Yesterday was a beautifully sunny day. We mowed the front of the property, tag-teaming some of it. I love mowing so I was in my element. Later in the day, when I realized we had a frost advisory (!!) Don helped me haul in some of the porch plants. We also moved the secret garden pots (with coleus and vines) back on the porch until this week of nighttime lows in the thirties ends. Honestly, we’ve lived out here for 19 years and I’ve never seen temperatures this low in May. Kudos to my husband for moving the heavy antique pots after mowing and moving tarps full of debris and leaves in the morning. We were sore at the end of the day, but all in all, it was a satisfying day. Today, we’ll take it easy. Tomorrow, we’ll mow the rest of the property
I didn’t have much spare time, but I did do this:
I truly loved doing this one because I adore these original book jackets.
The period clothing and hats, the beautifully rendered work of Russell H. Tandy, are right up my alley. And I own every one of these after collecting them over the course of a few years.
Then I pondered how I was going to save this since I’d assembled it on the breadboard. I went upstairs to the office and found a piece of foam board that I used to use as a backdrop when I shot photos for my Etsy shop. With some trepidation I aligned it with the breadboard and gently pushed the puzzle off the wooden surface and onto the foam board. It worked! I guess I’ll put it on my desk upstairs until I glue it and have it framed – or make a frame, which would better suit my budget.
Next up:
This beautiful work by Kano Yoshinobu – Peonies. I’m wondering if it will be more of a challenge. Having the book titles to assemble on all the previous puzzles helped enormously in finding the structure.
It’s all good. I’m up for it. I have two more puzzles on the way that should be arriving toward the end of the week.
Today is cloudy and cool. It sure doesn’t look like we’ll see the sun today.
Happy Birthday to my brother Dave who died in 1991. He would have been 73 years old today. It is also the birthday of his son Eric.
Stay safe.
Happy Wednesday.
Good Morning Claudia,
The puzzle looks great. I think Herrschners has the product to glue the puzzle together in case you haven’t found the glue. I like jigsaw puzzles too. Went to Walmart to see if they had any. All sold out. So I ordered online from Herrschners two puzzles that we can put together here. I really wanted the birds but they were out or coming in at a later date like June. Been reading another book by Jacqueline Winspear called Elergy for Eddie. For some reason seems slow. Saw the last part of Marie Antoinette movie on TCM this morning. Wanting to see if there are any historical fiction from that time period to read. I can’t get over that you all are going to get snow. It is May for goodness sakes.
We may get a few flurries, but the snow will fall north and west of us in the mountains. But it will be cold.
Stay safe, Trina!
hope you both rested after all that yard work and heavy lifting. even fun projects can be tiring!
hope the weather warms up for you.
the puzzle looks great. i think you set a personal record finishing that one! i’ve seen people put a piece of white posterboard/cardstock on tables before beginning a jigsaw puzzle … makes it easier if you need to move the puzzle and to see the little pieces.
i am home today (yay) and going through more old files. also wondering why it’s taken me so long to do this chore when it feels so nice to have it done! taking a break now to say hi and then listen to our governor’s press conference.
hope you, don and everyone else have an easier day and stay safe!
kathy in iowa
I already have the breadboard on our kitchen table. I use that for the puzzle so I can move it if needed. The foam board was to keep it in place for gluing. Glad you’re home today! Stay safe, Kathy.
oops …
meant to say that days like this (missing loved ones all the time and especially on their extra-special days) can be extra-tough so i hope you are doing something extra-nice for yourself today.
kathy in iowa
Thank you. The day suits my mood – it’s gray and bleak and cold. xo
I was discussing the weather with my husband the other day and one of the things that came up was the affect contrails have on the weather. My understanding is they create a warming affect, so good for us. However with so few planes flying, the amount of contrails in the air is significantly reduced, therefore cooler weather.
I have been thinking that the weather (mother earth) is different because it is trying to correct itself, to be what it was before all of the pollution we’ve created. It has to have an impact.
interestingly, while going through some old paperwork of my FIL, there was a letter written by his grandmother to his father, talking about the weather in Minneapolis – that it was very cold and there was snow falling in May. She said she heard there was 10″ of snow in Elk River MN – a small community at the time, about 40 miles north of the cities.
I think the shift in weather dates back to a time before our memories. The letter was written in 1930. I think we may have a new normal developing.
Not saying we have to like it, but also know we don’t have much choice, but to accept it. Ranee (MN)
That’s an interesting theory, but it’s hard to imagine that it would have this kind of effect in 6 weeks time. We have had a cooler than usual spring and that started happening before the lockdown. I’m sure there’s an impact, of course. But May has almost always been warmer than this – back in Michigan (where I grew up) and here in NY.
Stay safe, Ranee!
That new puzzle is a wow for sure. You finished that last Nancy Drew in record time I think. Happy to hear you will be framing it…it will look superb with your collection.
It is gorgeous here…so after lunch we will be heading out to see what needs to be done. Saw my first hummingbird yesterday…he came to the patio door, as if to say, “where’s the food”? The feeder came out as soon as I made the nectar. And the orioles are back, too. Always nice to see my friends.
Rest up…you sure had a busy day yesterday. Hope it warms up for you. Stay safe! ;)
I had heard the same thing that Ranee said above about the contrails. I don’t quite understand that, but we know for sure that the slowing down of travel of all kinds throughout the world is having an amazing positive result on the planet right now.
We are having a lovely day today. Into the 60’s. But colder days and nights are ahead. We have moved plants into the garage to be safe. Not going to lose the $$ spent on them this early in the season and before they are even into the ground. Hopefully this will be the end of the cold temps, or at least the freezing temps til the fall. Everything is so discombobulated right now, who knows what is next? Hope you both have a nice day resting up today. That peony puzzle is amazing. I have never seen a pale greenish peony before. Just beautiful!!
The contrails are certainly having an effect in terms of air pollution and they well may be having an effect on the weather, but I have doubts that the changes would be this extreme in 6 weeks time. But what do I know?
Today is gray and cold and depressing. Both Don and I are having a hard time today. It’s going down to 32 on Friday night here and will be in the mid-thirties until next Thursday. Sigh.
The peony puzzle is so hard that I can’t make any headway. I want to throw it across the room! Stay safe, Chris.
Picturing you throwing that puzzle across the room made me giggle. What is wrong with me? I think the weather now has more of an impact on me than it did previously. It was cloudy and cold yesterday and I felt cloudy and cold. Sunny and 65* today and I felt like a different person. Take care ~~ mowing tomorrow will be good!!
It will be. We’re getting snow on Friday. I’m about to scream. Stay safe.
Just stopping by to say “Hello”.
We have the woodstove burning! In May! And, it really feels good!
I’m glad you’re happy with it! I, however, am not! Stay safe, Kelly!
Hi Claudia,
I’m in British Columbia, Canada and we have been in lock down since the beginning of February. Our Prime Minister speaks to the nation every morning at 8am and our Provincial Health Officer provides an update every day at 3pm so we feel that we have the information we need to make decisions. It is hard but it is working. We only had 8 new cases reported yesterday and our hospitals have been able to handle the patient load so far. People are concerned about the economy, of course, but I think it is important to remember that, unlike a natural disaster like a hurricane or earthquake, the economy is a human construct. We have the ability to create and change the economy if necessary and if we have the will to do it.
All this just to say that we will get through this and the economy is not worth putting our families and neighbours health at risk.
Stay strong and stay safe,
Sharon
Agree. Absolutely.
But some idiots in this country think the economy is more important than human lives and appear to have no problems risking lives so they can make money. It’s very depressing.
Stay safe Sharon
I just adored your big brother Dave. So sad to lose him so early. Thanks for mentioning him.
Thanks for your kind words, Kay. I adored him, too. I wish Don could have known him. Much love to you. xo
Another puzzle completed, well done! It looks so impressive. I’ve finished 1000 vintage luggage labels from all over the world and it was a joy to do as there was so much lettering, all different fonts and wonderful illustrations of hotels.
I’m still working from home but it’s not the sort of job that’s particularly office based and I haven’t been given much work to do each day that I am due to work, so I’ve said when all this is over I’ll work some days unpaid to clear the backlog of new books that are waiting in our suppliers’ warehouses. It makes me feel less guilty, as I know there are social workers, care home staff, refuse workers who like myself work for the local authority and are carrying on as normal.
My sweet peas that I’ve grown from seed are doing well but it’s too early for them to flower.
Happy Tuesday
I love sweet peas, Dee Dee. Stay safe!
It’s Wednesday isn’t it !!😀
Happy Wednesday
xoxo
a Canadian friend sent me the short video clip called ‘ The Great Realisation ”
spelled with an s instead of z.
it’s wonderful! I hadn’t seen it. I’m so glad she sent it!
you can google it under The Great Realization and watch it.
it has apparently gone viral already. . . as well it should!
your yard work was grueling… but well worth it. your little cottage
will be a show place. inside AND out! xoxo
I’ll look for it, Tammy. Thank you. Stay safe!
I think I was reading Carolyn Keene when I was in 5th grade. Our school library had some of them. I think I read all they had then we moved and that school did not have a school library and no town library. Couple of years later I was within walking distance of the town library and I was reading Alexandre Dumas.
I have no idea how old I was when I was reading them, but I sure loved them! Stay safe, Jan.
I”m not saying that the book cover puzzles are easy because they aren’t and anything with 1,000 pieces isn’t. But they have very good touch points (titles, certain graphics) that make things a little easier to sort. I think you’ll have your work cut out for you with this one and I can’t wait to see the result.
It’s cold at night here, too. I bring in my started seeds. The rest is in the ground so I hold my breath.
Take care, j
Well, I’ve started the new one and it’s a thousand times more difficult! Very frustrating and a real test for my patience. The borders are the toughest part, unfortunately, and that’s what I have to do first!
Stay safe, Jeanie.
The Peonie puzzle is lovely. Enjoy putting it together. It is hard to have a loved one’s birthday
to think about. My Father’s is coming up in a few weeks. I still miss him every day.
Marilyn.
Thank you, Marilyn. I understand. Stay safe.
your Nancy Drew puzzle is wonderful. I would not blame you if you did throw the new puzzle somewhere. We had one that we worked on and worked on, and after extensive hours of work… indeed I did throw it in the recycle bin. Some puzzles we enjoy, but some are like forcing myself to ‘enjoy’. Life is too short for these frustrations.
Cold in Ohio also. No snow, but really chilly.
I’m going to give it another try today but if I can’t make headway, I’ll put it back in the box, Jan. Stay safe.
That new puzzle looks hard. The most difficult on I ever worked was 1000 pieces-NYC…at night…gave it away…I prefer ones with words…people…love the new N. D. you just finished. I have never seen anyone work 1000 pieces as you do. I still stay at the ones with fewer larger pieces. It was Christmas here yesterday…family delivered groceries…the work…I have the fruit drying on the counter…etc. YOU know what it is like-a chore…more so for them. I just tell them any substitutions welcome. They were able to get everything I wanted except wipes. I have read that some of the states opening early are having more cases of the virus…we will see. I haven’t moved the car yet, but as I waited for my family outside last night, people were leaving this building and entering with no masks…so who knows? Have a good day today. It is really cold here in Indiana also.
It’s really hard, Brenda! So glad you got some groceries delivered! I don’t believe that people are leaving the building without masks! Stay safe.