Stories from the Stringam Family Ranches of Southern Alberta

From the 50s and 60s to today . . .



Saturday, September 21, 2013

A Good Thing


Family games - mischief made legal
On the ranch in the evenings, particularly the long, winter evenings, opportunities for entertainment were few.
If there wasn't anything on your one TV channel, you pretty much had to come up with your own.
Entertainment, I mean.
This meant music (the make-your-own variety), which we practised with more or less success.
Mostly less.
Reading.
My own personal favourite.
Having a drink with the hired men in the bunkhouse.
Probably the least recommended for us kids.
Or games and/or puzzles.
Usually we went with games and/or puzzles.
One didn't get a lecture from one's parents when one played games and/or puzzles . . .
We had several favourites.
Scrabble.
A word game which aimed for word construction creativity.
But only good for four of us six players.
Probe.
Another word game. This one, disclosure being the goal.
Boggle. (Or if we were feeling daring, Big Boggle.)
Another word game.
Huh. I just realized that we played a lot of word games.
And three of us ended up being writers.
Go figure . . .
Bridge.
A card game played by four players.
Unless you're from Southern Alberta.
Where it is played by forty tables of four players.
But that is another story . . .
Rook.
A card game resembling bridge and also played extensively in Southern Alberta. (Also known as 'Apostate Rook' if you played 'One High'. At least according to my husband.)
Rummoli.
Poker and sequence, all rolled into one happy package.
And finally, Monopoly.
The apex of games.
The ultimate in Stringam family fun.
And won, inevitably, by Jerry.
Not that he tried.
Or even appeared to try.
He hummed, sang, bounced his knee rhythmically, talked, told jokes and CLEANED OUR CLOCKS.
Almost every time.
Why did we keep on playing?
Good question.
Inevitably, I would end Monopoly with a tiny little hoard of cash, very tiny, clutched in one hand as I stared with dismay at my little shoe, parked firmly on Park Place or Boardwalk.
Each with their large, expensive hotel.
And each with Jerry's smiling face behind them.
I would hand over my little pile, along with the last of my properties, and quietly fade into the sunset.
And immediately challenge him to a rematch.
To which he happily complied.
Okay, I get it now.
It's just another example of the 'I'll get him next time!' mentality.
I never did.
Get him, I mean.
Moving on . . .
Puzzles posed a bit less competition.
A more relaxing way to spend time together.
Visiting was permitted. Even encouraged.
But minutes could go by with soft music playing in the background and not one word said.
Yep.
Relaxing.

Our family's evenings now consist of visiting or playing cards.
Or watching movies.
Not too different from those I experienced growing up.
Family time.
It's a good thing.

16 comments:

  1. Do I detect background music in that label??

    I kept waiting for you to explain that picture ... it's probably a post all on its own!

    I remember get-togethers at the church hall when I was very little. We played a game called "wink" - chairs in a circle, one person behind each chair, and one empty chair - the person standing behind that chair was supposed to wink at someone sitting down so they'd rush over to sit in it, but other people were supposed to rush over, too ... I forget the finer details, but I remember feeling mortified that I had to play with all the grownups and I didn't want to wink at anyone, but whenever I blinked they took it as a wink ... trust me, I wasn't having fun!! But it's funny to think back on how I thought at that age :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We played 'Wink'! But it was a bit more . . . flirtatious. Guys behind the chairs, girls seated. When the guy behind the empty chair winked at someone, she was supposed to try to make it to his chair. If the guy behind her chair caught her, she had to give him a kiss. Yep. A little different from the way you played . . .

      Delete
    2. Wait, now, these might be the details I couldn't remember - and the reason why I was mortified! :)

      Delete
    3. Heehee! Maybe if you'd played it as a teenager . . .

      Delete
  2. Family time is great time... I used to do a lot of these with my sister and we grew up in the city... I think it was the times.

    I also played a lot of these with my oldest, not so much with my youngest which is sad... but my new sitter like to play board games and she plays a lot of them with Valya... :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. A little less electronics. A little more creativity. Perfect evening!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Many, many summer afternoons with half the neighborhood kids on the floor, playing canasta. Our math skills were mighty sharp.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I remember snakes and ladders, parcheesi, checkers and rummy.....I was an only child til I was 12 so it was just me and whatever adult in the house I could rope into playing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sometimes, I managed to rope my mom or dad into playing. With mixed results. Sigh.

      Delete
  6. Yes, Jerry had a gift for Monopoly! I don't think I ever beat him in Monopoly either.
    Remember Clue?
    Loved our family time together!
    Love,
    Chris

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOVED clue. Love it to this day! Just finished teaching my two oldest granddaughters how to play. And the next generations starts . . .

      Delete
  7. A few sweet memories rolled by on this one. Our family played games; but one of our sons always cheated so the game ended quickly. At least the grandchildren are better at the game thing. I of course would choose a good book over anything else.
    A fun post~
    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We had to stop keeping score with our kids because some of them were SO competitive! Now we never keep score. I think everyone is happier.

      Delete
  8. After two summers of monopoly I never ever played again. There was no point, my brother cheated and so did his friend C who owned the board.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whoever said 'Cheaters never prosper' never played Monopoly.

      Delete

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