I’ve been a busy little beaver the past few days, trying to get my writing space up to snuff. It’s moved around the house periodically as I try to find a suitable spot, and every one of those places has been unfinished. Back when I had children in the house all day, I made a spot in the upper level of the wasp-infested, uninsulated barn so I could write at night while the hubs was home. I built a wall to keep out the wasps and keep in the a/c, but I never sheetrocked. Since the littlest baby went to all-day kindergarten last year, the shed office didn’t get much use. Instead, I put a chair and a tv tray in the corner of the bedroom. Totally in the way and uncomfortable. I wrote at the kitchen table, on the floor, on the couch…each one a no-go.

Finally I moved into the eye sore which is my porch room. My favorite desk is still in the shed, way too big to fit in the 6’x10’ space, so I set a board across the top of my wobbly tv tray, and that’s where I finished BVA. Ridiculous, really, how I dedicate only the barest of resources to my writing space, using only whatever detritus isn’t in use somewhere else in the house.

I refuse to go another year as a writing vagabond, so last week I decided to get a real desk to fit the space. I declared I would find one just the right size at a garage sale, ugly enough to be cheap, but sturdy enough to last, with drawers, a top where I could spread papers next to the laptop, and if I was lucky, a keyboard tray.

First garage sale, I found it, keyboard tray and everything, for ten bucks.

It’s ugly, but it has good bones.

It was meant to be. The lady who sold it to me breaks out when she comes in contact with fragrance, so she uses no air freshener or anything. It smelled like wood, that was all. Hallelujah! (The little drawer thingy off to the side smells like cigarettes, unfortunately. It’s been airing out for three days in the sun.) Then I lucked out and found a beautiful blue-gray color for $3 on the oopsie shelf at Lowe’s. I had some old knobs from another dresser, so I spray-painted them silver, and this is what I ended up with:

It took a little work (and it still needs another coat of paint) but it’s perfect for the space. Did you notice something in the background? That’s right, this room is also unfinished. Sigh. My next goal is to somehow get some sheetrock home from the store and patch those holes. Even better, I’d like to tear it down to the studs and make sure it has great insulation and a smooth finish and no leaks. We’ll see what happens. Meanwhile, I have a great desk on which to compose my next masterpiece. I’m using it right now. I love it.

Mitzy tried to help line the drawers.