My Desk

I just posted about my love of flowers, specifically, Alstroemerias and Campanulas. I saved some pictures of flowers from my desk for this post about my copy desk space which I love. 

The coin attached to the Scripture is from Monument Valley; the rock is from Four Corners, and to the far right is a two-sided geocoin that Toby gave me as a gift. It said Thanks to 2018 and hello to 2019. We had quite a 2018 (it was the hardest and most beautiful year we've ever experienced at the same time) and we are having a lovely, healing 2019 full of growth in every way for all of us. There is a black, wool prayer rope with green aventurine stones draped over the Scripture and a wooden one surrounding the rock from Four Corners.

I often take pictures of my desk and the flowers I have there. 

The rose in the coffee cup is one picked off of our rosebush
by our littlest, Anthony, who has such a kind heart.

I really like these daisies (?) of various colors,
esp. the green ones and green centers.

The candle was a gift from a college pro-life group who asked me
to come speak to them this spring.
Such a wonderful group of people and experience.

My desk and the area around it has mementos from our travels and small icons of my patron saints as well as some religious items and books. Here are my patron saints and the small icons I have of them surrounding me and looking down on me. 

From L-R: St. Nicholas of Myra (my Orthodox patron and namesake; my Orthodox name is Nikola);
the icon of He Who Loves the Innocent; and St. Paisios of Mt. Athos)

From L-R: St. Nicholas of Myra; St. Anthony of the Desert (a patron of my beloved Toby
and one of the Sts. Anthony that our youngest is named for);
St. Peter of Krutitsa (I love that image but cannot find it in a proper icon); and
Sts. Peter & Fevronia (Patrons of a Holy Marriage)

Top to Bottom: A Celtic cross Toby's cousin gave us
(my maiden name is Patrick and I love all things Irish);

St. Anthony of Padua (not an Orthodox Saint but a Catholic one to whom 

I have maintained a devotion as he has always been a good intercessor for me
and is the other St. Anthony our youngest is named for); and
St. Thomas More (patron of attorneys and politicians,
another Catholic saint to whom I have maintained a devotion)

This is a picture I took the other night of my desk after our friend left. We had a lovely dinner out, dessert here, and then I had to settle in for a LONG night of work. I worked 10.5 straight hours without a break. I started at 10 p.m. and finished up about 8:30. I like to keep a webcam going with nature in the background when I work and really need to get into the zone. It helps me focus.

This is KDPM HQ; my command center; where most of the action happens for me. On my screen is the live webcam for Anacapa Island of the Channel Islands National Park. Toby and I will be hiking there in July. I'm very excited to be able to set foot on the place I've been watching via webcam while I work for over a year! On the wall to the right of everything are some sand paintings we purchased while visiting Four Corners. The Navajo art is really spectacular and they continue to follow the traditional way of using the sand to create lovely pieces. The little oval art is from Anthony. It was a Pascha Egg he made during Sunday School. I thought it looked like a tree and it was the same color green as the walls in our office. Below that is a neat little vintage art piece Toby found in a geocache years ago and gave to me as a gift. It is a metal piece with a bird's net painted on it with 3 eggs in the nest. There are also 3 magnetic birds you can place wherever on the piece. We have three earthly children (and now one in Heaven), so it was appropriate to our family. I've always thought it was a sweet piece. I love birds as well. 

I spend a great deal of time at my desk. My law practice is very busy, very demanding; I homeschool our children; and I do my blogging and a bit of pro-life activism from this desk. I also pray my morning prayers there and do some of my religious reading there. I like it to be beautiful and inspiring, but also comforting and to evoke peace. It does this even if everything I'm doing in this space is not always itself peaceful. It is all fulfilling, however, and part of my effort to follow God's direction in my life, the best I can discern it and do as I'm told. 

Thanks for reading!