Cloudy Days Are My Favorite Days

It's gloriously cloudy outside today thanks to a Nor'easter passing through here in New Jersey.

Gloomy. That's the popular word used for days like today. The weather people say 'today will be gloomy but fear not, sunshine will return!', completely ignoring those of us who are hoping the clouds will stick around for awhile.

As far back as I can remember, I have loved cloudy and rainy days. I am calmer on cloudy days. I get more done and am far more productive. In fact, a study conducted by researchers at Harvard and UNC Chapel Hill¹ show that worker productivity is higher on so-called "bad" weather days and the reason for that is because of the cognitive distractions that occur on "good" weather days. 

Sunshine dulls the mind to risk and thoughtfulness. - Adam Alter

I won't convince sun-lovers to switch teams and I wouldn't even try to because we all have our preferences,  but I do hope that if you are on Team 'Gloomy', you could take a minute to appreciate the gifts that cloudy days bring...gentleness, quietude, etc.

If you need a little extra help, do a Google image search for "sunsets". Take note that the most beautiful sunsets need cloudy skies.

credit:  OwlsQuotes.com

¹Rainmakers: Why Bad Weather Means Good Productivity

Making 'Scents' Of Autumn

Can you smell the delicious and comforting smell of fresh baked cookies?

I can't. 
And it's not because we don't yet have smell-o-vision.

I am anosmic, a person who has anosmia, which means I can't smell anything. 

I wasn't always without the ability to smell anything. Twelve years ago I had a double lung collapse cause by a case of walking pneumonia which came very close to killing me. And while I came out of that experience very thankfully with my life, it cost me my sense of smell when two months later, while still recuperating from the lung thing, I caught a minor cold which caused my already overwrought system to shut something down.

And nothing has been the same since.