Tuesday, June 09, 2009

It’s in the Cards!

Some of my favorite childhood memories were spent with a deck of playing cards. Friends and family sitting in circles or around a table, good naturedly trying to win at games of Go Fish, I Doubt It, Gin and Crazy Eight’s.


As I grew, the games got longer and more complicated. And it was thanks to a game called Hearts that my social life took off at my local community college. For this game was “the rage” my freshman year, and one whole section of the Student Center seemed to be dedicated to it. In between classes, I used to grab coffee go watch the action. Then one day, I got asked to play. I was scared, but flattered. And while I was never a great player, I sure enjoyed learning and trying to win, and the people I met.

Technology has made today’s childhoods quite different from mine, but one thing that has stayed the same is the fun and camaraderie from a deck of cards. Today’s kids play War, Speed, Hearts, Spoons, Slap Jack, Uno...


How about you? Do you enjoy sitting down with friends and family and a deck of cards? What are some favorite games or memories?

19 fresh comments:

Leigh Purtill said...

This post sooo reminds me of time spent with my grandmother in the hot humid summers of Florida when my brother and I would visit. We'd make my grandma a gin and tonic and ice cold Cokes for us and play cards in the late afternoon after a day at the beach.

The Golfing Librarian said...

My freshman year in college we played UNO until all hours of the night. Usual game was to 2000 and loser had to wash all the dishes that had piled up in the seek over the previous week.

Kelly (Lynn) Parra said...

Growing up, I would play many card games. And during family gatherings we would have Spade Tournaments that went on for hours!

Janie Emaus said...

Hi,
I play cards with my family all the time. In fact, one of the best things for the mind is card games. My parents (84 & 88) play GOLF, every saturday night with their 90 year old friends!

Cindy Procter-King said...

My brother and I played War all the time. I can no longer remember how to play it, though. My dh played Bridge in college, but I could never get the hang of it. I'm the sort of person who needs Hearts explained to her every time I play it. At university, my roommate and I used to play gin with two male friends (yes, FRIENDS) quite often, though.

freewriter said...

My fondest card playing memories are playing old maid with my grandma. Recently though my younger sister taught us to play spoons and this game has provided us with some of our most hilarious card playing memories. My niece actually tried to jump over the card table to get the spoon once. We laugh so hard everytime we play. It is such a fun family game. As Robin Williams said in "RV", "you can't buy memories like that."

Anonymous said...

My family loves a game called Nerts. It's like multiperson solitaire. Its super fast and the more people that play the crazier it gets. Sometimes we got laughing so hard we could hardly play.

TinaFerraro said...

I'm loving all these memories and mentions of card games. And yes, Spades and Spoons! But Nerts is a new one...sounds interesting...

Breanna said...

Oh man don't even get me started on my family and card games, lol. We play a lot. Skip bo, phase 10, nerds, spoons (ever played spoons? man sometimes it can be like a battle), crazy eights, etc...

I don't know who got us started on all the card games but whenever we go anywhere we have to multiple decks of cards.

-Breanna

Breanna said...

Tina, I just saw your comment and you have heard of Spoons! We played it with like 15 people once. Man, it was like a war zone. I think someone even got hurt at one point, lol. Nerds is fun! It's like our all time most played game. It's really fast paced and gets annoying at times but I love it.

-Breanna

TinaFerraro said...

Breanna, sounds like so much fun! Thanks!

GirlforChrist said...

I like the card game 'Hearts'!!! : )

Sara said...

So I was gonna mention a game I just recently learned, but it seems Sheyla already beat me to it! Nerts is such a fun game! My friends and I have wasted so many hours on it in the past few months...

TinaFerraro said...

Hearts and Nerts seem to be faves, GirlForChrist and Sara--thanks!

Meredith said...

My friends and family used to play Uno and War all the time!

Then back in my 3rd year of Girl's Camp, my best friends and I learned and became addicted to Spit. Every year at camp, we would have these "tournaments" and would play for hours on end.

A couple of weeks ago, my best friend and I pulled out some Uno cards, played Uno Spin and then got around to playing Spit again after a few years off. (I won more than she did, because I would play on my own.)

~Meredith

Meredith said...

Oh yeah. Now I can get some of my card game fixes, like Hearts, Canasta, Solitaire, Free Cell, Spider Solitaire, and more on Pogo.com. It is the best game site ever!!

~Meredith

Brittany said...

This reminds me of when we lived with my Grandmother in Vermont and I was finally allowed to play Hand, Foot, Mouth and disease (sounds appetizing I know. But you play with eight decks or something so you get dealt a lot of cards. I was so excited when they let me finally play because I could hold all the cards in my hand!

TinaFerraro said...

Meredith, you just triggered a memory. Yeah, Spit! We played that, too, I think.

Brittany, I never played Hand Foot & Mouth disease (but I actually HAD it once). However, that might be a blog for another time. LOL. Thanks for sharing that with us!

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