Why Bunco?

The ladies of Jamison Place met at my home last night for our monthly Bunco party.  Our group started five years ago with twelve regular members.  Over the years the membership has fluctuated.  I'm one of only three original members left.  Until recently, I never missed.  Right now, there are nine of us, including my eldest daughter; my teenage daughter often subs when we are short. 

But only short in terms of playing the game, which consists of three tables of four players.  For the sake of gabbing over food and drink, and collecting prizes at the end of the gathering, even a trio will work just fine.  As I didn't join this activity for the game to begin with, I'm never disappointed when we don't make it to the dice and score keeping segment of the night.  And, when we meet at my place, the chances of leaving the table of food and conversation in favor of rolling numbered cubes and tracking wins versus losses are pretty slim.

I'm in it to foster relationships with the women of my neighborhood.  Keeping those lines open, sharing a bit of myself and learning a bit more about them, swapping kid and spouse stories, all over a cocktail or two, coupled with all manner of edibles, including dizzying desserts, makes for a more cohesive sense of community.  Not only are there a few options for borrowing a cup of milk or a few eggs, not to mention coming in to the occasional spare cantaloupe plant, but there are people willing to employ your children as house/dog/children sitters.  People willing to get on a rotation to provide food and/or company for a sick neighbor and her family.  People willing to water your yard and garden when you're gone on vacation.  People willing to call and say, "Hey, there's a strange man walking around the perimeter of your house right now!" just in case he wasn't the property assessor who scheduled an appointment earlier in the week.

And, I'm willing to reciprocate in like currency.

You get my drift.

I take a little time to invest in my neighbors once a month in a lighthearted manner and the returns are limitless on all sides.  The oohs and aahs I receive over my individual dessert plates, a rosy ofdraspberry sorbet set in a pool of sunshiny lemon curd, an orange wafer and a rolled lemon cookie on the side, with blackberries, orange zest, lemon verbena to finish it off, are pure bonus!