Puzzles, Pasta and Peace

 

Our newest pastime: jigsaw puzzles

Is it only Wednesday? It's been a mind-occupying few days for me and I feel like this should be Friday afternoon. I'll fill in some of the specifics as I respond to Joyce's Hodgepodge questions for this week. 

To put you at ease, I will say that even with the challenges of late, it's all good. So don't read thinking that I'm leading up to bad news, because I am not. 

👍🏻  👍🏻  👍🏻  👍🏻  👍🏻

Gary and I are really into jigsaw puzzles these last couple of months. Both of us enjoy them so much, assembling them out here on the brightly-lit lanai (only in daylight hours, that is). At times we work on a puzzle together, but sometimes that means one of us has to work the pieces upside down, and that's tricky, of course. I'll share some of our works both in finished and incomplete phases.

my friend Joline had a puzzle with a missing piece!!

I've been giving a lot of thought as to how these puzzles are similar to life with necessary problem-solving and how to handle as much as we can with calmness and good sense.

a particularly crazy design that was tucked
into Gary's cabinet when I moved into his house

Today I'm comparing puzzles (jigsaw puzzles, to be clear) with life, problem-solving, and handling that with calmness. 

Looking for a red head with a yellow shoulder scarf
(this is some of my personal puzzle-assembly strategy)

Much of life seems to be a puzzle. How well we separate the pieces, sorting them into groups, and then fitting them into a neat design tends to say something about how well we cope with the dilemmas of life. 

Here are my responses to Joyce's Hodgepodge questions for this week. If you want to connect with your blog, click on this link: http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/2026/07/hodgepodge-questions-volume-664.html

1. What was the last thing you celebrated? 

While it was not a celebration with cake and party hats, I had plenty of reason to rejoice yesterday AFTER a techie-type problem with huge implications for disaster found me and I was able to not only get it resolved in about an hour's time, but I was CALM about it. 

Then today I had extensive follow-up work to complete repairs from the mess encountered yesterday. I can say with pretty good confidence that I believe all the i's have been dotted and all the t's are crossed. Of course, time will tell.

So to get back to Joyce's question about "celebration," I am just very thankful that the Lord is maturing me with confidence to handle adversity better than my past history has shown. For me, this is celebration.

2. July 29th is International Day of the Tiger. Besides the wild animal itself, when you hear the word tiger what's the first person-place-thing-whatever that comes to mind? 

Orange Tiger Lilies. In 1974 we moved into military housing at the Air Force base where my husband was stationed. It was a spacious 3-bedroom duplex with a single-car garage and a front flower bed filled with gorgeous Tiger Lilies planted by the previous occupants. 

3. The expression 'eye of the tiger' describes someone with intense focus, determination, and the drive to succeed. What area of your life are you currently bringing that kind of energy to?  

one of many peaceful scenes
in our +55 retirement community

In my current season of life as a retired senior citizen, I do my best to not get 'wrapped around the axle' nearly as much as I used to. This week's test with techie things was a "pop quiz", so to speak, but as indicated above, it's gone well.

4. What was the last meal you cooked? 

Gary does most of our cooking but from time to time I give him a break with things like quesadillas, egg salad sandwiches, grilled ham ’n cheese sandwiches, quiche, and Pasta Alfredo. 

The last time I prepared a meal for him was probably about 2 weeks ago. There are times when I need to refresh my culinary skills and let Gary just sit. 🥱😴💤

Speaking of pasta, I bought this refrigerator magnet when we were visiting Terri D in May. Carbs can provide a calming effect when we are stressed out.

I love to combine a pot of cooked pasta (any kind, any shape that's in the pantry) and smother it with a heated up jar of Alfredo or Marinara sauce, topped with shredded Parmesan cheese. I serve it in pasta bowls (the wide diameter and curved sides make chasing the noodles so much easier) and sometimes eat with a spoon instead of a fork.

5. Describe your July using exactly five words. 

Puzzles, food, contentment, peaceful sleep

Us enjoying lunch at
The Whistling Duck

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

In closing, I've done some research on the benefits of jigsaw puzzles.  

Sorting and connecting pieces forces us to mentally rotate shapes and assess how small parts fit into a larger image.

sorting puzzle pieces into categories

Assembling these puzzles strengthens working memory, helps with goal setting and systematic planning, and step-by-step problem-solving. (really???)

cheerful designs make it so much more fun

This hobby also builds long-term cognitive reserve, a protective factor against cognitive aging. (quoting Artificial Intelligence here) It aids in creating a “cushion” that helps the brain better compensate for age-related decline or symptoms of dementia. (!!!)

a car puzzle for Gary

Who knew such a pleasant activity could benefit us so much?!!

You make known to me

the path of life;

in Your presence there is

fullness of joy;

at your right hand there are

pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

Until next time, grace and peace!

Barbara