In the fall of 2004, I received my Canadian Geographic Christmas catalogue. As I leafed through the pages one item caught my eye. There it was: a jigsaw puzzle comprised of four old style maps! How about that! I always enjoyed completing jigsaw puzzles and I enjoy looking at maps of any kind. Combine two of my favourite things to do and it only seemed natural I had to have it. So bought it I did! But there was a catch. This puzzle was a whopping 18,240 pieces. Or, to be more accurate, four puzzles of 4,560 pieces to create four puzzles, which then interlocked to make one huge puzzle. What a challenge, I thought. It took me just over nine months to complete the puzzle. It hangs in my basement recreation room in all its glory and blazing colour. A whopping 6 1/2 feet by 9 1/2 feet or over 61 square feet in size! Completing this monster is a source of pride. I show it off proudly. Besides being a great educational tool - did you know Hudson’s Bay was formerly Button’s Bay - it is a work of art, at least in my opinion. Afterwards, I swore I would never complete another jigsaw puzzle a similar size. There is another puzzle called ‘Creation of Adam’ and it’s 13,200 pieces. It is Michaelangelo’s classic painting in the Sistine Chapel. Perhaps this puzzle but no other. Last fall, my greatest fear was realized. Some “idiot” came along and made a bigger puzzle. This one is about 5.1 by 15.1 feet in size or 77 square feet. It’s 24,000 pieces in size or 5,760 pieces larger than the last one. It depicts Royce B. McClure’s vision of life on earth and named “Life: The Greatest Puzzle’. I no longer had the world’s largest jigsaw puzzle in my basement. Of course, you know what eventually happened. At first, I remembered the promise I made to myself. No more monster jigsaw puzzles. However, each day I began checking websites to find out more information on this puzzle. I discovered it was similar to the last one, comprised of four puzzles of 6,000 pieces which interlock at the end. After a few months of kidding myself, I picked up the phone and ordered. Today, I’m about halfway through the first quadrant. It’s extremely difficult but a blast. I have no place to hang this giant puzzle when I complete it but I do have a couple options on where I might put it. To be honest, the first puzzle truly belongs in the library or museum for its educational value, but my selfish side exposes itself and I’m keeping it for myself. The point to all this: everyone should have a hobby. No matter how ridiculous, time-consuming or expensive, a hobby keeps one busy and away from the trials and tribulations of work. It’s a great stress buster. I love my hobby. Yes, it’s a lot of work but it’s something I truly enjoy. And when I’m done, I will enjoy it for a long time, until the next one comes along that’s 28,000 or 30,000 pieces. Oh, well! If anyone else in the readership area has built these giant puzzles, please drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you.

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