What is it about waking up at 4 in the morning? I don’t know if it is an age thing, a random thing, an annoying thing or a useful thing. Maybe all of the above. When it happens, I know it will be a while until I can get back to sleep. I often wonder if it happens so that I have time to muse on things that have been in the back of my mind but haven’t really taken time during the day to address them. I’ll have to think about this the next time it happens. That might make it less annoying!

I am not a list maker, other than the one that is usually in my head. During the most recent 4 am stint, the thought of making actual lists – either on paper on on the computer – occurred to me. There are lots of things that need to be done, and in the end, it invariably comes down to me to get them going. So making the list, doing whatever needs doing and then getting on with whatever might reduce the edginess level could be a useful thing. So that is what I am going to start – to do lists.

Here is a beginning -

• gesso some more canvases
• pick up some more fence stain
• go to Dieter Martin’s greenhouse
• go to Costco
• call a plumber
• practice the Marion McPartland piece lots for the upcoming recital that is only 2 1/2 weeks away.

The middle three I could do in one trip. Maybe tomorrow. I like to do errands in bunches so that they are all done in one go. The last one shows that there is a deadline and recitals always have a certain level of anxiety and nervousness attached, so that is something to deal with.

The first one is obviously first in my mind as I would like to get a painting that I have been thinking about, done in the next couple of weeks, to try to submit again to an open show.

This list thing might be good. So, off to gesso the canvases, then practice piano. The others tomorrow when everythings is open again.

And then there is also the Leonard Cohen connection, Famous Blue Raincoat, which starts out – It’s 4 in the morning…. The Jennifer Warnes version on the FBR record (I have both the original record and the cd) is my favourite. Must see if there is sheet music. Put that on the list.