Connie changes her Faceboard Flitter profile pic.
To accommodate the season
May 2009
5 a.m.
Morning coffee.
I’m learning to love 5 a.m.
For most of my life, I was a night owl. Mornings were hellacious daymares of fumbling fingers and disoriented thoughts. It seems my circadian cycle is shifting. I go to bed early and wake early.
I resisted this at first thinking it was some sort of problem. To some extent it is a problem. By 8 p.m., I’m crawling into bed with a novel when most folk I know are settling into the evening’s entertainment. I don’t answer the phone once I’m in bed. Lord knows, a lot of folks are mystified by my refusal to answer the phone. They’re also mystified that I don’t spend my evenings comatose in front of a television screen. (I prefer comatose in front of a computer screen.)
But I’m beginning to like my early mornings.
I wake, usually, before the alarm goes off. I still kind of fumble around at first, but nothing like the days of old. It only takes a few minutes before I have command of my body and brain. I still can’t bear noise at this hour. I live alone and consequently don’t have to endure the chatter of another human being. (Honest, I still don’t understand folks who wake up talking. Shifting circadian cycles or not, idle chatter in the a.m. is repulsive and enraging. Just don’t talk to me. Please.)
For years, I’ve set up coffee the night before, hit the delay brew button, and thus the coffee is ready as soon as I arrive in the kitchen. I still do this even if now I am capable of making coffee in the a.m. I like that it’s ready when I’m ready for it.
Cuddly Willy.
I trundle downstairs, hit the laptop power button on my way to letting the dogs out, pour coffee and settle into the corner of the chaise where it right angles with the rest of the sofa. Normally, Babette and Trudy have a little nosh and head back to the crate for more z’s. Willy and I nest here.
He cuddles and I surf. Sometimes, we both stare out the atrium door at the garden. We (at least I think he does) think Great Thoughts ™. I plan my day. Often I blog. On particularly alert days, I take photos in the garden – the morning light is exquisite.
Needy Willy
After a couple hours of this, I head for the shower and dress for the day.
It’s a nice leisurely start to a day. It’s worth losing the evening hours over. I find that I’m more grounded and centered. By the time I leave the house, I’m raring to go and can cheerfully endure the chatter of my co-workers. It’s all good.
I’m learning to love 5 a.m.
And the Bella Award Goes To. . .
The Bella Award
Buzzardbilly gave me the Bella blog award the other day and I was so stunned I completely forget to pass the award on.
The rules say that I must choose 15 new blogs that I read that are deserving of the award. I’m new to the blogosphere and many of the ones I read have already been awarded the Bella.
So, taking a cue from Spike Nesmith, I’m going to award 8 and ask y’all to nominate the remainder. In no particular order:
Life’s a Feast: Confessions of a Gourmande
I know Jamie from another cyber-world and was delighted to find she had a blog. She’s an ex-pat living in France. For those of us who love to eat and/or love to cook, Jamie’s blog is a feast for the eyes. I can’t summon up the motivation to cook for one, so I don’t make any of her recipes. I go to the blog for the story-telling and the food photo erotica.
I know Alex from the same cyber-world I know Jamie from. Alex’s musical blog is a wealth of information and trivia. As Alex says, “I grew up in a college town with too many great used record stores. This explains a lot…”
I know Jim from real life and his was first the blog I read regularly. He’s a little too busy with Twitter and Facebook these days, but I love his passion for being a dad and a husband. The world definitely needs more dads like him. When he’s not talking about his family, he’s likely to be doing some pretty fine political analysis.
Hogpath’s Frames of Mind is a place of poetry and story-telling. It’s hypnotic and addictive. There aren’t frequent posts, but my spirit feels cleaner after a visit.
I also know Snoskred from another cyber-world. She’s an Australian and engaged in blog hosting, scam baiting, and kayaking. Her posts run the gamut and they’re always enjoyable and/or useful. For those of us new to blogging, her site is a wealth of information.
I know Doug in real life and he and his wife are responsible for my being a spectacle at the Obama Pajama Party and the subsequent formation of Drama Queens for Obama. His site is a visual delight and be sure to take a look at the Italy section – there’s some fabulous storytelling, slideshows and video.
Vera’s Weblog the site of another friend I met online. She’s a ex-pat German living four feet from the Canadian border in Minnesota. Her take on life, her lifestyle, and her photography are breathtaking.
And, finally, there’s Esse Diem. Like me, she’s new to this, but her posts rock. I suspect we’re kindred spirits.
Aw, man, I forgot this guy so I’m editing this post. He’s another Mudpuppy. His site is a veritable cacophony of information and links. Truly, one of my favorites.
So that’s 8 9 Tell me who the 7 6 are that I’m not reading (see blog roll) who are deserving of a Bella.
Louis Armstrong Grooves
A friend of mine, Tara in Alaska, and I were on a tear to get Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” back on the charts. We failed.
Alas.
But it’s spring in West Virginia and there is no more glorious sight.
W. Va. Fur and Root 