To those people who suffer with the depression that comes with endless days of fog, I feel your pain. I know we live in a valley that experiences weeks of blue sky-deprived days during the winter but it doesn’t make the gloom of this season any easier to handle. Not seeing the sky for a week on end makes me feel claustrophobic and definitely affects my mood.

I realized this Monday when I caught a glimpse of sky peeking through the foggy afternoon, just enough to assure me the sky really is still up there, and amazingly enough my mood lightened a bit.

I am definitely one of those people who needs to see the sky. I can handle the freezing temperatures (although the cold feels much harsher as I get older) as long as there is a blue sky to go along with them. Even cloudy skies are fine…as long as they are skies.

Hopefully by the time this paper is in print, the fog will have lifted again. And if not, well, it will eventually. It always does, and until then I can look at photos of tropical places and imagine myself there.…maybe that will work for a while.

On another subject…Facebook…don’t you love it? I was one of those people who refused to be attached to my computer like so many of my friends were - until I found myself so bored that I decided to give it a try.

Actually, it was my husband who suggested I try it. He said it would be a great way for me to catch up with what’s going on with friends and family members. Reluctantly, I gave it a try, and I have been hooked ever since.

It is a wonderful way to stay in touch with family members I rarely speak to on the phone, and I love being able to share photos so quickly with one another…like seeing a picture of my new great-niece just two hours after she was born on Saturday afternoon. It’s great! Of course, nothing will replace the face-to-face visits and the hugs that come with them but in between visits, relating through Facebook is wonderful.

I haven’t ventured in to reconnecting with old school friends or co-workers yet but I have gotten hooked on many of the games that are available. Too hooked on a couple of them, actually. They were a great escape during the time when Ken was in Texas but now they are just fun! And, quite a few people in town, you know who you are, seem to be hooked as well. Pretty cool way to stay “sort of” in contact with friends and neighbors and “play along” with family and friends.

Almost every conversation I have with my sister now includes some tidbit about a game on Facebook. We even took some “live Farmtown” photos and had a “live Farkle” party at my house over the summer.

Facebook applications can consume your time if you let them but they can also be fun and a great escape from the reality of life, although there is a line that can be crossed…and I think I crossed it today…hopefully since I realized it, it means I have not gone completely crazy just yet!

On Monday when I realized I was feeling gloomy from the fog, I decided to redecorate my café in Café World and added greenery which brightened the room. Now, maybe I should have added greenery to my real house and actually brightened it and my foggy mood? Just a thought. Looks like I will be going to the plant store very soon!