Under the Chestnut Tree

Have you done a puzzle recently? I mean, like a good old-fashioned jigsaw puzzle? My sister-in-law spent her Christmas devouring them and reminded me of their joys and merits. And now I'm hooked.

As a general rule, I consider myself to be a formidable competitor when it comes to puzzles. Race me in a crossword or Sudoku and I'll probably make a bold statement and with confidence claim that I'll be able to win. Crosswords, cryptograms, Tetris, Mahjong, whatever...you name it, I'll solve it. Honestly, it's what I'm good at.

When Jessica told me about her puzzle-filled holiday weekend, I recalled the jigsaw puzzles I owned, but had never opened. I thought of them sitting alone and fragmented in my closet, wishing with all their might to be connected to their bona fide neighbors, asking someone who cared to solve them.

I broke out this good old country scene called "Under the Chestnut Tree." 1000 pieces is a nice challenge for someone who hasn't done a jigsaw puzzle since they were in high-school. The chestnut tree was a real doozie, since all the pieces practically looked the same.

At the risk of sounding like a total and complete loser, doing a jigsaw puzzle is a really good time. I love the patience it takes and the satisfaction I find in figuring out just the right place for each piece. I love being able to leave it and come back as I wish. I love that there was no technology involved and nothing plugged in while you work on it. I love knowing that it's just being solved for fun and that when you're done, it will just be taken apart and put away.

Onto my next puzzle which my husband got me last year. It's Da Vinci's "Last Supper" which has little contrast throughout and is broken into 2000 lovely pieces. This one might take a while.