I Don't Think I'll Do That Again

Many years ago--2012 to be exact, judging by the date of the Goodwill sticker--I found a 2500 piece puzzle while I was out thrifting.  I've long been a fan of 1000 piece puzzles, and when I found this 2500 piece one, I thought "Why not?  That would be awesome!"

And then it sat, apparently for 13 years, in the place where I store puzzles.  I'd look at it now and then when choosing what puzzle to put together on the occasions I felt I had time to devote to a puzzle, but always decided to work on a smaller (aka 1000 piece) one.

 

Just before Halloween, however, I felt the urge to get out a puzzle, looked at this one with it's Fall scene, did some mental calendar searching, and not expecting any small grandkids (little fingers to mess it up/lose pieces) or company over a meal time until Thanksgiving (requiring full use of the dinner table), I finally grabbed the 2500 piecer.  

The thought process, in a nutshell basically went "Why not?  There's lots of time between now and Thanksgiving.  A 1000 piece puzzle typically takes me 3-5 days, I can do a 2500 piece puzzle in roughly three weeks, right?"

HAHAHAHAHAHA.  NOPE!

Thankfully I didn't end up hosting family Thanksgiving, in early November DD1 volunteered for that task, because this monstrously huge puzzle took up half my dining room table--with the leaf in--for over a month!  About five weeks, if I have my beginning and ending dates right.  Let me tell you, just because it has 2.5 times the pieces does not equate to taking 2.5 times as long to put together.  

No, this was so much more difficult than that.  Because, if I look at how many days I worked on it, even a little bit, it took me more than 5 times as long to complete.  So. Many. Pieces.  

(And, oddly enough, it had every single piece plus 3 pieces that belonged to some other puzzle it's original owner must have thrown into the box--note them outside the lower right edge of the puzzle.)

Finished dimensions 28.5" x 38.25"

 It is a beautiful puzzle all put together.  But will I ever do a 2500 piece puzzle again?

No, I don't think I will.  At least, not until I'm so old I'm no longer taking care of horses or other people (or, doing my own cooking and housekeeping, LOL); just sitting and wishing I had something to do with all my free time.