This story will keep me glowing in memories for a long time. My mother also used to beat the pants off us all - and English wasn't even her native language. My husband, the Jeopardy demon, was the only one ever up to her Scrabble standards.
I love scrabble too, but I totally related to your mother doing the crossword puzzle, too. However, mine did hers in ink. I was too intimidated to try it that way.
PS I also play Words with Friends with a couple of your Canadian compatriots.
Havent played the real game with the wooden pieces (I think newer games have plastic letters) but play with my sister and friends the online version ( they live states away). The difference is that you can mess around with letters and discover some new words without taking the risk of being challenged. But it is a great game......and nice to have a family tradition...even if it is electronic.
You might have been describing my family.... right down to the box bring stuffed with years and years worth of pages - words + scores! Couple of old cartoons, too, which someone sent someone else. OED allowed w/o penalty - "excellent word, Max!" - time limits non-existent, agreeable, amiable, memories of long, warm, summer cottage evenings. 😊
OMG, I am a Scrabble person even today. My mother who spoke Polish, Russian, French and German was not a native English speaker, but learned English English in Brussels, and in the US read the NYT and did their Sunday crossword to perfect her English, and played Scrabble with me from a very early age. I still remember my very best score, sometime around being 12: czarina on a triple word. She was so proud of me!
Love this, especially your last line. My mother was also infuriatingly good at it, though I'm no slouch (if I do say so myself) -- she and I usually played whenever I visited after college and there was no greater triumph than to best her -- a rare occurence indeed.
One word about this piece... Bingo!
Nothing like family traditions being passed down. Love it.
It brings back memories of playing scrabble with my parents and the blue bag.
Thank you!!
This story will keep me glowing in memories for a long time. My mother also used to beat the pants off us all - and English wasn't even her native language. My husband, the Jeopardy demon, was the only one ever up to her Scrabble standards.
Thanks so much, Irene.
OH - and the Crown Royal Bag! YES!
Great story. I share those Scrabble memories right down to the Seagram's bag. Thanks for such an enjoyable Sunday morning read.
Much appreciated, Janet. And fun to hear about the universality of the Seagram's bag.
What a lovely tribute to your mother, and your family. May she play Scrabble many more years, successfully beating her kids!
Many thanks, Alice. That is our hope, as well.
Sharon,
I love scrabble too, but I totally related to your mother doing the crossword puzzle, too. However, mine did hers in ink. I was too intimidated to try it that way.
PS I also play Words with Friends with a couple of your Canadian compatriots.
Jeri Greenberg
Washington, DC
wonderful essay!
Havent played the real game with the wooden pieces (I think newer games have plastic letters) but play with my sister and friends the online version ( they live states away). The difference is that you can mess around with letters and discover some new words without taking the risk of being challenged. But it is a great game......and nice to have a family tradition...even if it is electronic.
That last line - gorgeous Sharon!
You might have been describing my family.... right down to the box bring stuffed with years and years worth of pages - words + scores! Couple of old cartoons, too, which someone sent someone else. OED allowed w/o penalty - "excellent word, Max!" - time limits non-existent, agreeable, amiable, memories of long, warm, summer cottage evenings. 😊
OMG, I am a Scrabble person even today. My mother who spoke Polish, Russian, French and German was not a native English speaker, but learned English English in Brussels, and in the US read the NYT and did their Sunday crossword to perfect her English, and played Scrabble with me from a very early age. I still remember my very best score, sometime around being 12: czarina on a triple word. She was so proud of me!
Thank you for this. Scrabble was my mom’s game too. It was only when she was around 95 yrs old that any of us started to win!
Thanks, Liz. Wow - incredible that your mom kept playing as brilliantly as she did for so long.
Love this, especially your last line. My mother was also infuriatingly good at it, though I'm no slouch (if I do say so myself) -- she and I usually played whenever I visited after college and there was no greater triumph than to best her -- a rare occurence indeed.
Many thanks, Clyde.
Great story, I could picture you all around the board while also thinking back to other family’s traditions. That’s what makes a great story.
Many thanks, Margo. Writing about those memories helps me bring them back into sharper focus.