What I'm Learning from Puzzles

I love to go to Jigzone every morning and do the jigsaw puzzle of the day. One of the things I like about doing jigsaw puzzles on the computer is that ALL the pieces are there!

Some puzzles area easy. I can usually do them about half a minute under the average time. Great ego boost to start off the morning. Then there are others.

Some puzzles defy solution -- at least I think they do. But -- and I think this is critical to my defying what lies ahead as I get older -- I am forcing myself to go past the "giving up point," that place where I could do a couple of keystrokes and go back to my email. I dig deep and move a few more pieces around, and usually once I've done that, I know that I can solve the puzzle. It might have taken me longer than I wanted it to, but no one is watching over my shoulder.

So doing puzzles has acquainted me with the feeling of the "giving up point." In the time to come, I'll recognize that feeling and look for a few more parts of my problem to move around to work out the solution.

Just don't give me too many dark pieces!

You've Got To Be Careful!

The other evening, we were finishing up dinner and there was a bit on the evening news about a credit card scam -- people call on the phone and ask for your information. They've already stolen your card and are going to try to use it.

Just as the piece was wrapping up, the phone rang. My son answered it -- sure enough someone wanted my credit card number "so they could give me a better rate."

My son told them. "We don't do that type of business over the telephone!"

I would have been less polite, but I did bring him up to have manners.

My son said that it was the curse of having a good credit rating. Well, dern! Deadbeats don't get this sort of thing? Well, they probably do, but my mind boggles at the scenarios that scammers could get into . . .

The Flip Side of Autumn

The one autumn color I'm not crazy about showed up Friday -- the white of killing frost. I had huge elephant ears, interesting coleuses, dahlias and naturtiums -- "had" being operative word. The petunias and other late flowers aren't looking too happy, either, after three days in a row of the frost.

At least I'm not is Buffalo, NY. I was there once when they had more than enough snow -- now I avoid the place permanently.

I guess summer is officially over even for Tennessee and fall has fallen. I have to start looking for warm clothes, maybe make myself a new coat.

It's a Great Time of Year!

Okay, I love the color of the leaves, I tolerate football and Halloween, but what I really look forward to is the New TV Season! And this year I am not disappointed.

I Love:

Studio 60 -- Ugly Betty -- Men in Trees -- Deal or No Deal -- Dancing With the Stars -- Extreme Makeover Houses.

No blood and guts, sweat and grime for me -- well, you never know what Ty will do. Give me a spunky girl who isn't going to give up! Give me a big city, educated, thinking woman who isn't afraid to get out in the sticks and learn something about herself. Give me fast-paced humor, money and flying feet.

I think the half-hour sit-com is dead. I just don't want to watch what producers think typical family life is like any more. Reality -- it's over-rated! I don't like the thought of producers fiddling with people's lives.

Here's a good tip about the shows I like -- catch them now! You know how the networks are about canceling the stuff I like!