Monte Don: British Gardener Extrodinaire, SAD Sufferer
This week seems to be presenting a lot of news on SAD sufferers from across the pond. I admit I read this article both because I like flowers and I've got Seasonal Affective Disorder. Living in England, which is ever further north than Seattle must make winter life very difficult. I can't say that I've ever had any hallucinations due to my depression, but what an experience. Currently the man is working on several gardening books and TV shows. I like his comment:
How is the SAD these days, I wonder. Don crosses one long, corduroy-trousered leg over the other and grimaces. "God, I feel like an old trouper, trotting out the same songs — the only reason to keep talking about it is that it might help someone." He says that filming in sunnier climes this last winter mitigated the blues. "Coming home from New Zealand in December I thought, no wonder I feel like I do. England is an incredibly gloomy place at this time of year, in which it is not unreasonable to be miserable." Traveling with a TV crew was also oddly helpful. "There is someone to drive me, get me to places on time, put a mug of tea in my hand. If you want to, you can retreat into a cocoon and be mollycoddled.
While I don't have the luxury of someone holding my hand during the winter, I too, keep talking about Seasonal Affective Disorder so that it might help someone else!
I came across an interesting article in a Scottish newspaper this morning that talked about using Bi-Aura treatments for Seasonal Depression. While some alternative medicines are interesting and have some therapeutic value, I always think trying them can't hurt, but they should be undertaken with a grain of salt. If you're under medical supervision, don't stop conventional treatments without consulting your physician and it's also not a bad idea to tell them if you're exploring alternative therapies.
I remember hearing stories about cross-country road trips to visit oddities: Large Paul Bunion statues, the world's largest ball of twine, World's Tallest ketchup bottle etc. How about a trip to a light bulb that has been burning for 106 years? 
Most people will agree that exercise, even something as simple as walking, makes you feel better. Walking is a key component in the Levity program (The Levity Program helps people deal with the winter blues, or low level seasonal depression.) 
It's almost summer. Some people are probably going to look for new sunglasses this summer. For me, finding glasses that are the right shape for my face is a hit or miss proposition. I found this neat little page over at FramesDirect.com that explains what type of faces look best with which shape lenses. 
Wow! I totally want these. I however, do not want 80 cartons of them, which seems to be the smallest amount that I can find them in. 
