Some thoughts on Jigsaw Puzzles

One of my favorite hobby is jigsaw puzzles which I don't do often but I've always enjoyed them. Usually people start a puzzle by putting the edges together and begin from there. I've done that but now I prefer to pick a piece from the middle and build the puzzle around it - it's more challenging that way. But the edge method is definitely a good way to start if you don't know any other way.
    Here are some puzzles I had finished over the years and what I think of them in no particular order. I didn't include the level of difficulty for each puzzle as I think that depends on the person but these definitely aren't for younger children as the pieces are rather too small.

01 - Disney Tangled > link
Artist: Thomas Kinkade
Brand: Schmidt
Pieces: 1000
Packaging: Cardboard box shrink-wrapped with puzzle pieces in sealed plastic bag
Puzzle Dust: minimum
Thoughts: I think Schmidt's brand have one of the best quality puzzle pieces I've ever encountered though they are pretty expensive. This particular Tangled puzzle is a bit difficult to do as there are so many similar pieces but the artwork is great. I especially like the puzzle pieces are kind of matted so it didn't have shine to them. This is definitely one of my favorite artwork but I love all things Tangled. (If you like this artwork but want to spend less, Ceaco have a version of this same puzzle.)

August 2023 - A brief review

August was a slow and yet, quick month. I had been lazy, only that, work made one un-lazy somehow. The weather had been a bit mixed - one day, it was hot, the next, it was cool. Often, my brain can't shut off so on some nights I'm awake thinking about things but mostly worrying for no reason but also, the heat kept me awake. I don't enjoy summer because of the heat but more because of mosquitos/flies/insects tend to bite me for no reason. The strange thing was, I didn't see that many mosquitos/flies/insects around and I'm hardly outside so how could I have been bitten so many times?
    I might have had watched a bit too many Chinese shows last month so that I can learn Mandarin but honestly, it's just an excuse to watch more television because my brain can't seem to learn new things, especially new languages. I think if I had started learning mandarin when I was kid, I might actually have been able to learn it but now it's rather difficult but I did learn a few phrases.
    Reading was not as enjoyable as usual. Somehow I just couldn't get interested in any book to finish it. I read so many samples, they can kind of accumulate into 10 or more books. Every sample I read is terrible or boring or I'm correcting the writing or I just didn't like it. Maybe I'm sick of reading or maybe I haven't found a book worth finishing.
    For most of August, I've been working on three writing projects but even though I did write a lot, it's still not a lot. I write about ten to twenty minutes or so at a time and then somehow I loose the motivation to continue which is a habit that I couldn't fix. Lately, I think too much on a story but write very little. All this equals to not a lot of writing done but I at least, I got some ideas down.

The only thing I've finished in August (besides work projects which I will not talk about here), was a Agatha Christie jigsaw puzzle. I really liked this puzzle but I kind of wish the art wasn't so symmetrical because it's no fun if all the pieces are too similar. For info about this puzzle, go here.

How was your August? I hope September is good to you.