BRAIN GAMES
Summer Fun & Memory Mishaps
“A little bit of summer is what the whole year is about.” – William Carlos William
Summertime often spurs childhood memories. Reminisce with an older family member or friend using summer as a conversation springboard. After swapping stories, try this puzzle.
All the words are associated with summer. Every other letter is missing. Try to solve without looking at the (hint).
EXAMPLE: A _U _ E _ E _ T _ A _ K Answer: AMUSEMENT PARK (RSMMNP)
ANSWERS
- B _ R _ E _ U _ (CEBA) BARBECUE
- C _ M _ F _ R __ (IAEP) CAMPFIRE
- F _ R _ W _ R _ S (KEIO) FIREWORKS
- F _ S _ I _ G (NHI) FISHING
- G _ R _ E _ I _ G (NNAD) GARDENING
- F _ I _ B _ E (SER) FRISBEE
- L _ F _ G _ A _ D (REIU) LIFEGUARD
- L _ M _ N _ D _ (OEAE) LEMONADE
- P _ P _ I _ L _ (COES) POPSICLE
- R _ L _ E _ C _ A _ T _ R (LOSOER) ROLLER COASTER
- S_ A _ H _ L _ S (LSEE) SEASHELLS
- B _ A _ I _ G (NOT) BOATING
- H _ A _ W _ V _ (TAEE) HEAT WAVE
- S _ N _ U _ N (RUB) SUNBURN
- V _ C_ T _ O _ (IANA) VACATION
- S _ N _ L _ S _ E _ (GSSUA) SUNGLASSES
- C _ N _ E _ T _ B _ E (VLRIO) CONVERTIBLE
- W _ T _ R _ E _ O _ (LAMNE) WATERMELON
- G _ R _ G _ S _ L _ (AEAEA) GARAGE SALE
- F _ R _ E _ S _ A _ K _ T (MMREAR) FARMERS MARKET
Memory mishaps happen; they don’t always mean something serious is behind them.
Forgetting where you left your phone or car keys is beyond annoying. Our negative, internal chatter adds to our stress as we search for an item or can’t think of a word.
Determine the reason behind your memory mishap. Is it because you were putting something away in a different place while also thinking about something unrelated? Were you distracted and lost your focus? Were you in a rush?
Change starts with awareness. For instance, one of my clients is a frequent traveler; she always kept her passport in a specific drawer. After remodeling, she reorganized her documents. She left a note in the old location, describing where she put the passport. She kept the note until she felt the memory prompt was no longer necessary.
Recognize the causes of your memory mishaps so you can make changes to keep them from happening again.
