"'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse..." I'm not exactly sure whose house Clement Moore was referring to when he wrote that, but it certainly wasn't mine. On the night before Christmas there is PLENTY of stirring going on. People rummaging around looking for last minute wrapping paper or shooing others out of the bathroom when we're all trying to get ready for church at the same time. Unexpected guests dropping by to exchange presents we'd already agreed not to buy in the first place...

Ah, the holidays. While this time of year is associated with hustle, bustle, and cheer, it can also be a difficult time for those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Sure, it's normal to come down with a case of the "winter blues" (freezing cold temperatures, no summer tan remaining, scraping your windshield every morning—what's not to love?) SAD is when things get more serious and you experience symptoms like extended depression, lingering lethargy, appetite changes/weight gain.

Medical professionals link the disease to the limited amount of sunlight experienced during the winter months. This causes interruption to your circadian rhythm and in turn triggers depression. Other potential causes are changes in hormone levels also altered by lack of exposure to sunlight.

If you suspect you might be experiencing SAD, see your doctor for treatment. Some ways to thwart SAD are to pursue outdoor activities and get more exposure to sunlight. Use artificial light as a means of combating the lessened hours of sunlight. Hormone medication may be prescribed to restore chemical balance to where it is during the other seasons of the year.

Spring is just around the corner. What wintertime activities do you enjoy that others can try?

I can’t remember ever feeling so calm right before Christmas. Maybe it’s my gluten free diet, or my stress management techniques. I don’t know why I’m so calm, because things haven’t been going exactly smoothly. I’m still preparing the big, fancy Christmas Eve dinner for 12, and have I mentioned that my car still isn’t fixed?

But you know what? I just don’t care. I’m really looking forward to the family all being together this year. On Christmas Eve, I just want to have some time playing with the new Wii and getting the kids excited for Santa’s arrival. We’re going to keep track of Santa’s progress around the world thanks to NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command. NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa – radar, satellites, Santa Cams and fighter jets. You can keep tabs on Santa’s journey from your desktop or now with your mobile device!

And finally just before it’s time to tuck into bed, we’ll sprinkle magic reindeer food in the front yard, leave a plate of cookies for Santa and turn off the Christmas lights.

Last week I blogged about the digital television transition and I'm back on it this week with a new development.

To keep this as simple as possible, let's summarize what we have stated so far. Most over the air broadcast stations will transfer from analog to digital-only broadcast on February 17, 2009. If you have a digital TV, you will be able to receive broadcast channels over-the-air. Those of you with analog TV's will need a converter box to get the digital stations over-the-air. You can apply online for coupons to get a $40 discount on the converter boxes.

We've also established that people with satellite and cable service may need equipment to receive digital transmissions on their analog TV's because of the transition, but you should go to your service provider for details. Cable companies have been moving channels from analog to digital systems for the transition, but the news is that this week they stopped.

In this letter to Congress, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, who represents 90 percent of cable companies, told Congress that cable companies were halting their transition until March to avoid customer confusion. It seems that in some instances analog cable subscribers using analog TV's will need a different converter box, which will be supplied through their cable company. In the letter the cable companies say they will provide this converter equipment for free to subscribers with analog TV's from March to June. Remember that NCTA does not represent all cable TV providers so you should contact your cable company for details on your particular situation.

As a commenter pointed out last week, not all broadcast stations will have to transfer to digital-only broadcast on February 19. There are four classes of broadcast TV stations: "full-power," "low-power," "Class A" and "translator." The latter three, which are for local programming and extension channels that rebroadcast "full-power" station programs in remote areas, do not have to meet the digital TV transition deadline in February. The FCC will be establishing a deadline for them in the near future and the coupons for the digital TV converter boxes stop going out at the end of March. They recommend you play it safe and get a coupon.

Every Christmas I make myself crazy shopping for gifts. I want to make this Christmas different, more meaningful. Most of the money that we budgeted for all of that Christmas craziness this year was used to purchase pet supplies to be donated to a couple of local animal shelters.

We also decided to rescue a dog. We wanted an older dog; one that has been in the system for a while and whose chances of getting adopted might be limited. We found Conroe. He is 8 and has been at the shelter for a year. He is just the sweetest fellow. Here he is with our 2 Bichons, Daisy and Doc.

Keeboo, the stray cat we adopted Christmas 2006, refused to pose with the dogs. She wanted the spotlight all to herself.

If you are looking to donate to a worthy cause, don’t forget the animals! More animals are abandoned and shelter donations decrease during tough economic times. If you are unable to adopt an animal, there are other ways you can contribute. The Humane Society, Society for the Prevention and Cruelty to Animals, or your local animal shelters use cash donations to pay for medicine, spaying/neutering, and pet supplies. If you want to donate supplies, contact your local shelter to see what they need. You can also donate your time. It is a lot of work to run a shelter. The folks who run shelters would be more than happy to put you to work.

If you are considering rescuing an animal to give as a gift for the holidays, think about it very carefully. Pets are long-term commitments and can become a big expense. After the holidays, animal shelters often get abandoned “gift” animals dumped on their doorsteps. Even if you know the person wants a cat or dog, the person getting the pet should be the one to choose the animal.

On a final note, animal abuse generally increases during tough economic times. As people get more stressed they can begin taking their frustration and anger out on family pets or other animals. If you of know of animal abuse, please check out this reporting animal abuse page on USA.gov.

Please share your animal adoption stories or other ways that people can help!

As Carole King was hitting the charts in 1971 singing "You're so far away...doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore?" Mary Levy, decked out in a proper pair of white gloves and eager to change the world, began her life of public service.

Nothing wrong with starting at the top. So Mary did just that, investing the first two years of her career at the White House's Office of Consumer Affairs. And as she answered consumer complaint letters from all over the country, Mary discovered her calling: to help people get the government consumer information they need to make their lives better.

In 1973, that calling led Mary to the brand new Consumer Information Center (now the Federal Citizen Information Center, home of Gov Gab and part of the General Service Administration's Office of Citizen Services and Communications). Mary quickly rose in leadership at FCIC and for the last 36 years, she's proven that a lot can be accomplished by staying in one place.

Mary oversees relationships between FCIC and dozens of federal agencies to create government consumer publications. Under her developmental leadership, FCIC has distributed hundreds of millions of copies of print consumer publications, as well as online information, on topics like avoiding scams, saving and investing money, finding good health care, and getting a higher education. And through the public service advertising program that Mary oversees, media outlets have donated hundreds of millions of dollars in free ad space to let people know about pueblo.gsa.gov, USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov.

Mary's penchant for perfection is legendary (you know those English majors). Every edition of the Consumer Action Handbook and the Consumer Information Catalog, every news release and every Gov Gab entry has passed under her red pen. Everything...except today's blog entry, and everything that will come after it.

Tomorrow, Mary retires.

It's a blessing to be able to step into the next phase of your life in good health and with lots to look forward to. And with travel plans, involvement with church and family, and a garden in the DC suburbs begging for her attention, Mary has an awful lot to look forward to. But you know, you can't stop a consumer education pioneer from pursuing her passion any more than you can stop a shopaholic from charging. So I don't think it'll be long until Mary finds a new venue for sharing her wisdom.

Staying in one place for so many years makes it hard to say goodbye, though. And as I've been watching Mary close out a career she cherishes in a place and with people she loves, I'm learning a lot about grace this week. And I'm feeling awfully grateful to work where we're not the stereotypical "faceless bureaucrats." I'm thankful for the relationships and for the mission to serve people that we all share here.

Congratulations, Mary. We'll miss you. And it's good to know that you won't be so far away...