Delicious Saturday

delicious breeze coming through this window

Saturday. My favorite day of the week. I love to sleep in and work forty hours a week at the university, so I never get to sleep in. Sleeping in is usually 9:30 or so. If that horrifies anyone, my first question is- what time does your alarm go off Monday through Friday? My second question is- how often do you get a nap? My third question is- how late do you usually stay up? My alarm goes off around six a.m. every day. If I get a nap, I grab one on my lunch hour. And, I stay up way too late on a regular basis. And, unlike a certain man that is usually sleeping every evening, I wait until I go to bed to go to sleep.
I love to go out to breakfast on Saturday mornings, but don't often. I like to go to farmer's market in the summer and like to purchase plants for the yard. Right now I have two different kinds of hostas to get in, some Siberian miniature iris, two kinds of Hawaiian lillys. My philosophy usually is to avoid buying more plants if I haven't gotten the plants I have in the ground. So this a.m., no farmer's market.
On Saturdays, I love to putz and piddle. I like to water my plants and remove dead stuff, add new dirt or cuttings that I've rooted. My whole life long I've trimmed plants and put them in water to grow roots, then I either give them away or use them to fill in bare spots in pots that I have.
Because summer is suddenly upon us, I've noticed a lot more bugs in the house (we live next to the woods.) I am deep-cleaning room by room. One evening this week after work I cleaned the guest room. I got up this morning and washed the bedspread and pillow sham for the guest room and hung them out on the line. Now, it is raining. (And, the duggles is out on his bicycle.) We have had rain every day this week. I love rain. Everything is really popping out and the yard needs some serious attention. It is nothing in the summer for me to work in the yard nearly every evening.
Today I am deep-cleaning the living room. If the rain continues and I can't get out into the yard, I may clean beyond the living room. In my earlier years, I was extremely picky about my house. I am still quite fastidious, but live with a corgi, two cats and a man, so I've had to let some things go. Usually, at this point in my life, I deep-clean whenever we have guests or I just can't stand it any longer. Our bedroom is the only room left with carpet and when you don't have carpet, the hair and dirt doesn't have anywhere to go, so I do sweep frequently. I have to or I'll get lost in a cloud of pet hair. I like my house to smell clean. That too is difficult with four animals in the house.
I would like to get out on the trail with Chelsea today and or tomorrow. In a recent post, Sandie asked us if we could walk a quarter mile in five minutes. I went to the Y for the first time in quite some time on Thursday night. I misunderstood what Sandie said and I was thinking she asked if we could walk a half a mile in five minutes. (Which is a bit more of a jog.) Her point was that according to Dr. Oz, if you can walk a quarter of a mile in five minutes (a twenty minute mile) you have a greater chance of living the next six years than someone who can't. It is all related to how healthy you are, if you are overweight, fun factors like that. I was on the elliptical, which I enjoy because it doesn't hurt. Normally, I kick butt on the elliptical. Because I've been dieting- doing "no sugar, no flour" for five weeks now, I'm not as strong as I normally am. I have lost weight, but have lost some strength. I did my first half mile in seven minutes and finished that mile in seventeen minutes and then killed myself to finish the second mile in under thirty. For me, this was slow. According to Sandie's post though, the good news is I will probably be around in the next six years. I still have some work to do though.
Are you a list maker? I am forever making lists. Usually, literally writing them down. Always have lists running through my head though.
My list for today: (in no special order)
1. Clean house
2. Make myself a super healthy smoothie
3. Finish laundry
4. Get clothes ironed for the week- yes, I iron and I do it ahead of time- not just before I put it on.
5. Work in the yard if possible- get new plants in the ground. Weed. Prune. Rake.
6. Walk the trail with Chelsea.
7. Make time for art
8. Read the book club selection- which was my choice and I haven't finished.
9. PAINT the cabinet doors and drawer fronts for KITCHEN. I still haven't done this!

10. get out screens for this window, put them in

11. take a nap

What is on your list for this delicious Saturday?