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What would you do on a rainy day?

Wednesday, March 5th, 2014 Posted in Articles, For the Public | Comments Off on What would you do on a rainy day?


From the desk of State Librarian Rand Simmons

Graphic from the National Weather Service Graphic from the National Weather Service

It isn’t unusual to have rain, even constant rain, in Western Washington this time of year. But the current predictions are a bit more extreme. We are expecting one to three inches of rain in South Puget Sound area and Mason County may have flooding. So, I pondered this morning as I drove in to work, what I would do if I had the time off on a rainy day. I posed the same question to my staff and here are some of their answers in the order received:

  1. Read the entire “F” volume of the World Book Encyclopedia cover to cover. [Me: seriously?]
  2. Re-read some historical fiction, such as My Antonia, by Willa Cather or Scott Odell’s Sara Bishop, from my early teen reading classes.
  3. Read Birds of Prey by Wilbur Smith. It will get you through any rainy day.
  4. Curl up with a good book or someone who has read one!

Did I mention all these people work in a library?

  1. Read your favorite books from childhood! Matilda by Roald Dahl and a cup of hot chocolate makes any rainy day cozy.
  2. The adventures of Sherlock Holmes. They never get old.
  3. I always snuggle up with a Nancy Drew Mystery.
  4. One of my rainy day favorites: Ella Fitzgerald and The Inkspots – “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall”.

Now we’re groovin’.

  1. Light a fire in the fireplace, bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies and have a family read aloud.
  2. Heat milk, add Nestlé’s syrup, find your miniature marshmallows; have yourself a cup of hot chocolate while curled up in your most comfy chair reading a favorite quick read and escapist adventure, The Chronicles of Narnia.

Food and reading, always a good choice, but remember to wash your hands before you turn pages.

I’ll be back tomorrow with some other staff ideas. In the meantime, tell me, what would you do on a rainy day?