throw aways

Sadly, missing 4 pieces.

Imperfect, but beautiful.

(Not unlike our country...Not unlike ME!)

I'm reluctant to throw it away.

***

I enjoy finding unique jigsaw puzzles like this one at thrift stores.

For a quarter of a dollar or so, I've purchased many hours of relaxation.

To be honest, my husband puts in the most hours,

but there is something soothing to me about having a puzzle in process.

***

When we finish them, we pass them along to friends who pass along theirs to us

or return them to the thrift store.

If pieces are missing, we sometimes discard them.

This one is VERY hard for me to throw away...

 

 

passing the hour

 As you probably have observed,

I never tire of getting away to Barnes and Noble!

 I select a stack of magazines

(as does my partner),

 we find a table,

 and contentedly (and carefully) turn the pages...

 dreaming and gathering as we pass the hour.

(THIS time, as I passed through the store,

it seemed to me there were more aisles of toys.

I wonder if this is coincidence or somehow related

to the recent closing of Toys-R-Us.)

this & a salted caramel mocha latte

 If you guessed Barnes and Noble,

 you're right!

 

 As usual, it was a relaxing afternoon.

 I went alone this time 

leaving my hubby to watch football.

 I came home with a head-full of ideas

 and a list -

 hastily scratched out on the only paper I could find

since I'd left my little notebook at home.

That's how I roll!

those good old "buy one get one free" coupons

 They sure come in handy.

 It was a great morning for a great morning!

thrifty life styles

 Thrifty Style for me has expanded to include 

what could be characterized as a Life Style.

This blog started out celebrating my clothing finds in local thrift stores.

 As seasons of life move from one to another,

I celebrate OTHER areas of simplicity and frugality.

 My father has come to live with us and as winter passed into springtime,

we celebrate simple and frugal healthy habits.

Walking in public parks and spaces that require no admittance fees

has proven to be a favored recreation in the evenings following

easy and healthy suppers.

And so we stroll...

sharing the sights and scents of nature with those we love...

pre-christmas activity

While the rest of you shop, cook, bake, decorate and wrap, 

you might be interested to know what I'm doing! 
~ Click HERE to find out ~

another day; another puzzle

Another day; another puzzle.

We finished this one - which was NOT easy -

since the cars were not arranged like the photo on the box!

After taking it apart this afternoon,

we started another.

We find puzzles to be a simple and satisfying way

to spend cold, winter days!

(Frequently our puzzling is accompanied by a mug 

of hot chocolate or eggnog with a bit of nutmeg sprinkled on it

and some instrumental Christmas music playing in the background...)

all hands on deck

 The addition of two hands in our household

helped make quicker work of this puzzle (which definitely deserved the name "puzzle")!

My husband cut a piece of pegboard so we could move it from our dining table

to rest on the arms of a chair in our living room between meals.

Unfortunately, he didn't cut the board BIG enough to accommodate

the two NEW puzzles I acquired this morning when I met friends for breakfast!

I selected these two out of several my friend was going to donate to a thrift store.

What fun we will have.

What a fun and inexpensive way to keep all hands on deck occupied...

puzzling

 We didn't put in a jigsaw puzzle all winter....

Now, just as spring is about to descend (optimistic here),

we completed one and are starting on another.

Both were thrift store purchases.

Always risky when buying puzzles, I know.

The first one was all here!

And we're well into the next!

Its 3 foot width just barely fits on the wing of our table!

It's puzzling to me how both happened to be MAP puzzles!
Besides being a bit addictive,  these are turning out to be
quite the educational endeavors.

Update:  Done!