Monday, October 20, 2008

Darkness Descends


Tonight I got off work at 7 PM, and it was nearly dark outside. That, to me, is the worst thing about winter: lack of light. Natural sunlight is magical. It elevates the mood and provides Vitamin D, necessary for the prevention of rickets. Who wants rickets? We need Vitamin D, and while milk is fortified with it and other foods contain it naturally, as little as 10 minutes of exposure to sunlight a day can provide a person with all the Vitamin D her or she requires.
For me, shorter days lead to SAD: Seasonal Affective Disorder. I crave carbs, experience feelings of sadness, and have difficulty focusing. Like a bear, I wish I could hibernate and wake up come spring.
Last year I kept the symptoms to a minimum by learning to tat. I went crazy tatting all kinds of things. It was therapy. Now that the garden is basically done, except for a few winter chores, I hope to pick up my tatting shuttle again. And paintbrush, too. Creativity is the cure for the blues when winter darkness descends. "Dusk" photo by JulenaJo.

2 comments:

  1. Hello, I came across your blog and its beautiful photos and felt like I was reading about myself...the same sad decends with the shorter days, the lethargy and lack of motivation... I too have been consumed with garden chores, we have had several hard frosts here in NB, Canada. The green peppers are still ok in the greenhouse but their days are numbered. I do some organic market gardening, this and that, and paint to make a living. If only the energy and creativity of the warm months would stay with us through the winter, wouldnt that be great....

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello, I came across your blog and its beautiful photos and felt like I was reading about myself...the same sad decends with the shorter days, the lethargy and lack of motivation... I too have been consumed with garden chores, we have had several hard frosts here in NB, Canada. The green peppers are still ok in the greenhouse but their days are numbered. I do some organic market gardening, this and that, and paint to make a living. If only the energy and creativity of the warm months would stay with us through the winter, wouldnt that be great....

    ReplyDelete