So, how many points for the word "scrabble"?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: One of the world's most famous, popular, and beloved board games is Scrabble, but for anyone that knows Red & Black, they might be surprised by a few things …
Or, maybe it's just one thing. You see, Red, the straight-A student who loves to read and has been known on more than one occasion to use, as the expression goes, a 50-cent word when a 5-cent word will do, has never, repeat never, played Scrabble. It's not that she's not familiar with the game, as she has both an adult and a children's version in her game closet. But she has never played Scrabble.
Black was shocked by this admission and wondered how this could be true. Could Red have witnessed Black's competitive playing (she's had boyfriends refuse to play Scrabble with her after experiencing how competitive she gets) and decided to avoid the conflict? So, Black took a more "educational" route,
You are almost 60 years old – how can you not have ever played Scrabble? Well, I think it is time. On the surface, Scrabble may seem like a game of luck, but it is actually about skills. Obviously, it requires vocabulary and spelling skills, but it also requires math and strategic thinking. Along the way, you develop an understanding of spatial relations and probability. As a mom, I bet you have been fine-tuning many of these skills for years.
Well, Red may not be as competitive as Black, but she was certainly intrigued, so began by finding the official Scrabble website (and was surprised that Black hadn't mentioned Hasbro now owned it) and initially was overwhelmed as it offered more than she'd ever need – or want – to know. But once she found the rules, Red calmed down as the premise is simple – score points by placing tiles, each with a single letter and point value, to form words using a crossword puzzle layout.
But now, Red regretted that she hadn't pulled out those versions collecting dust in the closet when her daughters were growing up, as she learned that Scrabble could be played in teams (although she's not sure she'd want to play against Black). It would have been such a great opportunity for them to teach and learn from each other. And have fun! So, she decided,
Over the years, there have been many games of Monopoly played, argued over, and champions declared. Scrabble would have been a great addition, but I can't change the past. However, I think a good way to celebrate National Scrabble Day is to teach an old dog new tricks … and that would be me. I'm finally going to learn to play Scrabble!
P.S. – How many points for the word "scrabble"? It was a trick question! It depends on where on the board it is, how it's connected, and whether you used any blanks.
When the news is challenging or life’s stressful, there’s something comforting about Girl Scout cookies. Always has been, which is why we’re rerunning this post from several years ago.
Girl Scouts, though, are about so much more than cookies, as year-round girls learn important life skills, gain confidence, and discover leadership skills. But buying cookies is such a sweet way (sorry, we couldn’t resist) to support the organization. Red’s favorite is the classic shortbread (now known as Trefoils), and Black buys a large assortment and gives them all away.
But hurry! Cookie season ends on March 23.
P.S. - If S’mores and Toast-Yay! are your favorites … make sure you stock up as this is the last year they’ll be available.
Let's play word association. If we say, "Girl Scouts," what's the first word that comes to mind? Ok, what's the second word?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: When Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low organized the first Girl Scout meeting – hoping to create an organization that redefined what was possible for girls everywhere – there was no way for her to know the difference it would make in the lives of millions of girls and their communities.
Many people's first (and sometimes only) image of Girl Scouts is as cookie salespeople – either selling door-to-door or at a make-shift table at a grocery or other store (or having their parents hand you an order form). But if you've been a Girl Scout (both of us have) or know someone who has, you know that Girl Scouts are about so much more.
So, as we celebrate the Girls Scouts being around for over 100 years, we should celebrate the years of fun and friendships, and for helping girls learn important qualities such as responsibility, courage, strength, and independence. Qualities that are as important in 2021 as they were in 1912.
And what better way to celebrate than to buy some Girl Scout cookies? Guilt-free as you're helping a good cause.
Today’s turbulent times for Jews may overshadow the celebration of the Jewish New Year, one of the holiest of the Jewish holidays. Yet, ironically, we feel it should strengthen its significance, as the holiday is a time for reflection on the past and hope for the future.
If you think today’s politics are ugly … let’s talk about a man who named himself “dictator for life” of the Roman empire, and is then assassinated by a group of senators, including his best friend. (However, there’s a “pretty” part – Cleopatra was his mistress.) Food trivia and leadership lessons aside, the fact July is named after him is the perfect excuse to rerun one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites …
Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.
Which is what got Red to realize, much to her surprise (shock, if truth be told), that even as a straight-A student with a love of history, that when it came to Julius Caesar, a famous historical figure and possibly one of the greatest generals and statesmen of all time, she couldn't tell you dates or battles or anything "historical" associated with him.
Even as a theater major in college, she never read Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," although she knew just enough about the play to know that it was where the fortune teller warned Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March." Instead, her knowledge of Caesar came from her love of movies.
My first, and probably my most enduring, memory is of a brilliant general who not only commanded armies as he conquered lands far from home but was a great statesman who was also involved with one of the world's most beautiful women. And while he was Julius Caesar and the woman was Cleopatra, to me, they'll always be Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, a movie almost as controversial as the general himself.
And Black? Besides knowing that Caesar Salad was invented by a different Caesar, she appreciates Julius Caesar's leadership skills and way with words,
There is much we can learn about leadership from Julius Caesar, whether on the battlefield, in politics, or in business (start small, take risks, communicate well), including what ultimately led to his death (always consider worst-case scenarios, never get complacent or arrogant). Many of his quotes speak (pun intended) to his powerful way with words, and the ability to not only deliver a message but to inspire (and story tell), with my favorite being, "I came, I saw, I conquered."