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Week in Review: June 28, 2026

This week I started taking the new medication my psychiatrist prescribed for my anxiety, and it has been a struggle. It can be quite sedating for the first couple of weeks, and I am definitely experiencing that. It got to the point on Friday that I couldn’t keep my eyes open at my desk and I had to log off work to lie down. I really hope this effect goes away soon!

On Tuesday, I had a meeting with my son’s new therapist so that he could get some background information before starting therapy with him. I really liked him. I felt like we covered all the important topics and that he seemed to understand a lot about autism. Michael will start meeting with him this coming week, and I’m hopeful that it will go well.

In other news, I won a $50 gift card to Puzzledly from an Instagram giveaway! I was able to order two regular puzzles and one mini puzzle. It was so exciting! I’ll post the puzzles when I get them; they are new releases so they won’t be shipping for a couple of weeks.

I have still been puzzling a lot more than reading. I am only on my fifth book this month. I am currently reading Christmas Island by Natalie Normann.

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Redoing My First Puzzle After Five Years

This month marks five years since I started doing puzzles, so I celebrated by putting together my very first puzzle again. When I had done it the first time, several of the pieces had separated from the cardboard backing, so I took some time to glue them back together.

The quality of the puzzle was definitely an issue with a lot of peeling on the knobs and the pieces having what I can only describe as a squishy fit. The finish was quite glossy as well, and the lighting where I was doing it made that challenging.

I still had a great time putting it together though. The flowers and butterflies/other insects came together quickly and the words took a bit longer, just how I remember it the first time.

I am so thankful to my therapist who suggested way back when that I needed another hobby besides reading. Little did she know my foray into puzzling would turn into an ongoing obsession that would give me so much joy and result in me finding a whole bunch of people who love it just as much as I do!

Puzzle: Rare and Beautiful by Puzzle Crush, 500 pieces

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My Library Tour

My personal library is pretty small, as libraries go. I have gotten rid of a lot of books over the years for various reasons, and for the last several years have consumed books primarily through digital means – either on the Kindle app or through library apps like Libby and Hoopla.

I thought it would be fun to give a little tour of what physical books I do have. Enjoy!

At the top of the first bookshelf, we have the children’s section. The top shelf has the Little House books as well as all of the spinoffs that were written about her daughter, her mother, her grandmother, and her great-grandmother. The second shelf has some Little House books for very young children as well as some other children’s classics.

Next we have the fiction section. This includes some classics and some contemporary, including all of the books written by my favorite Christian author, Jamie Langston Turner. Sitting horizontally is my very small physical TBR.

At the bottom of bookshelf number one are some photo albums from my younger years and my son’s babyhood up until we started using digital cameras. I also have some D&D books, some high school and college yearbooks, and a recipe binder.

The top two shelves of bookshelf number two are actually not books, but DVDs. I used to own just a few movies, but then I decided a few years ago to collect some of the shows and movies that I wanted to have access to outside of streaming services. I also have one game – Animal Crossing for the Nintendo Switch.

The middle two shelves of this bookcase are my nonfiction section. The first shelf has Christian nonfiction books, including several Bibles, and the second shelf has autism-related books and a couple of cookbooks.

The last shelf is actually Michael’s books. He rarely reads but does have a few books he has collected over the years that he wants to keep. He had started collecting Pokemon books but later decided he didn’t want to get any more than the three sets he has now.

I just looked at my Kindle digital content, and I have 310 books and 6 audiobooks on there. On the Libby app, there is a list of 491 books that I have borrowed going back to 2017.

I hope you enjoyed my little tour of my physical book collection!

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Green Room

Green Room is a 1000-piece puzzle from Soonness, and the artist is Rowon. I have heard about this brand for years but never considered it before because of the price. Earlier this year, I decided to splurge and get one to try it out. After putting it together, I have mixed feelings about it.

First of all, I love the art! The colors are great, and the whole feel of the image is just so cozy and full of life. There was quite a bit of green and brown that slowed me down, but thankfully the pieces had unique connectors that made it not too overwhelming.

On the other hand, the quality of the pieces was not that great. A couple of the pieces were damaged, and the knobs were peeling on some of the other pieces. The brand did send out an email that they were aware of the issue and that we could send in pictures to get a replacement puzzle. I feel like for the money I spent, they should have had better quality control upfront, but I appreciate the effort to make things right.

For me personally, the pieces were a bit too matte. The finish felt almost like paper to me, and I didn’t really like it. So this is not a brand I would consider rebuying.

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Week in Review: June 21, 2026

This was a busy week. Last Sunday Michael and I had lunch with our friends Mike and Sherry. It was nice to see them as it had been a while since we got together. I also needed to get their house key since I had agreed to feed their cats while they went on a trip. Mike also asked if I could tape the back of a puzzle he had done because he wanted to frame it, so I did that on Saturday.

Here is the puzzle he did and what it looks like with puzzle glue sheets on it.

On Wednesday, my friend Suzanne came over. We ordered pizza and she helped me finish a puzzle I was working on that had gotten to the challenging spots. I was very glad for her help and her company. Then on Friday, my friend Renee came up and we went together to see Shakespeare in the Park. This theater group has been doing free plays every summer for thirty-three years! Renee and I have gone the last three years, and we really enjoy it. The play this year was As You Like It, and it was a lot of fun.

I had orthodontist and eye doctor appointments this week, and both went well. I also helped Michael fill out paperwork for a new therapist and coached him on how to tell his current therapist he wanted to stop seeing him. Michael felt like the conversation went well, and I am so proud of him.

I still get overwhelmed when I am busy or things are very loud, but I’m glad to be better able to handle social things better than I had been.

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The Beach Hut

The Beach Hut is a 1000-piece puzzle from Ravensburger, and the artist is Steve Read. This is part of their My Haven series. My friend Renee got this for me for Christmas. I was impressed because she picked out a puzzle that I really liked and also because it was complete despite coming used from a flea market.

I really enjoyed building this one. There were so many interesting objects in the image, and I found the colors very soothing. It was a pleasant experience all around, and I am always happy with the Ravensburger quality.

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Times Square Dogs

Times Square Dogs is a 1000-piece puzzle from Ceaco, and the artist is Amanda Haley. This was such a fun puzzle to put together! It was like having two puzzles in one because I could do all the colorful billboards in sections and then use the pick and place method for all of the dogs on the square.

There was a lot of puzzle dust and I left the top border for last because it was all one color and it was difficult to know if I had the pieces in the right spots. I didn’t have any issues with the rest of the puzzle, though.

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Cozy Cafe

Cozy Cafe is a 1000-piece puzzle from Trevell, and the artist is Anna Vaughn J. This puzzle is aptly named. There are so many charming details, from the colorful patterns on the rug and tablecloth to all the goodies in the display case to the adorable furry companions. The quality is exceptional as well. The pieces come in a drawstring cotton bag and are so lovely to work with.

I never felt stuck as there was always a new color or texture to work on. I do have to admit that I find slanted sections a bit challenging when it comes to placing sections where they go, but that’s just because my brain doesn’t work that way!

I am so glad I picked this one up when I had the chance. 💗

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Week in Review: June 14, 2026

I had a pretty good week. My boss was on vacation and things were pretty quiet at work, so I got a lot of new products entered. I mostly puzzled in the evenings, other than taking Michael to his social skills group on Tuesday.

Last Sunday, we celebrated Pride Sunday at my church. I took a couple of photos, one of the artwork done during worship and another of the rainbow cupcakes we enjoyed after the service. It was a lovely service.

I had planned to go to Shakespeare in the Park with a friend, but I found out the performances are only held Wednesday-Saturday, so we weren’t able to do that on Sunday. We are hoping to make it before the run ends on the 20th.

My friend Kim came over for lunch and a movie on Saturday. Here’s a pic of her little dog Darcy curled up on my lap during the movie. So cute!

Today is my work anniversary, marking 31 years at my company! I can hardly believe it has been so long!

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Tree of Hope (Repeat)

Tree of Hope is a 300-piece puzzle from Pintoo. I redid this one last week when I had some time to kill before my friends arrived to hang out. I knew it would be a quick build, and it was.

I just love the four seasons theme and the whimsical illustration in this one. This brand is interesting because it has plastic pieces that snap together in a very satisfying way. It can be a bit hard on your fingers by the end, but it is so fun to be able to pick up the puzzle and flap it around! 😄