Britesea - Living the good life in rural Oregon

[Britesea]

I'm going into town today for payday shopping, and I usually have lunch with my girlfriends. The combination of a change of venue and spending time with my friends will help me for a day or two. I didn't realize I had SAD until I got a job where I was indoors all day in a cubicle with no windows. Suddenly I started feeling down, and I was getting sick a lot, eating too much and craving carbs. My doctor told me those are all symptoms of SAD, and suggested that I get outside for all of my breaks. It helped, so we know that's what the problem was. It got a lot better when I finally quit that job.
@Denim Deb you might have SAD, but you spend so much time outside that you probably are keeping it down to a minor problem. It sounds like it, since you say that once you get moving you're OK.

I've decided to get some brighter light bulbs, maybe LED's. My house is dark, with small windows so it makes things worse for me in the winter. Apparently the lights don't have to be full spectrum to help with SAD; they just need to be BRIGHT!

Once DH is retired and no longer on night shift, we will both be able to move our sleep cycles a bit and get up earlier in the day-- that will help too, as I will get the maximum daylight available then. I was used to an early-to-bed-early-to-rise schedule when we first married, but it was too difficult for both of us; we didn't get to spend much time with each other and tended to interrupt each others sleep cycles with getting up or going to bed. So I gradually moved over to his hours.

Once I get home, I need to take care of Christmas cards. I don't send that many out so it won't take too much time.

 

[Britesea]

We started having serious snow today- I think at least 3 inches have stuck. It got a little slushy on the roads when it warmed up to 34, but the roads stayed pretty driveable as long as you went under 40mph. We went into town to celebrate the DS's 26th Bday at his favorite place- a BBQ place called Wubba's, bringing along his friend J. Our friends C & D came out to help us celebrate too. We laughed when we realized the first time they helped celebrate his Bday, he was 12 years old. Time flies.

Tomorrow I need to can up the 6 pounds of corned brisket I got at Cash N Carry - 2.95 a pound! It looks like a lovely piece of meat- just enough fat but not too much. Maybe I'll only can part of it and have a nice New England Boiled Dinner tomorrow.

And, I STILL have not sent out the Christmas cards, so I HAVE to do that too, or it won't be worth sending them out, lol.

 

[Denim Deb]

I haven't done cards either. I bought them last year, and don't remember where I put them.

 

[Britesea]

Hahaha! That's what I did, too.
I've got the corned beef started, and sent both men out to the deep pantry to find the whole cloves that I need in the seasoning packet. Apparently they are incapable of finding them solo.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

 

[rhoda_bruce]

My.....you have been busy!!!
I only read the last page, but it looks like I will need to back track with you.....maybe tonight. I have a feeling that reading will be more enjoyable than reading Facebook shares.

 

[Denim Deb]

So, they're like little kids-if it had been a snake, it would have bit them.

 

[Mini Horses]

Snow --- you can have mine! We are having unseasonably warm here on East coast. I am loving it!! It's just great to not have to deal with 30 degrees when feeding livestock! We did have a week of colder than norm a month ago, so heavy, heavy frosts. But, I can deal with that! Of course, grass done and now hay is a daily chore -- and that isn't bad with the sunshine!

This 75 degree stuff, after those cold days, makes me "think" it's Spring already!!! I WISH!

So, with your weather it's a nice day to cook!

 

[Britesea]

The last couple of days have been dry, and just warm enough to clear the ice off the roads. Yesterday I drove over to my friend's house and seeing the snowy trees sparkling in the sunshine was so uplifting!

I got my seeds ordered for spring, and fired off an email to Holderread's to reserve some Silver Appleyard ducklings. I've tried to get Silver Appleyards for the past two years, and I always order them too late- they've sold out. Maybe I'll have better luck this year.

Making Fish Cakes today, with green beans and rice, and a French Silk chocolate pie for dessert. I've been wanting to try this recipe for the fish cakes- it has a delicious sounding horseradish/sour cream sauce to go with it. I'm using some of the trout I canned last spring.

DS got another house sitting job; this one is for a week at a house with 3 cats plus assorted ducks geese and chickens in the backyard. He will be able to come over to C& D's house to celebrate Christmas; the house is quite near.

I think I will actually be able to wear my sweater for Christmas! Woohoo! I've been working on it for so long it's strange to actually think about finishing it. But I only have 12 more rows on the second bat-wing sleeve and then I have to sew all the pieces together before I can finish up the cowl neckline.

 

[Mini Horses]

Sounds like you are having a real good week!