rain, rain, go away

[lizziebelle]

It's been raining since long before I got up, and it seems to be coming down harder with each passing hour. It's actually getting darker out, and soon I will have to turn on some lights, which I rarely have to do in the daytime. I don't think I'll be stepping outside at all today, except to grab the mail when it comes. It's a good day to get stuff done around the house. It's also a good day to sit and read, with a cup of hot cocoa and a throw across my lap. It's not really all that cold, but there's just something so comforting about snuggling under a soft, fuzzy throw, nestled in pillows, and sipping cocoa while reading a good book. I'm in the middle of Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things, and enjoying it immensely. I like how he writes a little history for each story, how it came about or what inspired it. One of them even has its own little story, about a Chinese Emperor. My favorite so far is "October in the Chair," about the months of the year getting together to tell stories. It's dedicated to Ray Bradbury, and has a very Bradbury flavor to it.

I have a couple of nice, crisp apples that are just begging to be made into a crisp. I think I will sweeten it with maple syrup, to give it that extra New England-y goodness. They're local apples, Macouns, and just that right balance of green and dusky red that triggers memories of autumns past: bonfires, football games, hayrides, and comfy sweaters over turtlenecks.