Every night (well, almost every night) I finish cleaning up the remnants of dinner and set the microwave timer for 15 minutes. I move to the dining room table, aka the puzzle table, to see if I can place a piece, or two, or ten. Some nights are slow, only locating a few measly pieces. Much trial and error and studying of shape and color with little to show for it. But, on those nights when piece after piece clicks in, there is a great feeling of satisfaction. The beep signals me that my time is up for the night. Just a few more pieces… I must move on to other things calling for my attention.
My kids gave me a 1,000 piece puzzle for Christmas. It took me 10 weeks from start to finish. For you mathematicians, that’s 100 pieces a week, 14 pieces per night. I sent my kids a picture of the finished puzzle with the text, “My Christmas present lasted 10 weeks!” It has been the gift that keeps giving!
No one in my family joins me in this venture. How can you walk by a puzzle table without looking and trying a piece? It take patience, precision, and attention to detail. It is a process with slow rewards, but a huge feeling of satisfaction upon completion. I love the lessons that puzzle working teaches.
One Blessed Block 
Congratulations! I, myself, love word puzzles, but jigsaws not so much. Challenges invigorate us, and I love that you timed yourself (and sometimes ignored the timer). We are kindred spirits.
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I love that you just set out a puzzle on a table and work on it each day for a set amount of time. And I too am surprised no one else in your family joins you! We used to always work on puzzles growing up, we got particularly fond of round ones! But I’ve never tackled a 1,000 piece puzzle. Good job!
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In my dream retirement house, we will always have a puzzle out. We’ll sit and work or walk by and pick to our heart’s content.
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With no 15 minute timers 🙂
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This reminds me I need to get one on my puzzles out and start doing them again. My only problem is that I have three cats that like to help.
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I love puzzles, but I don’t know if I could set a timer!
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I love that you give yourself this time each night. What a gift. You captured the puzzle process- joys and frustrations!
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