned because i like it here and did not want to leave, but plot twist, we were not leaving. Mama Anna was rearranging stuff so that there would be room for the new desk, and now she has a real office space that is easier to work from than a tv tray in front of a bookcase.

Me in my tent next to the glowy box.

This is the new everyday setup. I applaud Mama Anna for knowing I will need my own space on her desk (the tent) as well as the bigger bed next to the desk, which is on top of a small coffee table so it’s off the floor. We are right over the baseboard heater, which will be nice and warm for fall and winter, and when Koolio comes back in the summer, we will be near him, too. The pink thing under the lamp is her Delfonics utility pouch. Mama Anna will give a tour of that later. I am smart enough to stay out of it.

Closeup of me in my tent.

I have indeed been alllll over this desk and inspected every inch of it. Usually, it is big enough for me and Mama Anna to have our own spaces, but when there are birds or squirrels outside, I need to be by that window. Maybe I should ask her for another bed at that end of the desk. She can’t have any plans for that area, can she?

What are you guys all doing this weekend?

Big Desk Energy

Today is the first full day with the new desk. I am talking real, adult, this is a working writer’s desk, with drawers and everything.

Needs art, but I like it.

Putting the desk together was an all-day thing yesterday, and the rest of the office/primary bedroom looks like we should expect our disaster relief check any minute, but as anyone who has ever un-f*cked a depression dungeon knows, progress is progress. Huge reminder how many times I had to drop something and tend to an emergency. Things are quieter now, so that’s no longer the case.

Storm will have her say about how the whole desk day went for her, and how today has been Partial Reading Nook Day. I have done enough for one day (actually two.) By this time tomorrow, reading nook should be good to go, especially since the pink velvety weighted blanket cover is due to arrive then. Having a place where I do One Thing is glorious. Having those places be for writing and for reading is even better.

new desk is Storm approved

No, a desk is not a magic ticket to Real Writerhood, any more than a reading nook is one to Real Readerhood, but I like having a place to do a thing, This past week has been a lot of getting things in place. New stuff is coming on MelvaAndAnna, and the journey to indie publishing progresses. Very interesting learning curve. I think I actually like it. Planning and organization are always fun and they do get my brain into the right place to do the things.

The new desk is big enough for not only my laptop and its stand, but my wrist rest mousepad, beverage of the moment, and a lovely black wicker tray holding my at-home Delfonics pouch for journal essentials. Storm has a flannel tent next to my laptop so she can be close and comfy. She loves it. Right now, I am next to a window, my feet at the heated baseboard, nice and toasty, with ample light. I also have my English Ruler ruler, which I need to update, as the one I have doesn’t include Charles III.

The most interesting thing I found in all of this moving around and repurposing and reimagining is that the person (me) putting things in order is not the same person (also me) who dumped and tossed and shoved things into chaos during times of ugh. Some stuff is going to find new homes. I’d rather have a few things I love than a lot of things that are…. there. It’s a process.

Anyway, that’s today. I’m sitting comfortably in an office chair that is the right height for a desk that is big enough to do what I want to do (and it’s not foldable.) I do miss having vertical storage, but it’s also fewer distractions. I am planning video tours of desk and nook when nests are fully feathered, so to speak. What are your writing or reading spaces like these days?

[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://annacbowling.wordpress.com/wp..." data-large-file="https://annacbowling.wordpress.com/wp..." tabindex="0" role="button" src="https://annacbowling.wordpress.com/wp..." alt="" class="wp-image-19253" style="width:200px;height:auto" />as always, Anna