Work In Progress by Ken Zylla – SunsOut – 300 pieces

A thrift store puzzle! The first one I’ve worked since I came back, and it went together quickly. I don’t have many smaller piece puzzles here; combine that with me re-reading through my blog and seeing all the amazing puzzles mom used to find for us to do from the thrift stores – and I got a bee in my bonnet about going to find some “new” puzzles to do.

I was pleased to find some great deals, although if you ask me the price of some of the puzzles at the thrift store was ridiculous. $4.99 for a 100 piece kid’s puzzle? I don’t think so! So I was happy to find a couple of Ravensburger 1000 pieces for $2.99 each, a box of 8 Disney puzzles (Mega Puzzles brand) for $4.99 and a few other interesting images and brands I hadn’t heard of. Mom would be proud of me! 💖

Anyway, to the puzzle. The image jumped out at me for some reason I’m unable to articulate properly, which is why I bought it. SunsOut isn’t a brand I usually buy – and it’s one we (the puzzle posse) never purchase new. If it’s a great image and a good price at a thrift store then I’ll get it; luckily that’s what this one was. I enjoyed this one immensely and it went together quite quickly as it was only 300 pieces and an easy one to sort.

The quality wasn’t great, the fit was VERY loose. Two pieces put together couldn’t be picked up and moved without them coming apart. Annoying. But once I realized that I changed where I was putting pieces together – the trick is to only assemble pieces as close to where they belong as possible, that way I won’t have to pick them up to move them. I find that pretty darn annoying, but it doesn’t preclude me from actually assembling a puzzle that is otherwise entertaining.

I’m missing and remembering my beautiful momma a lot these days, and somehow this puzzle made me feel a little closer to her today. She loved a bargain, she loved jigsaw puzzles and finding puzzle treasures for the both of us to assemble; she loved stopping at my house on the way home from her puzzle hunting to show me what she found and maybe helping me out for a little bit on whatever puzzle was on my board. She loved me so much, we were truly best friends and talked to each other every single day, we loved spending time together and I loved her to puzzle pieces!

I miss you momma. So much. 😥💔