Most trees are bare now, and dark comes at 4:30. Calendar be damned, fall is over, and my annual battle against seasonal affective disorder is fully engaged.
I was up before the sun this morning, because I've found that my best defense against too much dark is to experience every possible moment of natural light during the day. Early is my new routine, and I kind of like it.
Yeah, "morning Pam" goes against the night-person-late-sleeper thing I've always had going on, but I can't help it. Having read a number of articles about the best ways to battle seasonal depression and daylight deprivation, my best solution seems to be a non-pharmaceutical approach that considers our bodies' rhythms and cycles.
So far, so good.
Also, I've rediscovered my love of coffee, which really helps out in the mornings at at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, which is Dad's second-favorite time of day to drink coffee and a habit I probably should have adopted years ago.
I'm not much of a coffee-drinker during the warm months, but when frosty mornings roll around, I'm ready for a steaming mug of delicious and stimulating caffeine.
In preparation for the season, I purchased myself a new cup last week.
Made by local artisan, Amy Potter, this mug features a festive and popular sugar skull motif and holds 32 ounces.
Fill'er up!!
