Comments on: A Puzzling Pastime

By: Cbloozman

Cbloozman — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:45:02 +0000

Emily I share your same love of jigsaw puzzles. As a kid my mother was always buying them at second hand stores and such and we did some of those puzzles dozens of times.

I’ve passed the tradition onto my kids and we have
spent many vacations in which we set one up and we all float in and out working on a 1000 piece one.

My wife and oldest son have initiated the practice of pocketing a piece at some point during its construction so that they can have the victorious pleasure of putting in the last piece which often leads to a silly battle.

One thing I have noticed about doing the puzzles all these years that people do them in different styles:

For instance:

1) I have always felt you HAD to do the frame first. Others have given me strange looks over this “rule”.

2) My son will pick up one piece and then try to find it on the outside cover of the box to figure out where it goes. I find that tedious.

3) I on the other hand go by shape and color to
locate pieces.

There are others but those jump to mind-I do think doing a puzzle is one of the most relaxing past times there are. I’m glad I’m not alone!

By: RuthWells

RuthWells — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:33:34 +0000

Um, does watching “Housewives of Orange County” marathons count? Certainly meaningless and occasionally goofy….

By: kim shimer

kim shimer — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:53:01 +0000

I used to like puzzles a lot more than I do now. I think it’s the fault of the puzzle manufacturers. Is it just me or do they not make the pieces distinct enough anymore? It seems you can have five pieces that all seem to fit the same spot. Very frustrating.

Nevertheless, I would be amenable to joining you for wine, conversation, and puzzle completion!

By: East Coast Surfer

East Coast Surfer — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:11:29 +0000

15 pieces??? I’d swear it was at least 50!…. Ok, 25.

By: Kristen @ Motherese

Kristen @ Motherese — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:47:34 +0000

I loved doing jigsaw puzzles as a kid. Every summer I would tackle as many 1000 piecers as I could. I love what you say here about the meditative quality of a simple task. I think there’s a lot to be said for task-oriented behavior in a world where there is so much “constant movement.” Great post and wonderful food for thought – I wonder where all my old puzzles are…

By: lindacopy

lindacopy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:29:43 +0000

I love doing jigsaw puzzles — the whole family does — and we also love crossword puzzles. I actually think there are some similarities in these pastimes. Emily — you are so right in your description of the process; and yes, Jennifer, I do remember!
Finishing a jigsaw puzzle is like being the host at the end of a really good party… there’s that satisfaction of “I did it!” and then you feel just a little wistful, knowing all the pieces will soon have to break apart, until the next time someone brings them together again.

By: terry

terry — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:06:20 +0000

I love text twist. I don’t know if it slows me down but boy I don’t think about anything when I’m playing text twist.

It’s a tad addicting though.

By: goofdad

goofdad — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:59:43 +0000

My parents do puzzles with my boys, but I never caught the bug. I prefer curling up with a good book.

Your post reminds me of a camping trip when we were kids. My parents are both puzzle people, so when we camped there was often a puzzle on the table that we worked on during the week. One year, as we set up our puzzle, we found a puzzle piece under the table that wasn’t ours. We laughed, and said “guess we’re not the only ones” and “someone is REALLY missing this”. We tossed it in the glovebox as a souvenier.

When we got home, we were showing my Aunt, who lived close by. Turns out it was HER puzzle piece. We had managed to pick the same site in the same campground where they had been camping the week before. They had spent two days looking for that piece, and hadn’t found it!

For all I never caught the bug, I have to agree that puzzles make for good sharing and good stories. Thanks for the post and thanks for the memories. I hadn’t thought about that in years!

By: Anne

Anne — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:34:54 +0000

I totally agree! Just this past Thanksgiving, my husband and I were hanging out at my parents house in the country, and there was this incredibly difficult but highly addictive puzzle sitting on the dining room table. I hadn’t done a puzzle in YEARS, and I became obsessed. My husband too. It was weirdly meditative. And I realized how much he truly loves me when he let me insert the FINAL piece.

By: Elizabeth @ Life in Pencil

Elizabeth @ Life in Pencil — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:05:59 +0000

Check out this article from last September’s NYT Magazine — I immediately remembered it when I read your post:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/magazine/13Drabble-t.html?_r=1&scp=21&sq=puzzles+magazine&st=nyt