My work station is a long, curved table built to fit the space around the corner of two walls. There are double windows to the right and the left of me. To my left (I am in a basement apartment) I see into the space underneath the neighbor's deck. It is used for storage and has a blue tarp flapping in the breeze. To my right I look down the grassy slope past spruce and mountain ash trees to the oldest Russian Orthodox church (1894) and rectory in southeast Alaska. It is painted white with blue trim and has a gilt-covered dome above. It is a working church so the frequent sound of its bell penetrates my walls. Which is fine- except at Easter time when it sometimes bongs for more than 100 strokes. I don't know the significance of that.

Incidentally, during a service in a Russian Orthodox church, parishioners traditionally stand for the duration, although there are several benches placed around the perimeter for those unable to stand for so long. But having the congregation stand means that the church can be - and is - much smaller than most churches. And instead of the usual rectangle of most churches, a Russian Orthodox church is round or octagonal.

At my work station are strategicly placed lamps, a tall one and a short one, a turntable where I convert vinyl to CD, long, slim boxes of minidiscs, stacks of CDs that are on the way to their new owners, a stack of empty slim-line CD cases, a radio/CD player, and an assortment of CDs for my own use. Hanging above is wall-mounted CD shelving.

To the left of my 17" monitor is another CD receptacle, this one a tower, a printer on a stand with its paper stored beneath and assorted facial tissues, eye glass cleaner, breath mints and stapler.

At my back to the left is a table-height cabinet with supplies of all sorts. On top are the dishes archy, my coal-black cat with 14 white hairs, uses at his own discretion. He's a self-feeder which is why in the night I sometimes hear him munching away like a contented horse at its oats.

At my back to the right is a standup oil-filled radiating heater for when the temperature drops. I don't have normal heating in this apartment; instead I have a total of four heaters available, which is sufficient except for when the strongest wintertime winds blow.

This is an interesting exercise, Susan.