Puzzled

Today is National Puzzle Day, in case you didn't know.  Apparently the inventors of this unusual holiday meant for it to be a day in which we all participated in enjoying some sort of puzzle activity.

Of course the first puzzles that come to my mind are jigsaw puzzles.  Although I am not particularly a fan of these, I do have several family members that truly enjoy doing these, and usually, at any given time, they have a puzzle in various stages of completion.

My parents especially enjoy spending time in the evenings working together on a puzzle.  They have a special well-lit puzzle table set up at the end of their dining room table.  There is adequate space for sorting pieces into groupings, and they even have handy spatulas laying nearby for placing completed sections into the puzzle.  Any guests to their home are welcomed and invited to sit a spell and find a few pieces to add to the work in progress.

Currently we do not have a jigsaw puzzle set up in our house, but I have placed a table, chair, and lamp in one of our spare bedrooms in case the urge hits.  The husband/lover/puzzle aficiondo may wish to start one, now that the guest room is vacant.

I took a look around the internet at several puzzle companies to see what they offer.  I found several puzzles that took my eye.  All of the jigsaw puzzles I will show you are available from Springbok Puzzles.

I like this market stand puzzle, because I thought the color groupings would make it reasonable to put various sections of the puzzle together.

This one,  "Grandma's Kitchen,"  brings memories to me of both of my beloved grandmothers.  My one grandmother was an extraordinarily good baker, and something tasty was always coming out of her kitchen.  My other grandmother, too, had good stuff in her kitchen.  A pot of coffee always put out a comforting aroma, and her cabinets were always stocked with the exact snacks I loved.  She was always prepared just in case I would visit.  

I could consider ordering this next puzzle, again because it has workable sections, and because it makes me feel good.  Looking at this puzzle I remember fondly the experiences I had last May snorkeling with my husband in the Caribbean. 

I would select this next puzzle for the simple reason that I like shoes.  It reminds me of a calendar I had one year in which each day a new fancy pair of shoes was revealed.  I loved that calendar.

Then I'd also have to buy this next puzzle.  It's just so colorful, and right now it makes me think of Spring, which I keep telling myself really is right around the corner.

I'm thinking about what other types of puzzles could be found in my home, and I'm realizing there are quite a few.

The husband/lover/crossword puzzle expert has numerous books of crossword puzzles on his table beside the bed.  He grew up in a household where his mother also loved puzzles, and so he is quite good at crosswords.  Understandably he is also KILLER at the game of Scrabble.  I don't stand a chance against him.  

We have several Sudoku puzzle books around the house, too.  I really enjoyed doing those for a while, but then I became bored with them after overdosing on them one entire weekend.  

Another type of puzzle I seem to be enjoying these days is the type that shows two apparently identical photos, but you must find the differences.  People magazine has one of these in each issue, and my husband and I compete to see who can find more of the differences.  Because I am such a seasoned people watcher, I am an expert at this type of puzzle.  Usually.  

My mother enjoys word finds, and usually carries a small word find puzzle book along with her in her purse.  Whenever she is waiting - for a car repair, under the hair dryer, while her husband gasses the car - she does a word find and writes at the top of that page the date and where she is at that moment.  When the book is full, she gets a kick out of seeing all the places she sat and did those puzzles.  

Whether or not I engage actively in "doing a puzzle,"  at least once a day I am puzzled by something.  

Where did I leave my cell phone?  Why is my water bill so high this month?  What is the meaning of the word "usurious?"  Why is the puppy so crazy today?  

All puzzling, to be sure.

I cannot close without telling you about the BEST PUZZLE  I ever received and did in my entire life.  Many years ago at Christmas, my parents gave a small puzzle to our four children and us.  When we put together our puzzle, it showed a message from them indicating that they would be taking us to Disney World that next spring.  It was a great puzzle, a wonderful gift, and a fun-filled and memorable vacation for all of us.  Thanks Mom and Dad!  We will never forget that puzzle and trip.

"Happiness is finding the little piece with the pink edge and part of the sky and the top of the sailboat."  (Linus, working on a jigsaw puzzle, in the Charles M. Schulz book Happiness is a Warm Puppy.)

There's one puzzle I do truly hate though, and that's the mystery of what became of that very last piece.....