Um. . .

I opened my laptop, thinking "which topic? I can't decide!", promptly got caught up in e-mail, and now. . .well, what was I thinking about before?*

Was it just the weather?

Some of it was. The weather is not unimportant. If I was a farmer, I'd be quite concerned. I might consider growing rice considering it's rained 30 out of the last 31 days and will continue, unabated, for who-knows-how-long (the weather guys are keeping mum).

I really don't mind because I am not growing hay, and whatever happens to my flowers, well, they're just for pleasure.

I really don't mind all this so-called gloom. It occurred to me this evening that I had a sense of relief, actually, that the longest days of the year were blunted by the overcast skies. I find these long days rather oppressive. I know I'm "supposed to" like them, but I really do not. In fact, I tend to get depressed at this time of the year, and I'm feeling more than fine right now.

Long bright days weary me. I feel an obligation to get out and do something. I don't like bright sunlight for too long. There's the threat of burnt skin. I feel oppressed; I must hide out as if I was a fledgling vampire. I always feel odd because, once again, I'm supposed to like it. I'm not a summer person.

It's not raining too hard to keep inside, and it's not sunny enough to need shades, sunscreen, or feel like a nutcase for wearing long sleeves in July.

What is everyone (outside of the farmers) complaining about? One can be outside on a gray day. It's not like it's so dark one can't see. The fog is beautiful. The grass is brilliantly green and glistening. The frogs are having a great time, judging from their vocalizations.

What am I saying? I know nothing of a frog's emotional life.

As for me, my emotional life is just fine. I've discovered that I just love this weather. So, I'll continue to say "it's perfectly nice out" to all those who are complaining (which seems to be just about everyone).

I'm rather dreading the return of the normal weather. Hmm. Is there still such a thing as normal weather?

Photo note: Not much more to say. However, I'm reminded of how, once, when I was in the midst of doodling a 3 by 3 block of gray squares, my roommate walked by, stopped, and commented on how beautiful they were. He said he could never "get" abstract art, but that now, while seeing someone make so much out of nothing, he did. I love doodling little squares. A lot of heart goes into them, oddly enough. Give it a try. It's something of a meditation and anyone can do it.

*I was just reminded of one small thing, that Newsweek's "what to read now" #1 book is Trollope's "The Way We Live Now", which has been on my mental top ten list of books for a very long time. It's been so long since I've read I don't remember why I loved it so. So, I must read it again, I'd say, but I can't find my copy. I bet there will be many people suddenly buying it, but I wonder if they'll actually read it, and I wonder even more whether they will enjoy it, for 19th century literature isn't exactly popular, is it? Would be a wonder if it caught on, now, in the 21st century. . .21st century. . .I still can't fathom that it's that.