jigsaw puzzles — Page 25

Frigid Saturday

January 15, 2022 at 9:43 am by Claudia

Puzzle finished.

Except for that missing piece. It’s not on the floor. But it’s entirely possible that when I opened the plastic bag containing the pieces to dump them in the box, I threw it out and didn’t see the piece still in the bag. I’m going with that.

This one was difficult – Jeanie mentioned that it had been tricky for her as well.

I’m glad it’s done.

Next up:

I really love this photo. I messaged Mary Engelbreit saying it reminded me so much of her style. She wrote back right away and said she has a book with this illustration on the cover and it’s one of her favorites.

Wouldn’t you like to live there?

It is frigid out there, the faucet is on a continuous drip, which – believe me – can drive one mad. It’s sunny, but that’s about it. Tonight it goes down below zero. The weather forecast keeps changing for Monday – snow, then it changes to snow, rain, and sleet, and this morning it said rain. In the meantime, we both have cabin fever, even though there’s no place I particularly want to go.

I’m trying to stay positive because I’m just on the edge of a bad mood. I woke up in the middle of the night last night coughing (allergies and sinus) and that went on for a while, so my sleep wasn’t the best. And I’m all stuffed up, which isn’t helping.

Okay. Enough of that. I’ll be fine.

Hopefully, this will make you smile.

The girls. The ones in the back row seem a little miffed. Either that, or there’s some sort of conversation going on that I can’t hear.

And yes, Mei needs a little animal. I’ll get on it.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Puzzle and a Space for the Girls

January 9, 2022 at 10:15 am by Claudia

I’m running a bit late this morning! No specific reason – I’m just rather lazy this morning.

I’ve been working on this:

Another New Yorker puzzle, this time with a cat.

My anxiety has come roaring back, after relatively few problems when I was working in the city. I had a few minor bouts, but I was so busy and focused that it stayed away. But it’s back now, so these puzzles have become even more important to me. Working on one is meditative and that helps to drive the demons away. Thank goodness for jigsaw puzzles. My sister finds that elusive peace through knitting. I did too, when I was crocheting and knitting.

I don’t know if you remember this, but years ago, when I was working for several weeks in Hartford, I bought an inexpensive Loft dollhouse (basically made of heavy paper board) from Target. I never ended up doing anything with it and I almost donated it to the Salvation Army last year, but ended up keeping it. It’s been in our bedroom in a corner hidden by the door. I usually stash my handbag in top of it.

I got to thinking about it the other day. Since the big room is so tall compared to my other dollhouses – I think it’s 1:6 scale rather than the 1:12 scale of my miniatures – would it work as a sort of photo staging area for my Blythes? I grabbed Imogen, went upstairs and pulled it out of the corner.

While Imogen watched from her perch in the English Cottage – clearly not the right size for her – I dusted the interior and exterior of the Loft. Then, Miss Imogen consented to go inside so I could see if she fit.

She does!

I might remove the stairs because they take up valuable space. I can always put them back if I need to. I’m rather jazzed about this idea. I might add wallpaper. We’ll see.

And I’ll need a couple of pieces of 1:6 furniture, like a sofa and a bed.

It’s all in the service of pretty photos, my friends!

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Snow, Puzzle, and a Movie Recommendation

January 7, 2022 at 9:01 am by Claudia

First real snow of the year. I think we might have an inch and a half so far. It’s still snowing, but it will be tapering off soon. Don is out there shoveling as I write this. We have an oil delivery coming today and we want the drive to be clear for the truck. (There’s a story about this delivery and our soon-to-be-former oil company that I’ll share another time. Or not. Let’s just say it was a stressful afternoon yesterday.)

We did get out to the grocery store and then took a long walk, so I got some exercise in before the snow came.

And this morning, I put the last few pieces in place.

The World of Jane Austen. Very satisfying!

If you can, please watch Mass, a new movie that is streaming at the moment. It’s brilliant, unbelievably gut-wrenching, and superbly done. It stars Ann Dowd, Reed Birney, Jason Isaacs, and Martha Plimpton. It’s about a meeting between two sets of parents who have lost children to gun violence. I won’t say more because what I love about this movie is the slow, thoughtful pace. No rush to reveal plot points. All of that is rolled out slowly and realistically. (I want you to have that experience, too.) The performances are superb, the best I’ve seen in years. Don and I sat together on the sofa, neither of us moving an inch throughout the movie, completely riveted. It’s brave work on the part of every person involved. Bravo.

It’s the best thing I’ve seen in years.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Frigid Saturday

Puzzle and a Space for the Girls

Snow, Puzzle, and a Movie Recommendation

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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