POOR HAND

For any of you aware of the love between Newfoundland and Labradorians and a good game of cards, this will not be an uplifting story. Since I arrived home a week ago, 'tis been a wee bit starmy. Starmy enough to cancel flights, close schools (such as the university) and cancel the city bus line. You know, a bit blustery. And what do you do when it’s blustery (besides knit)? You play cards!

Two of my family’s favourite card games are Queen’s and School (my husband and I love Euchre too which is somewhat like 120’s which we also play at our house sometimes). Therefore, Mudder and Fadder and I have had three games of Queen’s and Mudder and I had one game of School since I’ve been home. I’m almost ashamed to admit it but it appears that I’m losing my card playing touch.

In the fall of 1993, I lived with my grandparents in Gander Bay while I completed my first social work placement at Social Services in Gander. During that 3 and a half month stay, my grandmother – the ultimate card shark – and I played an innumerable number of card games. Seeing as I was staying for so long, Kathleen (my grandmother) and I decided to have a School tournament. Unfortunately, my grandmother passed away in May of 2005. However, it is because she is not longer with us that I can now share this story. I won the School tournament. No question about it, I absolutely smoked her! When it came to School that fall, I was unbeatable. Naturally, I was sworn to secrecy so can only now talk about it. Kathleen had a certain reputation to uphold, you see. It is also interesting to note that we also quickly switched from School to Queen’s where she was having better luck beating me that fall.

Kathleen would not be proud of me right now. In the three games of Queen’s we’ve played here this week, I’ve lost all of them. Badly. Very badly! In the game of School Mudder and I played last night, we did have a good close game but I still lost. Obviously the time has come for my husband to retire from the Canadian Forces so I can move back home and re-hone (is that a word?) my card playing skills. Excuse me, I have to go somewhere and curl up in the fetal position until I’m feeling less vulnerable….