Monday, January 29, 2007

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.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

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.