A lot has been said on the subject of whether we should abolish Daylight Savings Time, or take it on year-round, or just stay with the bouncing ball we have in place now. The Bill to put in place a permanent fix stalled this year in committee and so we are bouncing around still. Today, for example, we ditched Daylight Savings Time and reverted back to Standard Time. Sleep specialists and those who study circadian rhythms say that we should stay with a year-round clock that doesn't spring forward or fall back. That we should align ourselves with the times that are given to us by the rotations of the planet and not tamper with the clock because our bodies do better with that than with the artificial introduction of Daylight Savings Time (DST). We are naturally aligned with Standard Time, they tell us.
I do not understand their position at all. None of it is "natural." Clocks are human inventions serving human interests. How can you say it's more "natural" for me to call 7 a.m. its regular 7 a.m., when just a few miles to the east, that same time is deemed to be 8 a.m.(in Michigan)? Back in 1918, the introduction of DST in the US was all about the war effort and conserving energy to strengthen our position in the conflict. After the second World War, when summer DST was passed into law on a permanent basis, the stated reasons had to do with recreation, outdoor activities and the need to have some time to get stuff done after work. I suppose it was so hopelessly dark in the winter anyway, that everyone gave up on the idea that we needed more daylight to get things done after work then.
The discussion continues. I'm in favor of more daylight in the evening, but then I dont have little kids starting school at 7:40 in the morning. So, ask me which I prefer and I'll say DST forever! But I understand that this is just my preference. What I don't understand is how it has come to pass that the experts are weighing in and telling us that it is better for us to stick with the clock as the cosmos intended because, you know, otherwise our circadian rhythms are out of wack and that's just plain dangerous. Plain nonsense, if you ask me. If they're out of whack it's because we all spend too much time on our screens. Which for once was not my problem last night.
It's not that I went to sleep at a decent hour (now that Millie is here again to regulate me). I did not. More like 2 a.m. again. I got very engrossed in work on my Rose Book. And what exactly is this Rose Book? It's a very large blank notebook where I want to list all the roses I have growing here, with brief descriptions telling me what I planted where and in what state of growth.
There are many reasons for me to do a Rose Book, but I think chief among them is my inexperience with seriously growing roses. I bought plants that should survive a Wisconsin winter (if properly prepared for it). But will they survive? Will they die back? And where did I put what? Should I expect fragrance? Tall canes? What does each plant need come springtime? I dont want to get down on the ground and look for tags everytime I want to check on a rose. The book will help me remember where I planted my 104 bushes, large and small (plus my seven container ones, though that's more obvious).
Millie was wonderful this morning: she stayed put until I got up at 7 (which to her surely felt like 8). I'm not totally surprised: she had quite the evening, given all the trick-or-treaters. And with my being up late, she had her "last chance" walks deep into the night. Still, it was wonderful to transition so easily to the new time.
I'd like to say that breakfast was wonderful on this first day of November, except that it was wonderful only for me. Millie has been rejecting her food for several days now. I subscribe to Farmer's Dog adn she used to love it to pieces. Now, and especially in the mornings, she wont touch it, which is especially troublesome since she is taking meds for her tummy issues and each untouched meal is a wasted pill. I have actually started sprinkling toppers on her wet food. She is very nimble at fishing them out of her dish. Oh, Millie!
(my breakfast)
She naps, I dig three more holes. Sounds like a good way to spend the morning. For both of us.
The day is a little different (from other Sundays), because the young family is not here for dinner. Not quite sure why. I have long given up on making sense of their needs and plan changes. This does free up the day a bit more and since Ed wants to come over for a light supper (now that the house is people free!), I decide to take Millie to Tati's for her pup cup treat. Just us two girls! Well mannered,well behaved, both of us.
(yum!)
Back home again, I give her a thorough brush through. She is used to this daily routine, and rarely fusses (much). Afterwards, she looks like one big cream puff. (It's rare that you see her eyes well: the dark iris fills the eye and hides in a frame of dark fur. This time, however, I catch her giving me The Eye.)
Of course, by 5 it's dark and it will be thus until March 14th (in the U.S. and Canada, and March 28th in Europe -- Asian countries and African countries do not change their clocks, and Australia does, but of course, they're on DST right now so they don't belong to the dark evening club at the moment). Millie prefers daytime walks, although this morning she was very agitated by all the new smells left over in our neighborhood from last night's trick-or-treating. But we shall persevere! Time to bring out some evening candles, don't you think? After Ed leaves. He is not a fan of winter candles!
with so much love...
