Reflections: Stormy Weather and Good Times…
“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” John Ruskin
Reflections: Stormy Weather and Good Times... beauty in thunder & lightning in Madeira
It’s been raining all day, on and off, in my neck of the woods and my children assure me the weather will be this way all week. I don’t mind the rains as I have lots of good memories of either playing in the rain as a child, or curling up in bed, listening to the pitter patter sound on my roof and windowpane while contemplating reading a good book. I was not thinking about a post on the weather until I saw the Plinky prompt: Describe what perfect weather means to you. Hm mm, how about a stress-free day, rainy or sunny, soothing music, a good book, great company anyone?
Oddly, the next thought that came to mind after I read the prompt was the beautiful song made famous by Lena Horne, Stormy Weather, lyrics below. I had to chuckle because my muse was pulling me in two directions; the blues and the blissful. I am convinced that the weather does affect our mood and not always in a bad way… Cold, wet weather makes me reflective, while bright, sunny weather makes me active and eager to go outdoors. Both are important to my writing… and I would say perfect weather depends on our perspective and mood.
Reflections: Stormy Weather and Good Times... Endeavor's Final Voyage via NASA
Reflections: Stormy Weather and Good Times... lush and green Abuja
As I searched for the right quotes to add to my piece, I’m writing this on a chilly, rainy evening, I came across a quote from a dear old literary friend, 😉 “Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative,” Oscar Wilde, and it got me thinking of that classic conversation starter in London, “Lovely day, inn’it?” Excuse me Oscar, but everyone has an opinion about the weather, and while it could lead to unimaginative chitchat, it is fair game and a door to more pithy dialogue; if the gods allow it and both parties are eager. By the way, nice weather or not, today was NASA’s count down to its last space rocket mission: Endeavor’s Final Voyage… After Endeavor will be Atlantis and then silence. It made me wistful as I watched the takeoff. 🙁 ♥
A chat about the weather can lead us down the road to a new friendship and even a song; albeit a bluesy one. So sit back, put your feet up, think of the good times, and enjoy the song… Lena sings “Stormy Weather,” a yearning for a long lost lover. I split the lyrics in two so more lyrics below. Perfect for a rainy day. How does the weather affect you? Do you have a perfect weather day in mind? 🙂
Stormy Weather ~ Lena Horne
Written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler
Don’t know why, there’s no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather, since my man and I ain’t together
Keeps raining all the time
Life is bare, gloom and misery everywhere
Stormy weather, just can’t get my poor old self together
I’m weary all the time, the time, so weary all of the time
When he went away, the blues walked in and met me
If he stays away, old rocking chair will get me
All I do is pray, the lord above will let me
walk in the sun once more
Can’t go on, everything I had is gone
Stormy weather, since my man and I ain’t together
Keeps raining all the time
Keeps raining all of the time
“Weather means more when you have a garden. There’s nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your green beans.” Marcelene Cox
Reflections: Stormy Weather and Good Times... warm, sunny days in Funchal pico
Stormy Weather ~ Lena Horne continued
I walk around heavy-hearted and sad
Night comes around and I’m still feeling bad
Rain pourin’ down, blinding every hope I had
This pitter and patter and beating and spattering drives me mad
Love, love, love, love, this misery is just too much for me
Can’t go on, everything I had is gone
Stormy weather, since my man and I ain’t together
Keeps raining all the time,
Keeps raining all the time…
Life is made up of stormy and sunny weather and we can choose to remember the good times in the midst of a storm. I don’t know what you do on sunny or dreary days; if you love to lie in the snow in winter and create snow angels, or splash about in springtime puddles while sopping wet from the rains. One thing I can say is that the weather makes me think about creation and the beauty of it.
Another interesting quote came my way, courtesy of Mark Twain, “Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it.” I think we all have a point of view about the weather and even as a literary topic, it never bores me. It can be tricky I suppose, but it depends on what you are writing about… I enjoy observing the seasonal shifts and the memories we create during different seasons of the year. A song or two sets the tone, and whether we are yearning for love or reminiscing about the good days, I find myself thinking about the blessings of each season… and that describes perfect weather; good enough for me. Enjoy your day! What are your thoughts? What types of weather do you enjoy most? Does the weather affect your mood/feelings? Do share! Thank you. 🙂
This post was inspired by a prompt by Plinky: Describe what perfect weather means to you.
Positive Motivation Tip: We can weather the storms of life if we keep an open mind and see where the road leads us…
Related articles
- VERACRUZ: Hot and stormy weather (threecharms.wordpress.com)
- I Likes Me Sum’a’dat Musac Right There! (treebeard31.wordpress.com)
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: Photo of a thunderous day in Madeira, a sunny day in Funchal Pico, Portugal, Endeavor’s Final Voyage via NASA, and Abuja, Nigeria, via Wikipedia
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Since Sunday, it’s been winter here in Northern California again! Nothing but rain, wind, hail and cold! Curling up with a good book and hot cup of tea is fine in December or February but, it’s MAY! (It was cold like this last year at this time. Seems like it is warmer here through late October -and cold through late May….)
Love that picture from Madeira!
Well, it’s the global climatic change we are all experiencing… It won’t surprise me one day if I wake up to snow… 🙂 It will warm up Karen. Keep your chin up!
First off, Ba.D. and I love that photo! I’d love to teleport there right now, if I could.
Weather definitely impacts my moods. I’m from Eugene, Oregon, where rain falls most the year. I moved to SoCal because the incessant rain depressed me; I became much more active and cheerful when I could see the sun most of the year.
Still, I embrace those gray days when they come. They allow me a little time to slow down and remember all those dreamy days of childhood where I’d look out the window and wonder, “Who will I become?”
What does Ba.D mean? I was in Portland recently; visiting Reed College with one of my daughters on an accepted student day. Yes, you do get a lot of rain; ditto the state of Washington. Yeah, those gray days help calm our minds and bring another level to what we do, I think so too. 🙂
if you love the ups and downs of writing..then what a small next step to love the ups and downs of the weather…
Exacto… It’s part of the natural order of life; the ups and downs give us character. 🙂
my favorite line of your today’s post:
“Cold, wet weather makes me reflective, while bright, sunny weather makes me active and eager to go outdoors. Both are important to my writing…”
Well thank you frizztext. I wanted to make sure that I addressed the topic and while I’m truly a warm weather girl, I enjoy rainfall too. 🙂
so I tried via the PRESS THIS function of wordpress to feature your line – adding one of my photos as usual. I hope you like it – and it will support your work.
P.S.:
I liked your quiet writing more than the many Divas singing “Stormy Weather”; maybe I filmed too many pop music and jazz and rock stage acts during the last month …
Thank you so much as I appreciate the generosity! Will check it out shortly. Maybe you have filmed a lot and being a musician gives you access to tons of information and performers… Perhaps, you are a teeny weeny jaded? LOL! 🙂
TY! 🙂
I love your photos!
Thank you Tilly! Found them on Wikipedia and the NASA website. 🙂
A great post and beautiful pictures Eliz! Here at home, the past few nights, the clouds have been threatening and ominous. But so far, no heavy rains have poured. Hope tomorrow won’t be a rainy day since my new workplace floods up.
Give me a heat wave any day! I much prefer hot to cold. I recently moved back to the mid-Atlantic from FL and the weather shift has greatly affected my moods. Gray, damp days are depressing. Snow is beautiful and it was great at the holidays to have a chill in the air. (That’s the ONLY time I missed the cold in FL. Sweating while stringing lights on palm trees just doesn’t feel right). I miss the almost constant, warm sunshine. Even on “rainy days” it rarely lasted all day and you would see the sun. Now, we can go days without seeing it. One thing though, I did plant a garden and I can relate to the quote by Marcelene Cox. Any day I don’t have to water my garden because God does it for me is alright. (As long as the sun comes out afterwards!)! I’m pretty sure that God will let me live on a tropical island when I get to heaven!
I moved in the opposite direction, Freedom ~ from the mid-Atlantic to Florida and I love the constant sunshine.
Such a nice change of pace from where I’ve lived most of my life.
I agree, rainy weather also makes me reflective. Would love to have the day off to read and hunker-up on the sofa with a lap quilt. But as it is, I must go to school where the children will be lethargic–this I’ve learned after years of teaching: the rainy, cloudy weather does affect their mood. I have also used that Ruskin quote . . . like minds! The Madeira photo is fabulous. We will also receive a week of rain. My rain boots are in the car just in case the island floods.
Whether the weather be fine,
Or whether the weather be not,
Whether the weather be cold,
Or whether the weather be hot,
We’ll weather the weather,
Whatever the whether,
Whether we like it or not!
——–an old English nursery rhyme
Loved the post. 🙂
Of course I like a clear and sunny day.We can feel refreshed thanks to blue color.
Lovely post, Elizabeth!
The weatherman forecast a week of rain for the NE. I even heard thunder and saw a flash of lightening around 7:30 this morning.
I definitely prefer a sunny day but know there has to be a rhythm and variety to the weather. Sun, rain, clouds, etc.,
Dreary, cloudy days (rain or not) slow me down. Rainy days take me back to my childhood. I used to, and still do, like listening to the raindrops on the roof and the windows. Being inside on rainy days always feels warm and comforting, like being in a cocoon. One of these days though, I want to walk in the rain and not worry about ruining my shoes or my clothes. Unfortunately, it won’t be today as I’ve awoken with a cold.
The photos are absolutely beautiful!
Thanks,
Marcia
Most of the time we have to go with the flow, so to speak, when it comes to the weather. I prefer mid 70’s and sunny, but not enough to move to San Diego. I think without winter we wouldn’t appreciate the earth coming back to life in the spring.
The scary side of the weather is another thing altogether. The storms and flooding that have been wreaking havoc on a large portion of our country is very alarming. I know global warming is going to create more of this dangerous weather and we can’t do anything to stop it. Understanding the power of weather can be disconcerting.
Great post!
I enjoy FL weather – it’s sunny a great deal of the time. I can remember living in Atlanta where the cold weather and grey skies seemed to go on for weeks in the winter, and how depressing that felt! Now about the only weather complaint I have is that my aging body seems to respond to impending rain by having aches and pains flaring up – I’m think I’m my own barometer 😮
I’m with you, Donna. I am so much HAPPIER down here in the Sunshine State. 😀
i enjoy a talk about the weather. Sometimes people can say a lot while apparently saying a little. I’m also a fan of John Ruskin by the way.
Wonderful post, Eliz. I love the occasional rainy day for getting things done inside.
BTW: Endeavor is NOT the last Space Shuttle. Atlantis will be launched in early July.
Aaaah, perfect weather! I love love the monsoon season in the American southwest. A warm dry morning, followed by an afternoon of warm rain. The smell of west dust as the first raindrops fall. Then the thunder and lightning… Other than that, any cloudy warm day will do!!
There’s truth to what Mr. Wilde said, but weather can be a good conversation starter, leading, like you said, to more pithy dialogue. Living in a place that’s almost always sunny, I long to be somewhere cold. That’s why I like it when it rains here. It makes me want to stay inside, in bed, and read a good book or ebook.
The weather does affect our moods, when its rainy and gloomy-I feel down-but there are also times the sounds of the storm, winds, thunder, lightening, and the rain hitting the roof-can give a certain amount of cozyness. The sunshine, beautiful blooms, and the feeling of the evening breeze is almost heaven. Reflection of our moods, depends on our circumstances at the moment.
I definitely suffer SAD in the winter. Yes, even in sunny Australia we can leave home in the dark, spend all day in an office and get home in the dark – lack of sunlight has serious health implications. Many Aussies are Vit D deficient because we were so heavy with the “slip, slop, slap” message to prevent skin cancer!
Having grown up in a region where we had 100 inch rainfall a year and now living in a drought prone area, I have to say I love rain and green grass. I can still smell rain before it arrives.
cool post with some very cool pictures….. rain is also expected here in Karachi, Pakistan and i just love raining…