. . . As I erased my newest calculation, the paper revealed signs of wear unto tearing.

My friends talk about how much fun the game is; anyone can do it. You don’t even have to know how to count to ten. By using the means of probability and eliminating possibilities, the boxes can be filled.

On the first couple of puzzles, I cheated by checking the answers several times. It gave me a head start, and finishing the puzzle was a good feeling. Now, I can’t peek anymore, but I still have several sections lacking the right combination of numbers.

Even when you finish the puzzle successfully, you haven’t learned any new information or developed any new skills. You have arranged numbers in various ways so they all fit and are not repeated. The challenge, the desire to beat the odds, forces one to keep trying.

Have you figured out the puzzle? It is Sudoku. I still struggle, but I will prevail. Even if you never get one puzzle entirely accomplished, you are still a winner. You have challenged your brain to observe, eliminate wrong choices and for a short time you haven’t thought about the cold weather, political unrest or financial instability. One needs a quiet peaceful setting to work through a puzzle; radio, TV or eating are too distracting. So, how bad can it be? You find peace and quiet while exercising your mind and relieving stress without eating junk food. If you don’t finish the puzzle, no problem, tomorrow will bring enough concerns requiring another quiet time activity. Sudoku here we come.

May your day be filled with fun puzzles to relax, challenge and entertain you on these cold days.