Creative Spaces & Downton Abbey

Mondays are long days for us. It's punctuated by and seems to exist for the sole purpose of co-op classes and setting the rest of our weeks in order. This is rather odd if I think about it because it is our one full day out of the house so it's rather bizarre that the one full day out of the house is the day that defines and lines-up the rest of our week which is spent mainly at home. Something seems slightly off-balanced there.

At any rate, I can pretty much scratch Mondays off my calendar.

Today offered an end to soccer and basketball and a reprieve before softball begins. We were able to head straight home. Our schedule was familiar.  Familiar, that is, for everything but the egg box. This whole winter we've been lucky to get one egg a day in the chicken coop. I've been very disappointed with my lively brood. They didn't quite give me enough for those rum cake pans I made at Christmas time and they have not been paying their weight in chicken feed, that's for sure.

But today I was happy to discover this. Perhaps the days are lengthening?

And so the girls and I did our regular chores:

Check the mailbox.

Feed the cats and the chickens.

Straighten the living room.

Feed the dogs.

Fold the towels.

Unload the dishwasher.

Fix pasta/chicken salad for supper.

THEN...everyone escaped to their personal corners.

Mondays demand that personal corners are visited. We've been socializing, working, talking all day long. The ride home finds our short fuses and ignites them. There's a few irritable tones, a couple of jabs, and voices not musically appropriate at all.

I retreat to my new studio/office/workspace/creative nook/library...not sure what I want to call it but I'm thinking this room was a long time in coming. I'm definitely overdue.

I am flanked by a tall glass of iced tea, my new netbook, my dog, and a laptop across from me that plays my first ever showing of Downton Abbey.

I have wanted to watch this show since the blogsphere began visiting and waving calling cards across cyperpace. I felt like the only one who didn't get an invitation. ;-) Not really, but it feels that way when you can't find it on your television screen every single Sunday as your Facebook Friends neighbors are updating what so-and-so was wearing and the parties they went to and the foods they ate.

Finally, I was given the link to watch Season 2 episodes for free. I tend to be a stickler for starting at square one episode 1 but I made an exception in this case. I waltzed into the middle of the dance and think I will drop trinkets of hints to my family that I'd really enjoy Season 1 at my birthday party come April. ;-)

In my personal corner, while getting acquainted with the characters and reality of Downton Abbey, I am also visiting Dawn's new personal space (her command center, as she calls it). I'm rather curious with the whole set-up process for her office corner since mine is still being tweaked and plumbed and polished. It's fun to have a fun space to have fun in. Know what I mean?

If you don't have one, I highly recommend you look around yourself right this minute and ask what space you could turn into your personal space. The space needn't be big. Dawn's is in a living space with wide windows opening out onto the world.  Mine used to be in my bedroom corner until the books and clutter took over.

Perhaps there's a closet you could turn into a creative nook.

The one thing I am pretty sure we all need in our restful retreat corner is a nice, comfy chair.

So do you have a creative corner and where is it?
And while watching Downton Abbey, which characters should I pay careful attention to?
Who's your favorites? Everyone is still new to me so I'm all eyes. :-)