"It's raining; it's pouring. The old man is snoring.
He went to bed and bumped his head. And he couldn't get up in the morning."

I grew up with this old English nursery rhyme. I would sing it whenever a rainy day intruded on my summer vacation. When thunderstorms descended on our backyard, we said the thunder was God bowling in heaven, and the lightning was angels taking photos. This mitigated fears.

Rainy weather somehow made the day cozier as we either draped blankets over clothes lines or yard furniture to make sheltering tents or moved from the backyard to the porch. We would hunker down for quiet times of playing cards like Canasta, Spit, Crazy Eights, Go Fish. Board games - Clue, Monopoly, Parcheesi, and Checkers - got pulled out too. When friends had to go home for lunch or a nap, we turned to books (usually library summer reading program selections).

If confining weather continued, Mother came to the rescue with her Top 10 Rainy Day Options:

Write letters to an aunt and grandmother who lived in Florida.

Help bake cookies.

Clean and organize dresser drawers or closets.

Do a craft project.

Rediscover fun of a forgotten Christmas or birthday gift.

Straighten our book shelves, reconnecting with favorites reads.

Plan a "dream birthday party."

Choose an activity from a family book entitled "What Can I Do Now?"

Invite a friend for a sleep-over.

Have a day of beauty, including a new home permanent to get fresh curls.

The good thing about these activities was the sense of accomplishment they gave. Each one turned rainy days into productive times. We came to realize all was not lost when we could not be outdoors playing. Long after rainy days had passed, we were still reaping the rewards of projects that had filled those pent-up hours.

As I grew up, rainy day memories from my childhood have encouraged me to accept both fair and inclement weather - to live in the moment, accepting come what may. As Vivian Greene says: