It's raining, it's pouring...

The lightning is flashing, the thunder is rumbling, and the sky is somewhere between day and some other place.  It's all music to my ears.  I love the days when it rains - especially when I don't have to be out in it, but am able to just look out the window and see it fall, see the wind stirring the trees, hear the music it makes, and know that the earth is welcoming every drop.

There is a huge magnolia tree on the other side of the fence in someone's yard where it backs up to our parking area, and the top of it is covered with the big saucer-sized creamy white blooms that come round in the summer. the thing is that many of the blooms sit at the very top of the tree, which means that the owner does not get to enjoy them.  But I do.  From 3 stories in the air, I can see so much, and that is a very good thing for me.  A change in perspective - a change in outlook - a change in detail that is available to one's eye - all of that can make such a difference in getting through every day.

Bring on the rain.  Wash the world clean.  Rinse the air, and give us a fresh vision.

"Lotsa, lotsa, lotsa, lotsa.....".

...love." Well, that's the way the line goes in the British series, "Fortysomething." It's often spoken by a younger-something female in response to saying goodbye to most any older-something male character. One of those things that really just sticks in one's mind, especially when confronted with "lotsa" just about anything. (Funny, crazy little series, by the way - especially if you are a fan of dry wit, British perspective, fridges, stacks of traffic cones, young adults, Hugh Laurie...)

This morning, that "lotsa" would be rain...and thunder...and lightning. And on the other side of the room, our ancient dog is trying desperately to dig her way to China through the hardwood floor - hoping to escape the dreaded storming outside.

I woke to bare rumblings from the heavens way too early on a Saturday morning, prepared a simple breakfast/coffee, and propped by feet up in my corner chair/sanctuary to check my email, and there was that gentle rattle of sprinkling on the roof and trickles running out the gutters. I thought, "I love that sweet sound". Fifteen minutes later, I'm startle-jumping at a near lightning hit.

Lotsa rain. Lotsa stuff to do inside the house. Lotsa stuff to do in the garage. Lotsa decisions to make when one puts a "For Sale" sign of the house where one has lived for 30 years. Lotsa, lotsa, lotsa, lotsa....

A prayer for the meteorologists...

Lord, just for the next week would you mind letting the weather forecast be correct for a change? They seem to think that we will have some better chances for rain. I'm sure they would appreciate not being made fools of.

And yes, I ended that with a preposition. Sorry.

Rain!!!

Yes! Yes! Yes!
It rained on us yesterday - at home and at work!
So exciting because we have been in the midst of a drought the likes of which I have not seen in Houston. Huge areas of parched, crispy golden brown grass everywhere when we should be swimming in lush green...
I once spent 6 weeks in Los Angeles at a music camp, rising to sunny skies and never seeing rain the entire time I was there. I so wanted to see the clouds roll in in the afternoon to create dark black thunderheads, to have those break out in a deluge, and then have the sun come back out to say, "OK! All done. Go mow your lawn." Never happened though. The winds would shift in the night and blow out some of the smog so the sky would be bluer the next morning, but never would we be blessed with the "afternoon instability" of a summer shower. Boring, boring, boring.