Short and sincere

Hello, all, I hope your week is winding down satisfactorily and Saturday looking good. My message today is brief, but heartfelt, aimedto avoid having anyone else make the same mistake I did. You may recall a few months ago me mentioning that a card table was set up in the living room to work puzzles on. A while back I got one that was all teacups and saucers, a huge variety with a riot of colors and patterns. It was so difficult and large (1000 pieces) that when it was finished I was looking for a little relief. So I picked this up at Manna:

The main reason was the size, only 500 pieces so it would be quicker. Could it have been possible to be any more wrong? Experience says no, or rather shouts NO! Unless your family isn't doing their job and you need outside assistance to drive you crazy don't ever try to work a puzzle made from a black and white photograph; ignore this advice at your own risk. It took me over a month to finish the border. You know, the bits with straight edges that you do first to make a frame for the rest of the picture? The rest of it was incredibly difficult, too. It annoyed me so I ignored it for a while, but finally decided to give it one last push to try and finish it once and for all. 

Success at last! The title is "Kitty Pie", and it is cute, but not enough to have turned more of my hair white and taken several years off my life as is assuredly the case.  Add this to my other pearls of wisdom, like never name a cat after a girl detective, lest yours start channeling Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden and put a safety pin on your key chain. Someday you'll have a wardrobe malfunction and be glad to have it. The moral of this story is that black and white photos are indeed dramatic and make excellent art, but when they're used for a puzzle the manufacturer has Beelzebub on its payroll. 

Have a great weekend!

Michele