Nature and Me

I am forever linked to nature. Duh, you say.

However, to know me is to know nature. Just sitting at my desk in the den and looking around, I see the four seasons represented in art, decorations and furniture. The color of the walls and furniture are all colors found in my gardens, pinks, blues, some lavender, and, of course, various shades of green. Here in the den is a ficus tree, with little white lights. In my bedroom, the walls are bright yellow, like the sun.

I am an avid maker of gardens. The more, the merrier I am. I am on a mission to replace most of the open space with gardens. Perpetual gardens that renew each spring. As they mature, I transplant, enlarge, remove. Gardens are my heaven on earth. In fact, my mother gave me a garden plaque that says the same thing.

What is this rambling leading up to?

I am having a difficult time adjusting to this man made "daylight savings time", the changing of the natural. I remind myself of the crabby old lady cards sold by Hallmark.

"Just as sunflowers turn their heads to catch every sunbeam, so too have we discovered a simple way to get more from our sun," the heading from a website dedicated to Day Light Savings Time at www.webexhibits.org.

And I have Benjamin Franklin to blame for the initial idea. (Probably thought of it after being struck by lightening. )

Bolluck, the English would say and, I love these old English words.

Here are some of the reasons given for "shifting" time:

* People like it
* Fewer violent crimes ( this has worked well)
* Safe for Trick or Treaters ( a one night event)
* Increased voter turnout ( a one day event)
* Fewer traffic accidents ( not in Delaware)
* Energy conservation (let's see the research on this)

However, to force myself to adjust, last night I dimmed the lights at 10 PM and set the alarm for 5 AM. Before Sunday, I would rise as the sun was rising, now I beat the sun by an hour and a half. I grudgingly got out of bed and set about tasks that I put off last night. I am getting a lot accomplished but at what cost?

The cats know the real time. They have not even risen. Ridiculous they say, it is 4 AM. Get back to bed. But I move on. Some wash, moving beds and furniture around. In the next few minutes, I will leave to get gas in the car, go through the Starbucks drive through, and return home to do some yoga.

While traveling, it took me about four days, once I landed, to adjust to the new rhythm of the earth. African time. Then I had to turn around and return to Eastern Daylight time. I will be thankful for the longer visit coming up. More time to let my body discover the time the sun rises and sets each day.

And, they do not observe Day Light Savings time.