I am home! YAY! Or am I? I have lived most of my life in New Hampshire but when I came to LA in 2005, I decided I wanted to stay. For a variety of reasons my daughter lives in NH and so returned “home” for the last 7 months to spend time with her.

I love LA and I am so happy to be here but I am ambivalent. I love my family: My daughter, my Dad, my brother & his girlfriend, my sister, her husband and my niece and nephew. My surrogate mother lives there as do my two best friends.

But my love and my work are here and I love the environment. I love the city – Although I would like to live in a different part of it. I love the creative environment. I LOVE THE WEATHER! NH is beautiful but there was almost 3 feet of snow by the time we left on Christmas. The cold, darkness and difficulty getting around from now until sometime in March or April really wear on me.

So what to do? Simple really. I just have to make a life that allows me to spend time in both places. Time to get to work!

I have spent most of my life in New England and every fall I would have to fight the weight gain.  Finally near Thanksgiving I would give up and eat what I wanted through the holidays after which I would be so disgusted I would stop the gluttony.

In 2005 I move to Los Angeles.  I noticed that I did not have as much difficulty over eating in the fall there but it was hard to know the causes: weather, lifestyle change, away from family.

I returned to New England for an extended visit in June.  This fall I have noticed a return to old needs for comfort food.

Since returning my suspicions have been confirmed. Weather has a tremendous effect on me.  The shorter days, the unending days of no sun, the rain, the cold – All of these factors push for comfort and for me that is food.

  In the fall the comfort foods come out in New England:  Baked beans, chowder, winter squash, potatoes and sweets.  Not only are they comforting but full of calories.

Los Angeles weather is temperate for most of the year and the sun is out nearly every day.  This lends to my desire to eat more salads, fruits, fresh veggies and less desire for comfort food. 

 So those of you who believe the weather affects you.  It does!