Games

Well old 'saucy mouth' hit the nail on the head this morning as I woke up with cob webs for a brain. I slept through the night!!! A banner statement coming from me. I am not sure if my whining did it, or if I was smart enough not to sleep through the end of the television show I was watching last night. I guess the secret of success is to turn on the PBS channel and learn something. There is going to be a special on tonight, a period piece, which I enjoy, so you know where I'll be.

I stopped in to see my neighbor who now has Hospice folks visiting. She is remarkable with her feisty attitude and I found her playing a different kind of solitaire. It had something to do with laying out four cards, then taking away the lowest cards, but it was confusing to me and I am not sure how it is played. I'll have to find someone who knows how to play it and teach me. I never know when I might feel like playing with actual cards again. I play a form of solitaire on the computer every day. Since my getting up and down has slowed down, I gave up playing the "Mexican train game and Chicken" with the ladies as I was afraid I'd spoil their concentration if I were bobbing up and down. Yet, I sometimes think that is a good thing as we all whine and complain after several hours of playing in our seated position on cushioned chairs . . . maybe the cushions are at fault.

I remember how much fun we used to have playing cards years ago. We played Pinochle and Cribbage mostly. I never did learn to play Bridge as it always seemed complicated and very threatening especially if you trumped your partner's ace. It was never fun to play with folks that were serious and took their game to heart. It was much more fun to play with those who found reasons to laugh out loud and tease. We played Canasta for a short while. Do you remember that game? It was played with several decks of cards if I remember correctly and had a lot of rules we never remembered. I found Monopoly boring, but then I do not and never have had a head for figures, buying, selling, landing in jail....ha.....ha......passing go . . . those I understood. Speaking of games, Scrabble is my favorite, being a word person, it has an enormous appeal. Daughter Patricia is not overly fond of it, but being the best daughter in the world, she comes over and plays a game or two with me, and she does beat me on occasion. Those tiles can be very unfriendly at times.

So today, call a couple of friends in, plan a pizza party and play some games. Bring a lot of love and laughter into your home. If you are in assisted living, walk down the hall and find out what the folks are playing, they will move over and make room and you can all have a fun time together. If you can't find an on going game, then find a jig-saw puzzle and get busy, the challenge is well worth it. Keep laughter in your life, and feel the exhilaration of living.