Do Jigsaw Puzzles

Even five months into the awfulness of this awful pandemic, some simple pleasures endure. Take the humble jigsaw puzzle, for example. It requires no screens or monitors. No internet connection. All you need is a flat surface, a bright light and several hundred pieces of cardboard that fit together just perfectly. Getting obsessed with a jigsaw puzzle will help you to pass the time and jumpstart your cognitive abilities — and it may even boost your mood. In fact, I guarantee that if you convert your dinner table to a puzzle zone and commit one hour a night to putting something back together, the world will seem like less of a mess. These days, the jigsaw options go far beyond picturesque hillsides and sailboats. Companies like Mudpuppy, Galison, Seltzer and eeBoo are putting out gorgeously illustrated puzzles that soothe the soul. The best part? You can support some local artists and shops while doing it. Holly Carden — whose illustrations have graced these very pages — is taking preorders for a pair of puzzles perfect for murderinos and goths alike, or anyone else looking for a good challenge. Her Edgar Allan Poe Macabre Mansion illustrates 20 of the Poester’s stories in exquisite detail — like rats gnawing on the guy from “The Pit and the Pendulum.” Her other puzzle shows the “murder castle” of H.H. Holmes, the serial killer who tortured and killed dozens of young women right in the backyard of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Find both of these at hollycarden.com. Several local spots sell puzzles, which you can buy online and pick up curbside. The Woodland Street gift shop Harlan Ruby has been ordering puzzles by the crate, and they’ve got a fantastic selection. Dogs with jobs? Check. Bookish cats? Check. A medley of Frida Kahlo self-portraits? Check. Over at The Bookshop, you can find puzzles that feature outer space, David Bowie, The Golden Girls and more. Jewelry-and-gifts outpost Freshie and Zero carries an extra-soothing Slow Pokes puzzle that stars a sloth, a pretty glow-in-the-dark zodiac puzzle and others. If you’re thinking, “Great, but what will I do with dozens of puzzles once I’m allowed to go clubbing again?” Simple. Convert some friends into puzzle fiends. Then trade puzzles! ERICA CICCARONE