Hello everyone!!! Winter is back in the beautiful state of Arkansas. In WAG fashion, we loaded up and 14 of us went to eat at the Catfish Barn. I made sure to text everyone and tell them cash or check. We reserved a table, and we had such a good time. We are loud, and everyone is trying to talk over each other. Guess who, after messing up his last check, only brought one check with him? Yes, you guessed it—my nephew, Michael. We enjoyed our meal and we all headed out to pay, and guess who leaves his phone on the table? Yes, Michael. “Sir, sir, is this your phone?” We all just laughed and laughed. We get up to pay, and I am right behind Michael. He’s taking his time to fill this check out so he can do it right, and the lady checking us out says, “Looks like he’s doing a good job this time.” Bless him.

I told y’all, we are always doing crazy things. My husband was a Hopkins, but let me tell you—he fit right in. Crazy stuff was always happening to him. Jacob can vouch for all the stuff, and if it wasn’t happening to him, he was causing it. Remember, he bought me the Confederate soldier statue as a Christmas gift. He loved the History Channel. He went from the History Channel to the Weather Channel when he was home to watch TV. He was working in Greenbrier, Arkansas once and had a day off, so he decided he would go to Little Rock to the Clinton Library. He heads down to Little Rock and can’t find it, which shocked me because he was very good with directions and all his north, south, east, and west—you know, like Lewis and Clark trying to give directions. He stops in Little Rock and rolls down the passenger window to ask a guy on the street how to get to it. The guy opens the passenger door and hops in and says, “I will take you to it.” They drove around forever, and the guy had no clue how to get to the Clinton Library. Come to find out, he was a homeless man, and my husband had to pay him to get him to get out of his truck. “Only you,” I said when he told me that story. He finally found the Clinton Library on his own. I said, “Why would you drive around Little Rock with your doors unlocked???” He learned a valuable lesson that day. Bless him—he thought you could trust everyone, and he never met a stranger. You wives love your husband and never take a day for granted.

This week’s recipe is one I have ran before, but I made it on New Year’s, and it is soooo easy and good. My great-nephew, Jake Melton, loved it. Ingredients: 1 box of angel food cake mix 1 (15-ounce) can of peaches (I take my potato masher and chop them up smaller) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cake mix and the peaches with the juice until combined. Pour batter into an ungreased 9×13 baking dish. Bake until cake is golden brown. I baked for 30 minutes. This cake is delicious. You can also use pie filling and a dry angel food cake mix. Use any flavor—1 (21-ounce) pie filling and 1 angel food cake mix. Mix together by hand, put in a 9×13 baking dish, and bake at 350 for 28–30 minutes. I have made the blueberry, and it is very good and easy.

By Rebekah Hall 
U of A System Division of Agriculture

WINTER BLUES — If you have persistent feelings of fatigue and moodiness during the cold temperatures and short daylight hours of winter, you may have Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. (Division of Agriculture graphic.) 

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a common effect of winter’s cold temperatures and short daylight hours. While sunlight, exercise and healthy eating can help, more serious cases may warrant a trip to the doctor.

SAD is a common type of depression that is linked to a particular season, indicated by long-lasting feelings of fatigue and moodiness.

Brittney Schrick, extension associate professor and family life specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said studies about the causes of SAD “primarily point to a disruption in circadian rhythm caused by decreased sunlight.

“People who live at more northern latitudes are more likely to experience seasonal depression,” Schrick said. “Serotonin levels, which affect mood, sleep and digestion, tend to be lower during the winter, so people who are sensitive to those hormonal shifts are likely at higher risk of experiencing seasonal depression.

“There also appears to be a slightly higher risk for people who have experienced depression before, or who have other psychiatric or physical health conditions related to serotonin levels or mood,” she said.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, SAD symptoms include the following:

• Sad, anxious or “empty” feelings
• Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness or helplessness
• Irritability or restlessness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in enjoyable activities
• Fatigue and decreased energy
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details and making decisions
• Oversleeping
• Changes in weight
• Social withdrawal, or feeling like “hibernating”

Schrick said that if you think you may be experiencing SAD and it is “interfering with your ability to cope with daily interaction, work, or family responsibilities,” then you should visit your doctor.

“They may refer you to a counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist, or they may suggest using an antidepressant medication, light therapy, or a combination,” Schrick said.

Benefits of light therapy 

Schrick said light therapy has the most research support for alleviating symptoms of SAD.

“The light could be natural sunlight from spending time outdoors, or you could use a light therapy box,” Schrick said. “Especially during periods of cloudy weather, a light box that radiates at least 10,000 lux is the consistent recommendation.”

If you do get outside for natural sunlight, it’s still critical to wear sunscreen, Schrick said.

“Even if it is cold or cloudy, sun protection is always needed, so don’t be fooled into not putting on sunscreen,” Schrick said.

When shopping for a light therapy box, Schrick said it’s important to pay attention to “how far away you need to be from the box to get the benefits.”

“Some benefit can be experienced from just having brighter light in your space, but to receive the full benefit, you may need to sit very close to the light or sit with it for a longer period of time,” she said. “This is not the same as a tanning bed. Light boxes are UV-free, so they do not have the same risks as tanning beds or sunbathing.”

Mental health matters

Schrick said it is always important to check in with your mental health and to pay attention to any changes in mood or reactions that don’t seem to have an obvious cause.

“If you know you are under short-term stress and you’re feeling snippy, that’s fairly common, and it will likely pass when your stress level is reduced,” Schrick said. “But if you seem to be down or moody or want to sleep more than usual, and there is no other cause besides the fact that it is dark at 5 p.m., that is worth keeping an eye on.

“Even though we don’t always remember this, humans are animals, and the desire to slow down and conserve energy is hard-wired,” she said. “However, going beyond a cozy need for soup and a blanket into feeling sad, anxious or worthless is not something to take lightly. Reach out to a medical professional if you are feeling hopeless.”

Schrick said that for less severe experiences of seasonal depression, in addition to light therapy, exercise also boosts endorphins. Eating healthy foods can also enhance your mood, especially those that boost serotonin production, including salmon, turkey, cheese, tofu, eggs, pineapple, nuts, oats and seeds.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.