Posts Tagged ‘local lexington’
Beat the Winter Blues!
So far, December in the bluegrass has been mostly warm and sunny. Soon, however, the clouds and cold will move in. Seasonal depression is not uncommon at this time of year. Many people experience mild winter blues, while others feel like they can hardly get out of bed.
This year, we invite you to get one step ahead of the winter blues. Here are some tips and tricks:
1. Get out in nature! Even if you don’t want to, and even if it feels too cold, we encourage you to get outside. Just be sure to bundle up and drink plenty of water. Yesterday I went to Veteran’s Park in Lexington before work. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend it. They have grassy trails around a wooded creek and you can even take your dog. It’ll do you both a world of good.
2. Try essetial oils. You might keep a couple of bottles at work and at home so that you can smell them a few times a day. You can use a cotton ball to drop the oils onto, or you can diffuse them. Essential oils of orange and grapefruit are uplifting and may help to remove the fog of winter from your mood.
3. Count your blessings. Whenever you’re feeling down, make an effort to turn your thoughts around. Keep a gratitude journal or simply speak your gratitudes in your mind. Be thankful for your health, for sunshine, for a warm house, and for your food. Be thankful for your friends and family. You might feel better after you remind yourself of all the great things in your life.
4. Organize a family or friends dinner party. Winter starts off with a bang! We’re very busy in November and December with holiday celebrations and New Years, and then the rest of the winter is pretty slow. Break up the monotony of day-to-day life by throwing a little party, maybe in February when things get quiet.
5. Take time to appreciate the season rather than wishing it away. Winter is an important time. Time to slow down. Time to hibernate. This slow season gives us time for reflection of the past year and planning for the new year. Time for crafting, cooking cozy dinners, and curling up with a good book. When you step outside, try to see the beauty of winter. The trees aren’t dead, they’re only sleeping.
6. Get a massage! Really! Massage helps your body to release lots of feel-good hormones and endorphins to keep you healthy and combat the winter blues. The massage table is warm, the music is ethereal, and your muscles are ready to relax under the hands of your friendly massage therapist.
Here are some photos from my walk through Veteran’s Park yesterday:
Note: If you’re feeling depressed, you might consider seeing your healthcare practitioner. I’m particularly fond of Chinese medicine and can recommend a good acupuncturist if you’d like a referral.
Be well!
-Charley Caudill, Licensed Massage Therapist
Town Branch Trash Parade with Seven Generations Community Actions Project
Sarah Steele (SGCAP President), Breanna, Arielle, Charley, and Brandon Caudill (SGCAP Ministerial Director)
Last Saturday, the White Willow girls joined forces with Seven Generations Community Action Project in an effort to clean up our town. Or, at least part of our town. We started at Woodland Park, which was relatively free of trash, so it wasn’t long before we were on our way to Town Branch Creek.
The whole group, except for Charley, the photographer.
Armed with gloves, trash pickers, trash bags, sunscreen, and lots and lots of drinking water, we made the slow trash crawl (to the tune of a ukelele!) from Woodland Park on High Street all the way to Town Branch Creek. The walk was less than two miles, but thanks to the thousands of cigarette butts littering the sidewalks (frowny face), it took us a few hours to complete the job.
Don’t worry, we took a break along the way!
Honestly, we had a blast. It was surprisingly peaceful to be unplugged for a few hours. The change of pace was noticeable and we couldn’t help but appreciate how nice it was to be outside, with old friends and new, just talking, walking, and picking up trash. By the end of the day we were ridiculously sweaty and tired, but quite pleased with ourselves for making Lexington a cleaner and more beautiful place.
We made it to Town Branch Creek! Photo by Cameron White
Photo by Cameron White
We’ll be doing this again soon! Be sure to “like” Seven Generations Community Action Project on Facebook so that you can join us next time.
Laurel Branch at Grimes Mill Winery
Have you been to Grimes Mill Winery? We have! Last Saturday, Arielle, Breanna, and Charley visited the winery for a tasting and to see Laurel Branch, a folk-Americana band with members Jane Tatum, Julia Sparks, Ann Caldwell, and Sara Pitney. We had a blast!
Upon arrival, we were greeted by two dogs who live on site. The location is beautiful! The vineyard is home to rows and rows of growing grapes (naturally) and several horses. The tasting room is small, cozy, and smells of cedar. The staff, including the two dogs, is friendly and knowledgable. Oh! And the wine! Simply put, the wine is delicious. We tasted several and liked each one we tried. Arielle and Charley left with a bottle of the Fantasia blush, while Breanna opted for the Chardonnay.
The reason for our visit, though, was to finally see our friends’ band, Laurel Branch. We’re glad we did! These ladies know how to draw a crowd. People came from neighboring cities and even Tennessee just to hear them play! When you’ve been together as long as they have, you tend to have a few loyal fans, it would seem. Their music, if you haven’t yet had the pleasure, is lovely. They sang some crowd favorites, insisting we all sing a long. Who doesn’t love a sing-along? The style, as mentioned earlier, is a folk-Americana blend with all four members taking turns on lead vocals. They fell into perfect harmony, except when they didn’t, and then we all had a good laugh. These ladies know how to have fun with the crowd and inspire a variety of emotions, which is something we can all appreciate in good music.
A perfect evening was had by the White Willow girls, and a much needed break after the whirlwind that a new business brings.
:::WW
Breanna, Charley, and Arielle.
Laurel Branch! Ann (guitar and mandolin), Sara (autoharp, harmonica, kazoo), Jane (guitar), and Julia (bass guitar).
Arielle is doing what she does best: smooching horses.
Wine, growing on the vine.
The view is quite nice.
Arielle captured this lovely view of the sunset.
White Willow Progress
So it’s been twelve days since our official business opening. We’ve got a few things in the works:
- Our logo has been slow-coming, and there have been some bumps along the way, but it’s almost here!
- Our sign, hand painted by Charlie Campbell, is on the way and we have a feeling it’ll be gorgeous.
- We commissioned an oil painting from Justin Birdsong. We’ve seen a sneak peak photo, and we love it! You’ll see it hanging in our waiting room as soon as the paint dries.
- We now (finally!) have gift certificates available for purchase on our website. Massage makes the best gift, of course.
- We’re working on putting together a grand opening party. Come see the space and have a snack. Stay tuned!
Our waiting room, sans new painting.