Musician's Widow

In direct contrast of yesterday’s beauty, today has been a dark, rainy day.

I love rain as much as I love sunshine. Rain brings life, the much needed water to sustain plants, animals and humans alike.

Sleeping to rainfall is one of my favorite things. I didn’t want to get up today! I wanted to just keep sleeping in my dark, cool bedroom as the rain pattered on the roof.

Sometimes when I can’t sleep, I’ll play ambient rain noise. It is almost foolproof, putting me to sleep quickly.

This rain is the precursor to colder temperatures for the rest of the week. So long mid-70s. Hello mid-50s. Back to normal November temperatures. It is as it should be….rainy days, sunny days. We need them both. I love ‘em both.

“Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.”
– Author Unknown

Rain drops on hydrangeas.

Today was day two of summer showers in the Nashville area — today had more “severe” storms than yesterday, featuring golf ball-size hail and heavy downpours — which has kept temperatures in the 70s and made the atmosphere crystal clear.

It’s been lovely. Call me crazy, but I love a good downpour. (As long as its not featuring tornadoes, and I don’t like hail.)  I love how clean everything gets. Rain makes the grass green, makes flowers bloom.

I love the way the sound relaxes the body. I haven’t heard rain on a tin roof in a long time, but I remember it being a glorious sound. I’ll occasionally play a rainfall sound to help sleep come quickly.

This morning, I was awakened by the roll of thunder. I opened my eyes, and I realized the bedroom was as dark as night. I rolled over. I closed my eyes. I drifted back into a deep, deep sleep.

I sipped coffee to rainfall. I snuggled a shaking cat as thunder got particularly loud mid-afternoon. I ducked back inside away as yet another storm chased me away from photographing beautiful pink and purple sunset skies.

All day I wished I could send the rain back home to Texas, where the drought is awful. My parent’s lawn has ceased to even exist for lack of rain. Dust covers every surface. Their dog seeks the cooling effects of a small kiddie pool, while rain stays away and temperatures have hit the 100s. I felt a little guilty for enjoying a rainy, lovely day here in Nashville.

Tomorrow temps will probably be back in the 90s. The cool, fresh weather just a memory. Lawn mowers will fire up, and the water bottle will be refilled multiple times. Summer is here and it’s not going anywhere soon. I’m just glad I got the opportunity to enjoy today for all its cleansing goodness.

I just stumbled upon “Top Ten Tuesday” thanks to a re-tweet on Twitter. Since Tuesdays do seem to be a day I struggle to get blog posts made, this just might by my Tuesday blogging saving grace. We will see!

Its projected to be a very rainy day here in Nashville, coming on the heels of a very snowy week last week. I think its safe to presume, most people around here are a little stir crazy! I know I’m getting there, that’s for sure.

So for my very first Top Ten Tuesday:

Ways to get through a rainy day

1. Sleep. Of course, as I said, coming on the heels of a week’s worth of snow, it might not be the best option to sleep that much. I know sleep does a body good, but too much sleep can also do harm as well. According to WebMD, too much sleep can be associated with a host of medical problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and increased risk of death. HOWEVER, I’ve always found that sleeping to the sound of rain fall is some of the best sleep ever, so instead of sleeping the day away, grabbing an afternoon nap might be just the ticket to help get through a rainy day.
2. Dress bright. I know, any men reading this are going, “What??” But I’ve found for myself that on dark dreary days, the best boost is to wear something with a little color. Anything other than just neutral colors. You’ll find the contrast to the outside weather to be a great boost in your mood!
3. Clean. There is something about the rain falling and making the atmosphere clean that makes me want to clean inside, too. Take time to sweep the floors or run a vacuum over the carpet. You don’t have to do a major cleaning, but take the time inside to do one of those “necessary evil” chores.
4. Attack an over due project. I read in my travels around the Weekly Winners participants about one woman who used her snow days to do some scrap booking she’s wanted to do. If you are stuck inside due to the rain, why not work on that project you keep putting off for a variety of reasons. Put up those shelves that need to be hung. Do some scrap booking. Organize your DVD collection. Whatever!
5. Jump in puddles. Granted its winter, and it would probably mean a good case of pneumonia. But if it were warm outside, go play in the rain like you’re five again! Clothing can be washed. Shoes can be replaced. But the freedom that running through the rain brings? PRICELESS!
6. Movies! Pop some popcorn and have a double, triple or quadruple feature!
7. Read. I have two books right now waiting to be read and reviewed. Maybe a rainy day is just the perfect time to sit down and read. Preferably with a cup of coffee close-by.
8. Write a letter. I heard on the news today that schools are taking cursive writing out of the curriculum, because kids prefer to type on their computers or phones. This made me so SAD. Nothing is as personal as a hand-written letter. Write a letter to your significant other. Write a letter to a family member or even a long-lost friend. Sure, you could do an email. That would be great, too. But wouldn’t writing it on paper make the day– and the message — much more special?
9. For those of you at work or school, share your umbrella with someone. Walking in from the parking lot. Going in between classes. What a wonderful opportunity for a random act of kindness! You might make a new friend in the mean time… boosting both your mood and their mood all through a kind gesture.
10. Eat a warm meal. To me, a rainy day cries out for a warm meal. Even if you’re on a diet, put the salad away. Have at least a warm bowl of soup. Whatever you do, get through a rainy day with a warm, fully tummy.

This post is linked up to Top Ten Tuesday at Oh Amanda

Today has been one of those days where you just want to pull the covers back over your head and NOT get out of bed. The only difference between today and other days like this is the fact that… that’s exactly what I did.

See, I had a great time last night at the tree decorating party, and I came home riding a high from that. But then once I got into bed, snuggled down to sleep, the brain clicked into the “On” position and would not shut off. So I laid awake until well into the morning, before my exhausted body took over my brain and wrestled it into sleep mode.

I then proceeded to just not want to get up… especially since I found out (thankfully!) I’ll be working tonight. So while most people settle in for a cold, wet night at home, I’ll be heading off to work. Kinda like how when everyone was going in for a cold, we DAY at work, I was settling in to go to sleep.

Yes, I live my life backwards from everyone else some times. Not always, but sometimes. And today was one of those days.

Someone have a cup of hot chocolate by the fire for me tonight!! I took a nap for everyone else today.