HeathieJ

I hope it's okay to share this here because it's not about today's puzzle. As I've mentioned before, I only started doing the crossword in August. And I'm actively trying to be better at it. Part of that is that I have started going through the archives, now that I've been getting a bit better. I had been doing it kind of randomly, like picking a random birthday or some such but then I started a few weeks ago with January 2023. Today, I did Thursday, January 18th. The blog column is labeled Accumulate Charges. And it was the first time I completely and all on my own got the trick and worked it all out by myself! All of it! No lookups, nothing! Not only did I identify there was a trick, I worked it all out! I figured it all out!! Squeal!!! I am over the moon!! And it was a little bit under my average. I read the blog and the comments section after, and, as usual with Thursday tricky themes, there was a lot of controversy about it but I enjoyed it very much!! I am just tickled pink!! Huzzah!!! Now to see if I can figure out this fine Thursday puzzle! 🤗

LWORD!!!! A thousand times LWORD!!!!! This might be my favorite puzzle ever!!!! I'm using too many of these !!! I'll try to curb my enthusiasm. No promises!! When I hit 22A, I squealed with delight, out loud squealed, and just went after it out the gate!! I am normally very much a methodical crosses first and then downs on my first full pass, not today! I was all over the place, first filling in the shaded squares, then the long downs with the correct names, though I originally spelled them down, before I saw that didn't work, got BEAMMEUP at 84D and switched them all to heading up—more squealing—then my husband came in to say hey, so I lovingly (but with tremendous sacrifice—after all, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few... or the one) paused it to talk with him.... then I started some minor squealing again and made him look at my progress so far. Then he decided I might need some alone time so I could finish the puzzle, and quickly ducked out of the room—har! (He is also a Star Trek fan, but I'm the more exuberant in nature.) Finish I did, in less than half the time of my average... I was simultaneously wanting it to last forever and for me to find all the things all at once! Oh, boy, I'm on an emotional high right now, my good people!! Did I mention that I realllllllly, reallllllllllllly enjoyed this puzzle!?!? Love letter, indeed! I'm over the moon and grateful for such a wonderful puzzle!! Loved the TNG nod, as well!! All the 🩵⭐🩵⭐EMOJIs!

HIP, HIP, HURRUMBA!! 😏 The highlighting on the app is on 49 down, instead of 49 across, so now I have a new cheer to cheer! Whoohoo, indeed! Fun puzzle! I liked it! Felt a little more engaging to me than a lot of Mondays. Because the first theme clue was musical, I decided to put the revealer in right away and shows I'm so excited... Alas, 'twas not to be.

Oh what fun that was!! What a clever and twisty puzzle!! And as a newer solver coming up on a year in a few months, I'm still always tickled when I can figure out a Thursday theme all on my own and solve it without any help! Huzzah! I also solved it in half the time of my Thursday average. I don't know if that means everyone's going to say it was too easy or if I'm just significantly making improvements on my solving times, but it was really enjoyable either way. After some travel out of the country with my MIL, who is experiencing advancing dementia, she is staying with us at our place for a bit. There's so much that we struggle to try to make sense of in what she's going through, which doesn't seem possible. Today was a very bad day for her. I'm so grateful for puzzles like this at the end of a long day that are fun and challenging--but solvable. I'm so grateful for solvable in what often seems increasingly unsolvable circumstances. In life, I seek answers that too often just don't exist. I'm not always sure I can find the answers by myself in a crossword puzzle yet, but I know the answers exist.... and if I didn't know it, I can get it on the crosses or learn it some other way. Loving that! Thank you to the constructors, editors, amazing column writers, and everyone else involved, who bring fun sanity to an insane world! 🍸Cheers, fellow solvers! 🍸

Very fun, if a little too quick. Would have liked to have had more of this one! I've never watched the movie but I had heard of it so once I had a few crosses the name came to me. In the past year+ of doing puzzles, I have understand the joy and comfort they bring at difficult times And I'm happy to hear that they're helpin Mr Chalfin heal. I too was held up at gunpoint by two gunmen in 1991 in Milwaukee, WI. Ironically, we were heading to a place called The Safehouse, a spy themed restaurant downtown. They took my money with a loaded gun inches from my face while a cabby saw and honked. They ran and he chased them, radioing the police. They actually caught the guys. I had to identify them and ended up having to testify against them in trial. I was 21 and terrified. I was further terrified when I got notice a few years later that they were out of prison. I share because I'm grateful there is more help for these sorts of traumatic instances these days. I'm glad people can talk about it more and get access to help without being stigmatized. I never got help for the terror of what happened that night or the realization of what could have happened... Also was the gratitude of what didn't happen because of a brave cabby who was my hero that night. It is definitely still with me in a not good way, but it also made me own my own life and make a huge change that my family was against. It was absolutely the right thing to do for me. Life's a funny little thing! ❤️

Funny how everyday the last several days in the puzzles, seeing ice is so jarring. This isn't a complaint and I get it. It's a common crossword ease. Still. My husband has been a citizen of the United States for about 55 years.... Arguably, and I will fight to the death for this, he's the most amazing and wonderful human being ever! But lately, here, in a place we've called home for so very long, he has to carry his passport just to go to Walgreens... Or wherever. Oh yeah, the puzzle was great. Thumbs up!

Friends, I'm not sure I'm going to make it. After many recent puzzles where I have broken my own records by astonishing times, this one may be the end of me and all I hold dear. If you never hear from me again, please know I hold you in highest regard and that I've enjoyed our time together... Please don't forget me. And please tell my husband I love him. All right, cracking my knuckles, doing a couple back stretches, and I'm going back in!!

As the first resident HEATHER to comment on today's puzzle, I want to thank all you little people who helped me realize my previously unknown dream of appearing in the New York Tmes crossword. It's truly an honor! (Insert me bowing to roaring applause here.) Also happy to have a drunken sailor and a Cuban dance crossing me. Sounds like a fun night! This was really fun with all the themers - loved the word play - but it did go very fast for me. The lower part got a little bit trickier but I quickly knocked out the top themer at 25A and so that made the rest of them very achievable. Had some trouble at 62A crossing 67D... Didn't know the bird or the book title, but the long legs in the clue was a good hint. SPAMSPAMSALOTALOT it's probably my favorite if I had to pick one, but I really enjoyed them all. My last name hasn't been in the puzzle since 2021, but man that would have been something if it would have made it in. It's been in 20 times in the Shortz era, so the odds weren't nothing. But just imagine the big EGO I'd have about that! This is probably for the better. Instead I'll just go do the CHACHA! TLDR: How very! 😉

At first, I thought this puzzle seemed like it would be very difficult for me. But then I jumped in and just started bopping around, not very methodically, and just like that, I had solved the revealer without any of the theme answers being completed and then, just like that, I had it completed in record time. I'm not really this way, but there's a part of me that wants to attribute it to my aunt, who died very unexpectedly in March, and who I was very close with, and who I continue to deeply feel her loss every day.... she was a teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing for more than three decades. She was passionate about her work and the kids she taught... and even after she was long retired, she would sometimes start signing while she was speaking to us, and I don't think she realized she did it. Even though I don't really believe in that sort of thing, aunts helping us complete crosswords from the beyond, that is, but it still made me think of her and want to nail this thing for her! And I am appreciative! I always like when there's a few or more jokes in the puzzles but I enjoyed it, nonetheless. Kind of crazy factoid about MOOSE.

Well, I SAY! Now that was fun!! Really enjoyable!! Yea, it was harder to know where you were on the grid, so I had to rely more on actually looking at the box numbers but I think it was worth it! I figured out the trick at MAGIC because (as a huge Harry Potter fan), I was annoyed that the implication was that any MAGIC was malevolent... and then came the AHA! And then came the chuckle, and then came a flurry of filling in the colored squares. Most of those filled in easily once I got the trick but a couple had to wait for crosses. Today we got OLIVE and ONION! Hold the OLIVEs for me but I'm always glad for ONIONs! I didn't make good time... I was actually over average. I'd say it was a combo of struggling a bit to keep track of myself in the grid until I got used to it and there were some tricky spots for me, as usual. There were a small handful of answers I just didn't know, which sometimes crossed with others I didn't know. A couple times I thought I might have to do a lookup, but I kept at it and worked it all out without helps. Huzzah!! I was perplexed for a while, never having watched Dumb and Dumber but I loved SILENT B once I got it! Also loved EAR CANAL (Channel with only audio) and TAKE THE BAIT (Get hooked). But really, the whole thing was very fun! And though I was surprised to see G SPOT show up in a puzzle (I SAY!), I'll take it any day over the clue for FEMININE SIDE in the Saturday puzzle. 😃

Minutes after raving on Facebook about how fantastic students at the University I work for are, three in particular that I had the great pleasure to recently interview for a student job in my office, and the great sadness to have to choose only one, then I come out here and solve a very fine puzzle created by a high schooler! It wasn't the first time I've raved about how terrific our students are, I'm certain it won't be the last. This proud GenXer genuinely wishes to never hear another negative thing about the younger generations. Especially because it's often so unimportant whatever the differences are, trendy things and what not. No one ever paid GenX any mind, which I'd say we're all pretty cool with, so I guess I don't have gripes with anyone. Ha! Anyhow, learned a new fact about PELE! I'll have to impress my husband, a huge PELE fan, with that one. SPaRRELED and AgERTO! Heaven's to Betsy, the NYT has made a grievous error! Har!! My only hang up was putting agE instead of ILE at 48 down, so that was the last little bit I needed to clean up. Fun puzzle with a very sweet theme!! Congrats on your debut Mr. Krishnamurthy and best of luck in college! Your generation is giving me great hope for the future in a time that feels otherwise grim and perilous. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be part of it in my own limited way. Hope you can find the time to make more puzzles as your college workload revs up. ☺️ Thank you!

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not."

This puzzle was seriously A LOAD of.... grinning face EMOJIs! No DISSes here, The Dude and I abide. Also, how did I immediately know MAE WEST without any crosses!? (Shruggy, redish haired lady EMOJI.) Lastly, whenever STENTS show up in the puzzle, I will remind you to listen to your body and if something is off, get it checked out pronto. My husband is alive because a few years ago, he did.The docs said repeatedly after every cardiac test and stress test that he was tip top but he knew something was wrong, so we kept pushing and it turns out my super fit, otherwise healthy and amazing in every way husband had serious blockages. When they placed the stents, the blockages were worse than they thought and he had to go back for more. I shudder to think what if he hadn't listened and pushed for answers. Good likelihood we wouldn't be cruising the Caribbean right now. (Sobbing EMOJI) Okay, I'm done, resume your regular programming!

It's nice to be nice to the nice.... (Frank Burns) and this was very nice!! Super duper fast, more than a few SECs but not a whole lot more, but it was really fun and I enjoyed it the theme a lot! Kind of wish it would have taken me a little longer, because it was that nice. And I don't speed solve anything, it just went fast. Two of my favorites showed up: *RYNIGHT and M*A*S*H, which was my dead giveaway. Although, when it obviously didn't fit, I wondered if something had replaced it in all these years... Seinfeld!? Nope! Came back to it after rereading the revealer, which I normally don't pay attention to until I've done I go through of all acrosses and downs first to fill in what I can immediately and got it at that point. Imagine if he could have added *TREK. I'd be over the moon and dancing among the ******!

Yowzers! I really wish I had a TOONIE for every single entry that was so not in my wheelhouse!! For the first time in, I don't know but it's got to be an over a year or likely longer, I finally did a puzzle check, corrected a few things, and eventually actually just revealed the lower right corner, which was all that I had left. Wowzers! Hey, what's the difference between yowzers and wowzers!? I am glad that I don't worry about streaks. This one just was not going to come to me. I've come a far away, but I'm not there yet and that's okay! At some point, I just said to myself, "Self, we are done. Let's instead rewatch the last episode of Widow's Bay." And self replied, "Grand idea! Let's make a martini too!!" My selves are so good to each other!! 😏🍸😏 Enjoyed the challenge, but also enjoyed the freedom to give it up. Cheers all!!

@LGinDC I don't know if you regularly read the comments or not but on December 5th, you commented on my post where I talked about the time I was held up at gunpoint when I was 21 years old (because the constructor had talked about being held up recently) and you suggested that I watch the movie, Inside Out, which was the revealer's theme. I wanted to let you know that it was a movie option on our plane, when we were coming back from vacation yesterday, so I chose to watch it on your recommendation. I'm not much for Disney and Pixar films and whatnot, so I usually don't pay much attention, but I'm really grateful that you encouraged me to watch it because it is lovely! Absolutely lovely! What a thoughtful, apt, and sweet film! I've heard that the second one is equally if not possibly better, so I already have a tentative date to watch that with a friend. ☺️ Perhaps I shouldn't discount animation so much. So thank you! ❤️ And I also wanted to thank all the others of you who left recommendations and/or incredibly kind and thoughtful messages for me that day. I don't share about that night very often but it felt appropriate that day, and I really appreciated your kind, empathetic responses. ❤️

Awwwww, man.... Here I am working so hard to do Fridays and Saturdays without any helps and today, a Tuesday, which I felt like I conquered many months ago in my nearly year-long journey of puzzling, I could not figure out the cross of OXLIP and THX. I tried many things but I had to look it up! I'm so embarrassed! I mean, obviously not embarrassed enough to not share it with all of you good people out here on the interwebs... But still embarrassed! Of course it was an X! I mean, I obviously don't have texting skills. I just text things like, "Thank you so much!! ❤️" When will I ever learn!? 🤷 And even though I work at a college with a whole Department of Horticultural Sciences and have a beautiful garden balcony, I obviously don't know much about yellow primrose and the whatnot. Please don't tell all my colleagues in the Hort department! 😉 My own shortcomings aside, very fun puzzle!! I enjoyed it! And it's good to stay humble!! My favorite was non-led pipes for BACKUP SINGER and NEIGHED! ☺️

Ooohwee!! I definitely would not call that breezy, unless breezy has a definition I don't understand, which is certainly possible, as I've learned out here many times. Anyhow, it was quite hard for me. There were several times where I had crossings that I just did not think I was going to manage without lookups. Somehow I did manage without but I was a little bit weary of it in the end and was getting close to doing a reveal for the last few crosses because I'm ready to move on to watching the next couple episodes of The Residence. Woman cannot live on puzzles alone, after all! Still, I kept at it a little longer because I haven't had to reveal or use help in a good while and I'd like to keep it that way. It was just a lot that was out of my wheelhouse. Definitely a slower than average one. Anyhow, I enjoyed the theme and the fun entries. My favorite was WHATSTHEDAMAGE, followed by LOVEHOTELS. Figuring out the theme fairly early on when the dam one came to me quickly, certainly helped me quite a bit in getting some of the tough for me fill. Anyhow, it's now martiniOCLOCK so off to Netflix we go!

Well, that was lots of fun!! Figuring out the theme brought a lovely amount of glee this solver! Had a little trouble in the lower right... the whole area under POPSUGAR, which I'd not heard of, was my big slowdown. Too bad I'm not a bigger lotr person—I envy those of you who found GALADRIEL to be a gimme. I needed every single cross to get her name. And I had some wrong entries there, like BEGaT instead of BEGOT, which made it very hard for me to think of GOOSEEGG. Fortunately, there were a few gimmes down there, like OTHELLO and the DOUBLECROSSing IAGOs, so I got there in just over average time. What a fun theme!! Really enjoyed STOPITYOUTWO, RHYMED, and LATEBLOOMERS. Fun Sunday!

I wasn't familiar with AS ABOVE, SO BELOW, but I like it. A lot! It is a bit reminiscent to me of the Lord's Prayer. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven... Nice puzzle and an interesting theme to ponder. On a completely different note, I feel a need to tell you all that tonight my husband and I watched a British mystery, which is very much not unusual for us, but in this one, a person was murdered by a sword... Or was it an epee!? As soon as I saw the murder victim with the fencing weapon in him, I said to my husband, who fenced for many years when he was younger, do you think that's an epee? He was like, what!? And I said "An epee, man! An epee!" He said, "Uh, I guess I need to see the it better... " And I said, "I don't, it's an epee!" What I lacked in actual knowledge, I more than made up for in jesting confidence. As the murder case went on, it was indeed an antique epee. My husband, as is often unreasonably the case, was incredibly impressed with my brilliance. I in my usual fashion did some ridiculous version of a touchdown dance. Life is hard, but good! I did then confess that the only reason I know of the existence of epees is from my new journey into crosswords. When I first started I had no idea what a "foil alternative" or some such was. It's nice that my new hobby / obsession has allowed me to continue to impress my husband after almost 25 years together. 😂❤️😂

GOP OOF!? Gee willikers, kids today! What will they think of next!? I don't want all this modern slang in my puzzle... Ohhhh, GO POOF! Yeah, that makes more sense! 😆 Lovely puzzle and seems a very impressive feat to have all of those palindromes after lopping off the first and last letter! Thank you, kind constructors! I had a lot of trouble in the low middle because I didn't know DEKE, KLEE, or KENO... And I genuinely thought that seder bread was spelled with an A. MATZaH. I had to do a little look up to bring all that home but certainly learned some things! Before that, the rest fell into place beautifully! And, aww, Pepe LePew... My husband's favorite! 😊

I like to do a drinking game whenever there's a common complaint or controversy in the day's puzzle. Tonight's drinking game is brought to you by LEGO, where only the best is good enough. Methinks a big hangover is in my future! Now LEGgO my eggo... errr, S! Cheers, all! :-)

SNACKCOUNTER, like, gag me with a spoon... eww! Totally grody to the max! I checked it out and don't dispute its existence but again I say, eww! It reminds me of a time someone said, "Aw, that baby's so cute I just want to get a spoon and scoop her up." Eww!! Stop! Okay, okay, aside from my extreme aversion to the idea of considering people to be edible treats, I enjoyed the puzzle! Went very smoothly along with a simple but cute theme! I actually finished in half my average time to make up for how long Saturday's fun but hard puzzle took me. Har! However, I don't understand IRR at 13D—can anyone, or everyone, enlighten me?

Unless I am wrong, and I am never wrong, I leave no correction marks on my crossword. I'm just *that* good! (And if anyone believes that, I have some nice fire swamp property I could sell them in HOG HEAVEN!) Before anyone THROWs SHADE my way, I'll confess that I would have had a couple ERASUREs today if I YEWSed a pencil to solve, but they're really CHUCKLE HEADed... I was going fast and reading too fast and I tried a couple times to write dane into 7D. Yikes! This is what happens when I try to best my Monday time. I think I'm way too clumsy to ever be very fast. Anyhow, fun puzzle! Nice debut! I loved reading that Mr. D’Alfonso got his start drawing puzzles into his grandparents' holiday cards! That's the sweetest and I bet they treasured them!!

Fun facts about me in relation to this puzzle: I have never set foot in an IKEA, I have never eaten a TIDEPOD, and I have never ENACTed a law. I have, however, recently booked a CARIBBEANCRUISE for December! We cannot wait!! It has been far too long since we've been able to get away for a proper vacation! Of somewhat lesser note, I'm also a huge Law and Order fan. Only the original one. I was so happy when they brought it back a couple/few years ago. Hurray for Dick WOLF. Anyhow, I really enjoyed this puzzle. It's true, I haven't heard the phrase TOMDICKAND HARRY for a very long time. Hmm. Still, it came to me quickly. This seems like a really perfect Monday puzzle! Definitely a debut to be proud of! Speaking of, based solely on constructor notes and such, I always love seeing how supportive the constructor community seems to be. It's fun to read about collaborations between experienced constructors and those just starting out. It's really sweet and we can use more of that spirit in the world. Cheers to a new week!

Two good puzzles today in Saturday and Sunday. Both finished in about half my average time, which was surprising. Maybe I'm a better puzzler when I'm this angry and depressed. Maybe I should try it more often.... Har!

I mean, it's no STARTREK themed puzzle... (har!!!) but I liked it a lot! I enjoyed the DOUBLEOs and that they formed a seven—very fun! I had a lot of trouble figuring out CANIHAVEASHIP but it finally came to me before I asked it out here. The rest seemed more obvious to me—in a fun way! Had the hardest time finishing up PERIDOT. I am somewhat cocktail literate (MARTINI, yes please!) but did not know that one to SHAVE my life! I finally figured out that the cardinal thing was a sports ball reference and I did know that the Cards are STL. I should have gotten it sooner but I was thinking the Catholic cardinal was capitalized. I looked it up after and it would not be, as I'm sure most of you know, unless it was specifying a particular cardinal. Oops, forgot about that rule. Anyhow, other than that tricksy area, it was pretty fun and smooth sailing. I really enjoyed the theme entries a lot, especially SHINEDSHIELDDELIVERED! My only downers were that I just hate when APE shows up as imitating someone. I will have to dig deep into my psyche to figure out why I dislike it so much, but I did immediately get it. The other one that I cringed mightily about was SILENCER. I know the reason that one bothers me, though... I was hoping it would be something else. The subject of things that go bang has become increasingly unpleasant for me. Ohhh, but I suppose I am tiptoeing ANTLIKE into potentially questionable comment territory, so I will take my leave. Cheers! 🍸

There was no way that I was going to enjoy any puzzle today because of the loss of a close family member last night. I've been in a daze. I chose to do it anyhow because I needed distraction. In my current state of mind, I can't judge the puzzle fairly but I have read through the comments and am surprised that so many people hated it. I've long known the poem, in fact when Robert Frost's Two Roads poem showed up a week or two ago, I briefly mixed it up with this one, which comes to mind fairly often for me, and which did help me once I had some crosses filled in to get at the reimagining. I share this in case our dear constructor is reading these comments, I'd like them to know that the only smiles I cracked today were in this crossword puzzle. I especially loved the clue for AHA, which usually has such a boring clue, and when I finally completed the southeast, I chuckled at the GIDDY UP and the theme. I also really enjoyed the clues for RISES and STRAP. Loses a lap and what a clutch lacks, I believe. So, thank you for bringing a little bit of joy to a grief-filled day.

I wasn't sure I was going to make it through the Sunday puzzle today, let alone getting around to the Monday one. My 90-year-old mother-in-law arrived today and we are preparing to take her down to the Bay Islands of Honduras on Wednesday, where she and my husband and his siblings are from. She has advanced dementia, so it complicates this kind of trip but it's the only place in her heart and mind, even if the details get jumbled up a bit these days. I'll refrain from commenting about this further than to say what a blessing it is to have people from all over the world come to this country and add to it. Of course, I'm partial to my husband as the main blessing but I do mean it across the board. Anywho, the puzzle! First, I just want to say that I really enjoyed Sunday's. I think it would have been more fun if I could have done it in one sitting like I normally do, but I did it in fits and spurts and then finished up tonight. I really enjoyed it the super cute theme. Some of them were quite funny! I also learned a new word, ONER. It was the last square to complete and I was amazed that it was correct. Now for Monday's puzzle, fast, fun, chipper --just like Monday should be! I know AC shows up a lot in the puzzle, but particularly apt these days. It's literally hotter here in Minnesota then it will likely be where we are in Honduras in a few days. Crazy!! Cheers!

I have not yet read the comments yet because I had to run here and tell you that this was my first Sam Ezerski Saturday solve without help!! Not a one!! I'm so happy I kind of want to cry a little! Or maybe a lot! I have done other perfectly clean Saturday solves, though I'm not 100% consistent with them yet, but definitely never one of Sam's! There were times I was pretty sure I couldn't do it but I was also pretty determined. It took me an obscenely long time and it is a bit over my average but I don't care! A lot of my average includes various helps so I consider it skewed. As you can see, I'm really tickled! I'm also a little afraid to read the comments and learn that maybe it was uncharacteristically easy but I'm just going to stick to my don't care attitude, because it's still in a big achievement for me! And the funny thing is, I really credit it to the fact that back in August I mentioned I could never quite remember the word for Greek marketplace or ancient marketplace etc. And a couple of my favorite commenters helped me with a REC to remember it. It's been killing me that it hasn't come up again since then but here it was today, to help me with my first Sam E. clean solve. It was the first thing I got, though granted I put an s on it at first, and was so confident that I was able to build around it. Yippppppppeeee!!! And I'll be honest, life's been a bit rough. I needed this win!! And now back to our regularly scheduled programming! Cheers! ❤️

It was extra fun that we started on the third season of Stange New Worlds tonight after I finished the puzzle and after dinner. We've been meaning to tonight anyhow so it was such a wonderful coincidence that this puzzle appear today. Anyhow, we watched the last episode of season 2 to reacquaint ourselves with the two-part cliffhanger. I had kind of forgotten that Mr Scott makes his first appearance in this that episode. 🥳 So very good!! I have loved today so very much!! From husband home this weekend and that late breakfast on the balcony that I talked about yesterday to a couple of fantastic episodes of Stange New Worlds and everything in between!! Life isn't easy lately, but these joyous days full of little and sweet wonders are worth everything!

Two fun puzzles in a row, can't do much better than that! 😊

I'm glad Caitlin mentioned the 65D with the blind man because I never saw that particular clue. It was filled in by the crosses and I would have hated to miss it! Love it! Also glad that Caitlin mentioned the second part of the revealer being about the bees. I quickly caught onto the birds but never even noticed the poor Bs that followed them. Maybe I need someone to give me the talk again... 🐦🐝 Speaking of other creatures, in our first year of dating, my now husband showed at my door proudly holding a rainbow TROUT. He looked like the pet cat who lovingly drops a dead mouse at your feet.... Well I love fish and he knew that but I was aghast! It was a whole fish! The head was on it, the tail was on it, there were bones in it! Eek! With a nod to Sunday's puzzle, it was SCALEd WELL, but it was whole!! Instead of the expected love and adoration, I was more,"Ewwwww!" I was like, can you take that away and come back when it's finished!? One of the many moments that could have been the end of us back in the day but here we are 24 years later! And I can tell you that he has brought very many more rainbow trout home for us since, but they are all promptly filleted, though I have learned to be much more tolerant of whole fish when we visit his country of origin every year, where that is the norm. 🎣 Happy Monday, all!

I have not read comments yet but can't contain my excitement!! That was so -- much -- fun!!!!! Even though I didn't immediately get the first clue at 1A, like Sam, I knew we were in for a real treat!! I didn't stop smiling from start to finish—and still have a big dopey grin on my face! What a clever and sort of meta delight!! I don't keep track but this is definitely one of my very favorite puzzles—and a real treat for my one year anniversary of working on NYT crosswords (or any crossword). I jumped in a year ago just to see if I could... For some reason, I never really thought I would be good at them. I can't say I'm good yet but I've definitely improved and am loving it. This charming puzzle was the icing on my imaginary anniversary cupcake! Grateful cheers to all of the brilliant minds that bring us these puzzles, write about these puzzles, and make up this fun and encouraging forum! I've learned a lot from the puzzles and the comments here, especially from our veteran solvers, and I'm grateful! Huzzah!!