Jigsaw puzzles

Current challenge

Jerry has always enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, me not so much, I find them frustrating.  I prefer crosswords or the word jumbles in the daily newspaper.  Winter time here brings lots of indoor time and calls for diversion, so this is one I ordered. 

I never knew this but according to a defunct blog on Google, there is a word for jigsaw puzzlers.  "What do you call a person who enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles? A Dissectologist! The BCD, or Benevolent Confraternity of Dissectologist's to give it it's fuller title, is a Worldwide club for lovers of Jigsaw Puzzles from all Nationalities and time periods.Nov 18, 2010"  

Beginnings and observation

 First step is getting all the puzzle pieces out, right side up onto the card table.  This one took a couple hours.  Then he begins to do the borders.  While he concentrates on shapes, whenever I do contribute I look for colors, tones, shades.  I have almost completed the top border while he has done the bottom, his was more difficult, all dark brownish shades.  But he can spend time staring, observing studying while I need activity.  

Today January 25 after 10 days

I also put together most of President Trump, as I focused on the red tie and there is little other red in this puzzle. He tells me not to work from the inside, but I do not have his patience, I need to see progress.   I only can work at it in daylight, when the natural light comes in the window because tones are not as apparent in lights at night, guess that is the downside to my technique. 

And another thing about boots

Itasca Winter boots

When I bought these boots early this winter, I thought they looked and felt strange, almost as if it were some new style, a un-i-foot instead of a right and left foot as most shoes are, or at least I thought they were.  But today everything is different, still I thought they were odd but would work in the snow because of the heavy insulation and traction.  Along with them I bought another more expensive pair of Columbia's that are lace up and that are clearly right and left foot.  So it has been months and I alternate which boot I wear for treks down the driveway for mail and to shovel and to take out the trash and recycle to the street for pick up, etc....But finally here in January and just the other day, these Itasca's played a trick.  I slipped them on, zipped them up and proceeded down the driveway outside.  About halfway I  thought they felt odd and looking down, aha!  I had finally done it or they had done it to me, My feet were going at strange angles.  I had them on the wrong feet.

Well I have only one pair of feet, but  my boots were obviously at  different angles than what is normal. I was not going to turn around and go back inside to change them, nor was I

Add caption

going to stand there in the drive in 20 degrees and hop on a foot to change the other boot.  What a dance that would be... I began to laugh out loud, it had finally happened, the boots fit and sure enough right on left and left on right.  Fortunately for me, there was no one around the neighborhood to see me laughing hysterically as I proceeded to the mail box because  I really would hate to be referred to as the crazy old lady who walks around laughing to herself!  They have places for people like that you know3...Well how far can one go that way, apparently up and down the driveway for sure.  I guess it could be worse, I could have put my bra on backwards and  well, leave it at that....This was a great laugh of the day for me and also for all my FB friends and family where I  mentioned it,,,,,people tell me they really enjoy my stories of everyday life and that I should write, yes, well I cannot make these things up,.  

Meantime there is something strange going on or perhaps not with this Blog.  I can sign in through my other blog, my book blog, but I cannot sign in directly to this and so when I go to comment on another blog it signs me as Pat's Books,,,very annoying and just one more reason why I prefer FB, no such nonsense.  Some day I might tinker with  this, but really not worth the annoyance.  I have more genalogy to do first and photos  to scan... 

Idiom Make do

Out back, the shop/coach house

   Make do is an idiom. Grammatically, it is a verb phrase, and it means to use what one has on hand or to persevere through non-ideal circumstances.  And from the archive of The Word Detective blog, "The “make” in “make do” is our common English verb “to make,” which comes from the Old English “macian” and Germanic roots further back, all with the basic sense of “to build, construct, create.” In English, “make” has developed a dizzying number of derivative uses, from “making dinner” to “making a fire” to “make time” to do something to “make history” or simply “to make it” and achieve a goal. “To make do” falls within the use of “make” to mean “to cause a person or thing to do something,” as in “make someone cry.” (“Make believe,” using the same sense of “make,” originally meant “to make others believe something,” but now means “to pretend to believe.”)

The “do” in “make do” is the common verb meaning “to perform or execute” used in an intransitive sense meaning “to be fitting or appropriate; to suffice,” the same sense found in the expression “That will do.” In the case of “make do,” the emphasis is on “making” something “do” that otherwise might not “do,” might not be quite right or sufficient. “Make do” first appeared in print in that exact form in the 1920s, but Charlotte Bronte used the form “make it do” in her 1847 “Jane Eyre.”  

And that is exactly what I intend for the rest of today, to make do.  Here is why......

Our driveway snowplow guy came very early, in the dark this morning before it had stopped coming down. Jerry said it was still dusting flurries when he got up at 6:30 AM so the driveway got about another inch or so after he plowed it and then the city snowplow was by too, third time clearing the street since yesterday afternoon.  That means there is a pile of snow at the end of our driveway, residue from the city plowing.  .  It started snowing yesterday afternoon and continued, as predicted, a winter blast.  Well it is mid January, expect no less in MN. 

Bunny hugged the garage door

I noticed an errant snow bunny that sometimes takes refuge under the front juniper had cut across the steps and stayed close to the garage going across the driveway, leaving bunny tracks in the snow. So I went out to clear the steps & path, & 

Bunny stepped up  the steps

 to clear the drive.    But  not today. I had to surrender,  half-way,  just is too  cold and getting icy.  So I retreated indoors, winter wins this round,  fortunately do not have to go anywhere and will skip mass tonight too as the temps dip farther down.  This is how I finished, but as if getting in one more, "take this" the wind kicked in and blew snow off the roof dusting over the steps and part of the driveway.  Not playing nice at all.  But as I do not plan to venture out it can stay and I will make do inside.  After all this is bed sheet laundry day and I have tasks awaiting.  So winter wins,  I am wimping out.

Incompletely cleared driveway

These Boots

Outside stepper boots

These days and the snow is on its way again, I get workouts several times a day putting on my boots and taking them off again when I come back inside.  Used to be Jerry did snow blowing and had his one pair of boots here on this mat sometimes he just walked in and out with his regular boots on and was not changing, but not me.  I have inside and outside footwear.  And as I am the one with outside duties, minor shoveling because we pay for plowouts; trips to the mail box down the driveway daily, sometimes twice if I put mail out for pick up; and depending on the week trash or recycle bin hauling down the driveway and then later retrieval.  I do not wear my inside shoes out there and this winter invested in these  two  different but heavy durable boots for winter, heavy soles that prevent me from slip sliding when it is glazed or icy.  And a pair of older clogs that do if it is just a quick easy trip down a clear driveway.  It does get tiresome changing shoes daily for this and that.  . 

Newest standing tall grey leather walking boots, short tan
leather Clarks on the shelf now in their 5th year. 

Uggs and sideways my favorite brown high boots

Oh, I have  plenty of other boots too that I wear out and about to church, to shopping, errands and to the Y where I change again into tennis workout shoes. These next two photos are either side of the  closet where the shoes have their own wall but the boots are now out for the season and stay nearby on the floor for selection.  I think a couple pair are my favorites, the tall brown leather boots because I have worn them for years, had the heels replaced at the shoemakers, fortunately we have such service  here.  I wore those boots in Europe all over in 2015, they  have traveled well and have seen a lot. And then there are my Uggs, of which I have always a couple pair for winter, two short ones, one pair not shown here the short new tan ones but the grey pair, almost worn out, standing on the floor.  Those will not be put back up onto the shelf this spring.   And those high Uggs, dark browns are just great in the wintry weather especially with skinny jeans or tights.  They are so warm.  The only thing is I do wish they and the  shorties had more of a heel, they are all flat and I do prefer some elevation.  Still the warmth of Uggs cannot be shrugged off. I am fortunate to have this huge bedroom walk in closet, some friends here say it is bigger than their bedrooms, and so it may well be.  But that allows me plenty of space to rebox winter boots and store them away on top the shelves until the next winter. Having so many gives me the options and so many of the boots last and sometimes I  just tire of them or realize I will not be wearing them like the high heeled ones I brought from CA and donated.  That high of a heel is just not for me any longer although I still admire spikes heels...Past memory.    

  Ahh, it has been so cold I almost wish it were March, but as time goes so fast I will not wish it away, just  endure the winter.  Someone asked me the other day how many boots I had and I  really do not know anymore than how many pair of shoes I have, or how many sweaters.  All I know is, can never be enough, there is always a new pair or two to add each season.   I have an aunt and a cousin, her daughter who count everything they have down to pairs of socks, underwear...I always thought that strange but Aunt Pearl says she has always counted her things.  

Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass.....

view out front

It is a clear vibrant blue sky, but bitter cold day here with high of 12 degrees and we have reached that.  I  had to run an errand uptown and I use the term run freely, I drove, too cold for me  to walk let alone run, it is too cold for me to get out there and shovel the other front walkway and more snow is on the way tomorrow.  Well, people can use the other front door, the steps closest to our garage and enter through the hallway into the kitchen instead of the living room.  I often wondered why we had 2 front doors on this home, but in this weather that is a good thing.  If the  rest of the walk is not cleared, no problem, people can enter in the first door and if someone is insulted, not my problem, get over it. .

Not a track nor a bird in the bush

I bundled up in my newest parka and head  cover, mittens I purchase in 2015 in Austria when Carlie and I were on our Danube Christmas markets cruise.  Sadly she passed suddenly over a year ago and with her, my international travel partner.  Just walking acrosss the street to the parish office from the school lot this morning was a wake up!  As I returned home and looked at our snow I noticed something most unusual for here, no tracks, not a squirrel, rabbit, deer mark to be found, not even a bird in the bush.  All critters have hunkered down against this tundra wave.    .

An old saying came to mind today, "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey"  and having not too much to do, I googled it and learned interesting information about the source.  https://www.grammar-monster.com/sayings_proverbs/freeze_balls_off_brass_monkey.htm?fbclid=IwAR0SbVlCBE5crQ0uLcd-lQctA0GZ1-STNf2all0GacGC_Yz87XZUTF5whRM

If you follow the link you will learn: To freeze the balls off a brass monkey means it is very cold. now that I knew.  But I never saw a brass monkey.....

"Early references to brass monkeys in the 19th century have no references to balls at all, but instead variously say that it is cold enough to freeze the tail, nose, ears and whiskers off a brass monkey; or hot enough to scald the throat or singe the hair of a brass monkey. All of these variations imply that an actual monkey is the subject of the metaphor, with balls being the surviving phrase.

It is widely believed that a brass monkey is a brass tray used in naval ships during the Napoleonic Wars for the storage of cannonballs (piled up in a pyramid). The theory goes that the tray would contract in cold weather, causing the balls to fall off. This theory is discredited by the US Department of the Navy and the etymologist Michael Quinion and the OED's AskOxford website for five main reasons:

·         The Oxford English Dictionary does not record the term monkey or brass monkey being used in this way.

·         The purported method of storage of cannonballs (round shot) is simply false. Shot was not stored on deck continuously on the off-chance that the ship might go into battle. Indeed, decks were kept as clear as possible.

·         Such a method of storage would result in shot rolling around on deck and causing a hazard in high seas. Shot was stored on the gun or spar decks, in shot racks (longitudinal wooden planks with holes bored into them, known as shot garlands in the Royal Navy), into which round shot were inserted for ready use by the gun crew.

·         Shot was not left exposed to the elements where it could rust. Such rust could lead to the ball not flying true or jamming in the barrel and exploding the gun. Indeed, gunners would attempt to remove as many imperfections as possible from the surfaces of balls.

·         The physics do not stand up to scrutiny. All of the balls would contract equally, and the contraction of both balls and plate over the range of temperatures involved would not be particularly large. The effect claimed possibly could be reproduced under laboratory conditions with objects engineered to a high precision for this purpose, but it is unlikely it would ever have occurred in real life aboard a warship.

(Thanks to T.W. Hanna for this entry)

A Competing Theory

In the past, war ships carried iron cannons, which required cannon balls nearby. The cannon balls were stored in a square pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four, resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. In order to prevent the sixteen balls from rolling away, a metal plate called a monkey with sixteen round indentations was secured near the cannon. As iron rusts quickly, the plate was made of brass. Whilst the rusting problem may have been solved, brass contracts much more and quicker than iron in cold weather. As a consequence, when the temperature was extremely cold, the brass indentations would shrink and the cannon balls would roll off the monkey. The temperature was therefore cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. "

And there you have it, we do what we can to entertain ourselves inside in the arctic here.  But above all we are thankful for a warm comfortable home, and endless projects to keep us entertained.