• As we’ve reached Day Four Hundred, I’m currently pondering whether today will be the last post with the number of days in the title. I haven’t come to a conclusion yet, but I’m leaning toward phasing it out. As I weed in the garden bed today and do the laundry, I’ll be thinking about it.
Current puzzle: Main Street, from 1939.
• The new John Derian puzzle that I ordered last week from Amazon has been delayed. This is made all the more annoying since Oblong Books had it on their shelf and, knowing that I already had it on the way, I didn’t buy it. Amazon is saying delivery will be sometime between May lst and the 15th. No can do. Looks like I might be headed back to Oblong sooner than I thought.
• It rained much of the day yesterday, so everything around here is soggy. The perfect time to pull some weeds in the big garden bed. That’s what I’m going to do this morning.
• Something else to ponder: My sister and I were chatting the other day during FaceTime about messages from our parents. As you know, I had several visits from my mother, both when she was in the nursing home and on the day she died. I’ve never sensed a message or appearance from my father. Or my grandmother. But I did have one, long ago, from my grandfather.
And from my brother – more than one. Both Meredith and I have had dreams in which we were dancing with our brother. Vivid, powerful dreams. I remember feeling pure joy during and after that dream. He will be gone 30 years this year. It doesn’t seem possible. I love the fact that we’ve both danced with David in our dreams.
• Don is currently at our local farm stand/nursery. I was all set to go along and buy some plants but I saw it might go down to 33 this week (that’s awfully close to freezing) so I decided not to go. If I went, I would be tempted to buy plants and I don’t want to worry about them and have to bring them inside this week. So I’ll wait a week and, in the meantime, catch up on all the things that need to be done outside.
That’s it, my friends.
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
that puzzle looks both fun and challenging … a good combination!
can you cancel the order and get the john derian puzzle from oblong? sounds more fun that way. stay safe!
you mentioned oblong having trouble last year and yesterday said that, at least for a while, some proceeds from sales of the “rural diaries” book would help them out. i hope they are secure now for their sake, rhinebeck’s, yours and mine (been buying my books from oblong since you wrote about them).
trust you will enjoy whatever garden/yard work you can do today.
those visits and messages are precious and joyful, aren’t they? i am grateful for them.
usual here, starting with grocery shopping and deliveries. and always glad to spend time with family members (though am so tired of the need for social-distancing!). might stop by a plant nursery for some tips and maybe a couple older plants because my few pathos/ philodendrons are not doing well and i’d like the plants to do well, the pots to be full and cheery, not sad-looking.
happy saturday!
kathy in iowa
I could cancel the order, but I want to make sure Oblong still has it!
So happy you are ordering from Oblong. Another reader mentioned that she is doing the same. Very grateful for your help with our local independently owned book shop!
Stay safe, Kathy.
You certainly have lots to think about as you weed. Which is why I enjoy such mundane tasks. I just let my mind wander…makes the tasks that much easier.
My son and his wife were at my favorite nursery this morning. They picked up some tarragon plants and a cherry tomato plant for me. They will eventually live on the deck. But, for now, they will only be outside during the days, and spend their nights inside. It’s too cold to even think about planting here as well. But…I need to uncover my hostas…they’ve all sprung up, and I need to make everything tidy.
So disappointing about the puzzle. But, on the bright side…another trip to Oblong! So, it isn’t all that disappointing…lol.
Enjoy your day! ;)
Suddenly, my hostas are really coming out of the ground. Overnight! I’m so excited!
Stay safe, Donna.
I had visits from my father and my step father since they died. I never knew my father and it was delightful to feel him smiling a big smile right at my handicapped daughter and she smiled right back at him.
That is beautiful, Jan. Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
Stay safe!
Beautiful day here in Illinois today with the sun shining and temps near 60 so I was able to do some weeding and feel the sun’s warmth on my back. Soon my oldest son and I will head out for a nice walk in a local forest preserve and I will be looking for signs of Spring.
Enjoy your day too!
Sounds like heaven, Ellen!
Stay safe.
Claudia — good call re: not planting t o o early !! really like this NewYorker puzzle as I like brighter colors — waiting to see the bird one, seems like it could be a challenge w/so many colors nearly (but not quite) alike. have almost finished ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ such a heartbreaking story — one that turns out good but what a struggling life — probably common w/many of us Ky hillbillies. hope you pull many of those weeds — don’t be like Mr and think everything is a weed LOL. stay safe and healthy
Don never weeds because he knows he can’t tell a weed from a perennial!
Glad you enjoyed Hillbilly Elegy.
Stay safe, Linda!
Yes, too early here, too. We have snow/rain in the forecast for Mon~Tues and night lows in the upper 20’s. Spring can tease us over and over again, trying to make us fall for her promises with pop up days that bring temps into the 60’s and even 70’s. My falling for that nonsense in the past has always brought on much more work and lots of frustration. Just a few more weeks!!!
Hope you had fun weeding today! Take care.
It might go down to 31 here on Wednesday night. Enough already!
Yes, we northerners have to patient with springs temperature fluctuations. But it’s hard.
Stay safe, Chris.
I’m curious – how do you lay out all the puzzle pieces? I do 500 piece puzzles and have trouble seeing them all!
I don’t. I keep them in the box and sort through them. When I start to see patterns I put aside certain pieces, like the letters for The New Yorker for example, or certain sections of the puzzle. But I never lay out all the pieces because I don’t have the space.
Stay safe, Carolyn!
Have you noticed Amazon prime delivers stinks lately. So many delayed notices. Yesterday I noticed a coloring book I ordered magically disappeared from my orders page with no explanation, why bother payinf for prime. Anyone else?
It doesn’t stink for me. This was an exception because this puzzle is a new item and apparently Amazon didn’t get the stock they had ordered on time. It’s a manufacturing problem, not Amazon’s. Frustrating, but these things happen.
Stay safe, Sue.
Sorry shouldn’t have vented
You’re welcome to vent. I just wanted to clarify my own particular situation.
xo
Catching up. They tell us it will be freezing tonight and I will bring in my starter basil and cover the lettuce (maybe unnecessary) and my bleeding hearts (also probably unnecessary, but they are my favorites and I don’t want to chance losing them.
Your news puzzle is loads of fun but I can see why you were annoyed about the other. A friend has a movie poster puzzle for when we connect but I’m contemplating ordering that Nancy Drew (or one similar) to the one you did. The question is do I go with the1,000 or 500 piece version! (I’d like to finish it before summer!) We’ll see.
I long for those messages.
I wish I had them more often, especially from those I haven’t heard from – at least in a way I recognize.
Stay safe, Jeanie.