a weekly game

I took four Canasta lessons in June, and haven't played since.

Summer is a bad time to start a weekly game; everyone's schedules are too unpredictable. But now it's fall, and we are ready.

Tonight, eight of us meet to play Canasta. We hire Sharon, our excellent teacher who knows us all, having taught us all this summer.

In anticipation, I review my little book, having forgotten just about everything I learned. I also bake some chocolate chip cookies.  They taste okay, if you can ignore the burnt bottoms.

Janice hosts, and we start exactly on time. It's a very punctual group. Zelia and I are partners. Some are better players than others and I definitely fall at the bottom. Everyone else is on the high school level while I am still in third grade. But the group is fun, vocal, and patient.

We play three games in two hours. 

I am still on the fence about the game. 

I love the idea of getting together with friends every Monday night.

I love cards.

And I like competition.

But there seem to be a million rules.

And a lot to keep track of: how many sevens in the pack; how many aces; what your partner may be telling you through her cards; what my opponents are playing; and a lot more that I've probably already forgotten.

It's hard to imagine there being a time when I can say I know how to play canasta, though I'm hoping that will change.