Cabin Fever ... progress

making some progress, the purple is mostly done, working now on the house and the surrounding green ... 'green hell'

2018 Reading Goals ...

I've fallen short of my goal to read 100 books in both 2016 and 2017, so I've modified my goal to 75 books for 2018. Also I've revised my method of keeping track of my reading by counting pages rather than completed books ... since a 1000 page book counts the same as 75 page graphic novel. I'm aiming to average 100 pages/day ... which should come out to somewhere north of 35,000 pages for the year. Since most books come in somewhere between 250-350 pages, this should put me in the neighborhood of 100 books read ... we will see. As of this morning as I check my spreadsheet I see that I've read 4095 pages over 13 books (315 pages per book average) ... for an average of ~93 pages a day .. a bit behind but I've had a couple of stretches of zero-page days in there. 

More puzzling ...

as part of the Facebook 'Theme of the Month' puzzle group, I completed this puzzle for the theme 'Emotions' ... pretty easy 500-piece Cobble Hill titled 'Love Triangle'. Nice big pieces ... Diane helped with it and we enjoyed it very much!

first in 2018 ...

Things continue to go smoothly here in Michigan. Being retired is a bit boring I have to admit ... but reading, gardening (indoors this time of year), puzzling, and boardgaming take up my days. I will seek some part time employment come spring though, for the extra $$ as well as something to do.

This puzzle was started at the end of January as part of the FaceBook group World Puzzle Jubilee. It's turned out to be quite difficult ... 2000 pieces is a lot, and there's a lot of color gradation ... I've spent the last week working on purple.

'Cabin Fever' by Kim Norlien -- Buffalo Games

here's some closeups, the phone camera doesn't capture the colors very well

Fifty Shades of Purple

Blooms!

We planted several rose bushes two summers ago and have generally been pleased with the beauty of the blooms. Taking care of roses is not hard work exactly .. but you DO have to do some things like prune and spray etc. Anyway two of our bushes are beginning to show why we love roses ...

Retired!

With the end of the school year ... I am finally fully retired.  I've left the friendly/hostile environs of southern Missouri and relocated to Michigan to share a house and live with my honey. I've spent the last two weeks mostly packing, moving and then unpacking. I believe I've mentioned on this blog before, way back in the beginning, how much I hate moving. That hasn't changed.

Anyway I'll be posting about my adventures and activities on a separate blog which I'm naming

Loafing on the Third Coast (Lot3C)

Heard on the radio the other day that Michigan is second only to Alaska in miles of coastline. More than California, Texas and even Florida! Wow. Of course it's all freshwater coast ... and there IS something to be said for saltwater coastlines. Still .. that's a lot of places to explore and experience. 

This blog will continue to be a puzzling/boardgame/book blog. Stamps and stuff will be posted over on my Stamps & Postal History blog. 

A Few More!

Still spending that tax return ... added these recently ...

Charles Wysocki's Melodrama in the Mist -- Buffalo Games

Mount Rushmore -- Eric Dowdle and Dowdle Folk Art

Wysocki's Pete's Gambling Hall -- Buffalo Games

Swan Cottage -- New York Puzzle Co. (new publisher to me)

On the Road Again -- Masterpieces

New Puzzle Order!!

I haven't puzzled in quite a while. Since I got a tax return recently and I've been looking for some therapeutic time-fillers, I decided to spend some of it on some new puzzles! Here's what I purchased ...

Old Book Store -- White Mountain

Old Store at Salem: A.J. Casson -- Pomegranate

Mediterranean Harbor -- Eurographics   (looks like I got the last one as I had trouble finding the information)

Charles Wysocki's By the Sea -- Buffalo Games

and finally, one for Halloween ..

Welcome to Our House -- SunsOut

One that may not be cancer fighting but ... I don't care!

I love seafood! Here's a shrimp and grits dish that I must try to make ...

Cancer Fighting Meals

Retirement beckons ... since I like to cook, and since I have an interest in health, nutrition, and a long healthy life, I thought I'd post a few recipes and ideas for healthy cancer-fighting meals.

Here's a set: