Rainy Day Playlist

July 23, 2014

Remember when we were in jr high and mixtapes were THE thing? I spent countless hours putting together mixtapes for every mood.  Somehow there was always one song that seemed to belong.

It's been a few years since I burned a cd, but if I was going to create a mixtape for a rainy day these five songs would definitely make the cut. They're jazzy and moody and happy and I love them all.

La Vie En Rose this song has been stuck in my head for MONTHS. I can listen to it over and over again without growing tired of it.   

Dream A Little Dream of Me this one gets tossed in for the dose of happy that rainy days require. Fitzgerald and Armstrong brought a lot to the table and I love this duet of theirs.

Clair De Lune this is the extended version and I sometimes put it on when I'm reading or editing. It's mentioned in several books (The Small Rain by L'Engle and All the Light We Cannot See by Doerr to name a few) and if you listen to it when the house is quiet, you'll know why. Fun fact: It's the first song I played for a piano recital when I was 9.

Smile this song reminds me of my Mom. She never put up with pouty or grumpy children and often employed songs to break through the gray clouds of our souls.  My moods would break away with tears and a big smile on the first note nearly every time. This song manages to do the same thing for me. 

I See Fire when I was visiting my brother in September, he played this song for me while we were driving back to my Aunt's house after his graduation. Listening to it takes me right back to the drive that took way longer than it should have because of the rain and accidents. We were grateful for the delay.  

What's one song that seems perfect for every mood in your book?

What kind of music do you like to listen to on rainy days?

The Scenic Route: We Made It

Over the weekend, we finally made it to the pumpkin patch! It was a perfect fall day with a a mix of rain and sunshine. We worked our way through the corn maze, my brother and sister used the apple sling shots, we meandered through the orchard, drank hot apple cider, and ate a few pumpkin donuts (which my sister won by shooting an apple through the middle of a donut shaped target)!

The corn maze is by far my favorite. I love trying to find your way around, ending up right back where you started, and running into people that have gotten themselves in the same mess you're in. There's just something about vacationers that turn an ordinary place into somewhere special...That same magic happens in a corn patch full of people all bundled up and ready for a little bit of fun.

The day ended with the sighting of a rainbow. As we were looking at it we realized that we could see the whole thing and then that there were two. As people were rushing to get into their cars because of the rain, I walked until I could get both ends into a picture with my camera. A lady walked up behind me with a camera of her own and said, "I love it when it's like this!"

Me too, lady! Me too.

 I love days spent with my family. I love corn mazes and cider and donuts and contests and rainbows. These are some of the good gifts that God gives us. Let's thank Him!

How was your weekend?

Did you make it to a pumpkin patch this October?

The Scenic Route: Rainy Tuesday

All pictures taken October 14, 2014

Tuesday was rainy. The sky was dark and moody all day. The main sound coming from outside was the constant drip, drip, dripping that is produced by a slow and steady drizzle. It was wonderful.

There was work to be done, tea to drink, and soup leftovers to reheat for lunch.

Just before dinner we headed out to Jessica's pumpkin patch. I didn't bring my camera and I took exactly ZERO pictures. It was just rainy and cold and kind of fun to look through the patch while Jessica worked at harvesting something nearby. We chose five regular pumpkins and three pie pumpkins.

Driving through the countryside on rainy days is wonderful, especially with a car full of people eager to chat about their day.

I came home and grabbed my camera to take some shots of that rainy Tuesday. As I went around taking pictures, I was reminded about how very quiet fall is, especially on the rainiest of days. There were no birds singing, no children playing, no dogs barking. Everyone must have been inside resting or watching TV or maybe even playing board games.

The time came for me to leave the quiet behind and head back into my own house. We had breakfast for dinner (biscuits, sausage, and stewed apples, in case you're wondering). We watched the next episode of Downton Abbey. And that was Tuesday.

Tell me about the day you loved most this week! I'd love to hear about it. 

Learning to Breathe

I never would have thought I could dwell for so long on smells....

I'm still there. This time, let's talk about our FAVORITE smells. 

I'll share mine - with pictures when I have them. And you share yours in the comments! 

The ocean and the towns that surround them...

© Victoria 2010

Candles, but I really only burn those with scents according to the season we are in. 

Yummy things cooking or baking: cinnamon rolls, brownies, and meat loaf. 

When rain is coming...

© Victoria 2012

CLEAN. 

Book stores. 

Fresh spring or fall air...

© Victoria 2010

© Victoria 2010

The first day of school...Which means new books, notebooks, and clothes...Things I still enjoy even though those days are gone. 

Freshly brewing coffee. (Maybe I'll tell you why it must be fresh sometime.)

Flower gardens...

© Victoria 2009

The familiar smells of people I love. (Their favorite lotions, soaps, detergents, perfumes, colognes, etc...)

Tea. I had a teacher who drank regular old lipton in the afternoons while she read to us. I always hoped she would set it on my desk so that the smell was near me.

Campfires and toasted marshmallows...

© Victoria 2011

God was good to make smells and grant us the ability to smell them and enjoy them. 

He created smells that are nice as well as smells that signal DANGER.

May we not take these things for granted. May we learn to breathe. To enjoy the good smells and find the ROOT cause of the bad smells. 

That's all for now.....I think!