Second Sunday Bridge - Glory

SECOND SUNDAY BRIDGE Several years ago, a group of Emerald Isle bridge-playing women numbering eight (8) joined together in what is probably known as a “clique” by those who are not included. We ladies knew how to play bridge and thought it was a grand idea to have dinner and play bridge on the Second Sunday of each month in the evening. Bridge players did gather in the official card room on Monday and Wednesday mornings and on Friday afternoons. In an effort to enhance our bridge playing skills, we thought we would play every Second Sunday and would alphabetically rotate so each of us was a hostess only once every eight months. Sounds simple…. until one of us has a trip to somewhere which covers the Second Sunday and then we change the bridge date to accommodate the lucky traveler or if that doesn’t work, the hostess needs to get a substitute or needs to notify all of the group of the change of date. Sometimes the substitute lady wonders why she is never asked to join this elite group but only when the hostess is desperate to fill the second table. Then we appear more like a clique. A simple meal is all we established initially and then one hostess decided that fancy appetizers would be kinda special while we enjoy a glass of bubbly. And then the appetizer part of the Second Sunday Bridge becomes almost required. Appetizers do prompt pleasant talk time and catching up with each other while the hostess does last minute meal preparations. When we are the hostess, we ponder on who likes fish or does everyone eat beef or pork and did I serve chicken when it was my turn last. Now it is a given that each of our kitchens are exactly alike at Emerald Isle and that is to say not conducive to preparing with ease a full meal, appetizers, wine and dessert. Therefore, we must plan to have counter space for the big platter and the required number of bowls for salad or vegetable. We need to plan the timing of when to turn on the oven and how long the vegetable will require for cooking and so on. We must remember to put the little metal or plastic rings that are individual in character but definitely a set of 8 stem markers for the wine glasses. Do I need to buy two bottles of white wine or is it two bottles of red wine to cover the evening? If the same group plays, we kinda remember their choice of bubbly but if there is a substitute, maybe two bottles of white or red wine won’t be quite enough. Speaking of wine, one or two of the women thought a hostess gift of a bottle of wine would make the evening more special. Not everyone of the eight initiated that practice and it gets to be rather difficult to remember if the lady who is hostessing tonight’s Second Sunday Bridge is the same one who brought a bottle of wine as a hostess gift when you had your turn. Maybe we should mark our calendar when we are such a recipient of a hostess gift because at our age, clear memory does not serve us well anymore. If your turn at Second Sunday Bridge just happens to be in a month with a holiday such as February or December, of course, you must be fully decorated for the special month and then you ponder on whether one red and one green tablecloth is appropriate with contrasting colored napkins or should both tables be the same. Because December is the “traditional gift giving month”, would a small token gift at each place be appropriate or be considered going over the top. Each of us fuss with small centerpieces of flowers or candles to make the bridge tables look inviting. I well remember when I cut roses from the gardens in the complex and now I buy color-coordinated flowers in the market. About a year ago, several of the Second Sunday Bridge women joined Weight Watchers and now all they would talk about is their allowed points for the day and whether they used their extra bonus points or saved them for this special evening. The other women just want to enjoy a special meal including a high calorie dessert without listening to the Weight Watchers point system. Dinner has to take no more than an hour or so so that we have enough time to play enough bridge to fill the 8 rounds of bridge on the tally. We eight never got into prizes for top winner, thank goodness, or that would involve finding the appropriate prize. Maybe we could just have the hostess give money prizes of $2 for first and $1 for second high. I dare not suggest that although what is my incentive for really bidding appropriately and striving to be a better bridge player and a winner if there is no prize because the scores are totaled at the end of the evening. Those who seem to be the best of the best tend to look a tad smug when they are high all the time. Maybe the rest of us should talk a lot less and concentrate more on our bridge skills. This silly story was prompted by the fact that we are meeting on the 5th Sunday of January because two of the ladies were out of town on the Second Sunday. The Second Sunday Bridge in February will almost be back–to-back with 5th Sunday of January. The eight of us are really good friends and do enjoy each other’s company even to the point where we each dress up sort of special for the Second Sunday Bridge night and have a great time playing bridge. GLORY J. HUCKO JANUARY 31, 2010