Just call me a one-woman Bureau of Reclamation.

This is the year I reclaim things I have been missing in my life. First, the morning. It has always bothered me that my work gets the best part of my day--the best part of me. So instead of going in early to get the day over, this summer I'm going in after 9-9:30. I get up in the morning and blog for a bit until my body is all the way awake, putter in my garden, do some dishes or laundry, go for a walk, see my kids after they wake up and before they head off to play with friends, and then I go to work.

I'm reclaiming my garden. I am a certified master gardener and my yard is a mess. Not long after I completed the course I tore my ACL and I can't kneel. It's difficult to garden if you cannot kneel. But I am going to find a way. I'm just doing a little bit every day because pulling weeds so much when I was young is started this mess my hands are in and it only makes it worse, but i am making progress. Next week I'm going to get a load of Nutri-Mulch and cover up the grass seed in hopes the weeds won't sprout if the sun don't shine. And I got tired of waiting for the grow boxed to magically appear so I stole the spot for the some-day trees and planted tomatoes, purple carrots, corn and bush beans. It may not be much, but it's a start.

I'm reclaiming my porch. It really is the loveliest place to eat breakfast, at least when the garden is in deep shape. It's mostly done today except I need to vacuum the green outdoor carpet and wipe down the retro stove/oven that serves as a buffet for my plastic dinnerware on one side and a mini-tool shed on the other.

I'm reclaiming my quilt room. Tons of stuff going to DI. I'm going to keep up on the laundry if it kills me. There is nowhere better to be on a hot summer day than down in the basement sewing away. I need to finish the quilt I'm making for Shane's grandmother and a couple of Christmas projects I've been avoiding but would like to see completed. Then I am going to start on not one, but two king-size quilts for my bed. One for spring and summer, the other for fall.

I'm reclaiming my body. I'm systematically seeing docs for all the (known) things that are wrong with me and I'm going to fix them. I don't even care if they require surgery, although I hope to avoid it if possible. I want to feel good, not be in pain, and have the energy to do those things I want to do.

Eventually I'll reclaim my bedroom by installing a lock on the door, having Shane fix the ceiling, then finding a soothing shade of pale blue paint. Or something. And I'll keep working on keeping the junk out of my space so I can have a place to catch my breath.

Wish me luck!