My Puzzling Hobby

Spring is here and I guess that will bring a temporary halt to one of my favorite hobbies, putting jigsaw puzzles together. During the cold winter nights we enjoy sitting in front of a warm blazing fire putting puzzles together. We may have completed about ten this winter, some very challenging. But we persevered and completed them. The latest was a map of the United States with each state showing the state flower. It was especially tough because the border wasn't a rectangle with straight edges, it was the outline of the United States. And the 1,000 pieces were small and most had odd shapes. I started it earlier this winter and quit. But we came back to it and conquered! We'll probably still tackle a few more during the months ahead, but somehow it just isn't the same when it gets warmer and the days get longer. My father worked on puzzles by himself until the last year or two before his death. So maybe it is in the genes. But maybe there will be a time to give it up, especially when we get like the lady in the following story that my cousin just sent to me. A little silver-haired lady calls her neighbor and says, "Please come over here and help me. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle, and I can't figure out how to get started." Her neighbor asks, "What is it supposed to be when it's finished?" The little silver haired lady says, "According to the picture on the box, it's a rooster." Her neighbor decides to go over and help with the puzzle. She lets him in and shows him where she has the puzzle spread all over the table. He studies the pieces for a moment, then looks at the box, then turns to her and says, "First of all, no matter what we do, we're not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a rooster." He takes her hand and says, "Secondly, I want you to relax. Let's have a nice cup of tea, and then," he said with a deep sigh ............ "Let's put all the Corn Flakes back in the box."