health

How To Turn A 1000 Piece Puzzle Into A Masterpiece

/ Donna George / 34 Comments
Puzzle Pieces

3/5/15 Puzzle Pieces

A fun and healthy hobby I enjoy with my family is putting together puzzles 1000 plus pieces. In this post, I will share some simple tips to help you puzzle faster and easier. I created photo journals during the process on some of my favorite puzzles, from the beginning process to the end.

This is what you will need:

  • Chose a puzzle that you love
  • 1 piece of large poster cardboard, any color
  • 1 bottle of Elmer’s puzzle glue
  • 1 sponge or large paint brush
  • 1 frame, puzzle measurements
  • A big dose of determination

Let’s start with this puzzle photo of an Indian Chief in completion, to get you motivated. Isn’t it gorgeous?

Indian Chief Puzzle

3/5/15, Indian Chief, Headshot Puzzle

Puzzle

Puzzle

Puzzle, Indian Face

Puzzle, Indian

Here is a list of things to do to organize 1000 tiny puzzle pieces.

  • If you are newbie to larger puzzling, I would search for puzzles with many colors and objects to keep it easy and interesting. I get bored working with the same color.
  • Great lighting is mandatory or you will die, not really, but you will struggle visually with the pieces. I use 3 bright lamps, LED lamps and place around the puzzle.
  • Place the puzzle pieces on a flat uncluttered surface.
  • Make sure no pieces are left in the plastic wrap.
  • Stand the empty box up in your work area for visual reference.
  • Start by turning all the pieces right side up, separate by grouping of color initially.
Puzzle Pieces Grouped By Colors

Obviously, there will be many shades of every color, group light to dark within groups.

Now you are ready to work on the frame. All frame pieces will have a straight side, pull the frame pieces together and create the puzzle border. Below is a picture of the puzzle I am working on now. A border example is easier to see in this puzzle photo.

Puzzle Border

Puzzle Border

Easy, right? Now you are ready to start developing the puzzle. Here are photos of the Indian Chief puzzle in progress.

  • After you finish the puzzle, it’s time to slide a piece of large poster cardboard (available almost everywhere) under the puzzle to prepare for preserving. Be careful with this maneuver, you don’t want it crashing to the floor.
  • Now it’s time to cover the puzzle with puzzle glue. Elmer’s puzzle glue is the best. Usually one coat will secure the pieces into place, occasionally it takes two coats. Put the puzzle away and wait 24 hours for it to dry.
  • Hopefully you will want to frame your masterpiece. Frames for puzzles are not easy to find. I would recommend checking local craft stores, but you might have to buy online, especially if your puzzle is an odd shape or size. And be sure to save the puzzle box, it has the puzzle measurements on the side.

One thing I learned the hard way – check the floor each time you leave your puzzle area for any pieces that may have fallen off the table. My dogs have eaten several puzzle pieces over the past years. Luckily, my husband is crafty at making missing puzzle pieces. He constructs them out of cardboard boxes, and then matches the paint with the puzzle. Once we worked on a 2000 piece puzzle all summer, yes… it seemed like an eternity and 1,999 pieces later, a piece was gone. Panic attack, but lesson learned – don’t lose pieces.

I hope you find these tips helpful. Let me know if you have any questions. Do you enjoy puzzling? I would love to hear your tips and shortcuts or see photos of your masterpieces. After puzzling for years, I have accumulated a lot of puzzles, but my favorite one is the “Wizard of Oz”. It has bright colors, characters galore and Dorthy’s red sparkly shoes. Do you have a brand puzzle you favored? 

This week I’m working on a sweet “cupcake puzzle”, how about you?

Happy trails,
Donna George

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Amazing Revelation At The Chiropractor’s Office

/ Donna George / 6 Comments
Spine

Spine

One interesting detail I have discovered from life so far, Chiropractic doctors have a certain mystic, unknown connotation attached to their services. Its strange, but when you tell someone you have a Chiropractic appointment, the silence is deafening. Almost predictable. Not that I’ve been to very many, in fact, only two in my life. The fact remains people like to talk about their aches and pains and the choice of healthcare does arise in conversation.

Since I brought it up, let me tell you why I was visiting the Chiropractor. I have found writing torture on the lower back and neck, especially after a 30 year career of traveling, dragging around luggage, a few car accidents, and just life’s bumps and lumps. When I settled down to begin writing, my body started screaming in pain. I’m a lefty, so it started with tendonitis in my left elbow, and naturally, it traveled to other places in my body. Long story short, after inhaling much anti-inflammatory meds and several specialist, I find myself staring a skeleton model of a human spine at the Chiropractor’s office.

The good news is he can help with the pain by relieving pressure off the nerve being pinched. This comes by a series of adjustments to open the area where the nerve sits in that particular vertebra (please forgive my laymen terms). Looking at the spine model as he carefully explained the process and reviewed my x-rays, it all made perfect sense to me. I’m certain my back will continue to feel better and I can keep writing as usual.

The funny thing was while all the details and options were discussed, in a rather serious way, as it is serious, my mind decides to go on a rabbit trail. I hate when this happens, I try to reel it back, but I keep thinking, here I am, not employed – finally, and my back is hurting. As I stared at the bony form in front of me, I imagined a sort of humorous 3-D image emerging from the rib cage, aiming straight for me. A revelation began to take shape in my mind.

In life we need 3 bones:

Funny Bone
Wish Bone
Back bone

The funny bone to take everything with a sense of humor, not to be so serious. The wish bone to wish for all dreams to come true, (like the chicken bone),and the back bone to do another day.

My advice for writers or anyone with sitting jobs:

  • Stand up and move around often
  • Get regular exercise daily
  • Keep drinking lemon water to push out the toxins.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress. By the way, I prefer Chiropractic treatment over medicine any day. It won’t improve your pain overnight, but it’s a way to repair the damage without surgery and drugs.

What has your experience been with back pain, and methods to cope with the pain? Maybe you’re a longterm writer or you have an occupation requiring hours of sitting, with tips on how you escaped lower back pain? I’m sure others would be interested in your suggestions.

Happy Trails
Donna George

5 Desires Of Every Heart

/ Donna George / 3 Comments

 

A heart being used as a symbol of love. Photo ...

We all have desires in our heart that keep us pressing forward to the next day. For some of us, they are upfront for all the world to see, screaming through our body language, waiting to be embraced by others. And for others, it might be buried in the clutter, long forgotten and removed.

Most of the treasures in our heart are not so different from others. In fact, I think we all are similar in our needs to be satisfied and feel validated. The physical conditions of the heart is known by medical experts, but the desires of the heart can only be felt and are more complex to understand. There are thousands of metaphors about this epic organ that have stood the test of time. You have probably heard many of them and wrestled with them first hand. Some of my favorites spoken to me during my hard decision-making times and the ones I still ask myself are:

Should I follow my heart or my head?

  • Oh, but they have a big heart.
  • Home is where the heart is.
  • My heart feels so heavy.
  • I should speak from the heart.
  • I poured out my heart to someone.
  • I have a weak spot in my heart for that person or a cause that draws me.
  • My head is saying this, but my heart says something else.

Sand heart

We’ve all heard these clichés and use them when the situations seems right to make us feel better about our decisions, as if our brain operates out of our heart. We all know the brain is where we make decisions, but the “happy place” dwells in the heart. So we strive to continue to keep the connection between the two places in alignment through agreement.

Any list of “heart” expression can quickly highlight aspects of human relationships and personalities: attitudes, social behavior, fear, love, acceptance, rejection, and the list goes on and on. The messages of the heart are not yet understood by leading top professionals today, but there is agreement among the group that the HEAD & HEART work together in unity for a persons well-being. This is clear in the damage that stress, anxiety, depression can do to the human heart. The pharmaceutical world is getting rich on this factoid, just look at the millions of people who are taking drugs daily for heart sickness that’s not physical. 

The great news is that just as the negative in our life beats up our heart, the positive emotions repairs it and keeps it healthy. We are humans not robots! The heart feels stuff, intangible things like love, kindness, laughter and joy. Did you know that when you are laughing and happy your arteries respond more productively as compared to being stressed out where the arteries constrict? This is a great reason to laugh more and look for funny movies and upbeat influencers to be around in your life. When the heart is at peace and happy, the body seems to regulate at a higher endurance. Scheduling stress free time is necessary and proven that we need it.

Since I began my journey writing, I have discovered many things about myself and about others. Having the time to stop and listen to the trials of others, I have noticed patterns that seems to bother everyone on some level. Every heart has deep needs and probably not so different from some of your very own. I decided to make a list, here is the top 5 desires.

1. The need to feel loved by someone. To be happy and fulfilled with healthy relationships.

2. Approval and acceptance by others, at least someone. Trying to escape loneliness.

3. Recognition or acknowledgment of moving in the right direction for improvement. A positive encourager or friend.

4. The idea of HOPE and the belief it exists for them, no matter how small the amount.

5. The belief that there is a God up there who can hear their prayers and watch over them. Faith.

I believe Helen Keller understood the heart matter and she left us this quote.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt by the heart” 

What are the desires of your heart? Do you know anymore; are you living them out loud? 

English: Love Heart symbol

February, the month of love is on the horizon, how will you share the love? 

Love

Donna George 🙂