Priorities

As September draws to a close, so does my month-long vacation. I give classes all year except Christmas, Holy Week, the last week of June, and the month of September. All year I await an entire month of being able to get things done in the morning AND in the afternoon. Normally, my afternoons are spent in classes, and all errands have to be taken care of in the morning, as well as housework. 

So, when I wake up on a September morning, I think about what I need and want to do that day. First of all, breakfast. Then, Facebook. Then, writing when I feel I have something to say. By that time I need to fly to the grocery store if I need an ingredient for lunch, and then I have to make some food. I'll leave the housework for the afternoon.

During lunch I think about what I want and need to do in the afternoon. If it's a sunny day, I think about painting with pastels. I also think about reading some more. Perhaps I might go for a drive. Put clothes out to dry in the sun, or hope they dry under the clouds. Play with the cats. 

By the time it's four o'clock I realize I haven't washed up after lunch. The dishes are still in the sink, the countertops sticky, and the kitchen needs sweeping. I take care of that and continue with other things. I might go on a forgotten errand. I might try to finish the book I'm reading. Perhaps continue a little with a pastel painting. Chat with my daughter. Water the plants if it hasn't rained. If a neighbor walks by, we might stop and chat a bit. Stare at the leaves and wish it were June instead of September with all summer's promises ahead of me instead of winter's darkness.

When evening comes around I think of the things I have and haven't done that day. Oh, yeah, the housework. Maybe I'll get around to that tomorrow if I have enough time.