"Tut, Tut! It Looks Like Rain!" ~ Winnie the Pooh

 

What is it about dark, cloudy, rainy days?  Why do they stir up so many memories...and, the uncontrollable urge to want to bake?

Like this morning...as I was checking email and facebook, I looked out the window and suddenly, I flashed back to Oneonta Elementary school. The old fashioned cast iron heater in the corner of the classroom clicking and ticking as it attempted to eliminate the chill. The coat closet stuffed with jackets, sweaters and rain boots. The BIG windows allowing for a great view to watch the rain instead of listening to the teacher! Oh, and inside games for recess...Head's Up, 7Up and Bacon, bacon, who has the bacon?. If it was pouring (and when you were a kid, it always poured), everyone ate lunch in the Cafetorium, whether you ate the hot lunch or brought a lunch from home. The packed Cafetorium was filled with chit-chat and laughter as we ate.

The smell of fresh rain makes me want to bake peanut butter cookies. I have no clue why...but that is the first thing that pops into my head when the rain begins to fall!

I remember Winnie the Pooh as the little black rain cloud. Thanks to videos, we watched the adventures of Pooh and his friends many, many times. "Tut, tut! It looks like rain!" Pooh would declare....and next thing you knew, he'd be sailing into the air on the end of a balloon!

When I was growing up, we never stayed inside just because it was raining. We built forts, covered them with tarps and hung out until we were drenched or frozen! Our garage never saw a car. The few odd pieces of furniture stored inside were often rearranged for a club house. There was a large, deep, heavy-duty shelf built in the back. We set up a ladder next to it; this was our staircase. Up on the shelf, we moved the boxes to one side, drape them in sheets to make a  second floor!  Suddenly, our club house became a haunted house! We spent many afternoons mystery-making and adventure-creating, conjuring up all sorts characters and props.

On rainy Saturday afternoons, we often times would watch Creature Features on channel 9. Black and white murder mysteries and monster movies kept our attention as we munched on freshly popped popcorn. Our favorites included Dracula and the many Vincent Price classics, including ~ The House of Wax and the House on Haunted Hill.

Board games were a great way to spend a wet afternoon. Monopoly and Clue were favorites. Col. Mustard in the Library with the Lead Pipe....loved that game! Depending on who was home and how many friends were over would dictate who did what. If there was a bunch of us, we would sit around the dining room table and play Hearts or Spades.


 

The Carpenters used to sing about rainy days.....

♫ ♪ ♫ Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down. ♪ ♫ ♪ 

 

I love rainy days. They don't get me down...they are a perfect excuse for slowing down...for reading, baking, cooking, and working in the studio. I like the calming, whooshing sounds cars make on the wet street as they pass by. The tapping of the rain drops on the window is music to my ears. 

There is something quite magical about a walk in the rain (when properly dressed, that is). Watching rain drops dancing on the puddles, leafy vessels sailing down the street's gutters...the cool, crisp dampness kissing my cheek...love it, love it, love it!

 

Yes, I love rainy days.