A rainy day at the shore and I’ve taken their iPads for idiotic behavior. The timing might not have been the best when up against rain at the beach. Maybe not though because what are they doing now? Playing cards in the fort they made from their bunk beds. For me, cards and the beach go together like peanut butter and jelly.
I consider myself having somewhat “grown up” on Long Beach Island. Even though, we started coming to Sea Isle in my early teens. My earliest shore memories are of LBI. My parents met there when they were 14 and 16. Immediate and extensions of the Cahill (Dad) and McManimon (Mom) families had homes across the street from one another in Brant Beach. My Grandmom and Pop Cahill had a home on a big piece of land. The bedrooms had numbers on the doors like an old fashioned boarding house. You had to walk through half the bedrooms to get to others. It was super cool to grow up in. And Grandmom Cahill always had individual boxes of cereal for us for breakfast. Honey Smacks, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, Rice Krispies and Frosted Flakes. Like a little kid’s dream.
My Mom’s family evolved through the house across the street and eventually, my Mom Mom and Pop Pop (Mom’s parents) were spending a lot of time there. And my Mom and I visited them often. My brother definitely came, a bunch, too but the more prominent memories of that house, versus across the street, are just of me and my Mom visiting my Mom Mom and Pop Pop and Aunt Sis and Uncle Charlie, my grandparents favorite cohorts. And they played cards. A LOT. So I, too, learned to play cards. Not Bridge or Pinochle, like they played together, but so many cool versions of solitaire. May sound depressing but it wasn’t. I was always in the same room with them and I was taught so many different cool ways to entertain myself with a deck of cards. I loved it. And I got to spend time with my grandparents and Sis and Charlie. I remember them like it was yesterday.
So here I am in the shore house with my 8 and 10 year olds and I’m imparting the same love of card games on them. Henny and I taught them Gin Rummy, Rummy 500, Golf and Spit at home. But it’s also really awesome to be able to play on your own when you’re bored or need a bit of time alone. So I’ve shown them traditional solitaire, clock solitaire and solitaire in your hand. There are a few others I’m having a hard time pulling out of the coffers but it doesn’t really matter. They’re eating it all up. Play on, card sharks.