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You are here: Home / Archives for jigsaw puzzles

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Four

February 10, 2021 at 10:28 am by Claudia

We have at least 30 inches of snow on the ground. Today is sunny and the snow is sparkling. There are big wavy mounds of snow here and there – Don says it looks like whipped cream. Very magical. But that’s all the snow we need, thank you very much.

I took a break from the very challenging jigsaw puzzle to give Stella a major cleaning – there’s still a bit more to go. She really needed it. Here’s a view you don’t often see:

Stella with her ‘lid’ down. The lid converts into the shelf you see normally. Such a smart design! I keep forgetting about that gold strip across the back which glitters when the light is on. I have to say, getting Stella is one of the best things we have ever done. She’s clean now, nearly grease-free. I just have to soak the burner grates in some Dawn to degrease them and we should be all set. I just have to remember to do a deep cleaning more often.

As for the puzzle…it’s hard…which is what I want, of course. So while I mildly complain, I really love the challenge. You won’t see as much visible progress from day to day, but believe me, it’s there.

I’m currently working on the proscenium arch.

Have you seen puzzle tables? Someone I follow on IG bought one from Amazon and it has nifty side drawers. She has a cat and it keeps the pieces relatively safe from cat paws. I’d love one for the portability, but I can’t justify the expense.

Heck, I need to keep the pieces free from my hands and arms. I continually knock puzzle pieces off the table and have to go searching for them.

I finished Winter Solstice. Sob. I started Mrs. Tim Carries On  by D. E. Stevenson. I’m going to order The Shell Seekers  today. Mrs. Tim is a relatively short read, so I should be finished by the time the new Pilcher arrives. Thanks so much for your advice yesterday!

Of course, it’s not like I don’t have stacks of books to read. I do. But I’m yearning for simple comfort reads that are well written and engaging. That’s what I need right now as we get ready to head into our second year of this strange time. And while I’m so happy for those of you getting your vaccinations, there are no appointments available here. We have a shortage of vaccine here in NY. So I feel like a kid who doesn’t get picked for the team (that happened to me a lot when I was young) but in this case, the stakes are much higher. We check every day. But we’re still isolating and are fortunately able to do that, so it’s not like we’re facing danger on a daily basis. I must be patient.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Filed Under: books, jigsaw puzzles, Stella 36 Comments

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Three

February 9, 2021 at 10:24 am by Claudia

You can’t see it very well, but it’s snowing. Lots of snow has been falling all night long and by the end of the day, we should have at least 6 more inches of snow on the ground. More likely 8. That will result in more than 30 inches on the ground at the moment. It’s very cold and snow isn’t melting. It’s accumulating.

I started in on The New Yorker  puzzle – The Opera House. These are notoriously difficult because they’re based on art work, with all the brush strokes and squiggles and slashes of paint. Plus, this company – as I well remember from last year – doesn’t use traditionally shaped puzzle pieces. There are all sorts of weird shapes. I managed to finish the top of the puzzle and believe me, though it was quite difficult, it’s the easiest part of the puzzle.

And the other puzzle arrived in yesterday’s mail:

Appropriately, given my years of piano lessons, it’s entitled The Piano Lesson. Love this cover, with class clearly taking place in a New York City studio.

In the Sixties, as you can see, The New Yorker  was 25 cents an issue. It’s now $8.99 per issue. Yikes.

Two things:

1. Don released a new single, one I really love. Here is the link. They’re all available for download – free of charge. It’s called Red to Red. Don plays his electric guitar in this one. It’s a nod to Don’s beginnings in his godfather’s Polynesian band, with (in my humble opinion) another nod to Les Paul and Mary Ford.

2. I’m just about to finish Winter Solstice. Love, love it. I read some Rosamunde Pilcher decades ago, some of her earliest novels. What would you Pilcher lovers recommend that I read next? I’d love your advice.

Thank you for all the lovely comments about our girl. We miss her terribly. We were her parents for 16 years, but she was actually 17 when she passed away. We rescued her at the age of 11 months. All of our dogs were rescues. We wouldn’t do it any other way.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

Filed Under: books, Don, jigsaw puzzles 37 Comments

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Two

February 8, 2021 at 10:27 am by Claudia

• Sunny, but very, very cold out there.

And we’re getting more snow overnight and into tomorrow. Maybe 6 or more inches. Crap.

Don is happy. I, on the other hand, appreciate that we already have 2 feet of snow on the ground in very cold temperatures which ensure it won’t melt, so we don’t need more.

February is a pain in the tush. It looks like we’ll have very cold temperatures for most of the month.

She said, trying to be positive, “At least it’s sunny today!”

• I finished the C. S. Lewis puzzle:

And started on the new puzzle, which is much more difficult. I knew it would be. The grid puzzles are fun and a nice respite from the more difficult ones. The C. S. Lewis grid was my last puzzle of that kind, so I’ll probably have to order another one soon. But I like a challenge and the Opera House cover of The New Yorker  is definitely a challenge.

• Finally, today marks the fifth anniversary of Scout’s transition.

She loved her pillow.

She loved to pounce.

I loved to watch her sleep.

Here she is, talking to me.

And howling. How we loved to get her to howl! All three of us would be howling.

Do you see why we fell in love with her?

She smiled all the time and never met a stranger.

Family portrait when she turned sixteen.

We toasted her this morning and told her how much we missed her. I cried. There isn’t a day I don’t miss her presence in this house. She was pure joy. She taught us to live in the moment. She was fun, she was smart as a whip, she was our baby girl for the sixteen years that we had the honor of being her parents.

We miss you, little girl.

We love you.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

 

 

 

Filed Under: jigsaw puzzles, Scout, snow 31 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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