Postcards and Snapshots: Snapshots from the Past

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Snapshots from the Past - Backgammon

Sometimes I find it hard to really take good pics this time of year - it's really busy at work for me, and the fact that it's still dark so early makes the part of the year a bit uninspiring. Okay, the days are getting a little longer as each one passes, and we have snow coming on Saturday...so maybe I can get some good pics from that. But for right now, I have nothing!

So I decided to pull a snapshot from the past. Here is a photo of my grandmother and I playing backgammon on one of her visits to Wisconsin. I always look forward to getting a set or two of backgammon in with her. I am a pretty fair player, so for the most part I can compete well against her, but there are times that she can really put me to shame! I do recall a visit I made to her in Florida where for the first three days she beat me at every game, all of them! I was finally able to adjust my playing style to have a shot against her, and we had a great time.

I can even remember, quite distinctly, playing a game or two of backgammon with her when I was six years old...sitting at the dining table at our house on Old Middleton Road. I don't know how it was possibly for her to play against a six year old, who barely knew how to play, but I can credit her for being one of my first teachers.

Backgammon has a long history with my family. Both my mom and dad play(ed), my grandma on my mom's side (pictured above), my grandpa on my dad's side (pictured playing with my dad), and my uncle Marty (pictured below), as well as countless other aunts and uncles, and great grandparents I never knew...

My dad and my grandfather playing, circa 1977 I believe. This is the board I now play with - my dad gave it to me in 2007, and I cherish every clack of the dice and pieces against the old wooden board.