Brian Crain

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Rain…

It’s hard to explain to anyone who doesn’t live here in Rain-ville. Here, with the incessant drizzle-wet depressive damp that permeates the air with its near-constant moisture tumble.

Because the common perception of the Pacific Northwest is: IT RAINS HERE.

So when I say, “I miss the rain…” people’s immediate response is to say “But it rains there all the time!”

And that’s true.

Where I live, it rains all the time.

But it doesn’t rain.

It mists, but it’s as though the air is sweating. It’s sticky and uncomfortable and gives one a mad desire to cleanse. To shower off the atmospheric unpleasantness. To get inside, to get dry, to warm up, to hide.

It ‘showers’ but in a ho-hum, water-heater-needs-replacing and pump-pressure-is-slack-again kind of way.

The water comes down out of the sky, yes… Occasionally it even does so with a fit of spiteful temper. The drops fall ice-needle quick against windshields, as though the gods are throwing tantrums and their spittle is spewing down from the heavens.

So yes: It rains here.
Coldly.
Constantly.

It rains.

But it doesn’t rain.

It doesn’t come pouring, sudden sheets billowing down over clay field beds like soaked linens. It isn’t preceded by heaviness weighting the air. It does not portend. The ‘during’ is not, in any way, delightful. When it ends, things are no different than when it began.

There is no thunderous call for reformation of weather from on-high, no roiling black sky.

The water falls, but when it hits the ground it goes straight through.

It does not bounce.
It does not dance.

There is no joy in the rain I experience every day.

So when I — midwest-raised and oft, in childhood, deluge-delighted — say, “I miss the rain,” what I mean is: I miss the full personality, the overwhelming plain-and-simple fulfillment, the momentary cleansing wreak of havoc, yes… Yes, there is that…

But there is also the gentle lightness. The smiling kiss laid on one’s face from the sky. The simplicity, the delight.

Those things…

I miss those things.

But most of all, I think, I miss the quiet unassuming joy of the rains I used to know.

And then one rainy day I heard this…

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Aladdin

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cartoon image of Aladdin and Jasmine on magic carpet

“I can show you the world.”

— Aladdin

She calls him Aladdin.

My sister — who is dating, though somewhat half-heartedly, post-divorce — is seeing (was seeing? who knows; I’m not sure if it’s still ‘on’ — I don’t keep track) a guy who is, according to my soon-to-be-seven-year-old niece, “always taking her places.”

My sister calls him 2.

Because apparently, the guy my sister is dating has the same first name as the guy she divorced. So to keep them straight in casual reference, they are ‘1’ (which is baby daddy) and ‘2’ (flavor of the moment).

My youngest niece, though… She calls 2 ‘Aladdin’.

My sister and Aladdin are apparently constantly going on outings (with or without one or more of their children; he comes equally encumbered with offspring as she does, from what I understand) and this has made an impression upon my sister’s youngest daughter (who happens to be my namesake).

And I think this ‘Aladdin’ business is brilliant.

BECAUSE

“Why do you call him Aladdin, honey?” my sister asked her.

“Because he’s always taking you places,” she explained to her mom. “He wants to show you the world.”

for the 2021 April A-to-Z Blogging Challenge: letter A

My theme for this year’s A-to-Z Challenge is Music as Muse. The posts you will see here throughout the month of April will be inspired – in some manner – by music.

To see what the A-to-Z Challenge is about, click the fuschia badge above.

And if you are playing along too, please comment below.

🙂

April A-to-Z Blogging Challenge 2021

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~ Blogging from A-to-Z ~

It’s that time of year again!

Those of you who read me on the reg will be used to this; for those of you who are new, welcome to April!

Like last year, I will have a theme (woot! — go ME!) (*laugh*) and — also like last year — I will combine letters as I see fit.

This year’s theme: Music as Muse

(Those of you who are familiar with my September Song Project will get the gist in terms of what kinds of posts may come from this thematic schematic; those of you who are like, “Wot?” might want to check that particular project out.) (Or, y’know… Just nevermind and hang on for the ride.) 😉

Other blog{ger}s in this community who are writing for the challenge this year are (blogs are listed alphabetically, titles linked):

The Barefoot Sub
Blogable
Brigit Delaney
Fondlers Anonymous
Master’s Pleasing Bitch
Molly’s Daily Kiss
Rantings of a Nonsensical Mind
Steeled Snake
When The Storm Whispers To The Wind

If you are playing along, and have not already let me know you are doing so, please leave me a comment below so I know to visit your blog during the challenge. And to those of you who read here: If you are playing and do not see your name above, please let me know! And please click through a time or two throughout the month of April to show the participants some bloggy love!

If you want to play along but aren’t sure how, I posted a brief tutorial the other day that gives you the “in a nutshell” version of what to do. If you want to be ‘officially’ part of the project, make sure you visit the A-to-Z main page here and sign up.

A Brief Overview: How To A-to-Z

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How To A-toZ

It has come to my attention that there might be some bloggers out there — either new-to-blogging bloggers or new-to-this-challenge bloggers — who would benefit from a brief overview and tutorial regarding how to “do” the annual interwebs-wide April A-to-Z Blogging Challenge.

So this is it, in a nutshell:

Throughout the month of April, you write (or otherwise create — photos, artwork, etc.) and publish posts titled alphabetically from A to Z.

You’re “supposed to” write a single post per letter, in order (from A to Z), which gives you 26 posts in a month.

But really, I say: Do it however you want to do it.

The first two years I did this challenge (2018 and 2019), I did it the way I was “supposed to.” Last year, I combined letters for my posts. Since I found the challenge of how to combine letters rather fun, I will be combining again this year.

If you want to, you can write to a theme. This is purely optional. Last year I had a theme, and this year I will as well.

In terms of how to approach this project, I’d recommend the following:

  • sketch out a list of letter-based ideas and come up with a posting schedule that will suit you
  • write ahead, based on your topics/titles, so that you aren’t exhausted at the end of the month
  • sign up for the challenge on the masterlist, which can be found here (it’s open through April 7th)
  • let me know in the comments section below if you intend to play along — I will come show you some bloggy love!
  • choose some blogs from the masterlist (or from the list I will personally post here on my blog) to visit throughout the month of April — this is a blog hop, essentially, so with all the writing and reading you’ll definitely be hoppin’!

And that’s it! 🙂

There are badges for each individual letter of the alphabet as well as banner-and-square badges that just indicate the overall A-to-Z challenge. (Find badges here.) I put these badges on each of my A-to-Z posts and link the badge back to the A-to-Z main site. To be clear: That’s not a requirement. (It is, however, good blogging etiquette.)

If you have any further questions about how to A-to-Z, please let me know. I’m happy to help walk you through what to do. 🙂

And again: If you’re playing along this year, please let me know in the comments below!