Hello Neighbor!

The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are edging downward. On Sunday we’ll be setting our clocks back forcing sunset on November 1st to be at 4:58 PM. UGH. I hate daylight savings and winter. I love snow… in December or when I’m in Colorado.
The next few months will be difficult, maybe more of a challenge than the previous eight.  Cold, grey days are always a test of will for me, even during a good year. Lay a global pandemic on top and it makes me worried.
I tend to hibernate when temps dip below 50 and the clouds continually eclipse the sun. I threaten to put our house up for sale. I spend countless hours on Realtor.com looking for a house below the Mason-Dixon line. I eat too much. I drink too much. Then just end up feeling terrible. It’s a vicious, sunless cycle.

This year I’m making a plan. Of course I’ll continue searching for places to live with palm trees; it’s now a hobby. But this year I’m being proactive. I suffer from (self-diagnosed) SAD so I’ve met with a local nutritionist and asked him “What can I be doing?” He recommended I start taking Vitamin D (with A and K). Apparently 1) being a woman and 2) living in Philadelphia are two risk factors. SAD is diagnosed four times more often in women than men and is more frequent in people who live far north of the equator. I’m also researching light therapy to help with the lack of sunshine.

Most importantly I have a group of women I walk with a few times a week and we’ll continue through the winter. Not only will I get some much needed sunlight and a little exercise but when I’m feeling down it becomes harder to motivate to be social. Chatting and laughing with friends, sharing struggles and stories a few times a week is a surefire antidote for a better mood.

Enjoy!
Regina