“I must complain the cards are ill shuffled till I have a good hand.”
Around three this morning the rain started and it’s still pouring. A strong wind is blowing even the thickest branches in the backyard, and I bet several will fall. Scrub pine is fragile. The house is dark but not quiet. I can hear the wind, the rain hitting the windows and a constant dripping from the roof. The animals are asleep. When I finish here, I have to venture out for a few groceries, but that’s all I have to do today. I’m thinking I’ll come home, get out of my wet clothes into cozies and read.
Last night was trivia, and my strangest contribution was knowing the name of the Keebler elf. I look forward to the Thursday trivia. It’s dinner out, a night with friends and the fun of wracking my brain for answers hidden in some drawer way in the back. We like to win, but last night we struggled on one round which had us way in the back of the pack, sixth going into the final question, but we rallied and ended up third.
We have been a game playing family for as long as I can remember. From the time I was little, we’d sit around the kitchen table and play. Early on my parents taught my brother and me whist so they could always have ready partners. My dad taught us card games like fan tan, cribbage and casino, and we played games like dominoes, Kismet, Uno or Skat. When we played Uno, my father never remembered to say Uno when he had one card left. One game he was so frustrated by having to pick up cards he took his book of matches, placed it in the middle of the table and said that was his Uno, and he didn’t ever have to say it. It got no approval as we all took some joy in yelling, “You didn’t say Uno!”
Everywhere we traveled, my dad and I played cribbage. On one trip to Ireland, we realized we had left the board at home so we went shopping and found one at a store in Dublin. It became our official traveling board. Later on, for whatever the reason, the wooden board warped and two corners were always in the air, but we didn’t care. It was a memory in itself, and we took it everywhere. My mother often took pictures of the two of us playing. I especially remember a picture taken in Germany. We were in Garmisch. We were on the bed, my dad and I, each to our side with the board in the middle. We posed as my mother took the picture. She then got comfy and read while we played. My father and I made fun of each other and baited each other as we played game after game. My mother ignored us. She was a smart woman.
Explore posts in the same categories: Musings Both comments and pings are currently closed.
keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
February 25, 2011 at 1:16 pm
We used to play a lot of cards, like whist, casino and some others. But I played lots of Canasta with my friends family and those games are the ones I remember best 🙂
Half way through the game we used to take a break and my friends mother fixed a pot of tea and some sandwiches. I was always treated as one in the family and memories from that family are probably those I love the most 🙂
I think I´ve played cribbage too a couple of times, I recognize the board very well, but I have no clue how to play it though. Another game we used to play at my friends family was Back Gammon. My friend had a traveling board, so we used to play it where ever we went together. I have to admit that I usually lost 🙂 🙂
Have a great day now!
Christer.
February 25, 2011 at 6:55 pm
Christer,
I never played canasta though I’ve watched it a few times. No one I know plays it so I don’t have the opportunity to learn.
We’d always have a few snacks on the table, and my parents would have a drink or two as we played. I was always a diet Coke person.
Cribbage can get complicating so it is best to have someone teach you. The counting gets complicated.
Enjoy your weekend!
February 25, 2011 at 2:26 pm
It sounds like fun and the travel I bet was fun too. We always had games too and our favorite was Monopoly which sometimes lasted a week of Christmas. I always hoped so much to land on Board Walk.
February 25, 2011 at 6:57 pm
Z&Me,
It was always a lot of fun. Whenever I visited my parents, games were brought out and played. My sisters remember long nights of skat.
I played Monopoly but after a while I’d get a bit bored. My friend Jay loves the game and I remember once his wife and I gave him ourselves as opponents which for both of us was a sacrifice (or at least we saw it that way). Jay won hands down!
February 25, 2011 at 2:40 pm
My father tried to teach me Cribbage a few times but, for some reason, the counting thing never stayed in my head. Fifteen, two. I don’t know. It sounded like tennis. 🙂
We played dominos, pokeno, Yahtzee and Monopoly.
The Keebler Elf had a name?
February 25, 2011 at 4:43 pm
His name was Dennis.
Cheers
February 25, 2011 at 6:59 pm
Caryn,
I agree about cribbage. It’s best learned by playing it over and over. Good memory on the 15-2. We palyed Pokeno too-I’d forgotten about it.
Yup, he did!
February 25, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Minicapt,
His name was Ernie.
February 25, 2011 at 6:21 pm
I recommend the new game Quiddler (a short word card game that Patti and I play almost every weekday lunch hour), and, if you can find one on eBay, Double Scribbage (a Scrabble-like game where you have 26 dice with each side a Scrabble tile…it is fascinating and I think there are 5-6 different games you can play of varying difficulty), along with Mexican Train double-12 dominoes, Boggle Master and Hand and Foot playing card game. All great fun!
February 25, 2011 at 6:30 pm
RH,
I don’t know if it was you or Rick, but it was recommended to me a while back, and I bought a game for myself and enjoyed it so much I bought a couple more for stocking stuffers. Double scribbage is going on my list as it sounds like a game I’d love. I do have double nine dominoes but not double 12. My mother and I loved Big Boggle, but I don’t know Boggle Master-on the list it goes as well as Hand and Foot. Thanks for all the great game suggestions.
March 23, 2011 at 2:37 pm
Cribbage is a great game! The novelty of the boards is half the fun–nothing wrong with travel-worn, stained-and-tarnished boards to mark their use! Cheers. Jordan.
March 24, 2011 at 11:00 am
Jordan,
I love cribbage and only a couple of my friends know how to play it. It is also the perfect game to travel with, and you are so right about the board!
March 24, 2011 at 11:31 am
Of course, some peggers don’t worry about scuffing their boards.
Some boards melt.
http://cribbageland.com/2011/01/11/worlds-largest-cribbage-board-karma-comin-around/
March 24, 2011 at 10:32 pm
Jordan,
I have bookmarked your blog-thanks so much for sending me over.
I never worry about the boards. I can remember games where matches were the pegs as we’d lost the metal ones.