Enter the Lair

Eleven days ago, I posted about the creation of my very own Writing Lair. I realize few people, especially writers, lack a designated "desk where I use my computer" setup, but until now, I didn't have one. I spent most of my working life at a desk in an office somewhere, and the time I wrote at home was spent on the Sofur, the futon in the spare room, or at the kitchen table. The computer and desk in the bedroom never felt like the "right place," and the rolltop desk in the spare room was old and not designed for computer-related comfort.

With a full-size bed in the downstairs guest room, I didn't think I had room for a desk, the Lair Chair, and the other odd things I knew I'd want in my Lair. Then I had the brainstorm to swap the bed in that room with the futon upstairs. Brilliant!

And the Lair was born.

This week, I painted over the violently green walls you saw in the August 30 post, got everything arranged, brought Thurston Fowl III, machete-wielding giant metal chicken down to his new home, and got the things I wanted arranged on the walls.

And here you go! A quick video tour of Lori's Writing Lair, followed by individual photos of different areas, and descriptions of what the things are, and why they are important enough to me to have them in my Lair.

I know all these photos and descriptions might be a bit like overkill, but if you're like me (nosy), you like to see what kind of stuff people have around them, and the stories behind the objects they love.

Click on any image to see a larger version. So, here we go...


The beautiful print above was given to me by my sweet, generous friend Kim Norton. We shared a love of goldens, and dogs in general, as well as an interest in natural care and feeding of our canine friends. She saw this and thought of me. We had Gulliver then, a big golden/pyr mix, and the brunette woman in the picture, with the giant dog, caught her eye. Kim has been gone nearly two years now, and the generous financial gift she left me is helping to make it possible for me to stay home and write. Thank you, Kim. I love you and miss you terribly! I put this print right by the door to the Lair, so I'll think of her every time I walk into the room.



Moving clockwise, my shelves-o-plenty. On top is a crystal eagle that belongs to Tom, and which I stole because I needed something heavy to serve as a bookend for (next item) my complete collection of Virginia Lanier books, publishers' proofs, and advance reading copies. She was my friend and mentor, and Make or Break is dedicated to her memory and inspiration. The gold clock was given to me by Pals On Paws, the Therapy Dogs International chapter I founded, upon the occasion of my "retirement" from directing the group. The small, red-bordered photo is Ryan and my Ripley at Banning State Park shortly after we moved to Minnesota. The painting in back is one Ryan did in junior high, I believe. The red stuffed rose was given to me by Tom, when he showed up at the clinic one day with a huge bag of Valentine's Day goodies and whisked me away for a romantic overnight getaway. The bear has a tag on his ribbon that says "I (heart) Tom." I got that little pin from a friend in high school, Jackie, who had broken up with her boyfriend (Tom) right about the time I started dating my Tom. She and her Tom got back together several years later, and are still married, but I ain't givin' back the pin!

Bottom shelf, the first item is a photo of my parents, Jack & Ruth Cunningham. They're keeping an eye on me, I imagine. Next is my favorite picture of our Sprocket. Then is the Fostoria American basket that belonged to Tom's grandmother. In it is a poem Tom copied for me on a piece of birch bark. It's about love and red and white roses, and he gave it to me with a bouquet of red-tipped white sweetheart roses. (I know... awwwwww, right?) Next is my favorite "upside down" picture of my Ripley, followed by a framed print of the cover for my novella, Monsters Unmasked.


The futon, with the crocheted-rose blanket my mom made when I was a kid. I have it on there for sentimental reasons right now, but will eventually replace it with something that matches the Lair decor. Which means it will probably be slightly tacky, but amusing in some way.



I LOVE this print. It's "Storytime" by John Weiss, and depicts a little brunette girl in an armchair, reading a book with a golden retriever puppy in her lap. And nearby, I sit in the modern-day pose of the same scene... grown brunette woman sitting at a desk with a laptop, an adult golden retriever by my side. Perfect!



This is the collage I made of Ripley's photo, qualifying ribbons from his obedience trials, along with his AKC Companion Dog title certificate. Ripley was my "heart dog," and I still miss him every day.



Next to Ripley's picture, and directly behind my desk, you'll find the plaster "green dog" plaque I found at the Renaissance Festival several years ago. The dog and the Pagan sentiment were greatly appealing to me. Hanging to the right of the green dog are three multi-colored glass witch balls, made by a friend of Jess's husband, Troy. They are so beautiful!



The shelf to the left of my desk contains a photo collage of Ripley, a picture of me with Tom at a wedding several years ago (resting on my Writing Tiara), and another picture of us before a concert about six or seven years ago. Hanging beneath is a ceramic sign that says "Life is just better when I'm with my dogs." :-)



The ledge that runs all along the wall under the windows is full of goodies. The books are by friends of mine, and mostly signed. I put 'Netta's "Not Nice" in front, so it's like she's looking over my shoulder! Heh. I look forward to adding more of my friends' books as I manage to get my grabby paws on them. The glass ball is a paperweight made by Jess's husband... and I have no idea what kind of leaf is in there. I swear. Next up are two pictures from Ryan & Rachel's wedding (my son and daughter-in-law), a print of the Make or Break cover (need to get a frame), and the Dismember-Me Plush Zombie given to me a couple of Christmases ago by Rachel.



On the ledge is a painted plaque that says "We are kindred spirits" given to me by my beautiful, amazing cyber-sister, Laurie. Ignore the photo. It's gone now. On the desk is the digital photo frame Ryan and Rachel gave me a few years ago, miscellaneous office junk, and the book-style library lamp Tom got me for the Lair.



Ah, yes. The Lair Chair. Hideously beautiful. On the ledge behind it, I put some peacock feathers in a Fostoria vase... because I love peacock feathers and Fostoria. And, of course, the chandelier which, when I find enough Implements of Potential Terror, will become my stabby-knife chandelier. Gotta hit some antique stores.



The medal hanging on the closet door is my Dog Writers Association of America Maxwell Award, which I received for Best Regular Blog (Fermented Fur) a few years ago. And, of course, Thurston Fowl III, machete-wielding giant metal chicken. I love him so much, I can't even tell you! You can read his full story HERE, over on Fermented Fur.

And that's it, kiddies. It's where I am right now, and where I'll be for a good portion of nearly every day. You know... working. :-)

And to support that work, please don't forget to click over to my author page and check out the buy links for Monsters Unmasked and Make or Break! Somebody's gotta pay to feed the giant metal chicken, you know.