I have to say that this has been a bleak winter so far. Not just because of the very frigid temps we’ve had. Winter is always hard for me, and, it turns out, for Don. Add to that the dire and illegal goings-on in DC, and it’s very hard to stay positive. Balance of any kind seems elusive and nearly impossible to obtain. We’re trying. We check in with each other throughout the day, and when one of us has lost it, the other steps in. I am deliberately not writing about that mess, but believe me, I’m pissed off.

We’re headed for a snow and ice event tomorrow. Yippee. Don has to go out and buy some more salt today.

I have to return some books to the library. Exciting, right? I did read a big chunk of my book yesterday and after I publish this post, I’ll be able to finish it fairly quickly. Excellent, by the way. The next book in this trilogy is waiting for me at the library.

I did a lot of work on the puzzle yesterday. It really does help me detach from all of this and reach some sort of zen state. But I don’t want to get through it too quickly! I’m on a budget and can’t keep buying puzzles. (Though I do have another one in the wings.)

I also haven’t been in the mood for the girls. So I made myself pull one off the shelf the other day. I took her picture and posted it on the Blythe feed. She really is beautiful. I’m speaking about Nina.

She has the same outfit on that she’s been wearing for months, but it’s so perfect for her that I can’t bring myself to change it out.

I wish Dragonfly Blythe was still customizing. Her creations are so beautiful. The faceups are exquisite. You can see her gorgeous eyebrows and the faint veins on her forehead.  I really have no desire to get another Blythe as I’m happy with my collection, but one of Dragonfly Blythe’s red haired girls? That I would do. But they’re finite and their owners are hanging on to them.

Bracing for tomorrow’s storm!

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

It has begun. But just barely. The campaign to preserve my sanity and peace of mind is still ongoing. This little puzzle is part of it. The World of Miss Marple has not revealed itself yet, as it’s early in the process, but today should bring some more answers. The colors are a far too muted for my taste, but it is what it is.  I like these puzzles.

Don is almost better. He’s just dealing with residual nose blowing, etc. He certainly has more energy now, and that’s a good sign. We had some snow Sunday evening. I’d say we have an inch and a half on the ground. Pretty, but not too much. The landscape had been looking bleak and the snow will take care of that. Though, it’s cloudy today. We’re not seeing the blue skies and sun that often occur after a snowfall.

It’s taking me forever to finish books lately, and that has nothing to do with the quality of the book. It’s just me. I read every day but I don’t seem to be able to sit down and read a good chunk during the day. I read before I go to sleep, but that’s for about 10 minutes. I may try to force myself to sit down and READ this afternoon. The book I’m reading currently is excellent – The Cold Cold Ground. It’s by Adrian McKinty, and it’s a police procedural that occurs outside of Belfast during “The Troubles.” It’s the first book in a trilogy and it’s so good that I’ve already put the second book on hold at my local library. Nevertheless, I am inching my way through it. I just have to accept it, I guess. I think I’m easily distracted these days.

We watched Mr. Holland’s Opus  last night, which I hadn’t seen since it first came out 30 years ago. What a wonderful, uplifting movie! I cried at the end, as I did the first time I saw it. Richard Dreyfuss is excellent, of course. And so is the rest of the cast. If you, for some reason, haven’t ever seen it, you should. It speaks to role of teachers and the profound impact they can have on a student’s life. I’m not bragging, but I still hear from students that I had over 30 years ago about something I said or did that had a positive impact on them. It’s often something I had no idea about at the time. But we can and do make a difference. Gosh, I’m going to start crying again.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

I finished this beauty yesterday.

The World of Oscar Wilde.

I really love puzzles with lots of buildings and people because they’re more detailed and complicated. And the more complicated, the better. These puzzles come with a key to all the figures, sites, and references. I’ll read that later this morning.

So I ordered another one – The World of Miss Marple – by the same manufacturer. It should arrive sometime today. My sanity? Worth the expense.

Oh, February. You’ve never been my favorite month, but I’m sure happy we’re done with January. That brings us that much closer to spring. I suspect we’ll be due for more chaotic weather.

I had a nice conversation with Jan yesterday. Her voice sounds much stronger now that she’s in a more hospitable environment. The hospice staff is encouraging her sit in a chair all day as well as gently prodding her to leave the room to take meals with other residents. She can’t do that on her own, she needs assistance, but she’s definitely sounding stronger. Joe was there for part of the call, so the three of us were chatting and sharing stories from our past. There was a great deal of laughter.

Kudos to dear Joe: he furnished and decorated that studio apartment, hung her favorite paintings, did everything he could to make it feel like home. He is a treasure.

That’s all I can say for now. It leaves me feeling very sad, and very aware of the fact that Don and I are in our 70s.

And that life is precious.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.