Week 29, Puzzle Me

This week's panel is called Puzzle Me, and it's a very fitting one because I'm a huge fan of jigsaws. There's something so satisfying about watching hundreds of individual pieces gradually come together to create something bigger than themselves.

Just like a jigsaw, life works best when lots of little pieces come together. None of us can complete the whole picture on our own. Every act of kindness, every person who lends a hand, every encouraging word and every little contribution is another piece of the puzzle. Alone they might seem small, but together they create something pretty wonderful.

A Little Portuguese Pause

Right now the family are enjoying a couple of weeks in Portugal.

We're incredibly lucky that our wonderful Auntie Margie lets us stay in her villa each year. It's such a generous thing to do, we're all so very grateful.

We've brought my dad along this year too, which is a lovely excuse to spend some quality time with him. It also means Matty and I get to sneak off for the occasional coffee date while Dad and the kids splash around in the pool!

Knitting with a View

Of course, the Kindness Cardi has made the journey too!

Knitting outside with these gorgeous views is an absolute joy, although I've quickly discovered that small projects are definitely the way forward in the Portuguese sunshine. A giant blanket draped over your knees isn't quite as appealing when it's over 30 degrees!

It's been lovely to slow down, unwind a little and enjoy putting in some serious knitting time.

A Little Work, A Little Rest

It hasn't been all holiday though.

I'm also using the quieter pace to put the finishing touches to Burton's Bollards before they're installed. It's one of those satisfying stages where everything starts coming together, rather like... well... a jigsaw puzzle.

Every artist, volunteer, organiser and sponsor has played their part. Piece by piece, something that started as an idea is becoming something the whole community can enjoy.

That's the beauty of community projects. They're never built by one person alone.