6 WAYS TO BRIGHTEN A WINTER DAY

January 2022 seems especially dreary. It’s the third winter we’ve been stuck at home because of COVID-19. That first year, we did pretty well. It was kind of fun, battening down the hatches, sending for take out, and staying inside. The next winter, we had a little more hope because the vaccine came out in January, and we thought this would definitely be the end of Covid-19. We even started going to restaurants and family get togethers. Free at last!! But now, we’re back where we started. Masking up at the grocery store, staying home, washing our hands, and going nowhere fast. One good thing. The days are growing longer, and we’re seeing more sunny days. Here are 6 ways to brighten a winter day:

1. Clean the air. Indoor air is full of pollutants. It’s especially bad this winter, when we’re staying indoors more often than usual. Even when it’s cold outside, you should open some windows for five to ten minutes a day, just to bring in some fresh air. Next, brew a pot of boiling water on your stove top, and stir in teaspoons of cinnamon, ginger and cloves. It might even clear your sinuses if you breathe in the fragrant vapors for a few minutes. Keep the pot simmering as long as you like.

2. Catch some sunshine. Put on a winter coat and lie on a lounge chair on your deck or patio. The rays are so bright that you can get a slight sunburn—even in winter. If you don’t have your own outside space, go to a park, pick a bright spot, and lift your face toward the sun .

3. Plant a winter bulb garden. . The stores are full of potted hyacinths, tulips and daffodils.. Take that Christmas poinsettia off your coffee table, and bring in some lovely spring flowers in shades of pink, purple, and yellow.

4. Download some classical music. There are free apps on i phones and your computer. Frankly, I wouldn’t care to sit for hours in a concert hall and listen to long hair music. But it’s soothing in the background while you’re doing household chores or reading a book.

5. Walk outside. Even when the temperature drops below freezing, you can bundle up and take a short walk around the block or down the road. You’ll come back inside refreshed, and with a better attitude.

6. Try a new recipe. They are in the newspapers and all over the internet. Make something with an unusual ingredient that you’ve never tried before.

These are just a few way to enjoy the winter of 2022. Meanwhile, work a jigsaw puzzle, read a best seller, and look forward to a winter when we don’t have to worry about Covid=19..

December 27, 2019December 27, 2019

10 WAYS TO TAKE A TIME OUT

Christmas is over, but the holiday still hasn’t ended. There are more parties and family gatherings ahead in the next few days. Not to mention the stress of traveling back and forth to visit relatives in other cities. By the time Christmas is over, you may be drained and exhausted from all the ways you deviated from your normal routines and eating patterns. Here are 10 ways to take a time out tomorrow or the next day.

1. Sleep late.

2. Don’t plan to shop. Eat a healthy breakfast of fruit and whole grain cereal. Then go back to bed or find a comfortable chair, and simply relax with a cup of coffee or tea.

3. Hide the sweet treats. All the candy, cookies, and desserts can give you a “sugar high.” But when it starts to wear off, you feel jittery and nervous, and maybe depressed. Too much sugar is bad for you.

4. Ditch the salty snacks, ham, & sausage. When you take in more sodium than you need, your body starts to retain fluid. This excess make you feel bloated and sluggish. A fresh fruit smoothie for lunch will provide potassium to flush the salt from your system.

5. Eliminate alcohol. While you wouldn’t ordinarily drink in the afternoon, it’s likely that you’ll be offered wine, beer, or another alcoholic beverage at holiday gatherings. It makes the day more relaxing and festive. But it can also lead to lethargy the next day. Instead of alcoholic drinks today, have a glass of ice water, orange juice or a cup of hot tea.

A breath of fresh air will be invigorating — If you’re feeling sluggish, take a walk outside and fill your lungs with oxygen.

6. Go outside for a short walk, and fill your lungs with fresh air. Come back in and take a nap, If you can’t sleep during the day, try meditation and deep breathing exercises.

7. Settle down with a magazine like the Smithsonian, or read Tolstoy.

8. Don’t fix a big evening meal. Skip the evening cocktail. Make a bowl of fresh potato soup, minus the salt shaker.

9. Forget the evening news. Don’t leave the house to go anywhere. Relax with a Hallmark movie on TV.

10. Take a warm bath. Go to bed early.

Wake up the next day renewed and refreshed, ready for that big New Year’s Eve party.

September 9, 2019September 9, 2019

10 GREAT THINGS ABOUT FALL

Have you ever taken one of those online weather-personality tests? They’re designed to reveal which season best fits your personality. No surprise for me—I always knew which season I liked best. Here are 10 great things about fall:

fALL FOLIAGE IN COLORS OF ORANGE, GOLD AND CRIMSON IS SPECTACULAR — FALL FOLIAGE IN COLORS OF GOLD, ORANGE & CRIMSON GIVES US A SPECTACULAR SHOW

1. No air conditioning. Does anyone really enjoy air conditioning? Yes, we like escaping from hot, humid weather. But the feel of air conditioning does not compare to a fresh, fragrant autumn breeze.

2. Less laundry. Most summer days, I’m apt to change my sweaty clothes at least once a day, if I’ve taken a walk or done errands. Summer clothes usually can’t be worn twice. Wash loads are typically twice as large as in the cooler seasons.

3. Fall is the sweet spot for arthritis. Summer make my joints swell, , and winter makes them creaky. For some reason, arthritics get some pain relief and improved joint flexibility in the cool fall weather.

4. Better sleep. Well, of course you’re going to sleep better when you’re not tossing, turning and sweating it out on a hot night.

5. Hope is in the air. Fall is the time for new beginnings. Kids return to school, go off to college with high hopes for the future. Their optimism is catching. For seniors, there are new shows and concerts to see, and adult education classes to take.

6. Fall festivals are held nearly every weekend in your own or surrounding cities. Here in Indiana, the famous Parke County Covered Bridge festival in the middle of October draws thousands of visitors from all over the USA.

Who doesn't love the flavor of juicy, homegrown tomatoes that ripen in the fall — HOMEGROWN TOMATOES IN THE FALL ARE A DELICIOUS TREAT

7. Homegrown tomatoes. Now is the time to enjoy the taste of red, ripe, homegrown tomatoes, which put the bland flavor hot house tomatoes to shame.

8.. Curling up with a hot beverage. What could be better than savoring a cup of hot tea, hot chocolate, or hot apple cider on a cold day.

9. You look better— summer’s heat and humidity frizzes your hair and opens your pores, giving your skin an oily shine. . Come fall, your skin looks smoother and hair is more manageable.

10. Fall foliage. Nothing compares to the spectacular show of autumn leaves.. Trees with every shade of orange, gold, and crimson create a dazzling display, especially against a clear blue sky.

Here’s hoping that you will enjoy an awesome fall!