A rainy day today with about an inch of rain expected. Then the warmup begins.

What exciting news do I have for you? Let’s see, we’re picking up groceries later this afternoon. That’s exciting. I have another puzzle arriving today. That actually is exciting, because, instead of doing anything with the dollhouse (I didn’t have the patience for measuring yesterday) I finished the puzzle instead.

The trees were the most challenging – as well as the road. But as you know, when you’re heading toward the finish of a jigsaw puzzle, pieces start going into place pretty quickly. The next puzzle isn’t as bright – in fact, it’s pretty dark and moody – but it shows a trio of musicians rehearsing inside a NYC apartment and I love music and musicians.

Hopefully, I’ll get upstairs and do some work on the dollhouse today.

I’ll admit it. I’m restless for Spring and I’m tired of the heat being on and the brown monotone of the surrounding countryside. I’m ready for our second shot, but it won’t be until the 31st. I’d like to start working outside, even if only to wash our siding and take down old wasp nests from the ceiling of the porch and clean the porch railings. Not exciting, but satisfying nonetheless, and it’s all stuff I can work on before it’s time to do anything with the gardens. As the temps will be in the 50s and 60s next week, I’ll be doing just that.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

A gray day, but the temp will hit the fifties. Then heavy rain tomorrow, with the temperature on Friday back down to the thirties. But then, from Saturday on, temps will be in the fifties and sixties. Huzzah!

The current puzzle. I worked on it for a few hours yesterday. It’s titled Village by the Sea  and it’s from a 1938 issue of The New Yorker, although the time period seems to be a decade or so earlier, given the horse-drawn cart and the women in long dresses. I like the cheery colors. I’m now to the point where I have to fill in all the trees and the road.

Time to order another one.

I’m going to work on the windows, trim, and baseboards in the English Cottage today. I ordered an unfinished wardrobe for the bedroom yesterday, as well as some kits for two different tables. I don’t know whether I’ll use them in the English Cottage or not. They may be destined for the Beacon Hill.

Don and I were in gratitude mode during our second cup of coffee. The view from the living room sofa into the kitchen always makes us happy. We realized that this year marks 20 years since we moved east. How can that be? We took off for the drive cross country on Don’s birthday that year. He turned 50. We turned our lives upside down in order to take a risk out here. I gave up my university professorship, my work at the Globe. All because we wanted to take a chance on something new while we were still relatively young. And somehow, after renting for four years, we managed to buy a house and carve out the lives we wanted to live up here in the Hudson Valley. Yes, our mortgage payment is hefty. Yes, we went through years in which we worried – every single month – whether we would be able to pay it. The stress was sometimes so enormous that I can’t adequately describe it to you. But we had faith in our decision and we kept slugging away and somehow, miraculously, we never missed a payment and the bills were always paid. We’re two freelancers with an income that changes every year. We aren’t like many of you who bought houses when you were younger and have paid off your mortgage. We met later in life and we started this house owning journey in our mid-fifties. We acknowledge that we won’t have the disposable income that is freed up with a paid-off mortgage. It is what it is and it’s absolutely worth it for us. Though I wouldn’t mind winning the lottery!

Big on my gratitude list: Don. He is the only person I can imagine spending my life with. He is the perfect partner for this adventure and I am grateful and humbled by the miracle that brought him into my life.

Okay. I guess it’s St. Patrick’s Day, though I don’t celebrate it even though I’m English, Scots and Irish, as well as German. If you do celebrate, have fun.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.