Perhaps it’s the because the sun is sleeping in a little later each day or because allergies won’t loosen their grip on my head (seriously… the stuffed up sinuses can stop any moment now), but each morning it’s getting a little tougher to wake up at 5 AM.  Yes, even on the weekends. I know, I know… Why on EARTH would I wake up at 5 AM on the weekends?

Mostly to putter.  My new job, even with getting up at 5 AM, doesn’t leave me a whole lot of “putter” time in the mornings.  Or the evenings.  I try to squeeze in  as much puttering time as I can, but it never seems to be a good amount.

Puttering is good for we thinkers and musers as it gives us time to think and muse on the variety of topics that we read or hear about on a daily basis.  It gives us time to do things at our own pace.  My own particular pace can be lightning fast, though usually it’s more along the lines of “I’ll get to that….eventually.”  My ongoing “To Do List” continues to grow each week and I pick a few things here and there to accomplish so I can cross them off, leaving myself with a feeling of satisfaction.

My limited puttering time extends even to my weekends.  Yesterday I wrote about my visit to the Spring Green Art Fair, where I didn’t buy anything, but saw a couple things I really liked and might go back today.  Here’s the thing, puttering allows me time to think about whether or not I really like something and want to have it in my house; other than pens, bottles of nail polish and (less-and-less often) tubes of lip gloss, I avoid being an impulse buyer.  If I continue to conjure up images of something I saw for sale repeatedly in my head for days – well then, I probably really liked what I saw and will end up purchasing and using that particular item.  Now, limited puttering time means that I don’t think about things nearly as much prior to purchase and I can end up with some duds, therefore, I am trying to hone my pickiness and refrain from buying things just because I liked/loved it right at that moment.  You know what I’m sayin’?

And that brings me onto other things that puttering hasn’t left me a whole lot of time for: playing with my camera.  I scheduled some Nerd Studio time with Jeff at JSV Photography for yesterday so I could learn lighting techniques with items that I might have around the house, barn or shop to take photos of small products like Mr. Muse’s woodworking that he eventually wants to sell online or, in yesterday’s case, boutonnieres made from wooden roses for my friends’ website, The Wooden Rose.  My friends, Matt and Heather, are in the process of setting up a new-and-improved website and I have been helping in the process, getting products transferred over to the new platform, creating product information and now, taking photos for product thumbnails.  Jeff has also worked on a logo for Mr. Muse’s woodworking and I twisted his arm brought him freshly-baked-by-moi Coffee Cake Cupcakes and a 6-pack of Stella Artois beer since he agreed to help design a label for me for my egg-selling business which requires me to label the reused egg cartons with my own information.  Soon, I will have a label to glue and/or tape onto all those egg cartons I have stacked in my laundry room.  Please note – I didn’t get to sit in Jeff’s newly refurbed rocking chair, but I did get to see rocking chair #2 in it’s not-completely stripped down state (it’s going to be SWEET when he’s done with it).  I also got a hug, was told I was getting “skinny” and instructions to use the word “fuck” a lot more liberally in my writing; also: fucktard, douchebag, dipshit, dumbass and a few others.  But, you know – it’s good advice.

Nerd Studio – the Legend!

Speaking of eggs – I ordered baby chicks!!  Sadly, I couldn’t purchase any Sumatra pullets for my special man, Sumo, but I did end up purchasing some Rhode Island Reds, Americana/Auracana (the “Easter Egg” chickens), Silver Laced Wyandottes and Golden Laced Wyandottes.  Twenty-five little day-old chicks will arrive the week of July 15th and they should all be females!  My customer base for eggs has grown by quite a few and I had to bring in reinforcements.  Of course, they won’t start laying for four months as they grow, but still, they were needed, and well… babies!  I’ll have more baby critters to spoil and that makes me happy.

Speaking of critters… I have rabbits that I am going to have to deal with;  Cottontails to be exact.  Lots of them.  So far they have been sticking to the prairie in the front yard or the lawn area in general with a few nibbles on Mr. Muse’s newly planted “Hot Tomato” Echinacea  (now wrapped in chicken wire) and a few peas and beets in the raised garden beds.  So far.  That’s going to change as their population keeps going up and up.  That’s right you cute little baby rabbits that I adore:  I’m watching you!

Mr. Muse and I have discussed a few times the purchase of a .22 rifle for the purposes of “varmint disposal” and since rabbits taste good… well, I won’t beat around the prairie – some of them are going to end up in my belly.  Go ahead… I know you’re envisioning Fat Bastard from Austin Powers, saying, “Get in my belly!”

Thanks! imgur.com

(If you weren’t thinking about that before – you are now!)

And that brings me to now.  It’s 6:30 ish in the AM.  I’ve eaten one Coffee Cake Cupcake which was WAY too much sugar to hit my stomach with at this time of day, so I think that I should treat it to a steak and tomato breakfast.  And maybe a fruit smoothie.  And maybe some swiss chard.  (This eating Paleo-style is very filling.)

Have a great, Sunday!