Page 10 - BB201111

BETTER
VOL. 16, NO. 2
BRIDGE
N OVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 10
B B
A Unique
Birthday
Celebration
Twyla Doty and KimConley didn’t
imagine that when their mother,
Norma Jane Blackwell , learned to
play bridge ten years ago at the
Senior Center in Midland, Texas, it
would result in a family trip to a
country they had never visited. It
was to become an adventure that
they would thoroughly enjoy.
This past August, Norma Jane was
celebrating her 80th birthday. The
suggestions on how to celebrate the
occasion ranged from a family visit
to NewYork to see Dr. Oz, to getting
a new iPhone. Although Jane is
virtually a maverick in the family
when it comes to playing bridge—
only one daughter and son-in-law
play occasionally—her two daughters
and her husband, Ray, decided the
family would go with Jane to a
bridge event to mark the special
milestone.
An Internet search brought up a
weekend Better Bridge festival at
Windermere House on beautiful
Lake Rosseau, a popular vacation
spot about two hours north of
Toronto. This seemed like a perfect
idea they all agreed.
The weather, often a consideration
for travel, was a factor. Texas had
been experiencing a drought and
triple-digit temperatures. Another
attractive feature was the adventure
of visiting Canada, which would be
a first for all of them. Finally, the
timing was not only appropriate
for Jane’s birthday, but the dates
coincided with Ray and Jane’s 58 th
wedding anniversary.
The trip was a full day of travel but
well worth it, they said. A three-hour
flight fromTexas followed by a two-
hour drive, and they were there.
Was the visit to a new country what
they had expected? “We consider
Texas to be a very friendly state, so
we were surprised by the exceptional
hospitality and genuineness of the
Canadian people. The beauty of our
surroundings surpassed all of our
expectations. We appreciated the
non-commercialism and the true
respite provided by the peaceful
scenery and helpful staff.”
And what about the bridge, we
might wonder? Jane enjoys teaching
any of her ten grandchildren who
have the desire to learn, but on this
trip she was the only family member
who played. Jane might have been a
little uneasy at first about finding a
partner, but that changed very
quickly. A suitable partnership was
arranged, and she was at home
among her new bridge friends.
At a lunch break, when the bridge
players were eating out on the large,
traditional veranda surrounding
Windermere House, it became
obvious that Jane was the people-
person that her family described.
She became an integral part of the
bridge group.
Twyla and Kim said that their
mother, a former teacher, was leery
about how the various levels of play
would be accommodated at the
event, but that proved not to be a
problem. The material was relevant
to players at all levels.
It was an exceptional experience
for the whole family, and also for the
other attendees, who loved having Jane
as part of the group. You just might
find the family at another event!
Co
the
Twyla Doty, Kim Conley, Norma Jane Blackwell, and Ray Blackwell