We’ve had some really cold, frosty mornings this week, which are always a bit of a hurdle for a body that reacts strongly to the cold. But I noticed something as I stood outside the other day: these mornings give us blue skies we just don’t get in summer. They're a deeper, clearer blue.
That colour does something for us. Blue light — the natural kind we get from the sky — helps regulate our circadian rhythms, support alertness, and lift our mood. Even a few minutes of looking up at a bright blue sky sends a signal through our eyes to our brains that strengthens our body’s daytime systems. It’s subtle, but it gives us a small lift just when the shorter days and long nights start to pull us down.
I’ve found myself thinking that perhaps this is one of those small things the Divine wove in on purpose — a quiet boost for us at this dark, difficult time of year. The deep blue of the sky, the sudden brightness on frozen mornings, the red berries on the holly tree catching the light… little markers of warmth and steadiness threaded through the colder, darker season.
I'm grateful to wake up every day....alive. Admittedly, for me at least, the sense of aliveness didn't really kick in until retirement a few years ago. My advice to folks is to look around, breath, say hello to strangers, look at the sky, the ocean. When I stay grounded in these basics, it's a good day.
I am grateful that we celebrated our Thanksgiving Day early, with blessings enough to afford a lovely celebratory meal and enough groceries saved to join the Economic Blackout from now through Cyber Monday! I wish good health and good spirits to you all, brave defenders of democracy!
Well, gotta say that THIS is very good news, indeed!!!
"Turns Out Fighting Fascism Helps You Live Longer"
"A January study in the journal Social Science & Medicine found that volunteering slows down aging in retirees: the DNA of people who volunteered the equivalent of one to four hours a week showed distinctive biomarkers associated with decelerated epigenetic aging, with the most pronounced effects among retired people."
We’ve had some really cold, frosty mornings this week, which are always a bit of a hurdle for a body that reacts strongly to the cold. But I noticed something as I stood outside the other day: these mornings give us blue skies we just don’t get in summer. They're a deeper, clearer blue.
That colour does something for us. Blue light — the natural kind we get from the sky — helps regulate our circadian rhythms, support alertness, and lift our mood. Even a few minutes of looking up at a bright blue sky sends a signal through our eyes to our brains that strengthens our body’s daytime systems. It’s subtle, but it gives us a small lift just when the shorter days and long nights start to pull us down.
I’ve found myself thinking that perhaps this is one of those small things the Divine wove in on purpose — a quiet boost for us at this dark, difficult time of year. The deep blue of the sky, the sudden brightness on frozen mornings, the red berries on the holly tree catching the light… little markers of warmth and steadiness threaded through the colder, darker season.
I'm grateful to wake up every day....alive. Admittedly, for me at least, the sense of aliveness didn't really kick in until retirement a few years ago. My advice to folks is to look around, breath, say hello to strangers, look at the sky, the ocean. When I stay grounded in these basics, it's a good day.
I am grateful that we celebrated our Thanksgiving Day early, with blessings enough to afford a lovely celebratory meal and enough groceries saved to join the Economic Blackout from now through Cyber Monday! I wish good health and good spirits to you all, brave defenders of democracy!
Well, gotta say that THIS is very good news, indeed!!!
"Turns Out Fighting Fascism Helps You Live Longer"
"A January study in the journal Social Science & Medicine found that volunteering slows down aging in retirees: the DNA of people who volunteered the equivalent of one to four hours a week showed distinctive biomarkers associated with decelerated epigenetic aging, with the most pronounced effects among retired people."
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/11/retirees-volunteering-election-democracy-study-health/
This morning, I was able to wake up slowly and read this article. My husband lives with chronic pain, so I'm going to send this to him. Thank you 😊