puzzles – To See What I See

Usually, every Christmas I break out a new puzzle for something fun to do during the school holiday break. Every year I try to entice my family to join me in trying to put it together. This includes my husband, the kids and their spouses, my parents, sister, brother-in-law and nephew. Usually one or two design to help me with my endeavor. This is also usually done with much muttering and grumbling about how stupid puzzles are. Yet, here they are. Helping me. Go figure! The spouses of my kids help without all the whining or politely decline.

This was the latest puzzle I bought to start…two years ago!

College of Magical Knowledge
by James C. Christensen

Now I knew this 1500 piece puzzle would be hard. There is a lot of detail and the trees alone gave me pause, but I love the picture. So I bought it. It sat until last Christmas when I finally broke it out because, hello! Pandemic! What else were we going to do? Couldn’t go anywhere. Everything was closed. So, open the puzzle it was. Funny thing about this puzzle. The top left corner that is all clouds and blue sky was the easiest part to do!

I think the reason I like puzzles is because you know the end result, you just have to figure out how to get there. Picking apart something that is all tangled up is kind of the same thing. Figuring out how the knots are put together and unraveling them, ending with separate pieces. Only in a puzzle the process is reverse. The pieces are all separate and you have to figure out how to put them all back together. Eight months later…Wha-la! (I have no idea how to spell this word, and I could not find it on Google. :P)

Yes, you heard me. Eight months. It is the biggest puzzle I have done in a long time, and I’ll admit, there were times it sat unattended. After working all day, the last thing I wanted to do was something that pushed my brain that had been turned into mush any further. This last weekend I told myself I was finishing it. I didn’t think I would make it, but suddenly I was down to the last two pieces and it was done. Yea! Now it sits on the table and I no longer have to worry about losing pieces or have that nagging feeling in the back of my head that there is something I need to do. At least when it comes to the puzzle. lol. I did think about gluing it together and framing it, but I never liked that look. So, soon I will be putting it back in it’s box and starting to look for another puzzle to do. I have been informed, by my husband, that the next one needs to be easier. We’ll see. he he he

Is there a tradition you do every year during a holiday that is maybe a little funky or fun?

Have a great afternoon!

Heidi

P.S. If you are wondering, I found this puzzle on Amazon. It’s 1500 pieces, 26″ X 32″ finished, and by Sunsout

I know. It sounds ominous, but really it’s not. There might be a couple more, but this one I have partaken in recently. My favorite, or at least one of them, form of torture is puzzles. I love putting puzzles together. I have to be careful when I start them though, because once the bag is open and the pieces are on the table nothing much else gets done.

Usually I buy one every Christmas. I wait until the house is ready for company and then the bag is open. This way I can share my fun with my family. This includes my boys, husband, sister, her family and my parents. It’s very hard to walk by a table with an unfinished puzzle and not look at it. Then you find that one spot that screams “This will be easy!” and spend the next ten minutes looking for that one piece. From there it’s usually down hill. With this last one it was late in the night, I get up around 5:30 am and if I don’t get my sleep I’m useless the next day. So finally I had to reach over and just turn the light off. If I can’t see it, I can’t do it.

This year was a bit different. I bought the puzzle, but was unable to open it because we were working on the house. Had to put the new flooring in so the dining room had something more than plywood. Kind of hard on the bare feet in the morning. So the puzzle was not opened until a few weeks ago.

My youngest helped me some. He actually likes puzzles to a point. My husband told me if I needed the “Puzzle Master” just let him know. This means when I get down to the last five pieces that he is willing to come in and finish it for me. *rolls eyes* So the fun begins.

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Usually the puzzle is 1000 pieces. Otherwise they are done too soon and so is the fun. Everyone has their way of doing puzzles. Some put the same colors in the same pile, others just make sure the pieces are all turned upright. I like to start on the border. Sometimes that works, sometimes I have to move on to another section and work on it for a while. This one was one I had to do the latter. But finally the boarder was done along with a couple of the main pieces.

I do cheat a little. If there are pieces that are still hooked together when I open the package I keep them together. A little help from the manufacture never hurt. 😉

So about a week and a half later, with the only thing getting done when I was home from work was laundry and dinner, the puzzle is done.

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My son helped me with the last. It became a race to see who would find the next piece and then who would put the last in. I put the second to the last in and started to look for that finishing piece. It was no where to be found. Frowning I looked at my son who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat as he reached down to the hand that was on his lap and pulled the last piece of the puzzle from it. The little twit (edited for those younger ears) had hidden it so he was the one to put it in! Grrrrr!

Usually by the time I’m done with the “Christmas” puzzle I am good until next year. Apparently it is not so this year. While I will keep this puzzle on the table for a week or so, I have bought my next one. This time it is 1500 pieces. Oye! It will wait though. Even though I have this week off for spring break, I have a lot of yard work to do. If I open the puzzle that won’t get done. So maybe later in the summer. Here is a sneak peak of what new torture I have designed for myself. I think this one is going to take me awhile.

To See What I See

Tag: puzzles

Christmas Puzzle

My Favorite form of Torture