Winter Puzzling...

Jigsaw puzzles have always been a part of our family life. It's funny how the process has changed over the years. When John and I first got married, we lived in an apartment in a Washington DC suburb. John was the one who liked doing jigsaw puzzles, and he loved the Detlefson paintings of the seasons. That was 1970 -- and our first jigsaw puzzles were four 500 piece Detlefson paintings. When we finished them, I tried to glue them together with Mod-Podge so they could hang on the wall. The art project was a big fail -- but jigsawing has remained a loyal winter friend.

When the boys were small, John would sit in the living room and work on a puzzle while the rest of us watched a movie. We have a small house -- there never was a separate family room or entertainment option. Ross was never interested in the puzzle. Elliott would occasionally sit at the table with John and find a few pieces.

For a time, Emily and Elliott lived here with us -- and they took puzzling to new heights. The two of them would start a 500 piece puzzle at 6:00 at night and be done before 10:00. It was almost like a race with the clock -- they were a wonderful puzzle team...

At some point, John completely lost interest in doing puzzles. We had the house to ourselves -- and in 2006, I was seriously trying to lose weight. In an effort to change my horrible nightime eating habits, I turned the upstairs guest bedroom into a PUZZLE ROOM. I would go up there after supper at night, and work on a puzzle for hours. John had turned the other upstairs bedroom into his office -- so we'd spend our evenings up there. Me puzzling in the front room and him watching ESPN across the hall. When I was getting to the end of the puzzle, I'd invite him over, and we'd tag-team the last 100 pieces or so. We had rules and everything. All the pieces were in the box, and we'd take turns...Hey -- stop laughing! I lost 100 pounds on that puzzle diet...

For the last couple of years, puzzling has become our AFTER-Christmas treat.  I take the Christmas tree down and put up a sturdy card table in it's place.   Lilly started demonstrating a love of puzzles when she was about two years old.  She can whip through the child-size puzzles on her own -- but she especially enjoys sitting with us and helping with the BIG puzzles. 

This was a beautiful farm scene from the White Mountain Puzzle Company -- one of my favorite companies!

When she walks into our house -- she runs over to the puzzle table to see what we're working on...

She has her own methods, and it is so interesting to watch.  And this kid will stick with a thing...she never gives up...

This winter, we have nearly turned puzzling into a contact sport. I jokingly said it's our Iowa Winter Olympic Event. The reality is that I set up every puzzle. I sort the pieces, and put the edge together. There is one really good chair at the puzzling table -- which benefits from the excellent overhead lamp. And when I am sitting there, John stays away from the puzzle table. Ditto -- when he is sitting in the chair -- I stay away from the puzzle. But Lilly will join whoever is working there. And, often, she gets to sit in the main puzzle chair ALL BY HERSELF...

There are a few secrets to EXCELLENT PUZZLING...and I even have a way to work on two separate puzzles at one time...