Rain and randomity

Yesterday, I woke up and the heat was....gone!  Like a miracle.  Like it was all a sticky uncomfortable dream.  A breeze blew and the wind chimes clattered and I decided before the heat rose again, I was going to bake up some rhubarb muffins.  A fellow rhubarb enthusiast found a great recipe made with whole wheat flour, oatmeal and brown sugar.  No muffins stay as moist and luscious as rhubarb muffins.  And this is good because I have LOTS of rhubarb.

In the afternoon the skies opened up.  And our new "water feature" - a bucket set under the second floor air conditioner to catch the condensation - became a lake.  I don't want to dump that good rain water but I don't want to invite mosquitoes to stay either.  I will solve that dilemma in the morning if I have time to water.

I have two interests that I need to look into and they both involve water.  The first is an easier way to re-use grey water.  I scoop out my shower water and pour it on the flower beds when I have time.  But what about dishwasher and washing machine waste water?  How can those sources of relatively harmless water be tapped?

The other is to find and install a rain barrel system for watering the vegetable garden.  And can rain water be used for other things such as washing clothes?  Older homes had cisterns for catching that water and then city sewer and water became the norm.  I'm just wondering here.

I am having a dry spell with my reading.  I still have about 15 ARCs from Book Expo to finish but I can't decide what I want to read about - a disaffected teen who has been forced to relocate?  A boy whose palm bears a mysterious mark and who lives with his Uncle Phineas?

OH MY STARS AND BOLTS!!!  I just found a Maggie Stiefvater book in my BEA Bag of Swag.  Thank you, God!  I am reading The Scorpio Races this week.  It comes out in October.  Happy Desk Chair Dance!!!

If you like kids' books - and I do -, check out Delightful Children's Books, a website devoted to producing book lists on just about anything for children of almost any age.  This week's featured book list is devoted to birds.  Story program planners, take note!

So...rhubarb muffins in the kitchen.  A breeze blowing in the window.  A good book to look forward to. Lunch with a long time friend where we talked and talked.  Tomorrow is the last day of Stories in the Schools.  The Storytelling Workshop next week is full up.  Yeah, life is good.