Joyful January

 I have this lovely little journal to write in each day. I love the cover design. Just a little quip or jot from that day is all the space allows. My boss and his wife gave this to me for Christmas (they know my fondness of Jane Austen), and I have come to really enjoy reading the witty Jane Austen quote each day and writing my own short note. It is perfect for recording the most memorable moments of the day, so they are not forgotten. The journal lasts five years, so in the coming years I can see what happened on that same day. I've never done this before, but it is really enjoyable!

January is my favourite month for many reasons. It is the coldest month in Florida, and I live for these days. It's also my birthday month, so I usually get to do some fun things. Plus I love the fact that I usually receive several books for Christmas, and this is the month I get to indulge in some good reads! Oh, and since it is cold, I generally tend to drink more hot coffee. I really prefer hot coffee, but when it's so warm here, hot coffee doesn't sound as appealing. 

These are a few of my new favourite things. This tote bag is so lovely. It holds everything I need. And lately I've been hooked on a slight Southwest style. Technically the book is quite old (1941). A book of John Donne poems. He was born in 1571. This book has been something I've been looking for for a long while. A nice book of his poems is not easily found in the used bookstores. Probably because everybody keeps their Donne book of poetry, for good reason. I will expand upon him later.

While in my hometown over holiday break, I had to visit the thrift bookstore, of course. I bought a small armful of books but also wanted to take this chair home with me. 

 Another bookstore I always enjoy going to. This one is more of a rare bookstore, and it tends to be expensive. So, I only got one book here. But I love the cramped aisles and the floor-to-ceiling shelves. That's how bookstores should be.

And......the Sarasota Library, another stop for used books at the friends of the library bookstore. Are you sensing a theme here? Also, I have always loved the architecture of this library: so clean, open, bright, and organized. All the large windows upstairs have interesting views of downtown.