Are you experiencing post holiday blues? it's easy to fall victim to them once the excitement of the holidays has grinded to a halt. There was so much activity, hustle and bustle - it was all so exciting - then, whammo, it's as if we were dropped on our head! it's understandable to feel this way. The expense of buying presents and entertaining also put a damper on the pocketbook. The next holiday we have to look forward to - Valentine's Day, is another 4 weeks away.

Yes, holidays have become very commercialized - and it's mostly about the money and what to buy. Yet, we do seem to get caught up in the excitement and the anticipation of it all. I guess it's only human. But, I don't think January 2nd through to February 13 has been a favorite period of time for anyone I've known. Things come to a crescendo - then things have to eventually die down. All good things come to an end.

What DO people DO from January 2nd to February - or even March? hibernate? it has always seemed a 'dead zone' time to me. Maybe a good word to use would be 'recoup' - yeah, that's it - recoup. Everyone - or pretty much everyone - is broke, exhausted and fresh out of ideas. We're experiencing something that fluctuates somewhere between 'holiday overload' and boredom.

This is the time I do my early 'spring' cleaning - or, if you must, 'winter' cleaning - except that I did my winter cleaning right before the holidays - so this will be a precursor to my regular spring cleaning. My new favorite thing since receiving a rug shampooer as a present is to shampoo my own carpeting. Now I spend countless money (on shampoo supplies) and free time shampooing my carpeting. It's become a favorite hobby. Boy, things must really be slow for me, huh? Or, better yet, I believe it was Paul Newman who remarked once when asked what made him happy - he replied, 'when you get to my age'......a 'baked potato and a good bowel movement' - words to that effect - you get the drift...

Getting back to the topic of this article -- if you have the blues, don't worry - 'this, too, shall pass'. If you can afford it, find out the name of a good masseuse, and treat yourself to a slice of heaven with an hour long massage. How I miss those. I used to have a massage maybe four or five times a year. It really gets the blood flowing and gets rid of a lot of toxins in your system. Marilyn Monroe swore by them - she used to have a massage almost every night, sometimes two hours at a time -- one of the secrets to her well-toned body! Find something to your liking and give yourself a little treat - it doesn't have to be big, but just something that tickles your fancy. My daughter's favorite thing is getting a pedicure. So, whatever 'floats your boat' is what you should do! That should pull you out of the doldrums until Valentine's Day comes along...

Happy New Year to all of my viewers! Wishing you good health and prosperity in the New Year!