Morning

Yesterday's photo prompt for the 31 Things project was "morning" ... but since I did not review the list until late afternoon, I had to improvise.  I did like the idea of capturing my morning routine for this period of life, however, so today I set out with that purpose in mind.

My morning perch

Not a great picture, I must say, but it is somewhat of a challenge to deal with the low light situation while at the same time trying to keep three dogs at bay.  This is, however, my typical a.m. perch:  coffee on the shelf within arm's reach, laptop precariously balanced on the arm of the well-worn couch, and the local news providing white noise in the background while I review emails, check Facebook postings, and begin my morning writing routine.

During the school year I typically wake up around 5:15.  I make the coffee the night before and set the timer for 5:00 so that it is ready to pour when I walk into the kitchen.  I then walk downstairs into the family room (or as we fondly refer to it as the "dog" room) to let out the pooches, ensure they have food and water, and take my proper seat.  In the summer I am not quite the early-riser, getting up anywhere between 5:30 and 6:30 depending on what time the dogs bark (they are more reliable than a rooster, I am certain).

The banner I had in my
room throughout
high school
and college

While I have never considered myself a morning person, I much prefer to leisurely start the day rather than sleep an extra few minutes and then have to hit the ground running.  I typically spend about a 60-90 minutes here in this solitude (except for the occasional canine snuggle) slowly acclimating myself to daylight.  I take time to review the events of yesterday... typically in my morning pages; quiet my soul with a devotional reading and prayer; and then begin to plan the day's activities.

Lately I have followed this routine with a morning walk.  It can be beastly hot in Kansas in the summer, and I find the early morning hours to be the most comfortable of the day.  I'm not sure if I will continue this portion of the routine when school starts.... but it works for now.