Puzzle: Steam Locomotive

Steam Locomotive, med

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.69 cm x 39.37 cm
Producer:  The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, All Aboard series, 2012, #40562-3
Artist: Barrie Neil

Puzzle: The blue of the sky and the mountains are an easy starting point, followed by the black-and-red locomotive, the SW sign, and the repetitive-window carriages of the train, and the bottom branching of the rails with white regions. Green and beige slopes on the left are logical stand-alone regions, and the rest …

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Puzzle: Yosemite Falls in Sierra Nevada Park in California, USA

Yosemite Falls in Sierra Nevada Park, California, USA, med

Size:  500 pieces
Dimensions: 45.5 cm x 39.5 cm

Notes: I do not have a record of the producer of this puzzle as I do not have the box anymore. A clarification is welcome – if you have any clue as to the details regarding this puzzle, I would much appreciate that information.

Yosemite Falls: Yosemite Falls is the highest measured waterfall in North America. Located in Yosemite National Park …

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Puzzle: Perseverance by Thomas Kinkade


Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 60.96cm x 60.96cm
Producer: Ceaco, No.2943-6
Artist: Thomas Kinkade
Puzzle: This puzzle was a pleasure to do: the sunlit clouds and the boat are the logical starting points, as is the horizon. The foam on the waves separates the puzzle into several smaller regions, easy to complete. The waves just below the horizon are parallel to it, making that part …

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Puzzle: Ladies Night by Patricia Govezensky


Size: 500 pieces, 1 piece missing
Dimensions: 48.26cm x 35.56cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group, Celebration of Women series, #44296-4, 2008
Artist: Patricia Govezensky – “For me painting is a means through which I find expression of life’s joy and fulfillment, and I believe art, more than merely being a means of expression itself, also serves as a medium to help us to make peace with our lives …

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Book: Birth Matters: a midwife’s manifesta, by Ina May Gaskin

Title: Birth Matters: a midwife’s manifesta
Author: Ina May Gaskin
Source: Veddma library
ISBN: 978-1-58322-927-9
Available online

Notes: As always, Ina May does not disappoint. This book brings forth a deep discussion of the importance of birth in lives of children being born, mothers giving birth, and families. It talks about demonization the midwifery profession has received with the rise …

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Puzzle: Fenced Flower Garden


Size: 550 pieces
Dimensions: 33cm x 48.3cm
Producer: RoseArt, 1997, No. 99999RA
Puzzle: Not a trivial puzzle due to the shape and fit of the pieces, but not significantly difficult as it is only 550 pieces. The most logical part to tackle first is the fence, providing vertical and horizontal guidelines to the variety of small flower patches behind it. Once the fence is done, yellow flowers and orange lillies are the …

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Book: Book of Longing, by Leonard Cohen

Title: Book of Longing
Author: Leonard Cohen
Source: Veddma library
ISBN: 978-0-7710-2229-6
Available online

Notes: Leonard Cohen has the ability to engulf me in a sweet sadness of “pining for the fjords”. He brings me back to the narrow streets of Montreal in summer, branching out in metal staircases connected to outside of the buildings, intertwined with people’s explorations, discoveries, and grief. …

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Puzzle: First frost


Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 45.72cm x 59.69cm
Producer: Springbok, by Hallmark, PZL4458
Puzzle: The most logical starting point is the stem of the branch that has a distinct colour and splits the puzzle into two regions giving a central guideline. The purple leaf regions followed by the dark green ones and the light-blue and white ones are the next areas to attack. Black and dark purple patches , and out-of-focus branches …

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Puzzle: Symphony in Red by Nava Grunfeld


Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer: Hasbro, MB Puzzles, Big Ben, Artist Series, Nava Grunfeld, 2008
Puzzle: This puzzle is not trivial, but not significantly difficult either. Large blue dish with white spirals and smaller blue dish give a good outline to the top half of the puzzle. Lemons can be filled in afterwards, as well as the lilac-coloured flowers. From that point on, green, yellow, orange, …

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Puzzle: Columbia River Gorge


Size: 500 pieces, 1 missing
Dimensions: 35.24cm x 50.48cm
Producer: MB Puzzle, Croxley series, 1996, #4611-14
Puzzle: The waterfall and the tree are the logical places to start, followed by highlighted grass and leaves, the flowers, and finally by branch and leaf regions. Pleasant and not trivial.

Gorge: A canyon, or gorge, is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural …

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Puzzle: Iris (1889) by Vincent van Gogh (Dutch 1853-1890)


Size: 63 pieces
Dimensions: 13cm x 18cm
Producer: Product Art Inc., Toronto, Mini-Puzzle series, No.113
Puzzle: Very small puzzle that can easily be done in 10 minutes. Pleasant lines, green leaves and the purple of the flower fall into place, and the rest is simple.

Iris: Iris is a genus of 260–300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring …

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