WHAT SORT OF PUZZLES DO YOU LIKE?
I’ve been at a respite home for a few days since I left hospital. They like us to perhaps go to the lounge in the morning to give the housekeeping staff a chance to get in and change bedding and clean the rooms.
I can rub along with most people and don’t mind chatting but there’s a lady who comes in a couple of days a week to try and keep folk entertained. On our first meeting she asked if I’d like to do a jigsaw puzzle. When I was a child, I remember trying to do a jigsaw which was above my calendar age, large puzzle with tiny pieces which I found frustrating. I was put off jigsaw puzzles for life. I used a bit of tact. I didn’t say “I loathe jigsaw puzzles”, rather something along the lines of they weren’t my cup of tea.
After a bit of a chat, she brought me some books from their selection, and I chose one in the series the TV show ‘Call the Midwife’.
But despite my prejudice, there are people who like jigsaw puzzles and no disrespect to them. I can appreciate people at the home want to engage their guests and a puzzle can be stimulating.
Sudoku isn’t my thing either. I considered what types of puzzles can engage me. I think I am more of a verbal reasoning sort of animal than a mathematical one.
Crosswords and word searches are more to my taste. I’ve dipped my toe in the workings of Wordle. I can’t claim to play with consummate ease, but I don’t hate it. Practise they say makes perfect but in my case it’s more like practise leads to a slight improvement.
Not exactly a puzzle but last year I found a channel on solo Cat’s Cradle and followed some of the instructions, admittedly to attempt the simpler figures. It can be absorbing.
I don’t currently have access to my knitting supplies as they are at home but maybe following a knitting pattern could be considered something like solving a puzzle. Or do you think I’m stretching — that it’s more a simple matter of following instructions, like following a cooking recipe?
Have you any puzzles you like? Can you think of any I’ve missed? It’s okay to disagree with me. I’d like to know your ideas.
