The jigsaw puzzles came while I was gone.

We looked at the pictures closely and decided to start with this one.

We draped the dining table with a clean white sheet and attached the swing-arm desk lamp.

I opened the box and began slowly dumping the pieces from the plastic bag into the box lid, sorting for edge pieces as I went. Lyman came along and insisted on dumping all the pieces into the box and doing a sort for color.

You know, different couples have different thresholds for certain tasks. There are endeavors that a couple should not attempt to undertake until the pair's abilities to work together, to act beyond recriminations and grudges, are well-established.

Throwing mutual dinner parties is among those, as are home improvements. Rearing children is one, and, I have learned, working large jigsaw puzzles is one.

So, I find it is well and good that ten strong years of hardship and plenty, disappointment and joy, mistake and rectification were behind us last night.

LittleA, after that sort, we estimate that 500 of 2000 pieces are a shade of purple.