Life is a Challenge

What do you enjoy doing for relaxation?

Some folks prefer the physicality of puttering around the garden or woodworking, while others immerse themselves in music, reading or mental pastimes like crosswords and sudoku (www.websudoku.com) . Still others enjoy gaming or the hand/eye and brain coordination required for solving a Rubik’s Cube (www.rubiks.com/) . But, what about those individuals who cast aside time and solve jigsaw puzzles by punctiliously (I love that word and don't get to use it often) piecing together intricate and absorbing pictures – everything from a bowl of mixed nuts to the stripes on a tiger? If you’re one of those latter souls there is finally the ultimate challenge for you- The World’s Largest Jigsaw Puzzle! No joke!

This mammoth puzzle contains over 24,000 interlocking pieces (heaven forbid your kitty cat decides to play hockey practice or your two-year-old absconds with one piece) and measures a staggering 14 feet, by 5 feet 1.8 inches. Bottom line, you better have the room to assemble and showcase your finished treasure as even a standard tennis table will not accommodate the effort of piecing together the artwork of painter, Royce B. McClure.

The photograph, at the beginning of this post, is but a microcosm of the entire landscape of life that McClure had painstakingly assembled over many years of painting.

The first persons to completely assemble the puzzle, appropriately titled “Life is a Challenge,” were Scott and P.J.Slater, who received helping hands from their daughters, Whitney and Sydney. The Slater family began assembling the puzzle on May 13, 2007 and completed it in an incredible 34 days – talk about focus and dedication!

"LIFE - The Great Challenge" has now been officially registered as the world's largest commercial jigsaw puzzle in the Guinness World Records. AWESOME!

Now where did that fish fin go?