It’s still too early

Back when I was working my 4 day work weeks at UCSC, I had to get up pretty early in the mornings. I didn’t mind, exactly, ’cause I had that extra day off, but still….to get to work by 7, I had to meet Sarah at 6:40 in Scott’s Valley, which meant leaving home no later than 6, which meant getting up no later than say, 5:20 am, which meant my alarm was starting to beep around 4:30 in the morning. I made it work, but I remember thinking, “You know, 7 a.m. would be a civilized time to wake up. Still nice and early, plenty of day left at that point, but not obscene. Not like 4:30 a.m.”

It’s still too early. I rolled out of bed, after much deliberation at 6:37 this morning. And I was awfully crabby about it. Even after I reminded myself about how just a few months ago, it was 4:30, and how I’d said “If only I could get up at 7.” And, truth be told, two days a week now, I don’t have to be to work until 11. That’s just one short hour before noon. On those days, I pretty much just sleep until I wake up.

It’s still too early. I think, when it comes to getting out of bed, it will always be too early.

The Mystery Garden

This is one little corner of the garden at our new place. Paperwhites, I think they are, which kind of reminds me of Barrow-wights, but that’s way less appealing. The flowers smell divine! They are the first thing to pop their heads up. I took this photo about a week ago, now this plant has a friend, just on the other side of that batch of lavendar you see behind the paperwhites.

It’s such a thrill, this mystery garden of ours. I have no idea what’s out there. Well, I have some ideas. The former tenants, or someone, was a fair friend of agapanthas. Those are springing up all over the place. And there is a promising collection of jasmine lining one of our fences. But what other things will come peeking out of the ground as the spring goes on, who knows? I want to get out there and poke around, but it’s not really time yet. I don’t want to disturb something that might turn out to be amazing. I think, in one of the raised beds out back, I’ll plant things that would be good for cutting. I might have gorgous flower arrangements all summer long! Well, one step at a time. Right now I just wander out there in the mornings when I work late, and smell the paperwhites.