Holiday Downsizing

What's become to regarded as the unofficial last day of summer, Labor Day, was celebrated this past Monday with a 3-day weekend. 

Traditionally, this day is time for picnics, family get togethers and getaways. We'd considered a road trip, but increasing gas prices, dealing with holiday traffic and last minute vacationeers made us re-think that plan. Instead, we stayed home, aside from a trip to the supermarket and a walk outdoors. 

It was a good weekend to tackle Christmas holiday downsizing. Believe me, empty containers are a very good thing especially at this stage of our lives when less is much better. We wil still enjoy Christmas, but with a lot less to put up and take down, which will also be good.

Empty containers are a very good thing

Grenville hauled five of these containers from storage and we spent time sorting through Christmas stuff — this 'n that, stockings & holders, wooden signs, Nativity, tree skirts, lights. One tote had styrofoam pieces (now discarded) and Buffalo snow (artificial snow to be donated) that were used for the holiday village, which won't be set up this year. 

There were too many ornaments, so a decision was made to keep special ones like those given by family (only one each of grandpa and grandma ornaments needed, not 3 sets). Also kept were ones bought at craft shows or when on travels. 

Progress was made, two containers were emptied and then there were three, not five. These totes definitely need to be relabeled much neater once this project is completed.

These three containers will soon become two

The to go items were boxed, loaded into a cart and taken to a large thrift store yesterday — the sooner the better. When donating Christmas holiday items it's best not to wait until right before the holidays. That's when thrift stores will be inundated and may not accept giveaways, which could then become toss-aways. The start of October is a good time.

All of this went to a thrift store this week

Sorting will be ongoing with the goal to reduce Christmas items into two containers before Grenville returns them to storage. It's handy that in the absence of a garage or attic, a storage unit is just down the hall from our apartment. Of course, the goal is to not add more stuff.

In between the holiday downsizing, a mini scarecrows and pumpkins display was set up outside our apartment entry — it was downsized from previous years.

Your Turn — Do you have excess holiday — if so, any downsizing plans?

Everywhere a Sign

We like signs, which you would readily see if you ever visited our apartment, as there's quite a varied collection. Signs are everywhere — above doorways, bedroom walls, kitchen walls, in the dining area, living room and in the entryway.

Since we can't invite everyone to our home, although you are always welcome, this post shows most of our sign and wall decor. The two below are in the entry.

These next two signs ↓ are in the kitchen area. To date, the first one hasn't deterred anyone from dining in our apartment. The second one is really so true.

The next signs ↓ are in the dining area above the wine glass holder and wine rack.

The two bathroom doorways and the bedroom doorways also have signs on top.

Our bedroom walls ↓ display a collection of signs, photo art and framed cards.

The bedroom also has these large decals on three walls; the last behind the headboard.

The wall hanging below is a handmade gift sent years ago by fellow blogger, Kathleen, and it's also on display in our bedroom.

Signs ↓ related to age and adulthood are displayed in the living room above bookcases.

This top shelf of a bookcase dedicated to a collection of penguin and snowmen also has a sign above it.

Our living room bookcases contain cookbooks and framed family photos with a few signs. A message composed with Scrabble tiles is displayed in front of Boyds bears figurines.

Our largest sign is a roadmap for life; it summarizes some of the sayings on many other signs. It's the final line on this sign that says it all.

We create messages using Scrabble tiles with magnets glued on the back and have a board with extra letters. Correct spelling is optional, if we get the meaning.

The outside entry to our apartment also has signage, which is rotated seasonally or by holidays. The top sign previously hung in our VA home, where we did have a back door.

Yes, this post has lot of wall art and signage, but looking at these daily makes us happy and these days that's not such a bad thing.

Speaking of signs, does anyone remember the 1970s protest-rock song, Signs?

Performed by the Canadian rock group, Five Man Electrical Band, it was penned by the group's lead, Les Emmerson, who as he was traveling on Route 66 to Los Angeles from Canada, was offended by signs and billboards obscuring his view of the scenery. This reportedly led to his penning the tune which questions who had the right to make arbitrary rules interfering with nature and people. 

Signs was originally a B-side to an 1970 unsuccessful single, Hello Melinda Goodbye. After it was re-released as an A-side in 1971, it reached No. 4 on Canadian pop charts and No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Overall, it ranked as the No. 24 song of 1971 selling over 2 million copies worldwide and garnering a gold record.

Five Man Electrical Band disbanded in 1975 after touring fatigue and member departures. Emmerson, the lead singer and songwriter, revived a local version of the band for live performances. He died in 2021 at age 77 from COVID-19 complications.

If anyone wants to listen to Signs, again, or for the first time, you can find it online,

Listen at the risk of having an ear worm the rest of the day.

Puzzle Day and Penguins

Today is a day to celebrate puzzles

Did you know that today, January 29 is National Puzzle Day?

That was news to myself as well, but since 2002, it's been celebrated annually to honor all types of puzzles including, but not limited to, jigsaws, crosswords, Sudoku and word searches. The goal is to celebrate the mental benefits of puzzle solving which can include improved memory, cognitive function and problem-solving skills. 

Who wouldn't want to exercise their brain while having fun?

Puzzle Day was founded by Jodi Jill, a puzzle maker, writer and syndicated columnist and celebrated on her birthday (why not?). There's even an official website day at with all sorts of info at PuzzleDayFun.com.

For myself, this is a timely celebration especially after the completion of my first jigsaw puzzle in a few years. While last weekend's snowstorm was a headache for many, being indoors gave me a lot of time to work on this Christmas gift.

This puzzle was a Christmas gift from family

Of course, the only thing better than receiving a penguin jigsaw puzzle could have been one with frogs as well. But, after searching online, I found puzzles with either penguins or frogs, not both. This wooden puzzle (Leogor) consisted of 200 pieces, some with unique shapes like a Christmas tree, boat anchor, shark, mushroom, octopus, lighthouse and whale, some of which were challenging to fit together.

This puzzle mat was received as a Christmas gift

My holiday gift also included the felt puzzle mat (Gourbette) shown above for puzzles up to 1500-pieces with printed reference guidelines on the mat. The mat is a stow and go. It came with an inflatable tube and pump so the puzzle can be rolled up and inserted in the provided carrying case for temporary storage or moving it to another place. As I'm skeptical if rolling would dislodge any pieces, the mat will stay flat when working on a puzzle. It  also came with those four colorful puzzle sorting trays, nice but hardly enough for a larger puzzle.

Completed during last week's 2-day snow event

The penguin puzzle was completed and shown above on the felt puzzle mat. I'll confess to some a lot of frustration when first getting started as it's been a few years since my last one.

This 7-pack stacking puzzle trays is coming in handy

Last week, I purchased this set of puzzle sorting trays to continue this new pastime. The price was relatively inexpensive (under $10 Amazon). They've already been filled with pieces from the current jigsaw puzzle. Has anyone else had the same difficulty making these sorting decisions?

Jigsaw Puzzle Facts

Jigsaw puzzle is a specific type of puzzle involving the assembly of interlocking pieces to form a complete image and is made from cardboard, wood or plastic. Puzzle is a broader, term for any problem, game or toy testing ingenuity, like crosswords, Sudoku, logic puzzles, or Rubik's cubes. 

A lover of jigsaw puzzles is called a dissectologist which dates from the 18th-century, when early jigsaw puzzles were known as dissected maps invented in the 1760s. Today, fans are usually known as a puzzler or puzzle enthusiast. 

The term jigsaw puzzle didn't happen until 1906 and comes from the jigsaw, a specialized saw with a thin, fine-toothed blade used to cut intricate, interlocking shapes of puzzle pieces from wood or cardboard. The jigsaw was invented in 1855. 

Jigsaw comes from the nickname jig, used to described the saw's rapid up-and-down motion. The term emerged in the early 20th century when this tool became the production standard. The modern portable jigsaw was introduced in 1947.

Individual parts of a puzzle are called pieces by manufacturers and enthusiasts.

Most 1000-piece puzzles rarely have that many pieces, but range between 999 and 1026. Why? because of manufacturing cuts, grid layouts and rounding for marketing purposes Using rounded numbers, like 1000, is easier to advertise than exact figures like 1026 or 999. 

Start & Popularity of Jigsaw Puzzles

An early dissected map puzzle

Cut out puzzles originated in 1760 when John Spilsbury, a London engraver and cartographer who invented the first known puzzle. by mounting maps onto mahogany wood and cutting it into small pieces along country lines with a marquetry saw. 

Spilsbury called these dissected maps. His goal was to teach geography in a playful manner. They soon became a trendy pastime among adults as well. However, made of wood and handcrafted, only the very wealthy could afford them. Queen Victoria was known to be a puzzle enthusiast, solidifying puzzles as a favorite pastime among the upper class. 

In the 19th century, puzzles gained in popularity among adults becoming a parlor activity. These puzzles were often made from wood with intricate designs and complex cutting patterns. Themes included landscapes and famous paintings to educational subjects.

Cardboard jigsaw puzzles appeared in the late 1800s, but were slow to replace wooden ones. Why? Manufacturers felt that cardboard puzzles would be seen as low-quality, also the profit margins on wooden jigsaws were larger.

Jigsaw puzzles became a craze in the U.S. from 1907 to 1910 and later in Europe. These were typically made from solid wood and were often non-interlocking, which made them a challenge, especially as there was usually no image on the box. (I am so thankful for the full color image in current jigsaw puzzle boxes.)

Popularity climbed during the Great Depression (1929-1939) with long-lasting and recyclable entertainment. The invention of die-cutting and mass-production techniques, made cardboard puzzles attractive, popular and cheaper to mass-produce. Jigsaw puzzles were given away in product promotions or used in advertising with customers completing an image of the promoted product. 

Drugstores, bookstores and supermarkets sold inexpensive die-cut cardboard puzzles and puzzles could be rented for a nickel per night. These often featured movie stars, famous paintings or scenic travel posters. By 1933, U.S. sales reportedly reached millions per week. 

In 1945, after the end of WW II, sales of wooden jigsaw puzzles fell as improved wages led to price increases. The shift to cardboard jigsaw puzzles became a permanent standard making them an affordable hobby. Major revivals happened in the 1970s and the late 1990s, as 3D and mystery puzzles became popular. 

In the 2020s, the demand for jigsaw puzzles surged comparable to that in the Great Depression as people sought indoor activities during the Covid-19 pandemic. I read that Ravensburger, a popular puzzle manufacturer, reportedly sold over 28 million puzzles worldwide in 2020 alone. That’s an amazing statistic.

Currently, jigsaw puzzles remain popular and feature diverse, intricate designs. Top U.S. puzzle manufacturers, recognized for quality and popularity, include Buffalo Games, SunsOut, Springbok, White Mountain, and MasterPieces.

The above puzzle is the next one that’s been started in our home. Most of the outer borders have been completed. Remaining pieces will be sorted in the trays this week.

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This current puzzle uses most of the mat and our dining room table

Did you know that buying jigsaw puzzles can be pricey? The good news is there are less costly alternatives. For example, our local library has a puzzle exchange area. Also, the senior center we're members of has an entire cabinet of donated puzzles in various sizes, free to borrow and return for another selection. These options might also be available in your areas.

Your Turn — Are you a jigsaw puzzle enthusiast (dissectologist) and, if so, do you have a favorite brand or theme ?

Holiday Aftermath

These penguins and snowmen are permanently displayed on a bookcase shelf

Happy New Year, once again, Patrick and myself hope that everyone had a holiday season filled with memorable experiences of good times and good food shared with family, friends or both.

As mentioned in a previous post, we were home in Nashua, NH, for both major holidays, Christmas and New Year's and the eves that preceded these days. Our Thanksgiving road trip a few weeks before included visits with most family members who also spent these holidays with their respective families. It's a sure thing that we will be see all of them on 2026 road trips.

We are still enjoying the tree nightly

Our indoor holiday decorations remain in place, including the tree which will remain up for at least another week. We enjoy seeing the multi-color lights in late afternoon and evening. The teddy bear and moose families will also go back into storage.

Georgie and Everest now reside in our apt

This year we added a couple of newcomers to our holiday collection thanks to a 75% off sale at the local CVS store and some discount coupons. Above left is Georgie and right is Everest, and yes we named them both. 

Together now, a snow couple

Georgie is now a companion to Fred the snowman who traveled from our VA home to NH. They make a sweet pair and both will remain in the apt after the decorations are put away in a storage unit. Everest will also be a permanent resident (when not off hiking).

A plush penguin was added to our small collection along with my first jigsaw puzzle and, of course, a penguin theme, a gift from family members. A puzzle mat also accompanied it.

We set up our dining room table and another one as buffets

The day before New Year's Eve we hosted a get together and invited 14 fellow neighbors. We set up two tables in our dining area and arranged everything buffet style and did all the food preparation; a couple of neighbors brought items to share as well. Since everyone lives in the mill apartments, it was very convenient, no driving required, just walking in the hallway.

Plus, there was enough food left over to bring to another get together with fellow neighbors the day of New Year's Eve as we played games of dominoes and rummikub. This week, party leftovers were finished up, aside from candies and some cookies.

The weather for New Year's Eve was gloomy with a dusting of light snow. We heard fireworks at midnight but were already comfortable in bed and falling asleep as 2026 arrived in our dreams.

The first day of 2026 was cold with a snow cover

The first day of 2006 was better as the snow had stopped by early morning; however the temperatures remained in the 20s. Indoors was the best place to stay so we did.

The Wolf Moon was obscured by clouds

A few days ago, we had hoped to see the Wolf Moon. This is the traditional name for the full moon in January. It's so named for the belief that wolves howl more often in cold months to communicate or locate food. We were disappointed because as soon as the moon rose it was enveloped in clouds.However, the lights along the riverwalk and in the nearby river park were beautifully reflecting on the Nashua River.

A couple of days this week was spent sorting through supermarket recipe booklets collected over the past few months and photo reprints, some of which will be framed or put into albums; others will be sent to family and friends.

I also tallied up my 2025 books read (75) to see how it compared with totals in the past the past five years: Last year's tally was a bit less than in 2024 which was 83, and 2023 was a really big reading year with 132. There were 74 reads in 2021 and only 58 in 2020. These totals include audio, e-books and library borrows and both fiction and non-fiction with most in the form of mysteries or historical fiction. 

My 2026 reading count has started with two newly-published books borrowed from the Nashua Public Library:  A Slowly Dying Cause (Elizabeth George) is an Inspector Lynley novel and The Impossible Fortune (Richard Osman) is the latest Thursday Murder Club novel.

We both enjoyed cold weather days between the two holidays indoors with several mugs of hot chocolate (complete with whipped cream) and leftover holiday cookies. As well as a delicious gift box of pears gifted by a fellow neighbor, Peter.

Your Turn — did 2025 end well; if it did or didn't has 2026 started better?

Catching Up at Home

Where HAS the time gone?

An all too common sentiment by many, including ourselves, as year-end fast approaches.

It's been a while since my last post about exploring the Zippo Lighter Museum in Bradford, PA. This was definitely one of the most unique and interesting places we've visited. Even better as it was completely unplanned after seeing a sign on the highway and detouring.

So often unexpected happenings are the best.

While not unexpected, travel is happening again An upcoming 🦃 holiday road trip will be to visit family and friends in our native NJ and PA. 

So what's been taking up so much time in the past couple of weeks?

Home cooking because as much as we did enjoy some a lot of  wonderful foods (and wine) on our Portugal adventure, we enjoy home dining. Since our apt kitchen is galley-style and best suited for a single chef, we've been trading weeks. Some of my recent meal plans have included soups and comfort food since this is the perfect time of year for both.

Above is a mini peasant bread from a recipe by Alexandra Stafford called My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Ever Make which was included in her first book, Bread Toast Crumbs, a favorite in our collection. If you have Pyrex bowls and a few hours this bread can be done right before dinner. The recipe calls for making two mini-breads, but I halved it to bake a single. This is a no-knead bread, plus there's no preheating for the baking bowls.

Since soup is a wonderful accompaniment to fresh bread, the homemade soups were a tomato-based vegetable soup and a first-time broccoli-avocado soup with no dairy added.

Chicken pot pie just scream comfort food (you mean yours doesn't?). It also was a great way to use the excess chicken breasts bought on a supermarket sale. I had always leftovers from a store-bought rotisserie chick, but poaching and shredding chicken breasts was so easy and a definite a game-changer. I didn't include a link as there are plenty of online sites to explain the process. This pie also made good use of a single frozen pie crust and fresh vegetables of onions, celery and zucchini, a defrosted cup of peas and carrots was also included. Leftovers were the best part of this meal served with a side salad.

Pizza is one of our favorites and we have made it often with varying success. Recently, we tried a new recipe from fellow blogger Rain for this Thin Crust Pizza Dough. It was one of the best recipes tried. The recipe makes two 9-inch pizzas, but only a single one was made. The remaining dough was frozen and used for a second pizza night.

Much time was given to sorting through and organizing photos from the Portugal trip to create a photo book. Assembling it with photos and accompanying text took the better part of a week working several hours a day. Brochures collected along the trip and the tour itinerary served as guidelines to recall everywhere we went. And, the Internet was a huge resource to provide historical background. 

As for previous trip books, this one was created online using Snapfish which always has great deals, that can be combined. One was to add extra book pages beyond the 20 included at a 55% discount. I took advantage of that one increasing the book size to 50 pages. There was also a 75% discount on holiday photo cards, so for the first time I ordered family-themed ones to supplement my holiday card sending.

Other local events that took consumed the past couple of weeks included the annual Veterans Day parade in downtown Nashua. We attended, but no photos were taken this year.

The Nashua Public Library held a Mystery Masquerade (costumes optional) which was a great fun (and free) event. We are fortunate in that the public library here offers many free events such as children's story times, book groups, recent and classic film screenings, game night, guest speakers and special events. It's a lot different than the library I went to years ago.

Jim Brickman

Getting into the holiday spirit early, we attended a concert at the Nashua Arts Center that featured pianist and composer Jim Brickman on tour with The Gift of Christmas. While we have been long-time fans, it was news to us that Brickman has been called America's Romantic Piano Icon. He is considered the best-selling solo pianist with 22 number one albums, 33 Top 20 radio hits and 2 Grammy nominations. 

Coincidentally, he shares a distinction with fellow performer Barry Manilow, as both started their early careers by writing advertising jingles.

The show was simply done with Brickman performing solo as the scheduled female vocalist had suddenly been taken ill.

Since we are traditional and do not decorate until after the Thanksgiving holiday, this show was a gentle lead-in for what's to come.

Apologies to fellow bloggers for not keeping up with recent posts, many of which have been read; however commenting has been sporadic.