Puzzles, old friend and another puzzle

 Today I had finished the truck o' flowers puzzle, very nice, handling color in bleak weather.

Found that the one piece I was sure was right was all that was holding up the show at the bottom there. Once I finally moved it along a place, everything worked.  There's a sermon there, folks.

Anyway I thought I'd get to the library and return it then borrow another before the forecast storms arrived.

After lunch, maybe. Then I noticed that the storm was about to start, oh. And a great happy surprise, a friend from down the street I haven't seen other than brief chats in the street since before the pandemic, showed up to visit with her little curly dog. 

She's been struggling with her health for ages, and I was impressed she made it down the block. Her dog went mad with joy at the reunion.

So we had a marvelous time getting caught up with the births, marriages, engagements, deaths, mostly deaths, sigh. Also the fake billing by the fence company - she too got a bill for $1000 for work her husband and son did. 

And other exciting news. We used to have an imaginary newsletter we wrote, called H----(development name) Happenings, in which we'd pretend to put all the gossip and running jokes. So we did the latest update!  Such a good time.  

I was glad I hadn't gone out, in the end It was hard to see her looking so frail and lame, trying to navigate the conversation,  struggling with a cane to climb the one step from the living room up to the front door, needing help opening it and getting safely on the path. 

She was so athletic years back, great golfer, gardener, did all her own home tasks, rewired the house, cleaned the chimney, nothing beyond her. 

She grew up on a farm where you did your own maintenance. She installed my dishwasher when the installers failed me. Taught herself to knit and sew, no stopping her. So the contrast is hard to see.

I offered to walk home with her, but she wanted to do it herself so I didn't push. Her husband's working at home today, so he'd probably help at her front door.

This is a friend nearly twenty years younger than I, not as lucky though. But she really enjoyed her visit and looked better going home than when she arrived, always a good thing.

So I finally attended to the puzzle, thinking I'd like to see the second side, this being a two sided puzzle. I managed to get some of it turned over, as you see

So I may as well work the second side, since it's already half done. Speed puzzling.

Speaking of which, the weather here is desperate. Sheets of icy rain, wind, grey and wet. Good for staying in and, in case you need a word puzzle to help with January, here's one.

Happy evening everyone, may all your life puzzles be speedily dispatched.