What's Your Favorite Month?

“April come she will, when streams are ripe and swelled with rain…”

One of my favorite Simon and Garfunkel songs has one of my favorite months in its title. I like this song so much that I have added it to my music page at my video site. Hey, I even sang a few bars of it on this video.

Is it just me, or do we all have one favorite month,
a magical thirty or so days that are better than the rest? Oh, heck, let me just come right out and ask:

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE MONTH?

A recent USA Today survey stated that winter was the least favorite season; not a surprise, really. I am not a big fan of winter; those months are not in my top five. December? January? February? I don’t think so. The next least favorite season was…can you guess? For those of you who guessed summer, you win a prize.

Uh, Mike? What’s the prize?

Huh?

For guessing correctly?

Oh, yeah, right…how about a video?

What? Another one?

Yes, another one. This one is called:

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE MONTH?




It doesn’t surprise me that spring and fall were virtually tied as the favorite seasons in that poll. My two favorite months are part of both those times of year. April and October.

WHY APRIL?

* The onset of better weather
* The start of baseball season!
* The Masters golf tournament
* Daylight Savings Time (for those of you tired of those short, endless winter days) Okay, technically, this is now in March, but you get the idea.
* Easter
* Planting season
* Spring Break (I tossed that one in for the kids!)

WHY OCTOBER?

* After the heat of summer, the return of cooler weather
* The World Series!
* Daylight Savings Time (for those of you tired of all those long, endless summer days) Okay, technically, this now occurs in November, but, come on, it used to be October for years!
* Vacations on Maui
* Fall harvest

So, does that mean that I am miserable the other ten months of the year? I don’t know, maybe you should ask my wife. But, really, as I mentioned, winter doesn’t do it for me and summer kind of drags. If I had to choose a third favorite month, it would have to be June. Why? It’s the last month before the Big Heat that arrives here in northern California (talking 100 degree days, sometimes for weeks on end), and it is just warm enough to kill the last of the allergies that give spring one of its only negatives, at least as far as I’m concerned. What about you? What’s your favorite month? How about your least favorite?

Yeah, Mike, what month do you despise?

Despise?

Come on, I just sat through that video, you owe me one.

That bad, huh?

I’ve seen better. So?

So?

The month that you wish did not exist?

Let's see...

Out with it!

August.

August?

Yeah. Too hot to do much but wish it were over.

Hmmm, now that I think about it…

Maybe I need to go back to the great lyrics of Paul Simon for inspiration:

“August, die she must. The autumn winds blow chilly and cold.
September I’ll remember, a love once new has now grown old.”

That’s it?

Huh?

More lyrics, so-so videos, and you still haven’t told us your favorite month.

Oh, yeah, you’re right.

Well?

I forgot to add that I was born in October, so I guess that settles it. October, which also is part of the title of one of my favorite books and films, “October Sky,” is the month I enjoy the most.

The key, of course, is finding something wonderful in every month and every day. The name of this site is, after all, livelife365. But just for fun, you can let me know your favorite and least favorite months by leaving me a comment here or at my vid site. Speaking of my video site, take a look at the new front page, it has really changed, and let me know what you think of it.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike

Beat Those Winter Blues

Where’s the sun? Is it freezing in here, or is it just me? Pass the Kleenex…ah, could you hurry…ah…ahh…ahhh. Sniffle, sniffle. Hey, are there any more holiday cookies left? Is your brother ever going to leave our guest bedroom? Man, I feel like…hold on…ah…ahhh…ahhhh

CHOOOO!

Winter. Blah.

Is it spring yet?

Nope, not for a long time.

Does this sound familiar? This time of year, after weeks of overindulging on fattening foods during the holidays, compounded by icy and sun-deprived weather, further complicated by the cold and flu season, can take its toll. Hey, I can go on and on, complain with the best of them. Instead, I’d rather offer up some positive tips on how to:

BEAT THOSE WINTER BLUES



TAKE A HIKE!

Or at least take a walk. Too cold or rainy outside? That does present some problems, but ones that need to be addressed if you not only want to help combat those winter blues, but stay (get?) in shape. A daily thirty-minute walk does wonders for you. It gets your blood flowing, which actually warms you up, shaking the cobwebs off the old bones and sending much needed (and appreciated) endorphins to the brain that stimulate your soul (and life) with happiness. Still too cold for you? Get yourself a treadmill or stationary bike, anything! Just pump those legs and pump that blood. Be sure to dress accordingly: hat, gloves, waterproof jacket, and, always, good walking shoes.

STEP AWAY FROM THE COOKIES!

Eating the right foods and the right amounts is a reoccurring mantra for me and this website. There is no better time to adopt healthier nutritional eating habits than right now, during the blah winter months, following the holiday (overindulging) season. Besides assisting your weight loss goals (and we all have those, don’t we?), proper nutrition can actually make you FEEL better. These fitness and nutrition videos can help get you started.

PASS THE KLEENEX AND WASH YOUR HANDS!

Sneezing, coughing, phlegm-laden human beings that you come into contact with are everywhere this time of year, and often unavoidable. But you CAN protect yourself from catching whatever illness is ailing them by following a few precautions:

*Try to avoid shaking hands or having other contact if you know someone is sick.
*Wash your hands with HOT water and soap throughout the day. If you can’t, then carry a hand sanitizer with you and use that until you can wash properly.
*Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, hoping that others will do the same for you.
*Always use a Kleenex, and toss it when done. Don’t use hankies, they hold germs.
*Wash your hands BEFORE and AFTER using a public restroom, then use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and one for the door handle.
*Try to avoid sharing telephones, keyboards, pens--anything where hand-to-hand contact is prevalent.
*ALWAYS disinfect hotel room TV remote controls!

SUPPLEMENT THE SUN!

Winter weather can swallow up the sun for days on end, and that’s not a good thing. Why? Vitamin D. A lack of this important vitamin, which we get naturally from exposure to the sun, can lead to myriad health issues, as well as contribute to the winter blues. A simple solution: Take a vitamin D supplement. A not so simple solution: Move to Maui.

GRAB A GUITAR!

Sometimes boredom or the same old, same old contributes to the blahs this time of year. Why not start that hobby you’ve been putting off? I love playing my guitar. It helps take my mind off things and it is said that music, be it performing or just listening to it, can cheer you up. Not musically inclined? There are hundreds of other hobbies that may interest you: sewing, reading, collecting, the list is endless, the rewards many.

SMALLER IS BIGGER!

Enjoy the simpler things in life, especially during these challenging financial times. Play with your kids. Take a nice stroll with your spouse…to the bedroom. Cook a meal together. Work a puzzle, jigsaw or crossword. Interact, in positive ways, with those who mean the most to you and those winter blues will evaporate like a snowman in July (except in Canada and parts of Minnesota). Deal, adjust, cope, enjoy. Live life.

MAKE IT YOUR GOAL!

(see prior post)

LAUGH IT OFF!

Nothing beats humor and laughter to make those winter blah/blues go away. Laughter not only cheers you up and makes you feel better, but it’s proven to be healthy for you. The significance of laughter is often underrated as a healthy option for what’s bringing you down or making you sick.

Winter has just begun and will not be over any time soon. Why not make the best of winter (can you tell it’s not my favorite season?) by taking action and doing everything you can to enhance each day, living life to its fullest. Every day. Every way. And beat those winter blues.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike