There’s been a welcome change in the weather these past few days. I’m happy to have no ice or snow on any roof, and it’s melted quite a bit in the driveway. A few days ago it was literally a skating rink. I put my grippers on my shoes and did s little shuffle while outside. I can’t begin to tell you the times I’ve fallen! My knees have borne the brunt of many falls, and I have the scars to prove it! My head has also suffered numerous bumps; several good stories to go with them too.
Twelve brave souls ventured out to get to the Locke Mills Union Church service last Sunday. There was enough of a storm to make it messy, but it stopped early on.
The Whitman Memorial Library trustees and volunteers met recently. 2025 was a great year for the library, and we are making plans to continue on with some great programs this year. The Thursday afternoon games group is a faithful crew that shows up weekly to enjoy some fun and social interactions. I know that cribbage is one game that is played. I never learned to play that although my parents and sister played.
When I was young I learned to play “Pounce”, which was a favorite. Each player has their own deck of cards. The object is to get rid of the pounce pile (13 cards) before the other players. I guess it’s a bit like playing individual solitaire, all the while playing as many cards as possible in the middle, as each suit is built. When someone plays the last card in their pile, they call out “Pounce” and all playing stops, though there may be a frantic effort to get a last card into the middle. I have played in a group of 6, and let me tell you—it gets pretty wild! Now and then someone yells to stop so we can regain some order! When the Hathaway women went on a Mediterranean cruise a few years ago, we each brought a deck of cards, specifically for playing this game.
That makes me think of other games I played when I was much younger. I never had the patience for Monopoly. I had the game Clue, and that was a fun one. I remember one called Lie Detector, and some mechanism lit up to give a true or false reading. Then there was Uncle Wiggly! This was a leftover from a previous generation, I think. Other toys I enjoyed were the Spirograph, Colorforms, Silly Putty, and Slinky. I’ll have to take a trip into the attic and see what games I find.
When I was probably about 11 or 12, I had a fabulous birthday gift one year. My parents gave me two marionettes—Hansel and Gretel—straight from Sears. I was fascinated with the way they moved by the pull of a string. The most amazing thing though, was that Bob McKeen, Sr. made me a puppet theater, so Hansel and Gretel could have a stage. It was complete with pull curtains and footlights. Fold out sides and top sections hid the puppet masters from view. This provided hours of fun for me and my friends. I have fond memories of my cousin Pam Hays being my puppet partner. She and her family were here in the summers to visit her mother’s brother, Gil Whitman. Pam and I were close in age and hung out.
Pam and sisters, Sandy and Deb, were all here. Deb is the one who returned to her family land and is here today. I’m happy to have reconnected with her through our work at the Whitman Library.
Dave and I got to the movies this week to see the Avatar movie. It was good, but in my opinion, way too long at 3 hours, and 17 minutes!
I know the flu and all kinds of crud are going around, so stay healthy.
Let me know of anything happening out there!! lstowell@roadrunner.com
Love the warmth in this piece. The detail about Pounce being played with individual decks during the Mediterranean cruise really captures how certain games become family traditions that travel with us. I grew up playing similiar fast-paced card games and the description of needing to stop and regain order is spot on. Also, the Hansel and Gretel marionette theater sounds like an incredible gift, especially with Bob McKeen Sr. building the whole setup custom. That kind of comunity craftsmanship doesnt happen much anymore.