It’s been a soggy summer. New Englanders are a people naturally inclined to complain about the weather, but I think we would all like to complain about something different for a change; preferably while wearing a tank top and eating an ice cream cone. But as we looking ahead to more rainy days, here are some suggestions.
1. Pretend you are in Scotland. I’ve been doing this all day and it’s helped a great deal. It rains a lot in Scotland – Inverness was flooded when Tom and I visited – but the rain is beautiful there, everything veiled in gray mist. And the grass is so green you just want to roll around on it. So yes, imagine that you are in Scotland, gazing at a castle in the distance. (In my case, the cupola on top of the Simmons Main College Building will do in a pinch.)
2. Drink tea. With lots of honey. And cookies. While you’re at it, bake some cookies. This has been my thing lately. It distracts me (briefly) from book worries.
3. Read. Here I may be able to help you out: I received some ARCs of The King’s Rose in the mail yesterday, mailed to me by my editor’s wonderful assistant. So if you happen to maintain a book review blog, I just might send you an ARC so you can do something while stuck inside. Comment with your name, email and blog url and I’ll get in touch with you.
4. Be glad there isn’t a drought and a heat wave, frying our lawns to a dry brown and making me wholly irritable. Speaking of which, in spite of the rain, the Mr. Lincoln’s in front of our house were the first to bloom. They even beat out the Queen Elizabeth’s, which had been my bet for first bloomers:

And here, a puppy blooms among the roses:







