Alfie and Olive play the crossword (New York)

One of Andy’s and my new traditions since the pandemic is to complete the New York Times crossword puzzle every morning without hints or cheats. We’re well into our mid-500-day streak already! After solve the crossword puzzle, we immediately turn to Rex Parker’s blog to see his thoughts on the puzzle, and it’s become a daily activity that we share over breakfast.

We recently sent a small token of our appreciation for his hard work and he thanked up with this postcard, designed by his daughter Ella Egan. I hope it doesn’t sound callous to ask this, but what joy have you found during the pandemic? Among ours has been the crossword puzzle and Rex Parker’s blog.