In Time of Silver Rain

It's raining, 

It's pouring,

the old man is snoring...

...and I am sitting home here nice and dry.  Just didn't have it in me to go to work today so I called in.  This will be the first time I have two days off in a row since November, so why the heck should I feel so guilty about it.  After all, it's my time, and I worked hard to earn it.  Oh, I got up with all intentions of going, but then I heard the wind howling in the back yard, and the rain began bearing down on my AC, and I thought about sitting at the office in wet clothes until 7 pm tonight...and then I thought about  the vacation time I was refused, and I said, The heck with it.  Didn't lie.  As a matter of fact, when I spoke with my supervisor I just told her I wouldn't be in today, that I wasn't feeling up to it.  How much more honest could I get?

I've never believed in saying I was sick when I wasn't sick.  Always felt you brought ill will upon yourself by lying about an illness.  And that is why I have accumulated over a month of sick time...because I NEVER call in.  It is only recently, this week, in fact, that I began to feel comfortable saying that I need a mental health day. 

Let's face it,we're allocated a number of sick days per year, and the fact of the matter is that if you don't use them, you won't accumulate any pay for them at the end of the year.  Ours will carry over until the next year, but if we happen to leave the job, we lose them all...a lesson I learned the hard way.  I never took sick days in my last job, either, and when I resigned, I ended up losing 156 hours.  Now, that is a lot of time.  Employers don't want to hear that that shows what a loyal employee you were.  Indeed, my last job was angry because they were unable to hire someone to take my place for the five weeks vacation they had to pay me.  It seems that while I was collecting my vacation pay, I was still considered an employee, and since they are allotted funding for only so many employees, they were up a creek.  

So, what will I do with my unexpected time?  Haven't figured that one out yet.  Hubby is at work, and son is still in Michigan; it's only me and my cat.  I definitely can lie in bed and doing a little reading.  I've ordered the complete set of Andrew Lang's fairy books for my Kindle, and it just might be a great day to lose myself in a world of magic and fae.    Not bad for 89 cents.

Will also watch the eaglets some.  They are now at that mischievous adolescent stage, and their antics make me laugh.  Will also check in on Phoebe, the hummingbird.  I had no idea how small they really were.  Sadly CheChe (small one) passed on despite all attempts to save her.  She was just too small, hatched prematurely...something I never knew could happen. But Scout is growing bigger and stronger every day.

I thought I might share the following poem about springtime rain with you.  It is so beautiful that it always leaves me with goosebumps.  The poet had written it for a friend when he learned that she had cancer.

In time of silver rain
The earth puts forth new life again,
Green grasses grow
And flowers lift their heads,
And over all the plain
The wonder spreads

  Of Life,
  Of Life,
  Of life!

In time of silver rain
The butterflies lift silken wings
To catch a rainbow cry,
And trees put forth new leaves to sing
In joy beneath the sky
As down the roadway
Passing boys and girls
Go singing, too,

  In time of silver rain When spring
  And life
  Are new.

--Langston Hughes--