Baby the wind must blow…

Wherever my heart leads me
Baby I must go
Baby I must go

Glenn Yarbrough compliments of mondaviarts.org

So sang Glen Yarbough in 1965 & so it goes today. Cloudy gray skies, cool temps, & rain in the forecast. For all those lovers of summer it may seem a dismal thing. No swimming or sailing, no badminton or bike rides, no gardening or golf, just clouds, more clouds & rain, drizzle, & mist.

But fear not…

There is fun to be had

There is much you can do

Rain really isn’t so bad

Here’s a list for you!

Make some chocolate chip cookies – rainy days are tailor-made for cookies, chocolate chip or otherwise & you’ll need them throughout the rest of the day to accompany your other activities. Serve liberally with milk, juice or tea.

Find a kid & a coloring book – you remember those… funky newsprint paper & thick black lines that serve as guidelines to channel your inner Michelangelo or Monet. It’s best to have the big 64 box of crayons but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. The conversation will be fun & the coloring itself will be soothing to the adult soul.

Take a nap – you may already know how I feel about a good nap (see Summertime & the Livin’ is Easy – 7/7/2013) This is just one more perfect excuse to find a quiet corner & cuddle up for a few ZZZZ’s.

Spend an hour with a good book  – goes without saying, but again, if you can find a kid, you can do some reading aloud together. You could check out the titles to the right if you need a suggestion. You could read April Rain Song by Langston Hughes…

Let the rain kiss you

Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops

Let the rain sing you a lullaby

The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk

The rain makes running pools in the gutter

The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night

And I love the rain.

Langston Hughes

Catch up with a friend – call, write, text, email, Skype, whatever your chosen method of communication is these days, get in touch with someone you might not have connected  with lately & share a funny story, a good whine if you need it, or your new favorite song or movie.

Put a jigsaw puzzle together – these things were specifically made for rainy days. If you’re up for a challenge try one of the puzzles from Puzzles That Rock. Check out their website www.puzzlesthatrock.com to find the best one. Just make sure you have some help…these puzzles are beautiful but…

Go for a walk – Yup, when you start feeling just a bit “house bound” find your bumbershoot & your galoshes & get outside. You won’t melt, I promise, you’ll enjoy the fresh air & the sounds of a rainy day. You could hum part of the Cascades Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain…

Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain

Telling me just what a fool I’ve been

I wish that it would go and let me cry in vain

And let me be alone again

Oh, listen to the falling rain

Pitter pater, pitter pater

Oh, oh, oh, listen to the falling rain

Pitter pater, pitter pater

Me…I’m off to make those cookies!!!