I promised myself that when our new table arrived, I would put up a puzzle. I saved this Peace Like a River puzzle by Kim Norlien just for the occasion. He is, or was, a local artist. His studio was down the road from us in Clearwater. When we stopped in there this past summer the studio was locked, and there was a realty sign on the lawn. The last time I checked his web site it still had the Clearwater address. At any rate, the puzzle finally went up and was finished. But just like a country music song, I have to analyze it! Notice that the sky looks like daylight. You can't see it from the picture, but there are people sitting out on the deck on the right, just above and to the left of the blue car. Yet. the fireplace is lit, and all of the lights are on in every room of the house. They are wasting electricity and firewood! I guess that means the light is merely symbolic. When I first started this puzzle I was dropping in pieces left and right. As I neared the end, when it is normally easier, it got harder and harder. It was a challenge. The hidden images were a little bonus, and the scripture quote a commentary on the artist. I am sorry that he is moving, or has moved from, the area.
I have been able to finish two mysteries, Ralph McInerny's On This Rockne, and a garage sale find, George Harmon Coxe' Top Assignment (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1955). Ralph's book was entertaining from his commentaries on academic life and on the state of affairs in the Catholic church. I got a kick out of "The Old Bastards Table" and the faculty senate. Took me back to my days at CSB/SJU. Academia! Top Assignment was interesting in that Communist infiltration in the United States was part of the plot. Today no one would think anything of it, and in fact people would probably cheer it on.
We have had some life adventures this week. Arthur's car just came back from the garage. Mine needs to go in. On top of that our local e-mail service provider closed up out of the blue, or if it was a one man operation, he was injured in a hunting accident and is lying in a hospital bed somewhere while the company goes belly up. We had not had service for almost a week. Last night we decided to scramble and go for a new e-mail.
The St. Marcellus Mission group craft sale is over for the year. I am free to craft as I like without deadlines for another whole ten months! Glory! But not really any time to rest. I had to deliver a bunch of leftover hats and scarves to Catholic Charities, and I brought home some stained and holey vintage embroidered tablecloths that I will have to figure out how to use for next year's sale. There is no rest for the wicked. And I still have to get caught up on dishes, housecleaning and laundry.
