Puzzling

I've always been a fan of puzzles. But over the past decade of so, I've done them sporadically. But the last year, I've started doing them regularly. And then the pandemic hit and they've become a weekly project.

I'm a little particular about my puzzles (shocking, I know). I pretty much stick to 1000 pieces. Anything over doesn't fit my table and anything under just seems...not challenging enough.

This puzzle is one of my favorites (not because of the subject matter - which I actually am not fond of) but because it reminds me of my childhood. This is a puzzle that my grandfather used to do. I would come for a visit (we lived 20 minutes away) and he would be doing a puzzle. And I would "help".  I remember my grandparents had a yard sale on day and they were selling many of the puzzles. I rescued this one. I'm not sure what happened to that puzzle. But I stumbled across this one day and knew I had to purchase it. 



We did other puzzles by Charles Wysocki. To be honest, he was one of my favorite puzzle artists for a long time. I thought I had completed quite a few of his puzzles, but looking at this list made me realize just how many puzzles he created. 


This one is a favorite from my childhood. It's funny because I probably wouldn't pick this one up today, but I love it. Also I put it together the exact same way...
Now I'm very partial to White Mountain Puzzles. 

Here are some puzzles I've completed this year (not all of them)


Books and Books and Books

This one has hidden objects in the puzzle that are not on the box.

This one made me crave sweets!

I do love Christmas puzzles!

I really loved the picture, but tricky putting this one together.

Are you a puzzler?

How do you pick your puzzles?

February 5th and My Grandfather

20 years ago yesterday, we lost my grandfather very suddenly. I was a freshman in high school and I was devastated. February 5th is always a hard day, but yesterday I took time for memories. The happy times won out over the sadness and gaping hole in my heart.

In this picture, we're celebrating his birthday. We were going to eat a lemon meringue pie - which we both loved.  I turned 10 a few months ago and yes, I'm at the awkward stage in my life.

My Grandfather:

He loved Sweets - I inherited his sweet tooth - from candy to afternoon treats at tea.
He hated vegetables - me too
He didn't cook - anything.
He had a wicked sense of humor - I'd like to think I do as well
He liked Sports - mostly baseball - ok, so he rooted for the Yankees and I'm a Celtics fan.
He came to my sporting events from midget league to my JV games 
I come from a family of readers - he read sports books
One year, he made me a book of Marmaduke comics - I love them
He got me into puzzles - which I love and can pull out a missing piece from the box that he'd been looking for for ages. Which both irritated him and made him proud.
He volunteered at the food pantry in town - bending the rules as needed. I have been known to bend rules here or there when it benefits people.

Of course there are all the nevers:
He never got to meet my husband
He never knew that I became a YA Librarian
and so many more.

But I'm choosing this year to remember all the fun times and not the nevers. And a heart full of love at the times we had together and not the times we lost.