My maternal grandmother passed away when I was 22 years old. Unfortunately, I didn’t know her well because she homesteaded in Kentucky and my family moved to Arizona before I was born. Despite this, my grandmother’s stories survive with me, as do her beautiful hand-stitched quilts displayed in my home.

Apparently, I’ve inherited my craftiness from Grandma Viola. And once a month I participate in a girls’-night-out game of Bunco with my lively friends, just as she did in the 1930s. It’s odd to realize that my grandmother was once a young woman who liked to cut loose with her peeps. She must have been a fun-loving gal, because there’s no other way to play Bunco.

According to the World Bunco Association, the game dates back to the 1800s and was played by groups of women, schoolchildren, and couples. Apparently the game hasn’t changed much in the past century.  I believe it’s survived for the simple fact it’s fun, requires zero brainpower, and taps into the basic human desire to win hard, cold cash.

Our little group began with a simple conversation with my friend Tamara. Always ready for a party and good food, we began making a list of our most creative girlfriends. Excellent cooks and bakers went to the top of the list (after all, you can’t have a decent party without chocolate). Within minutes, we had a list of the required 12 regular players and a 12-person “sub” list to handle the ever-present scheduling conflicts that crop up in any group of busy women.  Our name – Dice Girls Finish First – popped immediately into my head and we were, literally, on a roll.

Dice Girls Finish First meets the third Tuesday of the month. We rotate hostesses and bring our own refreshments. Tamara has this terrible rule that the best candy/chocolate stays at the head table (also known as the winner’s table—definitely where you want to plant yourself for the evening), so you have something to aspire to as you roll the dice.

I’m now officially a Bunco fan. I only wish I could talk to my Grandma Viola to see if our monthly girls’-night-out parties are anything like hers were more than 70 years ago.

Links:
World Bunco Association: www.worldbunco.com/history1.html
captions:

                 
One of my crafty friends embroidered our team name on the Bunco bag. Dinner, dessert, and snacks are integral parts of the game.

                 
Our Bunco team, Dice Girls Finish First, enjoying a girls’ night out.

                 
Here I am with our hand-embroidered Bunco bag and hand-sewn dice.