Hi Canasta Lovers,
Steve and I are just back from a terrific week in Amagansett (Leni, the very busy travel agent, had to leave early to finalize her client's summer plans.) Everyone had a wonderful time and we are already planning for next year. Our wonderful hostess, Maralin, makes all the reservations for our week at the ranch and once again this year she hit it out of the park. We all loved Café Max (yummy soft shells) in East Hampton along with Winston's and Highway Restaurant, all on Montauk Highway. The East Hampton Grill is a special favorite of ours, this year we all shared one piece of Key Lime Pie that I am still salivating over. And, of course, our annual Tuesday night lobster dinner at Bobby Vans in Bridgehampton never disappoints. Thank you Maralin and Rick for another fabulous week at your ranch.
Ok, I promised you all some interesting hands. Well, this was a pretty hard promise to keep. For the first time in our almost 25 summers at dune ranch most of the games were pretty ordinary. There were a few joker canastas but that was pretty much it until our last game on Saturday afternoon. Roni and I were partners, we needed 180 points. The other team had melded with 155 and I had a hand that was going nowhere. It was a great big juicy pack when Shelly* discarded the first ace of the hand. I saw my partner, the lovely Roni, reaching for the pack, OMG, what was she thinking? She said, "These games are so boring, I can't stand it!" Out of her hand came five deuces, one big joker and four aces. Okay so we have aces in sixth and wild cards in sixth. I was keeping my fingers crossed that our opponents could not go out. Hooray, it was my turn, I had one ace and one joker, BAM closed them both and finished the game with a big win and two "whip out checks" to boot. What a hand! It was a thing of beauty!
I hope all the goddesses are having a wonderful, happy, healthy summer. Fall is just around the corner and many of you will be winging your way back to the card rooms of Paradise. Keep in touch Canasta goddesses and love to all.
Barbara
*name changed to protect the discarder.
