I officially think the holiday album Midwinter Graces by Tori Amos is the best thing she’s done in years. And I love all Tori, even the weird stuff. It is awesome. Don’t illegally download this one. It’s worth buying.

The thing I love about this time of year is that people are generally nicer to each other than they would normally be from now until New Year’s. I wish that happiness lasted all year, but I definitely don’t like the lack of sun and warmth.

SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder is a real thing. As a clinician and a sufferer, I am fascinated by it. Why on earth should my brain decide that it’s time to be depressed and eat carbs and sugar just because there’s not a lot of light? Why should I know, before I even open my eyes, whether it’s a cloudy day or not? What kind of skill is that? In thinking about how cold, dark, and horrid it would have been in tribal times, I think that the Anasazi, the Hopi, and the southern tribes had the right idea. Here I am rambling as usual….but I will happily tell anyone who suffers from this disorder, or who has it as a specifier on their diagnosis that it is treatable with antidepressants, sun lamps, diet, exercise, and vitamins. The most helpful Vitamin you can take in the universe is Vitamin D, because it is an anti-cancer vitamin (all cancers are linked to a lack of Vitamin D!) D3 is what you make when you get sunshine! D3 is also anti-aging, and I found out today that melatonin, a hormone produced when you sleep at night is also anti-aging.

My mother-in-law has been taking D3 in huge quantities in her fight against breast cancer. She looks about 10 years younger than she actually is, which she attributes to the D3.

I had a lovely day with Sweet Donnie’s family, my dad and my brother. I felt sad that mom didn’t get up to come for dinner. I talked to De Seestor, but I didn’t get to ichat with her. She went to see New Moon. I’m waiting for her verdict on that one. Wendy said it was very good. For as much as I liked the Twilight books, I couldn’t bring myself to like the movie. Poor Edward coming into the school cafeteria with 80’s New Wave hair and far far too much lipstick just wrecked me. It is an interesting thing to me that men will deal with watching Twilight, but they all, inevitably say with scorn, “Vampires shouldn’t sparkle.” I wonder if they will like New Moon better because of the werewolves. I doubt it. Donnie read me a chokingly funny review by a man of the literary version of Twilight. After having read the book, he immediately stated that he couldn’t remember the main character’s name, and referred to her as “Pants.”  I will try to find the link and put it up. Even if you’re a rabid fan, you cannot help but laugh.

I have rambled enough. I shall say this point that I am extremely grateful for good friends, good family, good books, good food, and all things good in general. Also, if you read this blog, you are counted as good, and you will go to heaven.