The days are getting just a little bit longer; there's sunlight earlier in the day and later in the day now.  The new Miss Peregrine novel is on its way to me--yay!  And this week, I've found a way to fix some things that I thought were broken forever.  These winter doldrums are loosening their hold a little bit.

It's a new year.  A clean slate.  Not all of 2013 was bad, but enough of it was stressful that I was glad to see the door close on it.

I know that a "new year" is really just a state of mind, but it's a great opportunity to turn the page and work on some new things.  One thing I'd like to do is be more positive.  That sounds easy, but it can be difficult (for me) to pull off when stressful things are happening.  This cartoon pretty much sums up my personality:

Here are a few things I'm looking forward to (and focusing on):

1)  The shipment of new (clearance-priced) books that will arrive in a few days

2)  The new season of Downton Abbey starting on Sunday

3)  The fact that spring is only a few months away

4)  Our new bathtub (and the relaxing baths that will come with it)

5)  This year's family vacation (date and location yet to be decided)

I figure that if I can hold onto just a few good thoughts, and bring them out like a security blanket when things seem dark and scary in my life, it will help keep the stress and anxiety away.  Wish me luck!