We have had this puzzle hanging on the wall in our house for the past thirty-seven years.
In 1981 my mother-in-law came from Alberta, Canada to spend Christmas with us in North Carolina. While she was with us, we put this 1000 piece puzzle of canal boats together. I decided to try to preserve it by mounting it on a piece of poster board and coating it with a couple coats of clear finish.
The summer before I had to cut down a black walnut tree that was growing against the back of my garage. I borrowed a truck and took the trunk to a local saw mill where it was cut into eight twelve inch boards. I saved all the bark edge trimming boards as well and used it to make several items. The frame for this picture was made from that tree.
Christmas together
Carefully placing pieces
Each piece a mem’ry
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Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Lillian, at d’Verse, asked us to take a look around our house and see what is hanging on the walls. Then we were to choose something and write a poem about why it was significant. This puzzle has been through two moves and is still holding together and hanging on our wall after all these years!
Join us at: https://dversepoets.com
This Christmas, my family put together a puzzle, too. It’s a great way to “piece together” memories!
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Thanks. It has been a special memory and a joy to look at for many years.
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I love story behind it 🙂
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Thank you Tara! It is amazing how many things we all have hanging around that have special stories and history that only we know!
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Oh wow, so nice ☺️
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Thank you very much!
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This was a wonderful post Dwight, and a touching story. The puzzel is beautiful, especially in that frame!
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Thank you so much Rob for your kind words. It is always a special reminder!
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oh…..for some reason this has really really touched me. I have tears in my eyes. Something put together….pieced together to a whole that brings back memories of a loved ones visiting in years past, and sitting with you, laughing and enjoying. And then making a beautiful frame for that memory.
This is truly a wonderful post. I hope you share it with your family….it takes that framed puzzle way beyond the physical thing. So very glad you posted to the prompt!
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Thank You Lillian! I am very honored that it connected with you in this way. You are right there are only a few things that bring back memories like this puzzle does. It is very special ! That is why it stays on the wall. I am just glad it has held together all these years! Thank you so much!
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I love how you honored the walnut and kept it going through the artifacts you created with it.
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Thank you. I is a beautiful reminder of a beautiful tree.
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What a wonderful story and great puzzle!
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That’s a great Christmas puzzle haiku, Dwight!
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Thanks Kim!
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What a wonderful idea. From beloved tree to precious memories.
The picture is beautiful and I love how you all did this together.
We use to do a big one each year as I grew up but they were bought.
Nevertheless it bound us together in one achievement.
miriam
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Thank you Miriam. It has been a nice reminder!
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I like how you made use of that walnut tree, bringing it inside to frame that puzzle also full of memories.
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Thanks Frank. I love walnut wood and the memories!
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Dwight, this was a reminder of my own love of puzzles as a child. The gift of a puzzle on Christmas morning made my day.
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Thank you… it is always a great reminder of good memories!
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I have laid puzzles a few times but never preserved any…. in the end the puzzle stay in it’s box. I like the two memories coming together (the tree and the puzzle)
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Thank you. We enjoy it a lot!
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Love the subject of this puzzle, but that frame is amazing!
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Thank you Sara… Walnut is really beautiful wood when finished.
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I love this Dwight.What great memories you have. I have started working puzzles again- it really helps me to get out of my own head when I need to take a break from writing.
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Thank you Linda. I love the puzzle!
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the puzzle is nice but the frame is amazing! The memory of piecing it together is nice as well.
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Thank you so much for your comment!
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Lovely!
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Thank You!
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Lovely haibun!
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So many memories, wonderful.
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Yes, very good ones… Thanks for reading!
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Pleasure
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