When I am feeling despondent, I take the Julie Andrews approach, and think about my favorite things. (There is no singing involved) 

Here are the 8 things I do when “down in the dumps”.  

1) I will leave this one blank. My family reads my blog. 

2) Watch a Marx Brothers movie. I learned this fantastic intervention from one of my analysis professors. He thought whenever a person was taking things or their lives too seriously, watching the Marx Brothers was a good tonic to put things back into perspective. My favorite is “Duck Soup”.  

3) Make and eat a lot of macaroni and cheese.This hot and wholesome dish is the best comfort food I know. I use plenty of pepper.  

4) Reread a favorite book (or a favorite passage of one).“The Phantom Tollbooth” is good for depressed moods. So are the recipe books by Ruby Ann Boxcar. The updates on her neighbors always produce a smile and a cheer-up.  My favorites are the updates of trailer park neighbor Opal and her (now ex) spouse Dick Inman. 

5) Put on a “Firesign Theatre” CD.  “The Adventures of Nick Danger” series is fantastic. If you can get a hold on “Everything you know is wrong” – well, this one is a guarantee for cheering-up.  

6) Call the Best Friend. Just hearing his voice gets me to smile and giggle, knowing  what is coming.  

7) Read the Forgiveness Prayer. I posted this as my 4/2/07 entry. If you haven’t read it yet, do so; it never fails to make me laugh.  

Make some Tea.The ritual of preparing a pot of tea puts me into a soft serene state of being. The inhalation of the aroma/the sensation of the hot liquid about to be consumed make me smile every time. 

If these 8 interventions should ever fail, then there is always medication: Skittles or Gummi-Bears - taken three times a day on an empty stomach.