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Toadstool Cottage

Toadstool Cottage is a 300-piece puzzle, and the company is listed on Amazon as Nichpedr.

This was such a unique puzzle. The pieces appear to be very thin wood, and they have a matte finish. There are letters on the back to assist with sorting, but I did not use them given the low piece count. It took a bit of effort to click the pieces into place, but the upside was that there were no false fits. You can pick up the finished puzzle easily because of how tightly it fits together.

The box was very plain with just a sticker of the image on the box. There was a nice sized poster and a zipper top resealable bag. It was a risk ordering from an unknown puzzle company, so I was very pleased with how it turned out.

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Catching Up – July 2024

I wanted to write a catch up post since it has been a while. The main areas I want to cover are Michael, work, health, church, and friends.

Michael left his job in May. He was having an emotional crisis and just couldn’t handle it anymore. I’m not going to post the details because it’s not my story to tell, but it was a difficult time. It has taken a while to get new services in place, but we are meeting with a new employment agency next week, and he is planning to complete a community based work assessment. This will involve working for a few hours at several different jobs to see what he likes and has aptitude for. It will also help the new agency to get to know him.

Work is going well. I am continuing to enter new products and also supporting the staff with the ERP. I recently approached my boss about reviewing my title and compensation and did get a new title and a raise. My title has changed from Data Specialist to Software Analyst, which I feel is a good reflection of what I have been doing for a while now.

I have been making a lot of progress on my health lately. I met with a new psychiatrist. She is a nurse practitioner at the Penn State Hershey autism clinic. Our first appointment was about an hour and a half, and we covered a lot of information in that time! We decided to keep my meds where they are for right now and reassess at our next appointment. I am currently taking Risperidone and Sertraline. I am thinking of trying to switch from the Risperidone to a mood stabilizer that would be less likely to cause weight gain.

I also had an EGD recently to check for the level of eosinophils in my esophagus. The pathology report seems to say there weren’t any, which is good news, although the doctor did say there were rings and inflammation visible, which is continued evidence of EOE. I have a telehealth appointment scheduled with my allergist to discuss next steps and what medication would be most appropriate for me.

Another important step I took was visiting a new dentist. I have had one bad experience since leaving my previous dentist due to an insurance issue, but I was hopeful about this one because I had gotten a good referral to them. I was so pleased with them – everyone was friendly and helpful. The doctor explained everything very well, and we are going to work through my dental issues over time. I am scheduled with them for a cleaning and two cavities to be taken care of. I also got referrals for one tooth extraction and one possible root canal. I think that will be a good start, although there will still be more to be done.

My diabetes is going okay. I have had a harder time lately keeping my carbs down. My A1C recently went up from 5.9 to 6.4. The doctor was still happy with that, but I know that I need to do a better job. It’s a constant struggle!

I am still loving my church, The Journey. I am actually watching the service from this morning as I write this post. I didn’t go because I was feeling depressed when I woke up and couldn’t get myself together to go in person. Thankfully, they stream the service online. I have joined the community ministry team and am looking forward to my first event with them, the Back to School party. It’s a Saturday afternoon community event with free food and haircuts and backpacks with school supplies. I am going to help with registration.

With regard to friends, I am still seeing Kim most Saturdays for lunch and a movie. She is going through a difficult time right now. Renee has been busy, but we still text and talk sometimes. I am hoping to plan a visit soon. I have done a couple of things with Suzanne, and she is a good support if I am having a hard day. On a sad note, I haven’t had any contact with Jessyca for several weeks. She lost her job and the last I heard from her was two days after that happened. She has not responded to any of my messages since then. I am so sad about this because I miss her a great deal and I also am quite worried about her.

So that’s an update on my life right now. I feel good about the progress I have made in a lot of areas, and I am looking forward to continuing my efforts to make things better.

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Beauty Guru

Beauty Guru is a 1000-piece puzzle from Buffalo Games. The artist is Aimee Stewart. Even though I have heard of her and seen lots of pictures of her puzzles, this is the first one of hers that I have done. I picked it up at Community Aid because I like the colorful, cluttered appearance of it.

This puzzle was definitely challenging to do, although not so much that I got frustrated. I did the makeup brushes last, and they took quite a while to get done. I thought the quality was very good, and it included a nice-sized poster.

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Fresh Eggs and More

Fresh Eggs and More is a 300-piece puzzle from Bits and Pieces, and the artist is John Sloane. This was another freebie from the puzzle box in Elizabethtown.

This is a sweet image that was enjoyable to put together. I always enjoy puzzles that have buildings in them, as well as signs with words. The quilts were also fun to do.

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Home Cooking

Home Cooking is a 1000-piece puzzle from White Mountain, and the artist is Simon Kayne. I got it at the Elizabethtown puzzle box, which has had a much better selection lately than the Harrisburg one.

I really enjoyed this puzzle. It wasn’t as difficult as the other White Mountain puzzle I did a few days earlier, but it was still challenging enough to be interesting. Lately, I have been continuing to pull out the edges and turn the rest of the pieces right side up into sorting trays. I only do a more thorough sort if the puzzles has clear blocks of color or just a few colors, like the Beside the Sea puzzle I did last. Once I get to a point where I feel a bit stuck, I will sort by shape and that usually gets me moving again.

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Beside the Sea

Beside the Sea is a 500-piece puzzle from Galison, and the artist is Laura C. Moyer. I got it a few days ago at Books A Million, although I had first seen it on Amazon and added it to my wish list.

I found it very relaxing to put this one together. The colors were so pretty, and it had a lot of elements I like – words and buildings, especially. Everything came together to make a charming image.

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Best Places in the World

Best Places in the World is a 1000-piece puzzle from White Mountain, and the artist is Lewis T. Johnson. I picked it up at the Elizabethtown puzzle box.

I couldn’t decide which puzzle to do next so I had my son pick two from my stash and then I made the final decision. This one was kind of intimidating but it really wasn’t that bad once I got going with it. It took me two nights to finish it.

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What I’m Reading – July 2024

What I’m Reading Now:

The Sister Effect by Susan Mallery – This novel centers around two sisters and their troubled relationship, but it also has a strong supporting cast and shows a lot of soul searching and personal growth. I am enjoying it.

What I Recently Finished:

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center – This was a fascinating novel about a woman who experiences face blindness after a surgery. I enjoyed it and I did not see the twist coming.

Summer Ever After by Jane Crittenden – I think this was my Amazon First Read for the month. It was pretty good. I had to really pay attention to the chapter titles to see which character’s POV it was and whether it was in the past or the present.

The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman – This is #39 in the Alex Delaware series. It hit all the right places for one of his books. Highly enjoyed!

After Annie by Anna Quindlen – This is the story of how the family and friends cope with a woman’s death in the year after her passing. I appreciated the depth of the characters and the way Quindlen handles the different situations that arise.

Out of the Clear Blue Sky by Kristan Higgans – This could have been very formulaic, as it was about a woman whose husband leaves her for another woman just as their son graduates from high school. But it goes deeper than that and shows how life can go on and families can evolve.

Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren – I appreciated this book and it’s call to observe God in the everyday things of our lives. The chapter on sleep spoke to me especially as I tend to stay up way too late oftentimes. Even though I enjoy sleeping, I have trouble forcing myself to put down what I am doing to turn in for the night. This is something I want to work on.

Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple by Scot McKnight – I actually had to add this one to my DNF list. I got through a chunk of it but found it too esoteric for my liking. I skimmed the rest and filed it away.

What I’ve Added to my TBR list:

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins – This is another book in the Hunger Games series. It takes place 40 years after the events in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Publication isn’t expected until March 2025, but I went ahead and added it to my list now.

If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

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The Potter’s Shed

The Potter’s Shed is a 500-piece puzzle from Eurographics, and the artist is Jason Taylor. I got it from a local puzzle box, and this is my first time doing this brand. Unfortunately, it ended up having one missing piece, which was disappointing.

Despite that, I did enjoy the puzzle. It was somewhat difficult for a 500-piece puzzle due to the busyness of the image. The aqua blue color of the work table (which I loved) reminded me of the stove color in the Alchemist’s Kitchen puzzle I did recently. I liked it enough that I might hold onto for a while even though there was a missing piece.

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Take Flight

Take Flight is a 350-piece puzzle from Springbok. I got it from a local puzzle box and used it to fulfill the third clue in the current Facebook group challenge, which was for beach or coast. I enjoyed all the colorful hot air balloons. They are in sharp contrast to the nondescript green and blue landscape in the background, which were quite easy due to the size of the pieces.

I can tell this puzzle has been done many times. The pieces felt soft rather than crisp and didn’t have the usual click when they fit into place. I haven’t decided whether to keep it in my collection; I may just hold onto it to do one more time before passing it back on.