Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
Cold, dark, drab, dreary, January is the longest month of the year. I realize that it has 31 days the same as March, May, July, August, October, and December, but it seems days longer. I am thankful that the Romans decided to shorten February. The long days leave us retired folks wanting for something to do.
Puzzles are a good cure for our cabin fever. They were first created by John Spilsbury in 1766. Spilsbury, a cartographer and engraver, cut up maps with a marquetry saw to teach children geography.
Puzzles are a bit like the days of our lives. A day unfolds piece by piece, sometimes an event fits, sometimes it doesn’t but eventually you get a complete picture.
Most of our finished puzzles end up glued to a board with a custom-built frame from my husband’s workshop.
I thought we were somewhat unique until we made an impromptu visit last summer. We were the proud owners of new E-bikes and one warm day, close to the fourth of July, we drove to Loysburg, parked at the Lions Community building and took off up the hill to New Enterprise.
We zipped about my old stomping grounds making memories like puzzle pieces. I could smell the oiled floor at Orlo Boyd’s grocery; I remembered the excitement of the jewelry counter at Hershberger’s Clothing Store; Bible verses learned at Bible School at the Brethren Church came to mind. Back to reality, I knew my cousin, Leanna Calhoun, lived not far from where we were biking.
Imagine her surprise when she opened the door to two octogenarians wearing bicycle helmets. During our delightful spontaneous visit, Leanna and hubby Leo took us to their basement to see what they do in the winter. Yep, the basement walls were full of puzzles they had put together during the past years.
We have a room in the basement where, come January, the Christmas wrappings get stored away and out comes a card table for puzzle making. One year we found a puzzle that contained all the miracles of Christ. When finished, my husband framed it for the church where it hangs in the library.
A puzzle called “Cats in Quarantine” had us very puzzled this winter. We finished it with two pieces that did not fit anywhere and two holes which had no pieces. We wrote to the company, and they sent us a second puzzle. Same thing occurred! We again contacted the puzzle company and sent a picture of our dilemma. Someone there solved the problem. We needed to move two other pieces then everything fit. We had a bit of egg on our faces.
Today’s phone cameras make it easy to get a personalized picture puzzle. We are presently working on one of these. Hint to those who go this route…pick a picture with many bright colors. The one I chose is very frustrating.
It was interesting to discover that Spilsbury created eight geography puzzles that included the world, Europe, Asia, Africa, America, England and Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. Puzzles were very popular with the royal family. Can you imagine Meghan and Harry with a puzzle? Neither can I!
Puzzles were a popular form of entertainment during the great depression. Puzzles made a big comeback during the recent lockdowns. One Bedford shop stayed afloat during that stressful time with puzzles and masks.
Puzzles now come in every shape and size imaginable. They are shaped like animals, plants or flowers. They are available for all skill sets. My great-granddaughter termed herself “a puzzle master” when she was about four.
My husband is definitely an expert. He puts the frame together and starts to work on the inside pieces before I get interested. Then, I find it hard to quit.
As time went by, and saws improved, so did puzzles. When eventually, a jigsaw was used to cut the picture, the term, “jigsaw” puzzles stuck. My husband has a great desire to visit a puzzle factory to see how they cut them today.
Meanwhile, this year, winter has been particularly long and despite the missing pieces, I have welcomed this age-old pastime of putting a puzzle together day by day. And piece by piece, spring is on its way.
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