That’s right, I used “love” and “January” in the same phrase.  The two words can go together if you take a glass-half-full point of view.  So just about the time you’re bemoaning your flaking winter lips, gray-sky spirit, and unavailable gym treadmill, give thanks for these underrated perks of that armpit of months: 

1. Citrus.
2. Boots that look like slippers and slippers that look like boots.
3. The constant possibility of a snow day.
4. Resolve.
5. The first-round auditions of American Idol.
6. Philosophy bubble bath in “Pure Grace” scent.
7. Hot drinks spiked with magical potions that warm you through and through.
8. Corduroy in fun primary colors.
9. Birds counting on you for sustenance and rewarding you with their presence in your backyard.
10. Flannel sheets and flannel shirts.
11. The Golden Globes and their drunken guests and glamorous fashions.
12. Soup on the stove and cookies in the oven.
13. No weeding or mulching.
14. A clean slate.