Early to Bed, Early to Rise

I've always been a morning person. I was brought up with the saying, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." When I was a little girl, my aunt used to come and stay with us periodically, on the weekends. "Wake me up at 6:00 in the morning," she'd whisper to me, "and we'll go and get donuts." I loved it. I would tiptoe into her bedroom at 6:00 a.m. and we would  head to the kitchen. She would  make herself a cup of coffee. She drank Taster's Choice instant coffee, black, and she smoked True Blue cigarettes. I liked to light her cigarette for her.  She would drive me in her Mustang to the Hillsdale mall, and we would pick out several different types of donuts for the family to enjoy. We had memorized everyone's favorites. My dad liked plain, my mom liked jelly donuts. The boys liked the chocolate cake ones, and I liked glazed.  It was so much fun. I loved sitting at the kitchen table with her and eating chocolate glazed donuts. Everything when done with my Aunt Mary was a treat. She was such a kind and generous person. I adored her company. She made the weekend feel like a holiday.

I still get up early, to this day. Right now the weather here is very hot. If I want to cook, I need to get it done by 8:00 a.m. Otherwise the cottage will be too hot. This morning I made a pot of espresso on my vintage stove, and heated up some milk in a saucepan to go with it. After that I roasted a chicken and boiled some beets. I seasoned the bird with salt, white pepper, herbs, and paprika. I cut up some butter and dotted it on the top. I baked it for an hour covered, and another hour uncovered. I popped a few potatoes in the oven, too. My dogs and I love baked potatoes. I can buy them for a dollar or two for a ten pound bag, when they are on sale. Potatoes are a staple in my diet. I always feel more grounded when I eat them.

Once I turned off the oven, there was still some time to take my German Shepherd for a hike. She has a black coat, so I need to walk her before the sun gets too high in the sky. As we headed up the trail, I thought about how lucky I am to live in an area that has such gorgeous hiking available. I can drive five minutes in either direction, and be on some of the nicest trails in California. I plan to continue to take advantage of it. I struggled with hiking for years, because my hips were so bad. Since having them replaced,  I can go every day, if I want.. We also have over 300 miles of bike paths where I live. I especially enjoy the ones that are car free.

Each night after dinner I take a bath and do my physical therapy exercises, yoga, and/or pilates. I'm generally in bed by nine. My body likes this rhythm. That way I get plenty of sleep, and am ready to rise around 5:00 a.m. How about you? Are you a morning person?