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No More Cheap Puzzles for Me

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I like jigsaw puzzles.

I don’t do them all the time, but in the summer I often like to do a puzzle.

I prefer ones that feature a photo, rather than a painting. I don’t like teeny tiny pieces, and frankly I don’t like too many pieces either. Five hundred seems to be the right number for me.

I spend a couple of evenings on it, at the dining room table. There’s a certain satisfaction in snapping together the pieces after searching for them in the pile.

I also like that they make me slow down and notice details that I might not have otherwise.

I found a jigsaw puzzle at a massive discount store last week. It was on sale. It was a folk art painting of old time Boston. I liked it well enough (there were no photo puzzles available) so I bought it. I started it that evening and finished it the next day. I wanted more.

My travels took me to the dollar store for writing camp materials. While I was there I picked up another puzzle. This one featured a photo of a strawberry pie. The size of the pieces was good. It was only three hundred pieces, but hey, it was a dollar, so I bought it.

Well, it took three days, but I finished it. Here’s what I learned:

  1. the picture on the box had different coloration than the actual puzzle
  2. the cover of the box didn’t show the whole puzzle
  3. the pieces were printed on very thin cardboard
  4. many of the pieces fit in places where they don’t belong
  5. the whole thing was sort of warped and didn’t want to lay flat

Still, I finished it, and I’m satisfied with the result. Now I want to do another one, but I’m going to steer clear of the dollar store.


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Welcome to the Tiniest Month Challenge

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February is so short it seems like it begins and ends in a flash.

What better month for a challenge, then?

So here’s my challenge to myself, and by extension to all of you:

Pick something and stick with it. Every. Day.

At least for this tiny month of February.

Some ideas that have rattled around my brain:

  • hit my Fitbit steps goal everyday
  • take time to read for pleasure
  • eat vegetables
  • mindfully give a compliment
  • write
  • avoid social media
  • stay out of Starbucks
  • call Mom

We all have things that we “should” do that we neglect. Since this is such a short month why not pick one and stick to it? It’s only 28 days, after all.

In an ideal world I would do ALL of the things on my above list everyday, but I don’t. I’m going to pick ONE and stick with it, but what to pick?

I see my ideas in roughly 3 categories: mental health, physical health, and social connectedness (which, really, is a part of staying mentally healthy I suppose). For me, physical health is the most urgent of those needs at the moment. To that end I choose the first goal: to reach my steps goal each day.

I would love to have company on my tiniest month challenge. If you’re interested please comment with your tiny month goal, and don’t worry if the month has already begun, you can start anytime you want!


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June Resolutions

i-love-summer.jpgWho says resolutions have to be made solely in January? I think June is as good a time as any, and for a teacher it’s an excellent time to make resolutions. At least if you’re a teacher in an area where school is out for summer.

Here are my June resolutions, in a nutshell:

  1. Read a little
  2. Write a little
  3. Work a little
  4. Move a little
  5. Clean up a little
  6. Create a little

Those sound pretty good, don’t they? And not too difficult to follow. At least I don’t think so. I’ve been working toward these resolutions for a while now, and oddly I’m finding the last one the most challenging. By using the term “create” I’m allowing myself a great deal of flexibility.

What does it really mean to create? I suppose it means to make something where there was previously nothing. I can create a meal or a menu. I can create a lesson or a teaching unit. I can create a doodle or a painting. I can create a quilt design or a whole quilt. I can create Pinterest boards and newsletters and reading comprehension exercises. I can create systems for checking out books and tracking homework assignments. Maybe creating isn’t as hard as I thought. I just need to allow myself the space in which to do it.

My goal is to do each of those items every day in June, with the exception of “work a little.” That one is for Monday through Friday. In fact, it’s more of a challenge NOT to “work a little” sometimes.

So where do I stand today, June first?

1.Read a little – check

I’ve been Reading Anne Tyler’s A Spool of Blue Thread strictly for pleasure. She is masterful at painting the picture of old Baltimore, and she’s very skilled at character development. I spent quite a bit of time reading this morning, and I’m looking forward to going back to this book.

2. Write a little – check

Well, here I am. I also recently entered a writing contest, and I’m presenting to my writing group next Monday. I have some work to do, but it’s getting done.

3. Work a little – check

I’ve been working on preparations for the summer writing program I’m teaching. I’m excited about working with these young writers and learning with them and from them.

4. Move a little – check

A morning walk in the park across the street with the dog was just what we both needed to get our day off to a good start.

5. Clean up a little – check

The kitchen is tidy, most of the laundry is done, and overall the house is not a mess. The recycling has been taken out and I hosed out the container that lives in the kitchen. Over time little drips of this and that get in there and it gets sticky, but today I tackled it, and it’s clean as a whistle.

6. Create a little – maybe

Ok, I created a gmail account for the summer writing program and two of the five mailing lists that I need for the newsletters. Does that count? Does a blog post? I don’t think so. I think that’s double-dipping. I feel like I have to create something else! Oh, I’ve got it! I’m creating a delicious dinner tonight. We’re having tortellini with spinach and artichokes in a light cream sauce. Yum!

Yes! I can officially say that day one is a success. Only 29 more to go. What are your June resolutions?