Jigsaw Puzzles

jigsaw piece, on Flickr by emma spanton

They used to be my life. After the Barbie phase.

They would be my incentive for studying. I'd work hard to get top positions, just for the moment where I could step into Jigsaw World in the shopping mall, and get my hands on one of the latest jigsaw puzzles. There would be shelf after shelf of beautiful beautiful puzzle boxes, even a room with glow in the dark puzzles displayed. And I would slowly challenge myself with bigger and bigger sizes, up till 2000 pieces. I loved those panoramic jigsaws from Disney!

The jigsaw routine would be to set up a large mahjong table (or two) and slowly begin somewhere, anywhere, by referencing the puzzle box cover. Jigsaws have to be built in parts, because it's so difficult to do it systematically. So the table becomes full of separate growing islands, and it's so exhilarating when you find the one piece that joins the two islands into a peninsula.

I'd work into the night, and sometimes get annoyed that nobody was helping me. But then I'd go to sleep, and sometimes the next day, some new pieces would be added, and I knew that Dad or one of my sisters had been to work (or kaypohed) while I was asleep. A few times, I'd find a totally wrong piece put in in the wrong direction or something, and I usually suspected it was Adelia (who was less coordinated at that time) or Mom (who is less coordinated most times).

My biggest regret has always been the world map jigsaw puzzle which I had to abandon. Probably 2000 pieces (don't think I ever tried a 3000 or 4000?). But I'll have to confirm, IF the box still exists. Large parts were already coming together, but life got in the way and I never got around to finishing it. It collected dust for months until finally, I had to clear the table to make space for guests. My jigsaw puzzle making bedroom had to make way for visitors, and I was forced to break it down into parts and put it back into the box. I tried my best to preserve it, but I never went back to finish it. And probably never will.

I'll never forget that puzzle.

Someday, I am going to rediscover that hobby. The only problem is the lack of wall space and aesthetic cohesiveness of the puzzles. The only way to save your finished work is to frame, and the only way to display them is to hang them up. Which is what has happened to my family home, a big eclectic mish-mash of puzzles on every wall surface.

Anyone know how else to archive completed puzzles?