Marlene
Over the rainbow
@Deb I'm so happy for you to be retiring, but so sad for us. However, being successfully retired myself, I offer my services if you haven't yet figured out your post-employed life! I keep saying I need to write a book on how to retire successfully, but the truth is, it probably isn't worth more than a newspaper column or magazine article. Regardless, thank you for your guidance these past years, as I went from Monday, Tuesday solver and hair-puller the rest of the week, to a confident weekly solver. You have had a positive impact on so many lives. I raise my coffee cup in salute and thanks! Le'chaim!
Very important to finish this puzzle quickly. Before it melts.
Excellent Saturday puzzle! Today is my cooking day, pre-Passover, so I needed a challenge to wake me up, but not so difficult that it would take all day. Loved the clue: Running mate for ELOPE. But YEESH, so many complaints about Will, working on his recovery, while Joel is taking flak from people who obviously will find anything to complain about! I sure hope no one lets Will see these comments; he doesn't need the added stress. And Joel, you know it's just part of the job. You and the rest of the gang are doing a fine job. If you pleased everybody all of the time, the clock would strike midnight and your subway would be a pumpkin.
We have a long driveway, and we get a lot of packages. (Who doesn't, post-pandemic?) Because some delivery people (looking at you, FedEx) would sometimes leave our packages in – ahem – inappropriate places (halfway up the driveway in a snow pile), we have a box with snacks in the door of our garage and a note thanking drivers for making it to the top of the driveway. Among the cookies, Goldfish, pretzels, Ritz cheese and crackers and peanut butter sandwich crackers, it is the Oreos that always go first. The Double Stufs seem to disappear before we even put them out! (In the hot summer days, our UPS driver prefers ice water, and if I am home, he gets two bottles. By far, our favorite, most courteous driver!)
@LW You've never heard of a pirate saying "Avast, me hearties!" or the dog breed Lhasa Apso? Well, all I can say is, now you have. Add them to your crosswordese folder and I promise, you will use them again.
@Nancy How kind of you to take us through your journey of how to get out of doing a positively delightful puzzle. When you were in high school, did you also have such excuses for why you didn't complete assignments? BTW, I never heard of calling a buck a "smackeroo"; however, that wouldn't stop me from filling in words around it, just in case. Crosswords teach us new words every day. Have you even given a peek at the Wordplay column? Or do you pride yourself on only doing a puzzle with your current knowledge base, and never joining in the fun? Well, everyone has their own limit or way of doing things, and if this is yours, okay. But maybe read the column before posting. Or, at least, before giving up. If every solve were a Monday, life would be so boring.
Not-so-fun-fact: The item most often left behind in the ER is a phone CHARGER. Probably the next-most-often is the phone itself. So if you, heaven forbid, find yourself in the ER, have your phone with you but no charger, just ask your nurse, politely please, if there is perhaps a charger you can borrow. By virtue of my volunteering in the ER, I am aware of the many left-behinds that I have gone looking for, while gloved for health reasons, in rooms that have not yet been cleaned. And thanks to my husband's recent spate of trips to the ER, I am well aware of the cache of left behind chargers. Of course, some of the really cool beds have chargers on them. But you still need a wire. I enjoyed this puzzle, probably because I was able to get some of the stacked answers fairly early. I have become a much better Friday solver, due to my usually needing to stop, go to my shift at the hospital, and then comeback and look at it with fresh eyeballs. But I was able to finish this one all at once, and that will give me a boost when I falter on Saturday, as I am sure to do. Here's to a lovely weekend!
Zipped through this one, and choose to believe it is due to my improving skills, so please don't insist the puzzles are getting easier. Give me some time to glow with pride, and thank you. Definitely some answers I did not know (but I do now!), so I needed the crosses. I think I went through twice, completely, and that did it. But, it being Friday, it's ER volunteer day for me, so I shall get up, get dressed, and go off to "work." Many of the staff there do all the puzzles as well, so I will happily share that all my puzzles are done, and done well. (Nyah, Nyah) Okay, I'll think it quietly to myself. Have a lovely day, FRIEND MATERIALs!
@Turing You have to get over the cheating feeling. This is not a competition unless you really want it to be. There is no reward for NOT looking something up...but, in truth, there is a reward for looking it up and learning something new. And then it's added to your inner library and you can use it again. Unless you wear a sweatshirt that says "I look up clues on XWDS," who else knows/cares? Sometimes I look up answers, sometimes I don't. And by "looking them up," I don't mean looking at the answer key, although there have been times I've had to do that or I would never get out of the house. (Looking at you, Saturday!) But I enjoy looking up something new, maybe going down a rabbit hole or two, and learning something that was totally out of my sphere of experience. I also stopped caring about streaks. When my husband was in the hospital, and I didn't get to the puzzle, when my mom died and I didn't get to the puzzle, when we were on vacation, when we had houseguests... etc., etc., I realized that I was the only one who cared if I was back at #1. And, I didn't really care either. It just meant I had something to go back to in the archives when I had time. Well, everyone has their own choice and makes up their own minds, but my point is: life is easier with one less self-imposed stress.
I enjoyed this more than most Sunday puzzles. And I really love Sunday puzzles! The cluing today was really fun. I can't tell you which I loved most because I just don't have that much time in a whole day. Every new clue made me laugh. I needed that laugh today, because I am also writing my mom's eulogy; her funeral is in a few days and doing the puzzles today was a nice break. In our family, doing puzzles together on a Sunday was a ritual while I was growing up. In later years, after she and Dad moved to Florida, I would sometimes call her to help me finish a puzzle. She would do them all, when she was younger...cryptoquotes, jumbles, XWDs, anything that came her way. I think she stopped doing them somewhere around age 98. Her eyesight wasn't as good. By age 100, I could still ask her to help me with them, but it wasn't the same. She lived to over 103, long enough to influence a few generations of word and puzzle lovers. So I dedicate today's win to her, because I suspect that somewhere, she was helping me with it, whether I knew it or not. Thanks Mom.
WILL! Hi! WILLcome back! Willcommen, bienvenue, welcome! Joel did a great job while you were gone, but we were so concerned for you, and knowing that your byline is in place tells us that you did the hard work and made it back to be with us. Perhaps you are living proof that the hard work of puzzling is beneficial to your brain health (right up there with dark chocolate, nuts, berries, socialization, spirituality, and exercise). Here's to a wonderful New Year for you, and for Joel, who no doubt will be able to enjoy some breathing room now. And for all of us, who have studied the bylines since you've been away.
I am amazed at the number of people who want to rake Deb over the coals, when, every day, there are solvers who complain about beginner, constant, and in-between puzzle-makers for the too-hard, too-easy, too-much-culture-related, too-whatever puzzles they construct, and only a couple of people call them out on it. Or none. "Too easy for a [insert day]!" "Too many movies from the last century!" "Too many of whatever I don't know!" "Too many arcane words!" Blah, blah, blah... Everyone is entitled to an opinion... and columnists are hired for theirs. But all this is just my opinion.
@Deb My mom passed a few months ago. She was 103. After she moved to FL from NY, I would call her on Saturday mornings. Sometimes, in the middle of the conversation, I could tell I had lost her for a moment. Then she would suddenly say, "What's a five letter word for...." and I knew she was doing a crossword while we were talking. Normally she would do them with my dad, but by then Alzheimer's had stolen the puzzles from him. After he passed. she moved up to Massachusetts, to be near my sister. By the time she reached 100, puzzles were starting to be a thing of the past. But now that she is gone, I know that she and Dad are watching me as I do them, poking each other, and trying to put the right answers into my head. Grief takes time. Let it move through you, but leave yourself open to the memories. As we say, "May his memory be a blessing." I find the memories are wonderful, and make great stories to pass on. Especially when there's no one around to correct them!
Such wonderful cluing on this puzzle! I don't think I've enjoyed the clues so much since, perhaps, the Eugene Maleska days! (That may not be true, but I'm old enough that my memories prefer to go to the back of the stacks). I spent more time enjoying the clues than worrying about filling in the answers, so no rushing on this one...just pure enjoyment. Add to that, I have yet to run into a commenter complaining about the puzzle. A miracle? Or, I just haven't read far enough... Yesterday, during my volunteer shift in the ER, one of our visitors said to me, as I escorted her to visit her husband, "I have to see him before he falls apart. He hasn't finished his Sunday NY Times puzzle, and his week doesn't start until that's done!"
@Lewis I was at the other end of the spill a few summers ago. It was a gorgeous Wisconsin summer (yes, they exist), and we were sitting outside at the garden tables. I was wearing white jeans. Oops. The waitress brought our drinks, and mine was a red sangria. The table was of the iron variety, with an openwork makeup. I could see the problem before it happened; the bartender had filled the drink to the rim, in a martini-style glass. As she put it down, her hand shook oh-so-slightly. My white jeans were now red. All five of us...four at the table and the waitress...let out an audible "oh no!" I spent the rest of that meal trying to eat my delicious lunch while the waitress, manager, and bartender each brought me a solution (Try this club soda, here's some baking soda, get them dry cleaned and send us the bill...) as I in turn tried to reassure them (it's okay, don't worry about it, I don't blame you, it happens). I did get them cleaned (and did not turn in the bill), the stain remained. They were Chicos, and I loved them, but they weren't new, and today, they would no longer fit me. It's just fabric, and it really wasn't her fault. But when I saw the theme, I thought of this episode as well. It was a fun puzzle, nonetheless. I love Mondays.
Interesting tidbit about dreidles. While the ones we, in the US, are familiar with have the letters nun, gimel, shim, hey, and they stand for "a great miracle happened there," if you purchase one in Israel, made in Israel, it will have the letters nun, gimel, shim, peh, standing for "a great miracle happened here." I have friends who collect dreidles, and there are so many beautiful ones, made of many different materials, but of course, many are clay. When I was a child we used either chocolate gelt or hazelnuts (filberts) in their shells as our coins. And no, we never got gifts every night. The dreidel design in the puzzle came to me pretty quickly, and I enjoyed this game immensely! Thanks for the fun, and happy New Year to all, and happy last night to MOT. (Members of the Tribe)
I enjoyed the puzzle, despite not knowing quite a few answers. They came easily with crosses and I learned quite a bit today. I confess, I will probably never get a handle on gods, goddesses, and their offspring. This community encouraged me to read Moby Dick several years ago, and I did, and am better for it (only because of the puzzle, not because I enjoyed the book), but mythology and I are polite to each other in company, and avoid each other in private.
I am overworked. (And I am retired, so what does that tell you?) I knew I was, but it came home to me when I couldn't find the error keeping me from the happy music... and then it hit. I had ADOBe instead of ADOBO. Happy to say we are off on a cruise to continue the year-long celebration of our 50th next week. All of my puzzles will reset to 0 streaks, and my brain will reset to retirement mode. Volunteer activities will resume on my return. I suspect the organizations will carry on without us. (Not that I'm counting, but 5 days to go...)
In 1999, we were buying a new car. Had our eyes on one particular model, and were set to buy it, but Consumer Reports advised, "If you are considering (this), test drive (that)". So we did. I loved that. And this was to be my car. So when the dealer asked me for my opinion, I said, "Well, it's nice, but...can it fit a 20 oz. WaWa?" He thought I was kidding, but not every car had cup holders at that time, and I picked up a 20 oz cup of WaWa coffee every morning on my way to work. The next morning, there was a message on my work voice mail. "It fits a 20 oz. WaWa." He had tried it himself on his way in to work. We bought the car. I know many of you are wondering what the heck kind of a name WaWa is. WaWa is the name of a Pennsylvania town, and the convenience store's headquarters are located there, and obviously named for the town. The coffee is excellent, and it is a well-loved shop for all kinds of convenience items, including made-to-order (choose your term:) hoagies, subs, heroes, grinders. I lived in NJ at the time, and WaWa is all over there as well. Their gas stations used to be well-priced, too. Now, just like every one else. And that concludes today's lesson on WaWa.
Interesting that this puzzle has appeal across generations. I am old enough to remember VOLARE (which will be my ear worm for today, and I'm not complaining!), watched Sister Act with my kids, saw SCAR on screen (no doubt with SNO CAPS) and stage, am a grandmother with a MII, and though I have heard of CHARLI XCX, I have no idea what kind of music the artist is known for. Now that I think about it, most themeless probably cross generations. This is probably just the first time I noticed it. I truly enjoyed this puzzle; for a change, I won't have to finish it later, when I come home from my shift at the hospital. Meanwhile, Hubby went to the supermarket early this morning and, since flowers were BOGO today, I have two bouquets awaiting my attention. Have a lovely autumnal day, friends!
This was a hard puzzle. I like a hard puzzle on a Saturday. Lots of new stuff, which is good because when it's all "the usual suspects," it's not as much fun. If you know all the answers ahead of time it's like just rushing through the puzzle without any real need to use your brains. At least for me. Everyone has their own level of love for each day.
Kvetch, kvetch, kvetch. If you don't like the puzzle, remember that no one says you HAVE to do the it. And, if they were all easy, it wouldn't be fun. I loved this theme. Some of the clues were puzzling (hah) to me, but once I tasted them slowly, they made sense. Baby talk was probably my foggiest, but when I had enough letters to get ORALLY, it was a "slap the forehead" cinch. (No, I won't tell you how many letters that was...) A great debut, I must say! And I look forward to more puzzles from Ms. Rajamani, which I predict will be Wednesday and Thursday levels!
Hey, Deb! My mom could crack walnuts in her hand, too! She would put two in her hands or hand, and squish. We kids tried to do it; occasionally it would happen, but Mom had the magic. (She's 103 now, and those hands don't crack anything anymore, but the memories of us all sitting around the table cracking and eating while she was getting ready to bake are priceless!)
@Swift It was my high school guidance counselor. He was holding all the SAT scores in his hand, coming to our homeroom to hand them out, and I was on my way out. He said, oh, wait, let me give you your scores. Then he looked at the papers in his hand, then back to me in shock, then at the paper, then at me, then at the paper, than at me, then... "OH, that's not yours, it's Diane's!" Diane was our valedictorian. I will never forgive him for looking at me as if there was no way in hell I could ever measure up. I was a good student. Then there was the college advisor. My friend Helene and I went to him at the same time. We took the same classes, had the same grades, the same major, the same plans. This advisor looked at our files and harrumphed. "English majors, huh? Well, you can be department store buyers." She became a buyer for a chain store that was Chapter 11 a few months later, and went to work in her husband's business after that. (They did quite well, thank you.) I followed my original plan and became an editor/writer. So there. She and I are still friends. Neither of us can remember his name. So there again.
@ad absurdum Let's hear it for the Oxford comma!
Lovely Monday, and tied my best. And so, off to the ER, where I expect I will be the only volunteer today, as it is a holiday. Also expect a busy day, as it is a holiday. People get stupid on holidays. Celebrate your weekends off, right to organize, minimum wage, and benefits, America! But do it safely!
My daughter's kids are not allowed to have soda; there is none at home. But they, of course, hear about it at school. It is a well-known fact, however, that "Grandma never says no." Let the record show that my daughter is the one who told them that; I never did. I follow their rules to the letter, and only bend them when specifically told that it's okay. So when I had the kids for a couple of days a couple of summers ago, we were at a restaurant (only outdoors ones where permitted), and grandson asked if he could order an orange soda. I knew he wasn't going to drink it, so I let him order it, with a glass of water. He drank three sips of the huge soda (definitely a whole can of Crush in that glass) and then abandoned it. Mom and Dad approved, and he still, now and then, will order a soda, and not drink it. Granddaughter (two years older) shakes her head at him, in an older sister way, and orders water. "It's bad for your teeth!" she reminds him. I did love this puzzle; and my favorite clue was "Service for someone who needs support?" for BRAFITTING. And that's another story. But, maybe we'll skip that one today...
I had saunter before SWAGGER and that threw off my SW for a while, until I filled in the WHAT of WHATABOAR. Suddenly, I was able to finish the corner speedily and was rewarded with the happy music. Sometimes it's really hard to let go of the absolutely wrong answer, isn't it?
@Oikofuge One of our favorite Steven Wright jokes. (Imagine it delivered in his usual deadpan... or Eeyore...voice): I bought a humidifier and a dehumidifier. [pause] I put them in a room together, and let them fight it out.
I went into this puzzle telling myself, "It's Thursday. Beware." I smiled when I realized where the rebus came into play, realized it was NO NO, finished the puzzle with a smile...and no happy music. Carefully, I peeled away the layers; each clue one by one, read the column, went through some comments. Opened up the finished puzzle, and compared answers one at a time. Nope, nothing wrong. Aarrgghhh! Finally, last resort: I opened the "check puzzle" and agreed that the streak could go by the wayside. And there it was. Instead of NO in one of the answers, I had N0. A zero instead of a letter. I think I need a vacation. But I'll settle for lunch, and a manicure. See you later! (after I solve Eugene's puzzle, which I did originally in ink on my way to work in NYC.)
@Rosalind Mitchell Reba McEntire, who also has a TV show called Reba, and plays the part of Memaw's boyfriend's first wife on Young Sheldon. Google her, she is not at all unknown!
A fun bit of word play; thank you for driving me bonkers for a while. It really was fun, once I caught on. GREATSQUALLOFCHINA was one of my faves, but most of them were just lovely. A great Sunday type of puzzle, perfect for a snowy day. Tomorrow, it will be a rainy day. Maybe, since I've already done the puzzle, I'll bake instead.
@Mean Old Lady A Quilting Story (about a quilt that never did, and never will, cover a bed) I worked for a senior living organization that began almost 125 years ago. It was the first one (and still the only) that catered to Jewish people in its state. The entire community came together to create and support this facility and it grew and was known for its excellence. Fast forward to, hm, I'm thinking the 1980s or '90s. It was decided that a community quilt that would celebrate the community would be created... I was not there, so I can't comment on a lot of the decisions that went into creating this amazing craft. But I loved to talk about it whenever I gave tours of the building, because this was an entirely created-by-hand quilt. Women from the community organizations all sat around this huge fabric, each working on their own organization's block, and sewing it together. Meanwhile, their children (who are now adults) were sitting beneath it. The children caught the needles as they went down, and sent them back up! I love to imagine the gossip those children heard, and what they learned, as that immense quilt was created! It is still there, having been removed while the building was renovated, but returned to its spot immediately after, and only removed for cleaning and repairs over the years. Guests love to stop and marvel at it as they walk by, and some share reminiscences of being "under the quilt." Oh, and there is a companion book w/ the story of each square.
@Paul Paul, please save your response so you can repost it every week. It covers all the bases. Well done.
@Allen "Literally" is a word that should literally be stricken from your complaint. Unless, that is, you have combed through zillions (literally, a large number of things) of written books, papers, and other written items and spelling bees ... or perhaps you used AI? ... to find out if this is "literally" true? It's like the word Chanuka. Or Hanukkah. Or Hanukah. Or... anyway, it makes no difference, since the Dine people to not use our language to identify themselves anymore than Hebrew texts use our script. Transliteration is all variable, no matter what you decide. Literally.
Interesting how the column is divided between people who found it easy (mostly American citizens) and those who found it difficult or unpleasant (mostly not Americans). I don't think I would have the ability to even attempt a puzzle in another language, let alone another culture. My hat is off to those of you who regularly do the NYT puzzle, and do it well. Yes, some of our cultural (many, I should say) clues are mysteries to you, but you have certainly learned quite a few of them as you have done more and more of these puzzles. You are challenging your brain, which is excellent, btw, for your brain health, and adding to our knowledge when you supply us with comparable information from your own culture. Thank you for sharing your own thoughts and experiences here; the conversation is every bit as uplifting as the puzzle.
Had to laugh hard at @xworddeb 's comment re: 2D, as she thought of a bra being on a rack. At my daughter's wedding, the "best man" who was actually the groom's twin sister, read a magnificent toast that she penned on her way to the wedding. It had everyone rolling. It detailed their lives, how she would get them in trouble, but he always got the punishment. But the best line was undoubtedly: You grew a beard and I grew a rack. And this puzzle... I went through it once and thought I'd never finish it. Then, suddenly, words started filling in. Slowly, my brain remembered stuff. Important stuff. Banal stuff. Did pretty well for a Friday! So, keep at it! I was TODAY DAYS OLD when I realized Fridays are getting easier for me! I never thought it could happen!
One of the most fun puzzles I can remember...and I've been doing these XWDs since the 60s. Chortling at the theme answers was one thing; coming up with a new clue for OREO was another! Bravo for that! For today's ear worm, I will have Alexa play Peter and the Wolf; it's been years since I've listened to it! I totally forgot the assignment of instruments to the characters! I was held up in that corner till the very end, until OBOE hit, and then the rest fell into place quite dramatically. (Kind of appropriate, wouldn't you say?) It's almost time for lunch. Today's puzzles took me from breakfast to lunch. That's what I call a good Sunday!
My grandkids are coming over today. I haven't seen them since December, so I'm stoked! One of the things the little one (now 10 years old!) loves doing with me is my NY Times puzzles. I almost forgot, and started doing the Bee, but stopped after the pangram and two words. But the crossword? We love to do it and he learns about new (to him) words. How do I explain how "screw" and "nail" also mean "shag" ? Maybe we'll just bake cookies today. However, I did enjoy the puzzle, and am happy to say I don't think the puzzles are getting easier. I think I am becoming more adept at not giving up so easily. After my first read through, I have, maybe 3 or 5 answers filled in. Then I slow down and go through more carefully and have, usually, about ten. And so it builds. I know some of the Wordplay columnists have said similar things; that at first they don't fill in a lot of words, and that made me stop giving up so easily. My brain appreciates the company. Happy Valentines Day!
I hate complaining about puzzles, but I did check a few times to see if today was Wednesday or Thursday. I'm having a hard time keeping up with the dates, and the puzzles used to be a good way for me to do it. Yesterday was a real Monday, for me, but today was not very Tuesdayish. I guess what I object to is not the puzzle; once I understood it, I was okay with filling in the missing clues. It was just that it didn't feel like the usual smooth solve I've come to expect on a Tuesday. I have to admit it...it felt like work. But not every puzzle will be on my crudité board, and someone will always love a puzzle that I don't. So, I'll be glad that I finished it, even though it took longer than usual. Today isn't a volunteering day, so what was my rush? And I'll take a breath and go do a puzzle on another platform and see y'all here tomorrow. And anyway, Strands was easy. And I got all the others done. So, what do I have to bellyache about?
@Kathy And which part did not include words? You must not have come upon any hearing-challenged people in your life. Words, in their world, often come through hands. This isn't the first time we've had ASL in our puzzle, and this was an easy way to expand your vocabulary in another language. I'm guessing you can speak two or three words in French, n'est-ce pas? or Spanish, si? If you were in Germany and asked someone where the rest room was, and they pointed to the sign, could you not say "Danke?" Today you learned how to say a few essential phrases in another language, and they were easily discoverable on the crosses. Remember, learning another language keeps the synapses in your brain firing between the neurons, thus ensuring your brain a healthier lifetime. Serve doctrine! (Latin)
Today's ear worm, obviously, is LETSGOFLYAKITE. If you don't know it, don't look it up. It really is an ear worm; I'm sure to still be singing it at bedtime. But I enjoyed this Saturday puzzle that took me a while to get through, but with no look ups! Go, me!
OO, OO, OO! That was a lot of fun!
Whenever I see "I never heard that phrase before," and it's a fairly common phrase, I always wonder about the age of the poster. Are you young and just starting on the puzzle journey? Are you not especially well read? Or perhaps you've heard the phrase but not heard it properly. (Like in rock songs, i.e., There's a bathroom on the right). The XWD is undeniably more difficult if you aren't well read, which is why, at this group's urging a few years ago, I finally read Moby Dick. As for this puzzle, it was a treat. I caught on to the theme quite quickly, changing my BLACK list to BLACKBALL as soon as I saw the revealer. A marvelous debut! and a perfect Monday, as well. Brava!
It's been a while since I had a Monday experience like this: fun, enjoyable clues, answers that made me chuckle, the revealer just adding to the fun, and the rest of the fill simple enough to follow without having to look anything up, but challenging enough that I didn't get everything the first time through. Great start to my Monday, which I really needed today, thank you! A wonderful debut, and I sure hope to see more from you, @Margi!
Shout out to the puzzle constructor who was on Jeopardy last night! Sophia Maymudes, I was cheering for you! I enjoyed the puzzle even though I didn't get the theme until Deb explained it to me. (Thanks Deb!) I was sure of IMPANELING) and that really threw me.... but all came out well in the end. And now, places to go and people to see. Happy solving!
Very fun game. I think having taken so many years of French (4th grade through college) has given me enough of a background in the Romance languages to get me through the Spanish and Italian numeros. I once was able to help a young friend with her Italian homework due to my knowledge of French. Have I ever used the French? Well yes, actually... sort of... In Quebec, in the pouring rain, I was able to ask where the metro was. I was answered in English, but I asked the friendly woman to please turn so my friends wouldn't know she was speaking in English; she laughed and went along with it. Okay, I have used it more than that, TBH, but that was the most fun one.
Today's ear worm was courtesy of Bob Marley. We are celebrating Valentine's Day all year, since we are celebrating our 50th anniversary all year, and little gifts have been popping up all along. I came home from my volunteer shift at the ER today to find the best part of Valentine's Day waiting for me...chocolates, chocolates, and more chocolates. Excuse me, while I go stuff my face. Delicately.
I loved this so much! Figured out the theme pretty early on, which was fun, but the whole rest of the puzzle was just the right level for a Sunday, for me. With nothing else planned for the day, it saw me through lunch and two laundries...oh... I mean, it saw my husband through two laundries. I guess it's my turn to get up and do something now. (He's really too good for me. I don't deserve him.)