Tuesday 4~Rainy Days and Mondays

 Rainy Days and Mondays

Welcome to Tuesday 4
Many seem to have trouble with Mister Linky but, I don't so sign up below!
We've had a lot of rain recently and it got me wondering about some things.


Could we discuss it please?


1.Do rainy days and/or Mondays really get you down? If so why?

No, not really. I actually enjoy rainy days, when we have them. We just haven't had enough of them this year to even begin to get tired of.  And Monday's don't get me down either, especially now that I am retired. I actually enjoy them as a day to begin a new week with a fresh clean slate.


2. Does thunder and lightning frighten you at all?
How about your dog or cat and what do you do to help them out?

I have a healthy respect for thunder and lightning. Here in Florida we are the lightning capital of the country, I believe, and lightning is quite dangerous and should be treated as such. This was on Facebook a few days ago:

 I do love to watch it from a distance, however, and I even took some pictures this past week that I already shared on my last post, but just in case you missed this one, here it is again...   I took this picture from our front porch, but be assured the lightning was quite far away from us. However, they say it can strike up to 10 miles away, so we still have to be careful.

Regarding my cat Blackie, he does not like thunder and lightning, and I've noticed that he will find a place to hide his face and head when there's a lot of thunder going on.  I may have shared this photo before, but it's been a while. This was Blackie hiding his head under the couch when we had a lot of thunder and lightning...

3. If you are at home on a dark, rainy day what do you do with your time? Some find it a good day to cuddle up with a cuppa and read or watch TV.. what is your preference?

Oh yes, I love to spend a dark rainy day reading if I have a good book to read. If not, sometimes I like to bake cookies on a rainy day (or something else that smells really good).

If you click on this link, I think it will take you to a lot of old posts for things to do on a Rainy Afternoon.  Apparently I've thought a lot about this over the years, because there are quite a few different posts there! LOL.I'd forgotten about a few of them, so I was glad I went back and checked them out!! Some sweet memories there.


4.Ever been caught in a downpour or has rain ever ruined your plans?

Oh, yes, I've been caught in plenty of downpours over the years. Living in Florida, that can be quite often throughout the summer months, but sadly, not this summer.  I'm sure rain may have ruined some plans sometime or other, but right now I can't think of anything in particular that's worth writing about!

Update...I just remembered a time when I was caught in a downpour. I was only about 7 or 8 years old. I had been at our Summer Recreation program at our school and I was waiting for a neighbor lady to pick me up to take me home. I waited and waited and she didn't show up, so I thought I could just walk home. We lived about 3 miles from the school, out a very long country road, but I had to pass through a less desirable part of town to get to the highway that led to our long country road. All of a sudden it started to pour down rain in a bad thunderstorm. The only shelter I could see was a little overhang over the door of a saloon.  I knew I shouldn't go there, but it was the only shelter I could see, so I stood under that covering for a minute, and a man stepped outside and asked me if I wanted to come inside. I knew I couldn't do that or I would be in big trouble, so I yelled, "NO!" and I started running away in the rain. I kept running and probably had gotten about a mile when the lady who was supposed to pick me up pulled up on the highway beside me and told me to get in the car. I was soaken wet and scared and crying by that time.  She took me home, and I don't remember much after that because I'm sure my mother was at work so I don't know if the neighbor left me alone at my house or took me to her house to dry off. That's all a blur. I just know my parents were very unhappy with me for leaving the school before the neighbor picked me up, but they were all very thankful that I was safe, even though very wet and scared. I didn't know it then, but I know now that God was certainly watching over me even when I was being disobedient and foolhardy. I am very thankful for His guardian angels who certainly had a difficult job in guarding me! LOL. 

Bonus question: Why do Mondays seem to be so unpopular with so many?

I suppose Mondays are unpopular for people who hate to see the weekend come to an end and to have to go back to work or school and get back to the "grind". There have been times in my life when I hated to see Monday come because I didn't particularly like my work or else I just was enjoying the weekend so much I hated to see it end.  But for the most part, I've been thankful to have a job to go to and/or I also enjoyed being at school back in the day so I could be with my friends. I guess it's all about attitude and perspective.  I am mostly a happy person, so I make the most of whereever I am.  

I cheated a bit and asked the computer to give me some Bible verses about rain, and here's the results:

Top Bible Verses About Refreshing Rain

Psalm 68:9
"You sent abundant rain, O God, to refresh the weary land."
Psalm 72:6
"May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth."
Hosea 6:3
"He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rains that water the earth."
Acts 3:19
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."
Deuteronomy 32:2

"Let my teaching fall like rain and my speech distill like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants."
 

That gives us some more "food for thought" on the subject of rain.  I hope you are having a blessed and refreshing day wherever you are, rainy or not! It's hot and dry here right now (Monday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.), but upon looking at my phone weather app, it says we are expecting rainy conditions around 6:00 p.m., so I will wait and see if I can get any new pictures at that time before publishing this post.

A little later:

Well, Glad I waited! We did indeed get quite a powerful thunderstorm around 5:30 p.m.  It was quite windy in addition to the heavy rain and thunder and lightning.  We had just put Blackie back out on the porch after he finished his supper, and then there was the rumble of thunder, and he was right back at the glass doors looking in the window to the living room with a big eyes and his ears back, which said to me "Please let me in quick! I heard a big noise out here!! A storm is coming! Hurry up! Let me in!"

I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of that, but I was too busy opening the door and letting him inside.  Just in time, too. The storm really broke loose with a lot of rain and wind.  

And look where he was...if you can't tell, he's in my lap! And just as I was talking to our son on the phone (he called us to ask if it was raining at our house...he lives about a mile away), the power went out!  Yep! The lights went out, the TV went off, and of course the computer shut off as did the air conditioner. Thankfully it wasn't dark yet, but we had no idea how long it would be off.  And so we just sat there and watched the rain and prayed the power wouldn't be off for too long or we'd be getting hot.

Thankfully after about 45 minutes the power came back on and so did everything else. The rain died down and the wind stopped blowing and there was no more thunder or lightning. We survived the big storm, and after a little while Blackie went back to the door and said he was ready to go back outside, and so that's where he is now.  All's well that ends well, and so I will bring this little story about "Rainy Days and Mondays" to an end. It was quite appropriate that it did in fact rain for us on this Monday evening!  Good Night, and see you in the morning when this Tuesday 4 post will go live!!

Thanks Annie, for another great meme for this week!

"Singing in the Rain"

 It's a rainy Sunday afternoon here on Still Waters Pond:

I know, that looks like a moose is walking on the water and a dove in the sky and a fish jumping in the pond, and an angel blowing her trumpet and a bird singing...Yes, it's amazing the things you can see here on Still Waters Pond, if you just use your imagination a little bit...

I even imagined that I saw this Mockingbird taking a shower in the rain on the top of our Holly tree...oh wait! That's a REAL Mockingbird, and he really is taking a shower in the rain...

And he seemed to be enjoying every minute of it. How do I know?

Because all the time he was spreading out his wings and feathers to let them get thoroughly cleansed by this free shower, he was singing...

It didn't bother him one bit that it was raining "cats and dogs" on top of his head...he was singing at the top of his lungs while he enjoyed the cool waters cascading down through his feathers, washing away the bugs and mites and dust that accumulates when you don't get to bathe very often.

The Mockingbird wasn't the only bird enjoying God's free shower...can you see that Cardinal in the middle of the red holly berries?  He was also taking advantage of this lovely rainy afternoon to get all nice and fresh and clean.  

One song came to mind, "Singing in the Rain" by Gene Kelly,

"I'm singing in the rain

Just singing in the rain

What a glorious feelin'

I'm happy again

I'm laughing at clouds

So dark up above

The sun's in my heart

And I'm ready for love

Let the stormy clouds chase

Everyone from the place

Come on with the rain

I've a smile on my face

I walk down the lane

With a happy refrain

Just singin',

Singin' in the rain"

I can imagine the birds felt this "glorious feelin'" and they were "laughing at clouds so dark up above..."

Oh to be so free and happy like the birds, without a care in the world...dancing and singing in the rain with a smile on our face...just laughing at the clouds...yes, "What a glorious feelin" to be so happy again.

It seems like the past six or seven months have kind of knocked the smile off of a lot our faces...and since we have to keep our faces covered with a mask...we can't even see each other smile anymore.  It's been a bit discouraging to say the least. And now to have our President and First Lady and so many others fighting this illness, we are even more perplexed about the future and what we should do next.

But this morning in church our Praise Team sang another song that keeps reverberating in my mind ever since I came home:  

"The God of the Mountain"

Life is easy, when you're up on the mountain

And you've got peace of mind, like you've never known

But things change, when you're down in the valley

Don't lose faith, for you're never alone

For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley

When things go wrong, He'll make them right

And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times

The God of the day is still God in the night

You talk of faith, when you're up on the mountain

But talk comes so easy, when life's at it's best

Now it's down in the valleys, of trials and temptations

That's where your faith, is really put to the test

For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley

When things go wrong, He'll make them right

And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times

The God of the day, is still God in the night

The God of the day, is still God in the night

So, when we are faced with "rainy days" that seem to dampen our spirits, and difficult times that drag us down into the valley of despair, we need to remember that "The God of the Mountain is still God in the valley..."  May we be like that Mockingbird sitting on top of that tree, singing in the pouring down rain and rejoicing in the opportunity to use that rain for a cleansing shower...washing away the dust and filth of the world, and restoring our faith, for we are never alone. "The God of the day is still God in the night."  

What a great lesson from the Mockingbird today! I hope this brings a smile to your face so that you too can sing in the rain!!  

By the way, you might want to listen to the sermon that follows the song above. It was a great message from I Peter 3:13-22.  You may find it to be very encouraging as well.

15.  "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, 

and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

16.  having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, 

those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

17.  For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."

I'll talk to you all later.

Be blessed, and try singing in the rain!

It may just bring a smile to your face again!

Rainy Days and Mysteries...

We've had quite a few rainy days lately, although as I am writing this today the sun is shining for the first time in almost a week.  But yesterday this was my view from the sunporch...(or, rainporch?) 

 Looking out into the Secret Garden from the Sunporch...

It was the kind of afternoon to sit back with a cup of tea and read a good book...

 Here I am, deep in the throes of a good mystery...

Oh, hello!! You caught me!

I just discovered these great little books written by Laura Childs..."A Tea Shop Mystery" series...each one set in the old city of Charleston, South Carolina, filled with just the right blend of southern charm,  suspense, and delicious tea-time recipes and fun. 

These suspense-filled stories make for some thrilling summer/rainy day light reading...especially if you like tea and southern hospitality laced with a good murder mystery  (is there such a thing as a "good" murder? No, definitely not, but only if you enjoy reading books that keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what's going to happen next...)

This would not be what I would consider "inspirational fiction"....but they are interesting, clean mystery plots that will keep you guessing "who done-it" all the way through.  Each book also includes some delicious tea time recipes and ideas for special tea times.

So, if you are looking for something a little different to read this summer...check out these books from your local library (or order online).  There are several more books in the series, but these are the only ones I've read so far.

However, if you want some excellent Inspirational Historical Fiction to read this summer, I can heartily recommend any book written by Lynn Austin.  She has quite a long list of powerful Christian historical fiction, many focusing on the dynamic roles and lives of women across the century, starting in the Civil War, and continuing through both World War I and World War II...and how their lives were impacted by the times and seasons of very turbulent times. 

These  (below) are just three of the many books I've read written by Lynn Austin, but there are many, many more, including "Hidden Places", which received a Christy Award and was made into a Hallmark Channel Movie. (Although I watched the movie, and don't feel that it did justice to the real story behind the story...they just couldn't include everything in the movie, and it was sadly lacking the depth of the book). 

I found all of these books at my local public library.  As much as I'd love to purchase every book I've ever read, I can't do it...so I am very thankful that our public library does have an excellent selection of inspirational authors to choose from.  So, if you are looking for something good to read this summer, "check it out" at your local library!  If they don't have what you are looking for, perhaps you can make some suggestions to them!


Here's a couple of Proverbs for today:

"Do not let your heart envy sinners,

but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day;

For surely there is a hereafter,

and your hope will not be cut off."

Proverbs 23:17-18

"Do not be envious of evil men,

nor desire to be with them;

for their heart devises violence, 

and their lips talk of troublemaking.

Through wisdom a house is built,

and by understanding it is established;

By knowledge the rooms are filled 

with all precious and pleasant riches."

Proverbs 24:1-4

Have a blessed and beautiful summer!

If you have read some interesting books that you think we'd like,

please share them with us!!

Here's a link to some of the summer reading I did last summer...  You may want to check out these books, written by one of our own favorite blogging friends, Martha Jane Orlando. (Meditations of My Heart).

My Kind of Day

Don't you just love Saturdays when you don't have anything particular planned, and it kind of plans itself while you sit back and enjoy the ride?  That's how this day has been.  Now, first, let me say right off the top...I know our friends in Texas have not had a good day...and they are in for a rough ride for a while...so by all means we must continue to pray for our dear friends along the Texas/LA. coast line and surrounding areas.  Been praying for a couple of days for them...and will keep on.  We have some sweet blogging friends there...and so far they seem to be okay...but let's keep them in our prayers, okay?

Now, back to my day here in "sunny Florida"...well, not so sunny here today either . Woke up this morning and it was already raining softly...making it sort of difficult to wake up and get out of that bed, let me tell you!! But eventually we climbed out and had our cups of coffee and tea

and checked our messages on facebook/email/blogs...you know the routine...just takin' it easy...

And then our sweet new daughter-in-law-to-be showed up on our doorstep bright and early! She and our son had big plans for the day to celebrate his birthday. (which is Monday). We had an impromptu family gathered around the table big breakfast of waffles, eggs, and sausage, and then they were headed over to the coast (Atlantic side) to take a little River Cruise and lunch on a beautiful paddle wheel boat.  Being the typical "mother", I was afraid they would get rained out, but they were determined to go anyway...and I'm so glad they did! The sun came out and they had a beautiful day.


While they were gone hubby and I took a slow ride to the "dump", the hardware store, the local small grocery store and back home again.  I was having withdrawal because I had loaned my camera to the "kids" for their excursion today (See my camera in Rose's hands above...taking their "selfie" in a mirror on the boat)...and it is very difficult for me to go anywhere without my camera. I don't have a fancy cell phone with a decent camera...it wouldn't work around here in the woods anyway. So I hoped I wouldn't see any exciting things happening like a bear or a deer or an eagle and not have a camera in hand.  It finally got so bad that I dug out a spare camera that hadn't been used for a while because the last time I used it it didn't work so well...but I dusted it off, put in new batteries and a blank memory card, and guess what? It worked!

By this time I had decided to bake a couple of pumpkin pies! Why? Because hubby had mentioned how much he wished I would...and I had all the right ingredients...and didn't have any other plans...so why not?  The spare camera came in handy to take a picture just as they came out of the oven:

I wish our computers had a "scratch and sniff" app so you could smell just how delicious these pies smelled, with their cinnamon, ginger and clove spices mingling with the aroma of the pumpkin and baked pastry...are you drooling yet?  Who says you have to wait until Thanksgiving for pumpkin pie???? I say a rainy Saturday afternoon with nothing special to do is as good a time as any...especially when it makes so many people happy as these pies did! You can imagine how much the "kids" enjoyed these when they got back from their cruise...too full from their lunch for any supper...but just the right appetite for a piece of pie with whipped cream! A perfect ending to a perfect day!

Now it is raining again...my tummy is full and happy from eating that pie...hubby has been singing my praises for baking it...the "kids" (I call them kids, but they are both in their 40's and hardly can be called "kids"...but you know what I mean...your kids are always your kids no matter how old they get...) have been enjoying talking about their little excursion and also happily making plans for their upcoming wedding in a couple of months...and future plans to fix up their house and begin their lives together....

Yes, this has been "my kind of day"... family time...peaceful moments...joyful expectations...the kind of stuff that makes for a happy home and life...even saw this deer meander through our front yard this evening, just before the rain started to really come down again:

Kind of blurry because it was getting dark...but such a neat way to end the day...

Before the "kids" left for their little trip this morning we shared our morning devotions with them...and the Psalm that was read was Psalm 128:

"Blessed is every one who fears the Lord,

Who walks in His ways.

When you eat the labor of your hands,

You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine

in the very heart of your house.

Your children like olive plants all around your table.

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed 

who fears the Lord.

The Lord bless you out of Zion,

and may you see the good of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.

Yes, may you see your children's children.

Peace by upon Israel!"

What a beautiful blessing to be read with a sweet couple about to be married...and even for us, the parents, who feel very blessed to have our children all around our table...We don't know what the future holds for us or for our "kids"...but we pray their home will be filled with peace, joy, and love...and who knows what further blessings the Lord may have in store for them? We'll just leave that up to God, Who knows all things and what is best always.

Yes, this was "my kind of day!!"

Praise the Lord!

Rainy Saturday Family Fun

"Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.

Thus I will bless You while I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,

and my mouth shall praise 

You with joyful lips."

Psalm 63:3-5

Things to do on a rainy Saturday...it's the little things that mean the most...

As the storm clouds, thunder and rain roll in...

Our family is safe and dry inside...and my heart was blessed to see my "boys" playing together as in the days of yore...

 Daddy and #1 Son playing a game of "Foosball"

#1 and #3 Sons challenging each other

And Daddy and #3 son engrossed in play as #1 son watches.  This is serious business!

And I'm loving it!

And then, the power blinked off for a minute, and the wifi/internet/cable went down,

so the whole family decided to play cards for a while! Sometimes it's a real blessing when storms roll in and make families do things together again!!! (Even if we do look a little crazy!)

Yes, it is good to enjoy these special moments while you can....we know all too well that life can change in a matter of seconds and families can be torn apart, lives shattered by disease, accident, or other heartbreak...or even positive things can move families in different directions...job changes, marriage, moving away to a new location and independence...whatever the reason, we need to grab these moments while we can and spend time together...laughing, living, and loving!!

So...don't wait for the storms to come and shut down the cable, internet or wifi/cell phones to make time to "play" together and enjoy time as a family. Grab these precious moments anytime you can and focus on being a family!

"Blessed is every one who fears the Lord,

Who walks in His ways.

When you eat the labor of your hands,

You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine

in the very heart of your house,

Your children like olive plants all around your table.

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord."

Psalm 128:1-4

The Secret Garden Chronicles ~It's a Good Day for Soup!!

I know that many of you who read my blogs live much further north than I...and perhaps you are having some very cold, wintry, snowy weather today.  We live way down south in Florida, and we are having a cloudy, cool, rainy kind of day, with some cooler weather expected in the next few days here as well.  It's too wet to go out into the Secret Garden, so I am enjoying some quiet time here in the house today.

This morning my hubby said he would sure like to have some soup for lunch! This is quite a change from his usual favorite diet of a bologna and cheese sandwich, so I gladly said "Yes!"  Then he asked if I could make Broccoli and Cheese soup!  Again, I gladly said, "Yes!"  It just so happened that we had broccoli for supper last night and I had quite a bit left over...so this would be a great way to use it up!  I also had a few small redskin potatoes left over, which would add some extra "bulk" to the soup.

So I got busy and first chopped some onion and celery and pre-cooked it in the microwave in a pyrex cup with a couple of tablespoons of water.
(Since I was not making a huge pot of soup, I only used about 1/3 cup of chopped onion, and 1/2 cup chopped celery...but this would be adjusted according to how much soup you plan to make)

While that was cooking I chopped up the already cooked potatoes and the broccoli. (about 1 & 1/2 cup chopped broccoli).  When the onion and celery was tender, I put it in a medium sized kettle on the stove and added about  2 cups of water, some butter, and seasonings to taste. (Garlic powder, salt and pepper).  Normally I would use a can of chicken broth, but I was out of that, so just used the water.

After that had simmered for a few minutes, I added the cut up already cooked potatoes and let it cook a little longer, then added a can of evaporated milk and about a cup of regular milk.  I let that simmer for a while until it started to thicken...(I added a little flour and water mixture to help thicken it), and then I added about a cup of shredded cheddar/jack cheese mixed with a couple of cut up slices of american cheese.  Next I stirred in the already cooked and chopped broccoli, and let it all simmer until thick and ready to serve.  It was really delicious!

This was a good excuse to use my vintage Homer Laughlin soup bowls that I purchased at a yard sale from some friends. They had belonged to my friend's mother in law, and I just fell in love with the delicate floral pattern on these bowls.   The embroidered tea towel on the left that says "china" on it came from my husband's grandmother's home.  I assume his grandmother had done the embroidery.  It is so old that it is in danger of falling apart, so I don't use it...but this seemed a wonderful opportunity to add it to the picture with the vintage bowls!

The pretty aqua tea towel behind the bowls was a gift from my sister a few years ago...

and it says:

"Enjoy Life's Simple Pleasures"

(Here's a close up where it normally hangs on the Hoosier Cupboard)

So, that's what's cooking at my house today!  My hubby loved the soup...and I appreciated being able to use up some leftover vegetables before they went to waste. (Not big fans of reheated broccoli here)

And I also enjoyed some of "life's simple pleasures"

on a rainy day.

What do you like to do on a chilly/rainy/snowy day?

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV)

31 "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Thank you, Lord, for this rainy day.  You know how much we needed the rain to replenish the earth and help our crops, flowers, grass and trees to grow...and our water levels to return to normal.

I pray for our friends who are anticipating blizzard conditions tonight and tomorrow. Please keep them safe and warm inside.

Amen!

Rainy Sunday Afternoon = Cookie Baking Time!

As you know, on rainy afternoons I often find myself in the kitchen baking up something good to eat! (Click on this link for "Things to Do on a Rainy Day") This afternoon we had one rain storm roll through after another...fortunately the power didn't go off...and it was a perfect afternoon for baking some cookies! (Click on this link for another rainy afternoon of cookie baking with my son) Although I couldn't convince my baker son to assist me this time, he did come take a few pictures on his cell phone camera when the batteries died on my camera after just one picture!   So we were able to capture this delightful rainy afternoon adventure to share with you!

I'm sorry you can't smell the wonderful cookie aroma that is currently wafting through our house....making me drool for another warm cookie fresh out of the oven! I also regret that you are not here with me to taste these delectable Oatmeal Cookies along with a cup of tea.  Someday you will just have to come on over and see what's cooking! (Better wait for another rainy day, however!)


Ok, here we go!  All the ingredients are ready and waiting!
I love homemade Oatmeal Cookies probably more than any other cookie!
Somehow I have convinced myself that they are actually good for me! You know, the oatmeal,
raisins, chopped walnuts...those are all good things, right?
Never mind that there is also 2 cups of brown sugar and a cup of shortening in there...
along with the eggs, flour, salt and baking soda. Oh, and the Watkins Vanilla (double strength!)
Did I forget anything?
Oops, I just noticed that I had faintly written in 1 Teas. of Cinnamon...and I left it out this time! I knew I'd forget something!
But they were still good.

(Remember you can click on pictures to enlarge for better viewing)

This is my favorite Oatmeal Cookie Recipe.  Today I made one alteration.

I did not mix in the raisins with the whole bowl of dough. 

Instead I put a few raisins on most of the cookies,

and then put some "Craisins" on a few others for variety.

They turned out really good!!

Oh, I also used the Crisco "Butter flavored" shortening

instead of the regular shortening, since we had bought

some by mistake and

needed to use it up!  It added a good flavor to the cookies as well!

The finished product! They sure were good!
Thanks for stopping by!
Come again soon!!



Me taking hot cookies out of the oven. Can't you smell them now? Why don't you cook up something
yummy with your family on the next rainy afternoon!  You know you are craving
something warm out of the oven right now yourself!! Go ahead! Enjoy! It's Ok!!!

Thank you for joining me on this rainy afternoon!
See you again next time!

Y'all Come!

Things to do on a rainy day...Updated 6-24-12 (another rainy day)

6/24/12: I just updated this post below...had to add a couple more things to the list for a rainy day like today! Scroll down and check it out...thanks!


"Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

Sing praises on the harp to our God,

Who covers the heavens with clouds,

Who prepares rain for the earth,

Who makes grass to grow on the mountains,

He gives to the beast its food,

And to the young ravens that cry."

Psalm 147:7-9

I love a rainy day when I don't have to go out and do things I really don't want to do...and when my family is all safe at home...and we can each pursue the things we enjoy doing most on a rainy day...

Here are some suggestions for things to do on a delightful rainy day like today...

• Play a board game if you can get someone to join you.
• Someone else mentioned putting together puzzles...that's a great idea!
• I just don't happen to have any right now to take a picture of. I wouldn't mind having some new puzzles...I may need to add that to my list of things to look for.
• 
• Read one of the many books stacked on the end table...

• 
  or on the bookshelves...   

• 
  Clean out an interesting old dresser drawer and sift through the memories stored within...

• Look out the windows and watch the rain falling on the trees and flowers and say a prayer of thanksgiving for the rain...

• Write in your nature journal about all the interesting birds, rabbits and flowers you have seen and enjoyed throughout the week...



This week I saw a sneezing rabbit, (really!), a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and
watched juvenile cardinals fledging into their bright colors from their drab
baby colors right before my eyes...(not sure about fledging as the word..but you
get the idea)

Take this opportunity to go through the boxes or drawers of old greeting cards, letters, clippings,

I discovered old cards that my children sent me, my parents gave me,
and even some that I sent to my parents and got them back again from their
home when they passed away...special stuff!

scrapbook items, photos...and start organizing them for future display or just enjoy looking at or reading them again...this could take up the rest of the day if you aren't careful...

Or if you are really bored...play "watermelon jenga", like my son did...really!!!!!



Amazing what some people do for fun.....



• Of course you could do what I did...take lots of pictures about stuff you could be doing, but you are taking these silly pictures instead and thinking about what you are going to write in your blog about all of these things that you could be doing on a rainy afternoon...

• And now I think I will just have a cup of tea and sit down and read one of those books afterall.

or maybe take a little nap...sorry, no picture allowed of that...those are the ones my husband LOVES to take of me...asleep in my favorite chair with my mouth hanging open and drool coming down my chin...the word picture is bad enough...you don't want to see the real thing! 

So, What kind of things do YOU like to do on a rainy afternoon?

 I can't wait to hear!!!

Whatever you do...enjoy!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Postscript added 6/24/12:  One thing I left out that I love to do on a rainy day is bake! Today I baked my "Aunt Audrey's Blueberry Coffee Cake" and My Banana Nut Bread.  Then I treated myself to a little mini-tea-party to try out the coffee cake! It was delicious! 

If you'd like to try these recipes, go on over to my blog page entitled "It's Recipe Thyme-New Recipes"...see the link below.  Check out the other recipes there as well.  You might find something you like. 

It's Recipe Thyme-New Recipes

Then check out my other page It's Recipe Thyme-My Mother's Recipes, for even more delicious ideas.  You will especially want to try the Orange Cookies and the Home Made Ice-Cream...we are looking forward to making ice-cream again this 4th of July!

I hope you enjoy these family favorites...and maybe you can share some of your favorite recipes with us some day!

Thanks for stopping by again!! Have a nice rainy day! I am!