It’s the end of October. There are many hours spent in darkness, with more to come. We’re making fires, scrapping windows and reaching for our hat and gloves when we head out. One needs a little pick me up, a little inspiration, a little …something… to get one through the upcoming month of November, and then the craziness of December. (I’m not even going to start on what we need to get us through January/February/March) Over the past week, three things jumped out at me as positives (in my world anyway) to steer me through the lack of light.

Gilmore Girls on Netflix! NEW Gilmore Girls on Netflix!

Oh my…it’s like a dream….that you don’t want to wake up from. It sounds like there will be four 90-minute episodes/mini-movies, one for each season in a year. So a Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter episode, updating us on all things Rory and Lorelai…and Lorelai and Luke, etc, etc. I watched Gilmore Girls in the good ‘ol days …before DVR and Netflix. I tried to explain “how TV” worked back then to my 12-year-old daughter who seemed massively confused when I told her you had to be home when the show was on, or you missed it! So needless to say there were a few seasons when I did actually “miss” a lot. Those were “baby years” in my house with twins…and then another…so some nights I was sleeping, or just too exhausted to lift a remote. Then, I got my parents hooked on it when I bought them the first few seasons on DVD, which they binge watched one cold January and immediately bought the rest. They then passed them back to me, and then my 12 yr old and I spent this past year watching all seven seasons complete with a food/snack filled finale that Lorelai would have been proud of. And kleenex. Lots of kleenex as we basically bawled through the entire last episode, because this was it…the end….finished. UNTIL LAST WEEK! I feel excitement and nervousness about these new episodes. What if I’m disappointed in the updates? What if the Inn had to close due to hard economic times? What if Rory got back with Logan? (please NO!) What if Lorelai has adopted a gluten-free vegan lifestyle? (I just had to throw that one in…that would NEVER happen) Anyway, I am filled more with hope that the producers will understand the expectations that will come with these mini movies, and fill each one with Stars Hollow loveliness. I can’t WAIT!

Jann Arden’s new Christmas Album!

I love Jann Arden. I love her music, her writing, her humour, most especially her Twitter account. In all seriousness if you follow Jann on social media you get a lot of glimpses into her personal world. A lot of talk and pictures of her dog, her “road” in Calgary, and a lot of the heartache and suffering she went through this past year with her aging parents. (her father recently passed away from dementia and her mother is suffering from it as well) There’s no doubt that I feel more “connected” to Jann Arden after reading and following all of her struggles and triumphs. I think this is the perfect time for her to finally do a Christmas album. She said they have been asking her to do one for 25 years and her words when she finally agreed…‘The only thing I really want to do with this is people can put the record on, and not want to kill themselves.’ Oh Jann…I love you.

The release date for this is October 30th, which in my mind is entirely appropriate to start playing Christmas music.

Love the Coopers.

A new family Christmas movie! I love family Christmas movie’s…and Love the Coopers, this one looks good. Diane Keaton, Ed Helms, Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried….how can it NOT be good? In the craziness of the upcoming season, grab a girlfriend or two and go see this. Finish off the night with some hot chocolate and tales of your own family holiday survival, and this could be on your highlight reel for Holidays 2015.

These things will be helping to brightening the upcoming months for me. Having something to look forward to is helpful. What’s on your “brighten up the dark months” list?