Thursday, September 10, 2009

Spoons

Walking into Mason's school this morning, a couple of the kids were playing a game called Spoons. That simple game, involving nothing more than a few playing cards and some simple kitchen teaspoons, took me back for a few moments on the way to work.

Those little plastic spoons triggered a flood of memories I had forgotten until this morning at 7:35. Grandma Huber (my father's mother, not Grandma Rosie, who is my mother - those distinctions are important with more than one Grandma Huber living) and Grandpa used to play card games with us. Spoons was one of those games.

Grandma and Grandpa came to live with us after my birth mother died. Dad was charged with raising three boys (one an infant) and Grandma and Grandpa were there to help. I was five at the time. Grandpa showed me how to mow the lawn (slicing his finger open in the process), drove 'little Timmy Hunter' and I to kindergarten and had a standing bet of 5:1 that he could flip over all the Scrabble tiles at once (the bet was that you pay Grandpa a penny for every tile face down and he would pay you a nickel for everyone face up ... no one ever took him up on it). Grandma cooked and cleaned; diligently straining out the meatballs from the Campell's Alphabet Soup to ensure that there was an even meatball distribution between myself and Greg. She knitted endlessly (sometimes at the top of the stairs when Greg and I refused to settle down at night), got us off to school and generally cared for the boys. (Her other job was to triage the women that Dad brought home, apparently. Ask Grandma Rosie sometime).

I was blessed with lots and lots of Grandparents (from all sides) whose firm hands and gentle love helped shape me and my brothers during a challenging time for the Huber family.

Thank you, spoon game for allowing me to remember that.

5 comments:

gregandlori said...

What a brave story. I had no idea you lost your Mother so young. Thank you for sharing such a bittersweet story. The love of grandparents is an amazing thing.

Best,

Lori

Randall Purvis said...

Based on what I've been reading in your blog, I would have to say that they all did a pretty goods job. Jane would be proud of her boys.

huber57 said...

I have been blessed with a wonderful immediate and extended family. I wish all could be so graced.

Anonymous said...

The Best part of Spoons (AKA Pig) was the rule when you got to a certian stage of the game you were allowed to talk, but no one was allowed to talk to you!

Greg

huber57 said...

I TOTALLY forgot about the talking/no-talking rules!