Mirthwright Puzzles & Games

Happy Friday! This week would have been my mother's birthday. So this puzzle is in her honor, and specifically 22-Down who seeded the grid, as one of her favorite poets. She and her father both did crosswords every day as long as I can remember, and are the ones who introduced me to them. My crosswording mentors. My grandfather, pictured above, insisted on being referred to by his first name by all of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. No "Grandpa" or any such thing for him, as even at 90-plus he didn't want to seem old. Also in honor of my mom, here's the song that my dad spent many a tearful night with after we lost her to cancer four years ago. And here's the puzzle.

So sorry for no puzzle last Friday. It was a long week. I'll have one this week. It's that time of year when we're all hunkered down for what looks to be an underwhelming snowstorm, and that has me thinking about planning my garden for the spring. Song of the puzzle is a classic: Enjoy!

Good afternoon! At least where I am, it's afternoon. You might've expected me to save that image for a Thoreau-back Thursday but I didn't. I'm feeling a bit nostalgic with today's song. Brings me back to high school.

Happy Friday! We have a new President here in the ol' US of A That's him. I was lucky enough to see Tom Petty in concert on the last tour before he passed away, and he brings you today's constructing and solving song.

Welcome to wild card Wednesday, when I'll post (at least occasionally) puzzles that are not traditional crosswords. If you're not familiar with cryptic crosswords, here is a brief explanation with some solving strategies from The Guardian. To understand even more, watch some experts solve on the Cracking the Crpytic channel on YouTube. In keeping with tradition, I'll sign this cryptic with a puzzle pesudonym, which you'll already know if you're doing this here. Thanks for the test-solve and suggestions to Steve Mossberg . By the time I post this, I'm sure sea shanties will be back in the niche where I first found them years ago, but I'll recommend a sort of modern take on the form anyway, one of my faves. Originally by Stan Rogers, but I'm recommending the Real McKenzies version of Barrett's Privateers .

Good morning! It's a Monday Mini with die-roll dimensions. (1d10+2 for the minis) Dr. King is not in this puzzle, but that doesn't mean we'll ignore him today. 14-Across is a word I've come across occasionally but isn't quite as cromulent as it probably ought to be. But I think most of you will be able to get it. The theme song of constructing this puzzle is Scalliwag by Gaelic Storm. Enjoy!