Today is your day Boomer! Actually, maybe tomorrow is your day. If you like the snow and cold, tomorrow is officially the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere....the so-called Winter Solstice, which in latin means sun stands still. It will be the shortest, darkest day of the year and the sun will be very low in the sky at noon. But as I look out my window at a minus 17 degree morning with 10 cm of new snow, I wonder if December 21 will also be the coldest day? According to an Almanac source, no: "there are a lot of factors that affect the temperature of a location on any given day, including altitude, snow cover, and large-scale weather patterns. Snow cover, for example, partially blocks solar radiation from being absorbed by the Earth, which results in less heat being released and an overall drop in temperature. Because of these factors, it’s not possible to point to the same date year after year and call it the coldest day." Okay.....got it. But it still means we are officially three long months away from Spring; on the positive side, every day will get longer and every night shorter! Oh joy, oh joy Boomers. Cheers and cuddle-up for the winter!
Today is your day Boomer! And today is another day for wining......and I don't mean complaining. I mean drinking some pressed grapes and enjoying the health benefits. That's right, drinking alcohol is good for you. First, let's state the obvious....only in moderate amounts: two glasses per day for men and one for women. Research shows the following positive health effects: (1) reduces risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson disease (2) is an anti-flammatory(white wine is better for this) (3) decreases risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol(red wine is a better choice) (4) good for mental health, may increase age longevity, may promote healthy gut bacteria. All of this sounds good and much of it boils down to the antioxidants which are higher in red wine. It seems reds--like Merlot, Cab Sav, and Shiraz--have been studied more.....which means more research is needed on whites. Boomers, maybe we could volunteer for a new study! Cheers!

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