Up All Night, Up All Day

Ever since my late 20's, my body seems to have shifted into what I'm calling pre-menopause mode. One of the unfortunate side effects of this mode (and there are many) is not being able to sleep at certain times of the month. Pretty much it's like clockwork. I start to feel what I can only describe as "prickly" one day, and then it begins. Either I can't fall asleep, I can't stay asleep, or I wake up ridiculously early. Today is ridiculously early day. As I am writing this, the clock has chimed 5:30. I've been up since 4:48, when my eyes snapped open like a window shade and my mind started racing.

Joy.

So here I am. So far this morning, I:

made a pot of coffee (pretty necessary for 5 am, no?)

fed the cats, as Percy was telling me that he would absolutely DIE if I did not feed him immediately.

went outside to get the paper.

looked at the blue light that washes over everything in the mornings. So pretty.

picked yesterday's heads off of some of the daylilies.

picked yellow squash and zucchini (prolific little guys!)

had a short discussion with the squash about how they are growing on top of the peppers and hogging all the sun, and that's not fair. They seem unmoved, literally.

listened to the rooster someone somewhere nearby is fortunate enough to own.

listened to the birds.

sat down here to write.

That's about it.

I notice how fresh and clean the air is at this time of day. It's not late enough to get hot--thankfully--so it's nice and cool and the grass is wet with dew. It is so nice and quiet at this time of day. Out of all the sleep disturbances I am so "lucky" to experience, this one is my favorite. I really would not mind getting up this time every day, but I'm not built for it, save for a few days a month. I am a sleeper-inner (as much as 7:30-so not too much, really). I think I would get up at this time all the time if I had something to do, though. Say, like plow the back 40 or milk the cows and feed the sheep. That would be bliss. Maybe someday I will get to.

Well, as I am up before the children (miracle of miracles), I think I will enjoy the quiet for a while. I hope you all have a wonderful sunshine-filled day!