Friday, December 21, 2007
Welcome Israeli Cribbaholics...
I see we got our first hit ro Israel! That makes six countries so far!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Top Ten Board Game News Items in 2007
From Yehuda
"7. OK, Granny! Up Against the Wall!
Private poker games played for money has always been illegal in most states, but this year saw an upsurge in the pathetic and mindless interpretation and enforcement of these laws. In some cases, the laws were discovered to be too vague: playing any game with cards, even if not for money, could be construed as illegal.
Around the U.S., private residents playing for pennies, veterans associations playing cribbage, and even old-age homes playing cards for fun got raided by overeager enforcement agencies.
Clarifications and reworking the laws are now on the agenda of several states."
Full post
"7. OK, Granny! Up Against the Wall!
Private poker games played for money has always been illegal in most states, but this year saw an upsurge in the pathetic and mindless interpretation and enforcement of these laws. In some cases, the laws were discovered to be too vague: playing any game with cards, even if not for money, could be construed as illegal.
Around the U.S., private residents playing for pennies, veterans associations playing cribbage, and even old-age homes playing cards for fun got raided by overeager enforcement agencies.
Clarifications and reworking the laws are now on the agenda of several states."
Full post
Cribbage for CFIDS....
Q&A from Rik Carlson
Q: You had an interesting experience with cribbage. You said "Early on…I was obviously retarded. I struggled like a bastard with the rules and with adding the numbers. It was like weight training for my brain." Over time, however, it seemed to work - as you go on to state "It was indeed physical training for my brain and it worked. My mental clarity improved." Do you continue to find this kind of activity to be helpful?
Rik: It’s amazing how mathematical skills become remedial. I struggle with simple arithmetic. How many with CFS lose control of their checkbook? Lately my course of study has been with computer programs, but once the snow flies, the cribbage board will resurface. Just imagining the combinations of 15 boggles my brain.
Full post
Q: You had an interesting experience with cribbage. You said "Early on…I was obviously retarded. I struggled like a bastard with the rules and with adding the numbers. It was like weight training for my brain." Over time, however, it seemed to work - as you go on to state "It was indeed physical training for my brain and it worked. My mental clarity improved." Do you continue to find this kind of activity to be helpful?
Rik: It’s amazing how mathematical skills become remedial. I struggle with simple arithmetic. How many with CFS lose control of their checkbook? Lately my course of study has been with computer programs, but once the snow flies, the cribbage board will resurface. Just imagining the combinations of 15 boggles my brain.
Full post
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Cribbage classmates...
From: Steve MacKenzie: All the other stuff
By Steve MacKenzie
Article Date: Saturday, December 8, 2007
There was a letter posted in the teacher's room recently reminding anyone considering retiring at the end of this school year to submit a letter of intent by Dec. 1. Over my lifetime I have known a lot of teachers who have retired, many of them early. I've always found it interesting that few retired because of the kids. No, they have, by their own admission, retired because of meetings and committees and study groups and new initiatives and programs and workshops and staff development, and IEP meetings and parent conferences and . . . Well, you get the idea; they didn't retire because they were tired of the kids, but because they were tired of all the other stuff they were "invited" to do.
This week I had Curriculum Council after school on Monday, my own department meeting after school on Tuesday, my PBIS Targeted Team meeting after school on Wednesday. Next week it is the Leadership Team on Tuesday followed by an association meeting. The next week it's a faculty meeting on Tuesday, Targeted Team again on Wednesday, an IEP meeting on Thursday, and it goes on and on.
This coming Friday I have to miss all of my classes to attend a PLATO training workshop. Now you might think, what the heck, so he's got to attend a workshop-he doesn't have to attend classes that day! While that is true it will take me at least an hour to write up sub plans. And even after I've done a detailed set of sub plans and laid out all the required materials, I still spend half the time I'm away from my classes worrying about being away from my classes.
Now don't misunderstand me-I'm not whining; I'm simply stating the reality of a teacher's life. And I have it easier than many, since I only have a half-time contract, which means I only work a half year. But that's not even really true, because while I'm gone for a little over half of second semester I'm still the department head so I am working electronically off and on during the entire three-month absence, and then I get home just in time to dive into the scheduling and course assignment process for the next year. So while I only have a teaching load for half the year I'm still working.
Several years ago my high school went through the accreditation process. We spent over two years preparing for it. One of the few things we were called down on was our dropout rate. As a result I devoted my next three-year staff development cycle to finding ways to reduce our dropout rate. I spent several hundred hours working toward that goal.
My first year at Somersworth the NH Department of Education (DOE) had just adopted the New Hampshire frameworks as the new curriculum guidelines and we spent many, many hours aligning our curriculum to those Frameworks. Within a very few years the DOE had drafted the Grade-Span Expectations (GSEs) and English departments across the state shifted their alignments to the GSEs. My district, at the recommendation of our Assistant Superintendent in charge of curriculum, asked us to reformat the GSEs into a more user friendly document. We did that. Less than two years later the DOE has mandated that all NH high schools have competencies in place for every course they offer by the beginning of the 2008/2009 academic year. These competencies are being aligned to the GSEs, our schoolwide expectations (mandated by the New England Association accreditation committee), and Competency Based Performance Standards. My department is a little over half done. I have a reasonable hope that we will make the deadline, though many districts likely will not. When we're done we will have several hundred hours invested in the process!
Are you beginning to see why many educators opt for early retirement? I can and I'm only fifty, with eleven years in teaching! The six-and-a-half hours a day in the classroom? Shoot, that's the easy part. My department is already wondering what the next initiative will be, when it will arrive, and how many hours, weeks, or months we will have to devote to it! Early retirement? I'll admit I've thought about it.
But another initiative is not what arrived next, it was an Email from Melissa, a member of the class of 2000, asking me if I would be willing to play the organ at her marriage to JJ, a member of the class of 2001. How cool is that? And that got me to thinking about some of the other "invitations" I've had. Christine (class of 2001) invited me one afternoon to visit the grave of a deceased classmate, Casey Walters, where we shared quiet time and a few tears. Tom (class of 1999) almost always asks me to breakfast or lunch when he's home.
Curtis (class of 2007) invites me skiing every year. Kevin (class of 2001) invited me to a concert at UNH. Alexis (class of 2002) invited me to her dance recital. Seth (class of 1998) invited me to his house for dinner-he cooked! Steven (class of 2009) invites me to play Cribbage during lunch regularly!
I have been invited to high school and college graduation parties, restaurants, frat houses, Christmas and New Year's Eve parties, and "the barn." I've attended everything from funerals to Eagle Scout Courts of Honor to the birth of a calf to a special service at the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall. Students and former students have invited me to go skiing, swimming, fishing, Christmas Caroling, and sky diving.
Early retirement . . .all the "other stuff" . . . hum . . . You know, if I have to have all the other stuff to get this stuff-I think I'll keep teaching a while longer.
Steve MacKenzie teaches English at Somersworth High School and can be reached at room217comcast.net.
Original article
By Steve MacKenzie
Article Date: Saturday, December 8, 2007
There was a letter posted in the teacher's room recently reminding anyone considering retiring at the end of this school year to submit a letter of intent by Dec. 1. Over my lifetime I have known a lot of teachers who have retired, many of them early. I've always found it interesting that few retired because of the kids. No, they have, by their own admission, retired because of meetings and committees and study groups and new initiatives and programs and workshops and staff development, and IEP meetings and parent conferences and . . . Well, you get the idea; they didn't retire because they were tired of the kids, but because they were tired of all the other stuff they were "invited" to do.
This week I had Curriculum Council after school on Monday, my own department meeting after school on Tuesday, my PBIS Targeted Team meeting after school on Wednesday. Next week it is the Leadership Team on Tuesday followed by an association meeting. The next week it's a faculty meeting on Tuesday, Targeted Team again on Wednesday, an IEP meeting on Thursday, and it goes on and on.
This coming Friday I have to miss all of my classes to attend a PLATO training workshop. Now you might think, what the heck, so he's got to attend a workshop-he doesn't have to attend classes that day! While that is true it will take me at least an hour to write up sub plans. And even after I've done a detailed set of sub plans and laid out all the required materials, I still spend half the time I'm away from my classes worrying about being away from my classes.
Now don't misunderstand me-I'm not whining; I'm simply stating the reality of a teacher's life. And I have it easier than many, since I only have a half-time contract, which means I only work a half year. But that's not even really true, because while I'm gone for a little over half of second semester I'm still the department head so I am working electronically off and on during the entire three-month absence, and then I get home just in time to dive into the scheduling and course assignment process for the next year. So while I only have a teaching load for half the year I'm still working.
Several years ago my high school went through the accreditation process. We spent over two years preparing for it. One of the few things we were called down on was our dropout rate. As a result I devoted my next three-year staff development cycle to finding ways to reduce our dropout rate. I spent several hundred hours working toward that goal.
My first year at Somersworth the NH Department of Education (DOE) had just adopted the New Hampshire frameworks as the new curriculum guidelines and we spent many, many hours aligning our curriculum to those Frameworks. Within a very few years the DOE had drafted the Grade-Span Expectations (GSEs) and English departments across the state shifted their alignments to the GSEs. My district, at the recommendation of our Assistant Superintendent in charge of curriculum, asked us to reformat the GSEs into a more user friendly document. We did that. Less than two years later the DOE has mandated that all NH high schools have competencies in place for every course they offer by the beginning of the 2008/2009 academic year. These competencies are being aligned to the GSEs, our schoolwide expectations (mandated by the New England Association accreditation committee), and Competency Based Performance Standards. My department is a little over half done. I have a reasonable hope that we will make the deadline, though many districts likely will not. When we're done we will have several hundred hours invested in the process!
Are you beginning to see why many educators opt for early retirement? I can and I'm only fifty, with eleven years in teaching! The six-and-a-half hours a day in the classroom? Shoot, that's the easy part. My department is already wondering what the next initiative will be, when it will arrive, and how many hours, weeks, or months we will have to devote to it! Early retirement? I'll admit I've thought about it.
But another initiative is not what arrived next, it was an Email from Melissa, a member of the class of 2000, asking me if I would be willing to play the organ at her marriage to JJ, a member of the class of 2001. How cool is that? And that got me to thinking about some of the other "invitations" I've had. Christine (class of 2001) invited me one afternoon to visit the grave of a deceased classmate, Casey Walters, where we shared quiet time and a few tears. Tom (class of 1999) almost always asks me to breakfast or lunch when he's home.
Curtis (class of 2007) invites me skiing every year. Kevin (class of 2001) invited me to a concert at UNH. Alexis (class of 2002) invited me to her dance recital. Seth (class of 1998) invited me to his house for dinner-he cooked! Steven (class of 2009) invites me to play Cribbage during lunch regularly!
I have been invited to high school and college graduation parties, restaurants, frat houses, Christmas and New Year's Eve parties, and "the barn." I've attended everything from funerals to Eagle Scout Courts of Honor to the birth of a calf to a special service at the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall. Students and former students have invited me to go skiing, swimming, fishing, Christmas Caroling, and sky diving.
Early retirement . . .all the "other stuff" . . . hum . . . You know, if I have to have all the other stuff to get this stuff-I think I'll keep teaching a while longer.
Steve MacKenzie teaches English at Somersworth High School and can be reached at room217comcast.net.
Original article
Richard "Dick" Welch
MERRIMACK - Richard "Dick" Welch, 84, died at Hospice House in Concord surrounded by his family on Friday, Dec. 7, 2007. He died after a short illness from heart failure.
Dick was born in Adams, Mass., to Glorena (Rousseau) and Thomas F. Welch on May 11, 1923. He graduated from Adams High School in 1941 and attended St. Michael's College in Winooski, Vt. He graduated from St. Mike's in 1946, after serving in World War II. He also attended Grenoble University in France after the war ended and Bucknell University.
He served in World War II from 1943 to 1946. He was in the U.S. Army, Black Emblem Panther 66th Division. He served in France from December 1944 until the war ended and was discharged at Fort Devens, Mass., April 20, 1946. He said that is when his life started again, as many men and women returned from the war at that time in the history of our great country.
Dick married Margaret Rice on Sept. 2, 1946, at St. Bridget's Church in West Rutland, Vt. He met his wife in Winooski, Vt., at a college social with St. Mike's and Fannie Allen Nursing School, where Margaret was a nursing student.
Dick taught at a private school in Wilkes Barre, Pa., from 1947 to 1951. He taught science, math, and coached sports at the Wilkes Barre Day School.
In 1951, he returned to West Rutland, Vt., where he went to work as a salesman for DuBois Chemicals. Dick and Margaret raised their family in West Rutland, residing at 18 Barnes Street, living with his wife's parents, William and Anna (Stebbins) Rice in the home built by Marg's grandfather, John Rice, from Ireland.
Dick was active in community and church events during his years in West Rutland. He was a member of the West Rutland School Board, being its chairman for a number of years. He was also active in the St. Bridget's parish. He coached Little League, CYO teams and taught CCD classes at the high school level. He was active at the state level with the Vermont Confraternity of Christian Doctrine during the 1960s. He was a 4th Degree Grand Knight in the Rutland Knights of Columbus.
In 1974, he was transferred to Denver, Colo., and made his home at Heather Gardens in Aurora, Colo. until 2002. He was a regional manager for DuBois Chemicals, retiring in 1985. His region covered Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Colorado.
Dick, Marg and their son Geoff cherished their 28 years living in Colorado, where they developed many wonderful friendships and enjoyed the quality of life.
Dick was a charter member of the Aurora Optimist Club. He helped start the Aurora Boys and Girls Club Christmas food drive. He was known for his fundraisers and pancake breakfasts. He was involved in their condominium association. He played tennis, golf, cribbage and enjoyed working in the woodworking shop. He belonged to the American Legion.
In 2002, he returned to New Hampshire, living at Society Hill in Merrimack. In these later years, Dick developed great cooking skills, taught himself to play the keyboard and spent hours playing for his wife, family and friends. He would often call in friends for the evening and play music from the 1940s. He was known for his wonderful Sunday dinners, followed by music on his keyboard. Playing gave him great joy. He volunteered at a local nursing home over the late summer, playing the keyboard, until his health made it difficult to continue volunteering. He continued to play, even in his final days at Concord Hospital and Hospice House.
Dick belonged to St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Bedford. St. Elizabeth Seton became a place of great spiritual support in their life back in New England. He recently was honored with lifelong membership to the Knights of Columbus through St. Elizabeth Seton's and helped organize a fundraiser for bringing the plaque of the Ten Commandments to his parish. A dedication was recently held because of Dick's vision and efforts.
Dick didn't bring a lot of attention to himself, but for the many people whose lives he touched in quiet, thoughtful ways, he will always be remembered. He was charitable in his time on this earth, giving of himself, financially and personally. He modeled hardwork, integrity and compassion. He will be greatly missed by many.
Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Margaret Rice Welch; two sons, Geoffrey of Merrimack and Gregory Welch of Weymouth, Mass; close friend, Madeline Flood of Halifax, Mass.; two daughters, Peg Welch of Manchester and Anne Wilkinson and her husband, Kirk, of Concord; and a granddaughter, Jill Grabowski of Watertown, Mass. He also leaves the children of Kirk, Erik and Susan Wilkinson and their children, Kirk and Emily, of Longmont, Colo., Mark Wilkinson and Annunziata Gianzero of Los Angeles, Carll and Stephanie Wilkinson of Falmouth, Maine, and Barbara Wilkinson of Somersworth. In addition, he leaves his Colorado family of Carmen, Bruce, David, Derek and Dusten Clark of Highlands Ranch, Colo.; special friend, Abi Adams Bennett; and a man's true best friend, Reilly.
He is also survived by his sister, Lucille Wandrey of Cumberland, R.I.; Peg Given and her husband, John, of Woburn, Mass.; and Charles Welch and his wife, Mary, of Adams, Mass. He leaves many nieces and nephews.
Calling hours will be tomorrow from 4 to 6 p.m. at the George R. Rivet Funeral Home 425 Daniel Webster Hwy. Merrimack 03054.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday at noon at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, Meetinghouse Road in Bedford.
A spring burial will take place at St. Bridget's Cemetery in West Rutland, Vt.
Memorial donations may be made to Concord Regional Visiting Nurses Association's Hospice House, P.O. Box 1797, Concord 03302-1797; or the NH Association for the Blind, 25 Walker St. Concord 03301.
Original Post
Dick was born in Adams, Mass., to Glorena (Rousseau) and Thomas F. Welch on May 11, 1923. He graduated from Adams High School in 1941 and attended St. Michael's College in Winooski, Vt. He graduated from St. Mike's in 1946, after serving in World War II. He also attended Grenoble University in France after the war ended and Bucknell University.
He served in World War II from 1943 to 1946. He was in the U.S. Army, Black Emblem Panther 66th Division. He served in France from December 1944 until the war ended and was discharged at Fort Devens, Mass., April 20, 1946. He said that is when his life started again, as many men and women returned from the war at that time in the history of our great country.
Dick married Margaret Rice on Sept. 2, 1946, at St. Bridget's Church in West Rutland, Vt. He met his wife in Winooski, Vt., at a college social with St. Mike's and Fannie Allen Nursing School, where Margaret was a nursing student.
Dick taught at a private school in Wilkes Barre, Pa., from 1947 to 1951. He taught science, math, and coached sports at the Wilkes Barre Day School.
In 1951, he returned to West Rutland, Vt., where he went to work as a salesman for DuBois Chemicals. Dick and Margaret raised their family in West Rutland, residing at 18 Barnes Street, living with his wife's parents, William and Anna (Stebbins) Rice in the home built by Marg's grandfather, John Rice, from Ireland.
Dick was active in community and church events during his years in West Rutland. He was a member of the West Rutland School Board, being its chairman for a number of years. He was also active in the St. Bridget's parish. He coached Little League, CYO teams and taught CCD classes at the high school level. He was active at the state level with the Vermont Confraternity of Christian Doctrine during the 1960s. He was a 4th Degree Grand Knight in the Rutland Knights of Columbus.
In 1974, he was transferred to Denver, Colo., and made his home at Heather Gardens in Aurora, Colo. until 2002. He was a regional manager for DuBois Chemicals, retiring in 1985. His region covered Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Colorado.
Dick, Marg and their son Geoff cherished their 28 years living in Colorado, where they developed many wonderful friendships and enjoyed the quality of life.
Dick was a charter member of the Aurora Optimist Club. He helped start the Aurora Boys and Girls Club Christmas food drive. He was known for his fundraisers and pancake breakfasts. He was involved in their condominium association. He played tennis, golf, cribbage and enjoyed working in the woodworking shop. He belonged to the American Legion.
In 2002, he returned to New Hampshire, living at Society Hill in Merrimack. In these later years, Dick developed great cooking skills, taught himself to play the keyboard and spent hours playing for his wife, family and friends. He would often call in friends for the evening and play music from the 1940s. He was known for his wonderful Sunday dinners, followed by music on his keyboard. Playing gave him great joy. He volunteered at a local nursing home over the late summer, playing the keyboard, until his health made it difficult to continue volunteering. He continued to play, even in his final days at Concord Hospital and Hospice House.
Dick belonged to St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Bedford. St. Elizabeth Seton became a place of great spiritual support in their life back in New England. He recently was honored with lifelong membership to the Knights of Columbus through St. Elizabeth Seton's and helped organize a fundraiser for bringing the plaque of the Ten Commandments to his parish. A dedication was recently held because of Dick's vision and efforts.
Dick didn't bring a lot of attention to himself, but for the many people whose lives he touched in quiet, thoughtful ways, he will always be remembered. He was charitable in his time on this earth, giving of himself, financially and personally. He modeled hardwork, integrity and compassion. He will be greatly missed by many.
Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Margaret Rice Welch; two sons, Geoffrey of Merrimack and Gregory Welch of Weymouth, Mass; close friend, Madeline Flood of Halifax, Mass.; two daughters, Peg Welch of Manchester and Anne Wilkinson and her husband, Kirk, of Concord; and a granddaughter, Jill Grabowski of Watertown, Mass. He also leaves the children of Kirk, Erik and Susan Wilkinson and their children, Kirk and Emily, of Longmont, Colo., Mark Wilkinson and Annunziata Gianzero of Los Angeles, Carll and Stephanie Wilkinson of Falmouth, Maine, and Barbara Wilkinson of Somersworth. In addition, he leaves his Colorado family of Carmen, Bruce, David, Derek and Dusten Clark of Highlands Ranch, Colo.; special friend, Abi Adams Bennett; and a man's true best friend, Reilly.
He is also survived by his sister, Lucille Wandrey of Cumberland, R.I.; Peg Given and her husband, John, of Woburn, Mass.; and Charles Welch and his wife, Mary, of Adams, Mass. He leaves many nieces and nephews.
Calling hours will be tomorrow from 4 to 6 p.m. at the George R. Rivet Funeral Home 425 Daniel Webster Hwy. Merrimack 03054.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday at noon at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, Meetinghouse Road in Bedford.
A spring burial will take place at St. Bridget's Cemetery in West Rutland, Vt.
Memorial donations may be made to Concord Regional Visiting Nurses Association's Hospice House, P.O. Box 1797, Concord 03302-1797; or the NH Association for the Blind, 25 Walker St. Concord 03301.
Original Post
Berendsen Sr., Raymond
Raymond G. Berendsen Sr., 83, Green Bay, passed away after a lengthy illness Friday evening, Dec. 7, 2007, at a local nursing home. Born in Green Bay on Nov. 25, 1924, he was the son of the late Edwin Berendsen and Jessie (Smith) O'Neil. After hearing the news of Pearl Harbor, he left school and joined the U.S. Navy the very next day, Dec. 8, 1941. He faithfully served his country for four years. Ray married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Maloney, on July 27, 1946, at SS. Peter and Paul Church. He worked numerous jobs, until receiving his accounting certification and was then employed with WOS for 23 years as Comptroller of the Accounting Department. As a World War II veteran, Ray was very proud to have been given the opportunity to receive his high school diploma from East High School in 2001. Throughout Ray's life he was active in youth activities serving as a little league, Babe Ruth and hockey coach and as a charter member of SS. Peter and Paul Booster Club. He later found he had a hidden talent for numerous art forms and was active with Arts Unlimited.
Dorothy and Ray loved to travel, visiting Europe, Canada and all 50 states excluding Alaska. Most importantly, he enjoyed his time with friends and family, telling stories, joking, debating and playing cribbage and other games.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Dorothy; five children and spouses, Zib (Larry) Phillips, Kathie (Fred) Gerondale, John (Lori) Berendsen, Carrie (Al) Jauquet, JR (Diane) Berendsen; one foster daughter, Carol (Sid) Scutt, New York; 16 grandchildren, Kim Kloehn, Jamie (Trisha) Phillips, Shane Phillips, Christian (Alicia) Phillips, Fred (Jessika) Gerondale, Stacy Gerondale, Amy Guerts, Erik (Erika) Berendsen, Ben Berendsen, Tyler Berendsen, Hannah Berendsen, Nicole (Matt) Schoenwalder, Danielle Jauquet, Nathan (Becky) Lison, Jordan Berendsen, Landon Berendsen; 20 great-grandchildren, Zachary, Brooke, Brittany, Taylor, Caitlyn, Peyton, Ty, Kade, Libbie, Ali, Phillip, Gavin, Nathan, Mariah, Macy, Hadly, Kale, Emma, Katelynn, Aubrey; brothers-in-law; sisters-in-law; special friends, Dorothy and Ray Van Bellinger; many other relatives and friends.
Preceded in death by his parents; stepfather, Dan O'Niel; one sister, Marcella O'Neil; mother-in-law, father-in-law, and brothers-in-law.
Visitation at MALCORE (East) Funeral Home, University Avenue at Baird Street, Monday from 3 to 7 p.m. Memorial service at 6:30 p.m. conducted by Bellevue VFW Post with military honors. Funeral service 7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home with Monsignor Roy Klister officiating. Burial in Mountain, Wis.
Ray's family extends a warm thank you to the caring staffs of Bornemann's and Brown County Nursing Home.
Please visit www.malcorefuneralhome.com to send online condolences to the family.
Dorothy and Ray loved to travel, visiting Europe, Canada and all 50 states excluding Alaska. Most importantly, he enjoyed his time with friends and family, telling stories, joking, debating and playing cribbage and other games.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Dorothy; five children and spouses, Zib (Larry) Phillips, Kathie (Fred) Gerondale, John (Lori) Berendsen, Carrie (Al) Jauquet, JR (Diane) Berendsen; one foster daughter, Carol (Sid) Scutt, New York; 16 grandchildren, Kim Kloehn, Jamie (Trisha) Phillips, Shane Phillips, Christian (Alicia) Phillips, Fred (Jessika) Gerondale, Stacy Gerondale, Amy Guerts, Erik (Erika) Berendsen, Ben Berendsen, Tyler Berendsen, Hannah Berendsen, Nicole (Matt) Schoenwalder, Danielle Jauquet, Nathan (Becky) Lison, Jordan Berendsen, Landon Berendsen; 20 great-grandchildren, Zachary, Brooke, Brittany, Taylor, Caitlyn, Peyton, Ty, Kade, Libbie, Ali, Phillip, Gavin, Nathan, Mariah, Macy, Hadly, Kale, Emma, Katelynn, Aubrey; brothers-in-law; sisters-in-law; special friends, Dorothy and Ray Van Bellinger; many other relatives and friends.
Preceded in death by his parents; stepfather, Dan O'Niel; one sister, Marcella O'Neil; mother-in-law, father-in-law, and brothers-in-law.
Visitation at MALCORE (East) Funeral Home, University Avenue at Baird Street, Monday from 3 to 7 p.m. Memorial service at 6:30 p.m. conducted by Bellevue VFW Post with military honors. Funeral service 7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home with Monsignor Roy Klister officiating. Burial in Mountain, Wis.
Ray's family extends a warm thank you to the caring staffs of Bornemann's and Brown County Nursing Home.
Please visit www.malcorefuneralhome.com to send online condolences to the family.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Cirbbage and comedy with fishing buddies and the unlikely chance that your wife will find it funny....
From "tracycobo"
"After a sandwich and a cold beverage, we decided a couple games of Cribbage were in order, before we went out for our afternoon casting session. At some point during the Cribbage game, while we sat partaking of some "potent iced juice and whatever" concoction, one of us came up with the bright idea to film our card game. This decision was made based on the assumption that we were really quite witty and were getting funnier as the card game progressed. In fact, we were so sure of this, that we decided to include the footage in our reality fishing show. We were just cracking ourselves up,and as we dead-panned for the video camera, which now sat atop a tripod, we just knew the writers of Seinfeld would be contacting us to join their writing team soon. We even played back some footage just to make sure we were funny--and you know what?-- under the influence of "potent iced juice and whatever"..... we were! A full half hour of non- stop cribbage action. "Whoa, that's a double run and knobs for 9". Funny stuff.And they think Texas Hold 'em is a made for TV game!"
Full post at: http://tracycobo.blog.com/2406720/
"After a sandwich and a cold beverage, we decided a couple games of Cribbage were in order, before we went out for our afternoon casting session. At some point during the Cribbage game, while we sat partaking of some "potent iced juice and whatever" concoction, one of us came up with the bright idea to film our card game. This decision was made based on the assumption that we were really quite witty and were getting funnier as the card game progressed. In fact, we were so sure of this, that we decided to include the footage in our reality fishing show. We were just cracking ourselves up,and as we dead-panned for the video camera, which now sat atop a tripod, we just knew the writers of Seinfeld would be contacting us to join their writing team soon. We even played back some footage just to make sure we were funny--and you know what?-- under the influence of "potent iced juice and whatever"..... we were! A full half hour of non- stop cribbage action. "Whoa, that's a double run and knobs for 9". Funny stuff.And they think Texas Hold 'em is a made for TV game!"
Full post at: http://tracycobo.blog.com/2406720/
Classic Cribbage Instructions finally posted.
From Billy Spelchan
"I was at java.net reviewing the task list for the Ultimate Retro Project and I discovered that I have not posted the instructions for Classic Cribbage. This was completed a while ago, but was not done on my Mac (the predominant machine ...
Full post at Blazing Games Development Blog
"I was at java.net reviewing the task list for the Ultimate Retro Project and I discovered that I have not posted the instructions for Classic Cribbage. This was completed a while ago, but was not done on my Mac (the predominant machine ...
Full post at Blazing Games Development Blog
Sunday, December 16, 2007
What's a pone?
From Notes From Basecamp
"I tried to learn how to play Cribbage today. For some reason it sounded like something we could figure out really quickly by reading the instructions that came with the game. We couldn't have been further from the truth. The instructions that came with the cards and board may as well have been written in a foreign language. The first sentence instructs the "pone" to start the play. We don't even know what the "pone" is...
While at Target chosing the game to play, we passed up the more familiar games for this one because of how long it has been around. Any game that's been around this long must be really good right?
It is said to have been invented in the early 1600's by an English poet. It is now the only card game that can legally be played for money in English pubs. Some sources say Cribbage is still one of the most popular games around and it played regularly all around Britain in pubs. Now I just need someone to teach me how to play."
Full post
"I tried to learn how to play Cribbage today. For some reason it sounded like something we could figure out really quickly by reading the instructions that came with the game. We couldn't have been further from the truth. The instructions that came with the cards and board may as well have been written in a foreign language. The first sentence instructs the "pone" to start the play. We don't even know what the "pone" is...
While at Target chosing the game to play, we passed up the more familiar games for this one because of how long it has been around. Any game that's been around this long must be really good right?
It is said to have been invented in the early 1600's by an English poet. It is now the only card game that can legally be played for money in English pubs. Some sources say Cribbage is still one of the most popular games around and it played regularly all around Britain in pubs. Now I just need someone to teach me how to play."
Full post
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Cribbage, coworkers and friends...
From a letter by Paul Colby to The Daily Telegram, Superior Wisconsin:
"This is what happened to me Nov. 29: As I was driving home, I couldn’t stop thinking of one of my co-workers (shift partner) and friend I used to work with on 12-hour shifts while employed at Enbridge. My mind was preoccupied with all the good and bad times we went through.
I was telling myself I should write him a letter and send pictures of my kids and our deer harvests over the years. That’s the one thing we really had in common — hunting. We were like to kids in a candy store during November. He was also the only witness to my 29 hand in cribbage playing on break one weekend. And I secretly envied the large sandwiches his wife would pack for him.
I haven’t talked to him in such a long time and I wanted to thank him for all the good times we had, plus the personal stories he confided with me. I was the first to know in the plant that his wife was pregnant, and I never told a soul.
Now I heard about the explosion on the Enbridge line, and was deeply concerned about my past friends and co-workers. But on public radio, they mentioned contractors, who took over some of the employees’ work when the merger happened. Maybe they had been working on it at the time. Boy was I astonished when I walked in the door and my wife announced the news immediately from the couch. On the front page of the newspaper she showed me a picture of Steve Arnovich, the man I had been thinking about. My eyes are now glossy.
Sometimes we just need to make time for friends."
Original post
"This is what happened to me Nov. 29: As I was driving home, I couldn’t stop thinking of one of my co-workers (shift partner) and friend I used to work with on 12-hour shifts while employed at Enbridge. My mind was preoccupied with all the good and bad times we went through.
I was telling myself I should write him a letter and send pictures of my kids and our deer harvests over the years. That’s the one thing we really had in common — hunting. We were like to kids in a candy store during November. He was also the only witness to my 29 hand in cribbage playing on break one weekend. And I secretly envied the large sandwiches his wife would pack for him.
I haven’t talked to him in such a long time and I wanted to thank him for all the good times we had, plus the personal stories he confided with me. I was the first to know in the plant that his wife was pregnant, and I never told a soul.
Now I heard about the explosion on the Enbridge line, and was deeply concerned about my past friends and co-workers. But on public radio, they mentioned contractors, who took over some of the employees’ work when the merger happened. Maybe they had been working on it at the time. Boy was I astonished when I walked in the door and my wife announced the news immediately from the couch. On the front page of the newspaper she showed me a picture of Steve Arnovich, the man I had been thinking about. My eyes are now glossy.
Sometimes we just need to make time for friends."
Original post
Cribbage game determines name of town...
From the Brentwood Press
"...City Council members took the audience down memory lane, beginning with a 19th-century cribbage game between J.T. Whitman and Randolph Marsh, the founder of Oakley, to determine the name of the new community.
“Mr. Whitman wanted to call the town Oakley; Mr. Marsh wanted to name it Dewey,” said Romick. “We know who won the cribbage game. As a consolation for Mr. Marsh, we are currently working on a park under construction on Laurel Avenue, which will be named Dewey Park.”
So, if not for the fateful turn of the cards more than 100 years ago, Oakleyites might today be called Deweyites, and the granite oak leaf etched in the City Hall lobby floor and acid-washed steel oak leaf sculpture hanging from the cupola might instead be a dew drop."
Full article
"...City Council members took the audience down memory lane, beginning with a 19th-century cribbage game between J.T. Whitman and Randolph Marsh, the founder of Oakley, to determine the name of the new community.
“Mr. Whitman wanted to call the town Oakley; Mr. Marsh wanted to name it Dewey,” said Romick. “We know who won the cribbage game. As a consolation for Mr. Marsh, we are currently working on a park under construction on Laurel Avenue, which will be named Dewey Park.”
So, if not for the fateful turn of the cards more than 100 years ago, Oakleyites might today be called Deweyites, and the granite oak leaf etched in the City Hall lobby floor and acid-washed steel oak leaf sculpture hanging from the cupola might instead be a dew drop."
Full article
Friday, December 14, 2007
Cribbage as physical therapy...
From Chipperture's World
"We had a really nice dinner and then came back here and played cribbage. I broke even, we usually play for a dollar a game and I started out with three and ended up with three, better than losing I guess.
One of the things that a couple of people I played cribbage with said is that they noticed I have a lot more movement than they remember. I guess that since I am around me all the time I don't notice it but it made me feel really great because I thought that I wasn't going to get any more return..."
Full post
"We had a really nice dinner and then came back here and played cribbage. I broke even, we usually play for a dollar a game and I started out with three and ended up with three, better than losing I guess.
One of the things that a couple of people I played cribbage with said is that they noticed I have a lot more movement than they remember. I guess that since I am around me all the time I don't notice it but it made me feel really great because I thought that I wasn't going to get any more return..."
Full post
Crash Cribbage feedback... negative points?
Trent wrote:
"Just finished 3 games [of Crash Cribbage] with the rule that we start in the same direction. The first hand of each game had crashes, with one game creating a back and forth chain reaction! The pegging was tight in each game also, so we are going to
implement a house rule that 2 player games must start in the same direction.
The crashes on the first hand also created situations where we made a
decision that a player could not "go negative" on the board, but instead was
returned to the starting gate. I couldn't find a reference to this in the
rules with the board or on your website, but I admittedly was scanning
fairly quickly so as to not hold up the game."
Dr. Pegger says:"You are correct that negative points (where your pegs gets bumped backward past the first hole) is not allowed. In those situations the peg always goes into the starting arrows on the board.
"Just finished 3 games [of Crash Cribbage] with the rule that we start in the same direction. The first hand of each game had crashes, with one game creating a back and forth chain reaction! The pegging was tight in each game also, so we are going to
implement a house rule that 2 player games must start in the same direction.
The crashes on the first hand also created situations where we made a
decision that a player could not "go negative" on the board, but instead was
returned to the starting gate. I couldn't find a reference to this in the
rules with the board or on your website, but I admittedly was scanning
fairly quickly so as to not hold up the game."
Dr. Pegger says:"You are correct that negative points (where your pegs gets bumped backward past the first hole) is not allowed. In those situations the peg always goes into the starting arrows on the board.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Its a Wickwired game...
From the Wickwire/Wickware Family Newsletter:
"We had lots of spare time in the cafe. I went to the drug store and bought a deck of cards and asked Mr. Shepard if he had a cribbage board and he did. I bought it for one dollar. It has a silver plate on top with the holes in it. In the side of the wooden block is a slot for 3 deck of cards and a hole for the steel pegs. A metal strip slides over these openings. I still have this board. I taught Ray to play cribbage, and we always enjoyed it. Cribbage was always my dad's favorite game and in fact the only game he cared to play, and I played many games with him when I was a girl at home. Ray taught me to play pitch."
Full post at: http://209.85.129.104/search?q=cache:R18xbl6BlJwJ:www.wickware.com/Newsletters/Volume%25201/Vol1_Issue39_09jul00.doc+ROY+CROWLEY+CRIBBAGE&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us
"We had lots of spare time in the cafe. I went to the drug store and bought a deck of cards and asked Mr. Shepard if he had a cribbage board and he did. I bought it for one dollar. It has a silver plate on top with the holes in it. In the side of the wooden block is a slot for 3 deck of cards and a hole for the steel pegs. A metal strip slides over these openings. I still have this board. I taught Ray to play cribbage, and we always enjoyed it. Cribbage was always my dad's favorite game and in fact the only game he cared to play, and I played many games with him when I was a girl at home. Ray taught me to play pitch."
Full post at: http://209.85.129.104/search?q=cache:R18xbl6BlJwJ:www.wickware.com/Newsletters/Volume%25201/Vol1_Issue39_09jul00.doc+ROY+CROWLEY+CRIBBAGE&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us
Cribbage and other board games... for bored gamers
From Dad Stuff
"We usually played either Dominoes, Cribbage or Uno. But we also had Sorry, Trouble, Monopoly, Boggle and Battleship. Sometimes Chess or Checkers would come out. My point is, these games are good alternatives to the X-box. They don't require electricity. They don't make a lot of noise. And hardly any of them involve killing zombies...."
Full post
"We usually played either Dominoes, Cribbage or Uno. But we also had Sorry, Trouble, Monopoly, Boggle and Battleship. Sometimes Chess or Checkers would come out. My point is, these games are good alternatives to the X-box. They don't require electricity. They don't make a lot of noise. And hardly any of them involve killing zombies...."
Full post
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Q & A with COCOCO Games, Roy Cowley
The following is a Q & A with COCOCO Games owner Roy Cowley, maker of Kings Cribbage, a game that incorporates elements of Cribbage and Scrabble to form an exciting game that has continued to grow in popularity and has recently been made into an online game where it continues to draw players from all over the world. Thanks Roy!
Name: Roy Cowley
Age: 35
Born and raised: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Company: COCOCO Games, maker of “Kings Cribbage” – The King of all Cribbage Games
Web site: http://www.cococogames.com
[The following is all direct quotes from Roy Cowley]
“My father, a born entrepreneur, came up with the novel idea of combining two all-time family favorites, cribbage and crossword puzzles, to make a whole new game. He invited myself (in construction at the time) and my brother-in-law (a New Zealand Shepherd), to all forgo our salaries and join him on this adventure. How could we say no?
We started by making 1700 games in a small warehouse. Me and my brother-in-law slogged away on table saws all summer. Next we rented space in a local shopping mall for the Christmas season, and miraculously sold out on Christmas eve. Early in the new year, we started getting rave emails coming in from customers wanting more. The cribbage players were loving it! We were worried whether cribbage players would be open to this new concept, but they emailed in droves, wanting to buy more games.
Once the snowball started rolling, stores were contacting us. They had people coming in requesting the game all the time. Since then, we’ve had our ups and downs on the business side, but demand has always steadily increased. The wonderful thing about inventing something people truly use and recommend is that eventually, the stores come to you.
Last year, a cribbage player from California named Damien Blond decided to make an online version of Kings Cribbage. He wasn’t looking for anything from us, he just wanted to play Kings Cribbage with his friends and family who still lived in other parts of the world, including up here in Canada. He contacted me to show us what he’d created. I couldn’t believe that someone would take the time to create such a wonderful online version of Kings Cribbage, all in his spare time. He clearly loved the game, and he could destroy me in head-to-head matches. He asked if I would mind him putting it up for public use. Kings Cribbage online was born: http://www.kingscribbageonline.com
Kings Cribbage going online has it’s perks! The best one is that I can play Kings Cribbage with our customers. This allows me to have a candid chat with Joe and Jane Sixpack about the game, where they are from, where they heard about the game, etc, all while enjoying a spirited game. This helps me make proper decisions about where to market, what should be included in future editions of the game, etc.
COCOCO Games will continue to make Kings Cribbage for the long haul. We’ve continuously focused on our customer service, providing free replacement of lost tiles, daily responses to the public’s emails, and just helping out wherever we can. I want all of our customers to know that we are a family business, first and foremost.”
END
Name: Roy Cowley
Age: 35
Born and raised: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Company: COCOCO Games, maker of “Kings Cribbage” – The King of all Cribbage Games
Web site: http://www.cococogames.com
[The following is all direct quotes from Roy Cowley]
“My father, a born entrepreneur, came up with the novel idea of combining two all-time family favorites, cribbage and crossword puzzles, to make a whole new game. He invited myself (in construction at the time) and my brother-in-law (a New Zealand Shepherd), to all forgo our salaries and join him on this adventure. How could we say no?
We started by making 1700 games in a small warehouse. Me and my brother-in-law slogged away on table saws all summer. Next we rented space in a local shopping mall for the Christmas season, and miraculously sold out on Christmas eve. Early in the new year, we started getting rave emails coming in from customers wanting more. The cribbage players were loving it! We were worried whether cribbage players would be open to this new concept, but they emailed in droves, wanting to buy more games.
Once the snowball started rolling, stores were contacting us. They had people coming in requesting the game all the time. Since then, we’ve had our ups and downs on the business side, but demand has always steadily increased. The wonderful thing about inventing something people truly use and recommend is that eventually, the stores come to you.
Last year, a cribbage player from California named Damien Blond decided to make an online version of Kings Cribbage. He wasn’t looking for anything from us, he just wanted to play Kings Cribbage with his friends and family who still lived in other parts of the world, including up here in Canada. He contacted me to show us what he’d created. I couldn’t believe that someone would take the time to create such a wonderful online version of Kings Cribbage, all in his spare time. He clearly loved the game, and he could destroy me in head-to-head matches. He asked if I would mind him putting it up for public use. Kings Cribbage online was born: http://www.kingscribbageonline.com
Kings Cribbage going online has it’s perks! The best one is that I can play Kings Cribbage with our customers. This allows me to have a candid chat with Joe and Jane Sixpack about the game, where they are from, where they heard about the game, etc, all while enjoying a spirited game. This helps me make proper decisions about where to market, what should be included in future editions of the game, etc.
COCOCO Games will continue to make Kings Cribbage for the long haul. We’ve continuously focused on our customer service, providing free replacement of lost tiles, daily responses to the public’s emails, and just helping out wherever we can. I want all of our customers to know that we are a family business, first and foremost.”
END
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Norway is now on the board!!!
That's correct, we got our first hit from Norway on the Cribbaholics tracker. That makes 5 countries so far. Can we go higher??? I think we can.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Cribbage and Farkel...
From My West Sacramental Photo of the Day
"This time of the year brings families together for a variety of reasons, whether it be for a holiday celebration, family dinners, gift exchange, visit from long lost cousin...or longstanding cribbage and Farkel competitions. Jo says these are her family's favorites. Photo by Jo Corbin."
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