1000 piece puzzle

Puzzles seem the ultimate time waster don't they?  You work and work and when you have completed your puzzle you take it apart again. It is an exercise that rather reminds me of a kindergarten teacher my son had who told her young charges that if they didn't hurry in their tidying up she would throw all the blocks on the floor again. (She never recovered her credibility in the eyes of my son.)

Perhaps for that reason I have never done the puzzle I have had for at least 40 years. I had put it in the box destined for the op shop, but I wasn't certain all the parts were still there so I rather reluctantly decided I should check and I spread it out in the table. Well, part of it only as it has 1000 pieces and they simply didn't fit.

It started finding bits that fit together, and before too long I was completely captivated. Now I remembered how fun puzzles can be. Good, you do de-assemble what you have so carefully assembled, but isn't that true of so much in life? And the assembly process is like a drug, at least it was for me - I couldn't leave it alone.

It was also a very welcome distraction as I am not yet fully recovered. I am at that stage where you want to do stuff but can't.

I started last week on Tuesday. I had bits on the table, bits on a tray and bits on a large piece of foam core picture backing.

By the end of the day I had a bit of the bridge done ....very slow progress.

On Wednesday I did a bit better. I did the puzzle and ate, then returned to the puzzle.

On Thursday I was on a roll. The more you puzzle the more intimately you know the picture you are trying to form so you find the pieces more easily. . By the end of the day there were only a few pieces left to do ...and they slotted quickly into place on Friday.

Then I took it all undone again, but with a great feeling of accomplishment. I am no longer going to discard it. I am sure it will be much quicker next time I do it.