Yesterday was a very gray day. And it looks like tornado season has finally arrived here. I don't mean to say that's a good thing. I'm already enough of a worry wart without tornado season.
Despite the dismal weather yesterday, I was subconsciously determined to enjoy my day. (I say 'subconsciously' because I didn't realize how much I had done to brighten my own day until just now; hence, this post.)
I woke up to the sound of rain, and so determined to skip the dogs' walk. I should have just toughened up and walked them any way. When they miss a walk now, they glare at me for a while and Sasha is distempered all day long.
The day started slowly (I prefer sunrise at 7, not 8, and my brain doesn't work until the sun is up). Eventually, I decided to make scones. I've been meaning to for days, but hadn't got around to it, and yesterday was the perfect opportunity.
The recipe was weird and the dough stuck to my hands like nothing else and I think I made the scones too big, but they were wonderful. Add a cup of mint tea and I was on my way to feeling quite British. There was even a little salted butter left! (Mom's recently made the switch to unsalted butter. I now cannot enjoy toast because I always liked the melty buttery taste.) So I curled up under my fuzziest blanket on the couch with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and spent the drizzly gray morning in happiness.
Come Bible study time, I was feeling quite perky, even. I considered wearing my rain boots, because all day I had been hoping to find a puddle large enough to splash in, but the boots didn't really go with the outfit, so I left them behind. I kicked off my shoes as soon as we reached the church and spent the rest of the night barefoot. (I didn't even put them back on to go home.)
So I wandered outside a bit with Heather. Puddle! Okay, it was barely a cup of water, but I splashed anyway. And got mud all over my legs. So I went in search of a cleaner puddle to wash off.
I eventually found a really big puddle, ran, and hit it as hard as possible, scaring some of the Jr. High boys and anyone driving by who'd happened to be looking, and soaking the bottom half of my skirt and my feet and legs. 'Twas very fun.
We got subs for supper, instead of the regular pizza, because they were left over from the marriage seminar. Toasted subs with two kinds of cheese and meat, lettuce, onions, and mustard. I even had a cup of root beer. (My first real drink of soda in months.) Add to that our substitute teacher had a great lesson, and I was quite content.
Well, not perfectly. I'd been keeping an eye on Weather Bug since the clouds had been getting darker and learned we were in a tornado watch, and there was a brief tornado warning. That kind of put a damper on my mood.
However, after Bible study when the rain was starting to pick up, we all trooped outside to play in it, and I actually danced in the rain. Despite the fact that there were at least a dozen people watching. (Technically, it was spinning a crazy circle with two friends, but I can't do much else that comes close to "dance".)
Of course, then the rain really started coming down and the lightning and thunder arrived, so I headed inside to mope and fret like I always do at the hint of bad weather. Mom couldn't even come get us as soon as she wanted to because the rain was too bad to drive in. So I waited by the back door and watched the other kids stand outside getting soaked and then squishing and squelching across the floor in their shoes or socks, and I didn't have the heart to join them. (This is not the part where you pity me. This is where you laugh heartlessly and tell me to lighten up.)
But then we discovered ice cream in the freezer. We know it's free for all if it's been opened and used already. Bring out the chocolate syrup, sprinkles, and cool whip! The rain let up, the thunder passed, and things got better.
When Mom arrived a few minutes later, she said the tornado warning was still on. Thanks for ruining it. So we hurried home.
I guess the best way to cure myself of worry is to preoccupy my mind with something more immediate and interesting. So I joined Mom and Dad while they put on an episode of this new TV show they discovered. Zombies. Yup. The perfect way to forget about a tornado warning. (I kid you not.)
Around 9, when Sasha was begging to go out, I was reluctant to oblige. Then I stepped outside and dared a peek at the sky. Stars! All stars and dark sky and retreating clouds!
Lesson learned: stop fretting about what you can't control and make the most of the situation. In this case: don't fear the rain. Dance in it.
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