Week 18: Social

     When I think of the word "social", the first ancestor that comes to mind is my grandma, Ruth Wheeler. She was a very social person. She belonged to many organizations and groups that required quite a bit of socializing. I can't even begin to name all the organizations she was a member of (mostly cause I don't know all of them haha). But there was one group that she was a part of that I participated in every once in a while. Card Parties.

Me and my Grandma

    Yes, you read that right. Card Parties. What's that you ask? It's a gathering of a group where they play cards all day. Playing cards was a very popular pastime. It still is in some circles, but it was something women (majority of the time) would do during the day (in the 50s and 60s) while the men were at work. Ex. Bridge Club. But playing cards to pass the time has been around since the early 19th century.

    If my memory serves me correctly, my grandma's group would get together for big card parties once a year. They would rent out a hall, set up tables everywhere for the members to play cards, serve food, and even have door prizes and raffles. Those were my favorites. I would scan the tables of prizes to see what I would pick if and when my number would be called. Mom and grandma would give me (and my friend if I brought one) their door prize tickets as well. I know what you are thinking. That the prizes were the only reason I attended these card parties. Well, you would be very wrong. 

    Believe it or not, I loved playing cards from a young age. Especially Canasta. That was my game of choice. My mom and grandma taught me how to play so we could have great times when we would visit my grandma. Grandma loved playing cards. Especially Gin Rummy and Bridge. I have to admit, I never got the hang of bridge. But Canasta, oh I would go nuts over. We would go and stay with my grandma overnight (or for a weekend) and we would spend hours playing Canasta and eating Cecil Whitikers Pizza. Great times!

Canasta
Source: Wikipedia

    So when grandma started inviting Mom and me to her card parties, I was THRILLED! We would sit for the whole day playing Canasta. Grandma got to socialize with all her friends too. The ladies loved having a younger generation in the group that enjoyed playing cards just as much as they did. It shocked many of them when they learned I knew how to play Canasta and was good! Some of the ladies would even give us their door prizes just because. I wish I could remember the ladies my grandma introduced me to though. And I wish I had pictures from the card parties we attended.

    It became more fun when I taught my best friend Crystal how to play. Now there were four of us! She would come and stay at my grandma's with us and she would even go with us to card parties as well! I miss those days so much. Going to visit grandma and go to her card parties. They were such a great social event. I looked forward to them every year. 

    I do have one item that I won from one of the raffles they had. It is a rug that my grandma had made. She told me I should pick something I wanted, and I did. I wanted that rug. One, it was pretty, and two, my grandma had made it. Even then, I was a very sentimental person. That small rug is packed away at the moment, mostly because I don't know where to put it. But maybe one day I will get it out.

Great times. Great memories. I did teach my husband how to play Canasta so every once in a while we will play. I beat every time. Well, almost every time. He did beat me once. Haha! We did play once with his parents. And I never realized how much of a shark his mom is haha! She is excellent at Canasta. Beat the pants off me for sure.

    Card parties were a great social event. Did you ever attend a card party? Do you know how to play Canasta? Oh, you just became my new best friend haha!