I think the top slice of 'squash' may be a piece of Fairytale or Long Island cheese pumpkin? The cut one on the bottom of the picture looks like a squash but the top one sure looks likes pumpkin. Look up Fairytale and Long Island cheese pumpkins on the internet to see them for a full picture.

Please forgive my slowness with this. I've done tons of puzzles and never had a problem "seeing" something like this before. Ok..........am I right in assuming that those pieces are the same squash, just cut in half? And Josie....you're saying that the squash was just cut down the middle and the pulp parts are facing each other and the brown side we're seeing is the outside of the squash? Why does it look like it has a dark, caved in part and it also looks around the outside edges like it was cut? This must seem so weird to you all, my obsession with understanding what I'm seeing. hahaha I just want it to make sense. It's a neat puzzle image for me, except for that one thing I can't understand. Thanks for helping me! I hope I'm not having a stroke. hahaha (I know....not funny).

When I set up a puzzle, it goes on my 48-inch round dining room table, and the secondary activity of eating takes place in the kitchen. I try to stick with 500-piece puzzles, but when I happen upon an irresistible 1000-piece one, like Reader's Paradise, I ill-advisedly add two leaves to the table. The Reader's Paradise puzzle became my Memorial Day weekend project, but even with the help of two other serious puzzlers, it has spilled over into the week - not yet completed. It has been a bear!

Those sorting boxes aren't very big, so not as many pieces are viewable at once as in a larger tray or whatever. The sorting boxes could be helpful, though, and maybe they are a good gift to a jigsaw puzzler. Yeonassky--with a 2000 piece puzzle you would need a lot of sorting space! Are you the one who works without looking at the picture???? Fun--those mats look very handy. I'd only have room for one. Yellow color is helpful. lgmd--shoebox lid....brilliant. The sides aren't too high to shade the pieces near the edge. I do find with the cake pans and box lid that the sides are a little high. jkay-- paper plates another good idea, maybe the firm white ones (not slippery, not print). foggy--baking sheets would be good as well because of the low sides. sushi--cake pans, yes, are good. I found a pie pan today which might work too. Thanks everyone, Happy puzzling. I splurged and bought a $20 puzzle today, but I'm looking forward to working it and it will take me a while.