best place to be

Current temperature: 70° F

Today feels like the first day of summer to me. We reached about 90° F and the sun was shining fiercely; just the kind of day that I like to stay in from. My M.O. is to be out early and then out again late after the sun sets until it is too dark to see what I am doing. That isn’t terribly practical but nevertheless, I aim for it. So many people worship the sun, I worship cloudy, cool weather.

Luckily, Colorado cools off nicely in the evening even on the hottest of days. Summer is my least favorite season.

This is what I look forward to:

Monday: A cold front will drop temperatures into the 70s, with a better chance of storms and showers.

I had a conversation on Friday with a friend about how overwhelmed we both feel over the state of our homes and yards. The number of “things” that need attention is completely overwhelming. She started a list which launched us into a conversation about how hard it is to even get to the items on the list! We both have various reasons why we are so overwhelmed but the consensus was that much of it is psychological. It is so daunting to have so many tasks that we never even start. We both know that the philosophy of “just get started and keep plugging away” is sound but when the reality is never to finish, how do you psyche yourself up to get going? I am not a totally lazy person; in many ways I accomplish a lot. Or I should say, I am quite capable of accomplishing a lot. Is it seasonal-, cyclical-, temperature- or lighting-dependent? For years, I have accepted that I can’t do it all and believe me that translates into a lot of things that do not get done. Hiking, photography, blogging, the new job – all have taken their toll on the list of things that I do get done.

I decided to commit to thinking about the problem this weekend (I don’t want to set myself up for too big a fall!!). My latest thought on how to get motivated is to imagine and envision some of the things I will enjoy if I get even some of my things done:

1. Fresh vegetables from a small garden
2. A patio that is no longer part of the urban (or suburban) ghetto – with wind chimes and frog lights where I can sit in the early morning or late evening coolness and enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.
3. A backyard not so ugly that I will actually let my friends see it.

It is Saturday evening and I have actually accomplished a few things on the list. I have mowed the back yard and planted the beautiful iris that I bought in Boulder. But it shouldn’t be all work, so tomorrow I will get up early to photograph the sunrise in one of my old haunts. The noon hour tomorrow may actually find me napping – the best part of the day to be in!