The sun played hide and seek (mostly hide) for most of last fall, making it one of the darkest autumns I can remember. I read some where that during months with less sun shine people have reported more hair loss than usual. It seems to me, if the hair loss theory were true, all of us would have gotten wigs for Christmas last year. Our gloomy fall was then followed by a dreary winter with record breaking snow depths and cold temperatures. Okay, we don't need to be reminded how bad the weather has been for the last six months. We are more than ready to put all that behind us and move forward. But moving forward has launched us into a transition phase. The  time of the year when signs of spring appear but the weather is still uncooperative. It seems we're in limbo and nice weather is close and yet so far away. We've managed to keep a good attitude the last six months because we're Minnesotans but really, how much more can we take? The question is: How do you keep a good attitude through this whole thing? How about laughing? A heard about a study that connects the ability to laugh at ourselves to higher levels of optimism, better moods and happiness overall. I learned that laughter can relieve stress and tension. Hearty laughter helps our bodies relax up to forty-five minutes after. Laughter is good for your heart because it expands the inner lining of your blood vessels and increases blood flow. It also can temporarily relieve physical pain and burn calories. Ten or fifteen minutes of laughter a day can help you lose three to four pounds in a year. A laughter study in Norway claims that people with a good sense of humor lived longer than people who didn't laugh as often. So after you're done pushing around mountains of snow and slush. Go inside and have a hot chocolate (or a glass of wine if need be) and watch a comedy flick or listen to a good stand-up comedian. Do what ever it takes to laugh at yourself and lighten up. Remember, life is short and laughter is what makes the world go around—so don't let it stop spinning.