A Change of Scenery

Biff is dining in the dining room

                Watching Biff gives me some insight on how to snap out of the winter doldrums.  Normally Biff is rather indifferent about dry cat food (let’s face it, I think all of us would be if we were cats), but one simple change makes the dry food the tastiest, most fascinating morsels on the planet.

                The dry food is kept in ice cream pails near the food dish.  When the pails are empty I refill them from a big 20 lb. bag that’s stored out of sight.  Bucket refilling seems to snap Biff out of complacency.  As soon as he hears the crinkle of the big bag, he sprints to the dining room for his meal.  I leave the filled pails out for him a while so he can happily munch.  I’m not sure if it's the change of scenery or the fact that he barely has to bend down to eat, but whatever it is, he’s in heaven grazing from a plastic bucket.

                So what does that have to do with perking up from the winter blahs?  Like it did for Biff, a change of location or routine can make the mundane seem new and interesting.  Try eating or reading the paper in a different room or chair, wear a quirky pair of socks or tie, break your breakfast routine by serving a completely different food, have chocolate milk instead of white.  There are a thousand little things we can do differently that won’t disrupt our lives or take extra time, but will brighten our days (unless, of course, you have OCD in which case this suggestion might add an element of terror).  Winter won’t last forever, so hang in there!