Welcome Saturday!

I’ve been waiting for you all week.

Aside: Why do I not have a mug of java in my hand when typing this? One moment please. Be right back.

Ok coffee brewing. B1G1F Eight O’Clock French Vanilla in fact. I do love TOPS for their sales. Last night I went to TOPS only to pick up B1G1F Blueberries, Coffee, Arnold Whole Grain Bread and a $30 huge jug of olive oil that was 50% off which I scored for $15.

So anyway…tis Saturday and I’m in front of the computer with my coffee and it is already 10 am. I bid Mark farewell around 8:45 (he teaches Wing Chun every Saturday morning in Rochester and this weekend he has to work on Sunday afternoon so he’s spending the evening there with his buddy Paul and hitting up the end of the Jazz Festival.)

I have a long list of *Martha* type things planned for the next two days. I started last night with a trip to many stores including Home Depot, Dollar Store, Tops and Wegmans. Long night of shopping! Of course in order to get time to do this list of things, I had to clear my schedule this weekend. Think of a Magna Doodle filled with marvelous scribblings in every corner and then WOOSH.

Clear.

I love love love the summertime because of all the fun things to do and I’m so blessed to have many people to do things with. But sometimes I just need to be…without plans with others which is something I have a hard time doing, saying no and passing on offers. (I passed on 5 things for the weekend and only stuck with 1 which is visiting family Sunday night.) If I don’t go somewhere because other *plans* I don’t feel bad but when my other *plans* include things like I want to do this weekend, I feel like I am being rude.

Alas… and there in lies MY biggest problem. I shouldn’t feel guilty for needing time for myself.

Thank you Daily Om for the that reminder today: Recharging Your Batteries.

In time, you might notice that the reasons you feel run down have less to do with how much you are doing and more to do with the fact that in your heart, you would rather be doing something else entirely. From now on, try and listen to what your heart really wants.

And this weekend? What my heart really wants? Is to catch up on the things below that I have been meaning to do for sometime.

1. PAINTING!!! (FINALLY!!!) The middle room, the bedroom and the bathroom. I really want my house looking like MY home before all my Allegheny girls come into town for Erin’s wedding in a few weeks. Click here to see the colors Mark approved. The man at Home Depot was funny “whoa, these are a few bright ones you have here!”

2. CLEANING!!! In order to paint, I have MUCH cleaning to do in these rooms and I have to move and rearrange all the furniture.

3. BAKING!!! My first daring bakers challenge! I’m terrified and excited all at the same time! (Trust me, this is something I likely would never have attempted without a challenge.) I must succeed! Oh and I’m preparing a strawberry whipped loaf thing for the family event tomorrow night.

4. PLANTING!!! I still have my seeds waiting…poor things. My herb garden is never going to grow if I don’t plant them!

5. READING!!! I have not been reading lately, only 24 books read for the year. What the? I’m usually good for a book or two a week, at least. This weekend, I want to finish a few by my bed that I’ve started: The Tao of Writing, Eat Pray Love and Second Chance:Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower.

Big plans for only a day and a half, eh? I’ll keep ya in touch with my progress. Well, except with that Daring Bakers project, that will be revealed with all the other Daring Bakers on June 29th.

Now off the computer and on to Bidwell Park for the Farmers Market. (And the Co-op for cardamon and a vanilla bean.)

Hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday!

Update: 75 degrees is pretty much a perfect summer day for me. Perfect. Sun was shining (although tis not as much now) and there was a wee breeze. Lovely. No need for an air conditioner. 80 is about my breaking point before I get whiny.

Bought apples and strawberries at the farmers market. And decided never ever to go out to Bidwell Park again before eating breakfast or lunch because smelling that DELICIOUS Chiavettas BBQ CHICKEN they were selling had me practically on my knees begging. (The line was kinda long…I passed.)

One more picture and then I’m off.

🙂