What to do
Even in Hawaii, Drew had no regrets about spending some time indoors. Honolulu, 1995
“Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon.” – Susan Ertz
As the warm weather fades and the cold or rainy season moves in, we’ll all be indoors more, whether we like or not. I like it.
I relish the chance to spend hours at home, puttering around indoors, despite my great love of long walks and trees and flowers. There are so many things I enjoy that make engaging indoor pursuits. As my books, magazines, craft supplies and well-stocked tea cabinet suggest, I am about as prepared for rainy days as one can be.
Drew has always loved rainy weather, and while he likes actually being outside in it, getting wet and soaking up the pervasive atmosphere that goes along with a stormy day, I suspect part of his love for gloomy weather is rooted in so many of the pastimes he loves. When he was a child, I never had to entertain him. He made his own fun, and could find ways to keep his busy mind occupied no matter where he found himself.
That’s actually a great talent, I think. Most people who read blogs have lively minds that are interested in a variety of topics, but I wonder how well we would function if the computer, smart phones and tablets suddenly went unavailable for long stretches of time. I’d like to think that I have enough reading, crafting, baking and homemaking projects to keep me happy through a lifetime of long winters.
Whether or not this Sunday afternoon is a rainy one for you, I hope it’s a peaceful one, with time for prayer, meditation, quiet conversation and any number of indoor pleasures. It’s much easier to face the coming of winter when our homes are stocked with happy hobbies and plentiful projects. Have a comfy-cozy afternoon!
This post was first published seven years ago today. The ability to be happy indoors has taken on a whole new dimension of importance in the post-COVID world, and I hope we’ve all honed that trait in the past months.
The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: activities, enjoyment, focus, hobbies, imagination, indoor fun, learning, pastimes, projects, rainy days, Sundays, survive the shutdown
Defeat Despair 
I do think the ability to shift gears and find pleasant ways to spend our time no matter what the weather or circumstance is a valuable skill. Like you I enjoy the opportunities to spend time at home — even though we’ve done so much of it these past months!
Susan, I never tire of being at home. If I was better at parting with things and living a minimalist lifestyle, I might not feel that way. But there are always hundreds of things at home– books, magazines, crafts, plants, recipes, friends, letters, blogs, on and on I could go– calling out to me. My main problem is shaking off the sense of guilt that tells me to do something “practical” in favor of something purely fun!