Vinegar Fridays

TGIVF!

It's been a fun week! I love giveaways, and this one was really wonderful. Thanks to all the sponsors who added such great gifts to the prize package. And thanks to all of you who made this first year an amazing one. Congratulations, again, to Nicole Olcese, the winner of the first annual blogiversary giveaway!

Somewhere along the line this year, Vinegar Fridays was born. On this particular VF, I thought we'd address some mood issues, since this is a tough time of year for many. Whether you're sending your little one off to kindergarten for the first time or missing your teenager who has headed off to college, the empty nest, even if it's just for a few hours a day, can take some adjusting to. Of course, September brings on renewed grief, anger and anxiety for many struggling with the memories of 9/11.

On a personal note, my husband died on September 10, 1989 after a flash fire/explosion due to negligence on the part of Neville Chemical Company. Ninety-eight percent of his body had third degree burns on it and he lived for twenty-three hours in that state. For many years after that, my Septembers were wrought with panic attacks and depression...results of post traumatic stress disorder. I endured a few weeks of nightmares each year and eventually had to go on Ativan to help me through it. If only I'd known about the miracle of vinegar back then.