What is SAD?

Animals react to the changing seasons with changes in mood, metabolism and behaviour and human beings are just the same. Most people find they eat and sleep slightly more in winter and dislike the dark mornings and short days. For some, however, symptoms are severe enough to disrupt their lives and to cause considerable distress. These people are suffering from SAD.

How does it affect people?
Sufferers have to endure most of the following:

Sleep problems – oversleeping but not refreshed, cannot get out of bed, needing a nap in the afternoon

Overeating – carbohydrate craving leading to weight gain

Depression,
despair, misery, guilt, anxiety – normal tasks become frustratingly difficult

Family / social problems –
avoiding company, irritability, loss of libido, loss of feeling

Lethargy – too tired to cope, everything an effort

Physical symptoms –
often joint pain or stomach problems, lowered resistance to infection

The symptoms tend to start from around September each year lasting until April, but are at their worst in the darkest months.

Found on this website.

OK, all my friends in California, who warned me; I am suffering. I have always had this. Had it really badly when I lived in the Northeast. but it pretty much went away after our move to California and I was fine in North Carolina.

So here is what I am doing:

Continuing to walk 10,000 steps, even in the rain
Ordered a rise and shine natural alarm clock.
Ordered a happy light for my computer corner.
Trying to limit my carb intake
Forcing my self to get in to the studio to work. I have full spectrum lights there.

So this is why you have not seen cheery posts from me or anything creative from the studio. Yesterday afternoon the sun came out and Mia and I took a walk on the Reed College campus. This is one of my favorite things to do ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù take a one on one walk with Mia. She yada yada yadas about all sorts of things, and It is a delightful time. Yesterday, we found acorns under an oak tree which we collected to bring home. Last night was Mark’s last dinner with us. Steph brought chicken enchiladas – yuuuum!

Landscaping update: Mark is going home this afternoon and so Steve will have to finish putting the plants in the ground. It has been raining so much that the ground is too soggy to plant.

Before photo taken last spring:

The side walk will all be removed and a blue stone walk installed. The orange line shows the direction it will take. A stake marks the end of the line. There will be a blue stone landing there.

In this area, the concrete walk was removed and the blue stone installed.

Here is Mark doing his magic:

You can see that all the grass has been removed from the left of the walk way.

Here is final look of the area with plant placement:

This will change because they are out buying more plants this morning.

Time to walk the dog!