Tips For Living (November)
November Is Here
Not quite winter yet;
though snow may fall as leaves fly.
November is here.
Brisk mountain air as the stream babbles on.
No what? November, and it is unique.
Just as bears store fat for their winter's sleep, November finds summer stores augmented by the treats of Trick Or Treat. The days are shorter and a sedentary time of year is setting in unless we cultivate fitness.
Furthermore, youth have yet to learn that the chill winds and cooler temperatures call for protecting the body's core, keeping the chest warm to guard against cold viruses and influenza that take hold when the immune system is weakened.
There are new threats coming home from schools where the confined heated air incubates sniffles into something worse and children share the microbes each has encountered since last they met.
Yes, November is unique as a season of challenges, for it is traditional that families gather to share stories, food, and germs. The common cautions to "cover your mouth when you cough" and "carry a clean handkerchief for when you sneeze" are not mere etiquette.
Frequent washing of hands, even sanitizing, becomes more important as friends and family gather and sandwiches become almost daily fare, along with finger foods and snacks.
November is a transition month. The temperature in the northern hemisphere is neither hot enough, nor cold enough to keep rhino and other viruses in check. So extra precautions are worth their weight in gold, preventing expensive visits to the doctors, lost time from work, and interruptions in holiday plans.
It takes an effort to bundle up for walks, to dress warmly enough for the early mornings and cooler evenings, and to be prepared for changes in the weather with its chill November rains, frosts, and even snows.
The elders among us know from experience that wisdom dictates adjusting to the seasons, and that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Ads for the latest probiotics will be reminders enough to be sensible and free to truly enjoy the wonders of November.
Full on winter will be coming soon enough, so enjoy the fall sunshine when possible, and lay in a supply of Vitamin D3 for the days ahead when sunshine is limited, bodies are bundled up when outside, and activities move indoors to the human caves where man spends his winters.
"The winds will blow, and we shall have snow, and what will poor robin do then?"
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© 2015 Demas W. Jasper All rights reserved.