jigsaw puzzles — Page 39

Day Three Hundred Thirty-One

February 7, 2021 at 10:13 am by Claudia

We’re getting more snow today but none of the forecast models agree, so it looks like we could get anywhere from 2-5 inches. Our local guys are forecasting 1-3 inches but say they will be updating as the day goes on. Don is happy. Normally, I groan when I hear more snow is coming – and truthfully, I still do – but it makes him happy. He does most of the shoveling and cleanup so it gives him something to do. And both of us love seeing it fall outside our windows when we’re snug and cozy here in the house.

What’s new? Cleaning – but that’s always the case, lockdown or no lockdown. We watched The Producers on TCM last night – one of our favorite movies. I’m currently working on another book puzzle that was sent to me by a reader – this one consists of C.S. Lewis titles. I remember thinking when I saw the box, yes, he wrote a lot, but certainly not the number of books in this grid. Turns out that the same titles are repeated, but in different editions, cover art, and fonts. It’s a bit maddening.

You can see two different covers of The Screwtape Letters in this shot.

Funny thing: I’ve never actually read any C. S. Lewis, but I’ve coached at least four different adaptations of his books, most recently, The Great Divorce.

And yesterday’s mail brought my next puzzle challenge:

I love the New Yorker cover puzzles. (I got them on Amazon, if you’re interested.) I have one more arriving on Wednesday.

We’re always trying to see the positives of this isolation we’re all going through. I certainly have days when I’m restless and tired of it, as does Don. But in a conversation we had the other day, we reminded ourselves that during the course of our 26 years together, we have gone through many periods where one or both of us were on the road, where we spent long spells apart from each other. When you freelance in the performing arts, that’s what happens. You go where the work is. It is something that I believe we’ve handled with grace, but it is never easy. But now, we’ve been given the gift of time together. No travel to another city. No home-away-from-home living. Just here, in our home, together. And we’re blessed.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Day Three Hundred Thirty

February 6, 2021 at 9:52 am by Claudia

It’s cold, but beautifully sunny. I’ll take it. Don has gone off to recycle and I’m writing this post now so that I can share a second cup of coffee with him when he comes back. We got our groceries yesterday and everything has been cleaned and put away, and after the recycling, we should be done with going-out-in-public chores.

I’m deeply saddened by the passing of the great Christopher Plummer. I’ve been a fan since I first saw The Sound of Music as a young girl. So many people know him from that and his excellent film work. But he was first and foremost a theater actor and he returned to the theater throughout his life. Rest in Peace. Thank you.

We’ve lost four greats, all in their nineties, during the past two weeks: Cloris Leachman, Cicely Tyson, Hal Holbrook, and Christopher Plummer. Each of them was astounding, brilliant, and never-to-be replaced. And all of them started out in theater and returned to the stage repeatedly. What an incalculable loss for the world. I can barely take it in. The contributions they made to the Arts can never be quantified. When I contemplate a world without these extraordinary artists, I am left bereft. Bless them all.

Puzzle finished.

Such a lot of fun!

Some closeups of favorite titles/artwork:

Madeline. And Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel.

Babar. Curious George. Ferdinand. All beloved books read over and over.

Eloise. Charlotte’s Web. Alice. Tom Sawyer. Black Beauty. Make Way for Ducklings.

Olivia – a new series that I am enchanted by.

I’m deeply into Winter Solstice. I am struck by the realization that, like the citizens of Three Pines, I want to hang out with these good people. They have become friends. I will be sad to leave them when I finish the book; you know, that feeling of wanting to slow up the reading process because you know you’ll be finished all too soon. And then they’ll be gone.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Day Three Hundred Twenty-Nine

February 5, 2021 at 10:05 am by Claudia

My name is Claudia and I’m addicted to jigsaw puzzles.

But only in the winter.

Once again, I neglected Stella and my dollhouse, summoned by the call of the jigsaw puzzle sitting on the kitchen table. See – it’s right there. Not up the stairs, not outside. There. In the kitchen. Calling to me.

I finished this puzzle yesterday. It was one of several sent to me last year by a reader of the blog. In the end, there were two pieces missing. But no big deal. I’m having fun and I’m very grateful for the gift of these puzzles. I have since done the same thing. I passed on some of my completed puzzles to Rick and Doug.

I immediately took the puzzle apart and started a new one. The newest consists of covers from bedtime stories. When I was a kid, as you know, we didn’t have a lot of money, so I didn’t have many children’s books of my own. I got them from the library and the bookmobile. We had a few of my mom’s childhood books and I believe I had copies of The Cat in the Hat and If I Ran the Circus by Dr. Seuss which were given to me as gifts, neither of which I was especially fond of. I found the Cat in the Hat obnoxious, to be honest. But two of my favorites are in this new grid – Madeleine and Eloise. I think I’m going to order my very own copies of them. I should have them, don’t you think? It’s been great fun seeing the covers in this grid. I love the illustrations found in children’s books.

Don is on his way to the store to pick up our groceries. It’s snowing a bit at the moment, very pretty flakes coming down. It’s supposed to hit the low forties today, so I’m thinking this snow might turn to rain. Next week: very cold temperatures and single digits at night. February is quickly becoming a pain in the tush.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Day Three Hundred Thirty-One

Day Three Hundred Thirty

Day Three Hundred Twenty-Nine

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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