The Nest vs The Perch

Even a shy person must learn to grab their moments when they come, because that moment may not come again anytime soon. Thus it was when the SconeLady met the Author.

Meeting Jane Kirpatrick was both fun and unforgettable, with the added advantage of her being so amazingly sweet and accessible! I have already mentioned to you the fact that Jane came without any noticeable posse to keep her in a bubble. It was lovely. And she offered some input that has already changed how we do things around here.

You might remember that I am currently writing a book, a first for me, but something that has happened to Jane at least 16 times. 16!!. Because it has happened to her so many times, I approached her with a question..

"Hello Jane. I am intersted in knowing what your work space is like. Do you function with a laptop, and then float around the different parts of your home? Or do you use a desktop device, and stay in one place?"

She smiled and said, "Actually I do use a laptop when traveling, but at home I use a desktop. The space looks sort of like..." and she described the work space she and her husband had devised. It was fascinating.

The SconeLady's 'Nest'   

Everything is set up so that Jane has her research materials, her timeline, her reference books and all her computer programs to hand. Within reach. Never has to drag herself up to go in search. It's all right there. Her husband built her a 3-sided desk to neatly fit every one of these items so that there is no clutter except what clutter she wants to have. It was fascinating to hear about and to visualize. Already I was thinking about my own space and its functionality for me. It is actually a little bit like a nest, and as such, is comfortable.  

There I can sit, snuggled into the rather aged leather love seat and ottoman, and write to my heart's content. But it does have drawbacks, including the fact that the laptop screen might be a bit small for me. A larger screen would mean that I might not have to squint. That is significant. 

So after my discussion with Jane I shared it all with my kindly husband. Together we thought through ideas for space. And computers. And desks and chairs. We are in the trial stage. So I am seated here now in my perch with the nicely heftier iMac, and typing away to you, my dear Readers. I can much better see the larger print on the larger screen, and love it! You can see that I have a wonderful view to gaze at as these fingers fly over the keys. Hmm. This could work.

           All of the devices are on the Cloud so if I work on one, the new stuff appears on all.

I think that rather than having an either/or scenario and having to choose between the two, I shall embrace both! The nest is comfy, and less isolated. The perch offers a larger font (which the SconeLady's eyes will appreciate) and gives her a smashing view. They BOTH work, don't you think?

Either way, it was fun to hear what Jane found helpful. And what Jane found helpful was helpful enough to produce for her those 16 books that have become beloved by so many. 16. It's such an imposing number when you are still all the way back on lonely number one..

But that's ok! Because this first one might be a doozy.

See you along the way!

the SconeLady