Winter is Here!

Just the other day I was thinking how I am already tired of the cold and snow. How I am tired of winter and already looking forward to spring. And then I realized that it wasn't even winter yet, it was still officially autumn! What a depressing realization.

Today is the first "official" day of winter. It is also the shortest day of the year. It seems like the first hurdle to get over on our way to spring. Every day now we will have a bit more daylight, even though that may just mean a few seconds more every day it does mean something.

I often wonder why we have daylight savings time and why we set our clocks back in the fall. The days seem so short and the nights so long. I am one of those people who is affected by the lack of sunlight and often experience SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) in the winter months. I do get motivated and have a lift of spirits when the sun is shining and pouring into our windows in the winter months. Even if it is freezing outside, the appearance of sunshine can always boost my mood. In the Midwest, in the middle of winter, the bright sun is a rare occurrence. I have heard of special lights that help beat SAD, but have not run across any myself. What seems to help me a little is taking fish oil capsules; it has been said that Eskimos (who experience winter weather almost all year long, it seems) rarely suffer from SAD because of all the omega fats and oils in their diets. Taking the fish oil is not a complete fix for me but it does take the edge off it.

I may become one of those rare persons who enjoys winter when I am older. If I could putter around my house and read books, write long letters, work on puzzles, and catch up on my movie watching it may actually be an enjoyable season for me. But in this "season" of my life I have three little bundles of energy who bounce off the walls when it is too cold to go outside. Three little munchkins who get bored of staying inside, and crabby, and get a big case of cabin fever. The times when we do venture out we have to bundle up in layers of clothing, which means once we come back inside their are snowpants, mittens, hats, coats, and boots to pick up and put away. There are puddles of melting snow all over my floor. There are frozen hands that need warming and tummies that need to be filled with a snack and a mug of hot cocoa.

What is your favorite season? What do you do to fill the long months of staying inside during winter?