Actually winter really isn't that bad as long it stays sunny. Sunny with no wind is even better. Even if the temperature is 16F (-8C) like today. Yesterday was a sunny day too. When there is a lot of sunlight it makes you want to do many stuff. I vacuumed the whole place, put away things, did probably 7 loads of laundry, read a book then went to mass. In the middle of it, I even took Wapshot outdoors to sniff some snow (he only liked it for about 10 minutes, after that he was scratching the door begging to be let in). Not only that, grabbed my camera and tripod to a park just a block away and recorded early winter 2005 with my images on it. When I came back I told Tom that I had some good shots of myself, he asked me who took the photos and laughed when I answered, "the tripod". My husband, he is easily amused.

It is a totally different story however when we are subjected to an entire weekend of downcast sky during winter. Now that can be really trying. It's hard getting oneself motivated to be active when the less-than-sufficient light is conducive for taking a nap and feeling lethargic the whole day. To even get out of my jammies and change to regular clothes is a challenge. Really. Being on my third winter here in the US, it is no exaggeration when I say I can see why suicide rates are high in cold countries.

Now here is how I deal with winter to escape depression, stay warm, among other things:
1.) I force myself outdoors even for 20 minutes, despite dreading that it'd be too cold for me. However, fresh air is always nothing but rejuvenating afterwards and a bonus is that as soon as I go back inside, my body would then feel that the heater is too hot. With this I then wouldn't feel like crawling back into the covers and stay shivering the whole day. Something I would most likely be doing if I didn't venture outside.
2.) Proper clothing. On a really cold day I wear 4 layers on top (short sleeves - office heater can be too warm, thin sweater, thick sweater and coat) 2 layers on the bottom (long underwear, pants), thick gloves (sometimes I bring an extra, just in case the first one got wet when scraping ice from the car windows), angora socks (keeps my feet warm without being too thick), bonnet (which I would sometimes substitute for a headband if I only want to cover my ears which can get very sensitive to the point of hurting). Long scarf, the colder the longer. A scarf is very versatile in covering the neck, ears, including the nose if needed. I swear sometimes I am tempted to buy a ski mask. As soon as the cold wind hits the nose hard it hurts to the point of getting teary-eyed and having a headache.
3.) I have reached the conclusion that the best bag for winter is a messenger bag or any bag with long enough straps to put across the chest. A shoulder bag can slip while wearing a thick coat, a handbag would be a hassle since your hand, even gloved, will be exposed to the cold. Frostbite anyone? The most comfortable place to put your hands will be inside the pockets. That bag is on my shopping list.
4.) The indispensable snowbrush and scraper. The downside of having no indoor parking is spending at least 10-15 minutes in the morning clearing the car of snow. More troublesome is when the windows are iced - both inside and out.
5.) Newly purchased for this year, a small shovel. My car got snowed in last year with 12 inches of snow, I couldn't get it out. We didn't have a shovel then. I later learned that a trick was to rock the car back and forth (forward and reverse) to flatten the snow. But much more difficult to do on a stick shift.
6.) Winter also brings dry and itchy skin mainly because of the heater. I'd be scratching in all places imaginable. A good thing that my dermatologist cousin gave this tip before I left the Philippines: mix 1 part petroleum jelly with 1 part lotion and apply on still-moist-from-the-shower skin. I discovered Mary Kay's Night Emollient does the same job too with less of the greasiness. A dehumidifier we got for under $20 from ACE Hardware also helped relieved the problem.
7.) Getting a throw (small blanket) for both the living room sofa and the car is very helpful too. What was then a familliar sight to me in the "imported" Good Housekeeping magazines when I was younger is something I now apply in our home. A throw on the sofa is both decorative at the same time functional in keeping my legs warm. This was an important safety advice to me: keep a blanket in the car just in case something happens in the middle of a trip and having to be stuck inside the car for sometime. In the meantime it still helps from giving me the shivers whenever Tom and I go on our freezing weekend nights dates. As a passenger I can tuck my legs under the covers something I can't do otherwise if I'm driving.

Any other tips out there?

Currently listening to: Days Go By (Dirty Vegas)
Currently reading: A Million Little Pieces (James Frey)
Currently watching: The Hours (Kidman, Streep, Moore)