Mah Jongg comes to Lenbrook!
On June 1, 2020, I moved into Lenbrook. My dear daughter, who lives in Atlanta, found Lenbrook, chose a wonderful apartment for me and my sweet dog Lily, and I could not be happier at this point in my life.
I was born and raised in Connecticut where I was a stay-at-home Mom. After our three children flew the coop, I went back to work as the Director of Admissions and Marketing and Director of Volunteer Services for a head trauma/healthcare center. I retired from this position at the same time my husband closed the door to his medical practice, and from Connecticut we wintered in the Caribbean. There, I continued with my art work, swimming, tennis, bicycle riding and became an avid golfer. My husband and I continued to travel to wonderful destinations all over the world until he passed away in 2018.
Sixty years ago, my mother taught me how to play Mah Jongg. I love the game and have played and taught everywhere I have lived, including in Hilton Head for eleven years, and Venice, Florida for seven years. So, when I moved into Lenbrook, the first thing I asked was, “Is there a Mah Jongg group here?”
The answer was “no” and five months ago, after the thick of COVID, I asked a few new friends if they would be interested in learning how to play – and now, Lenbrook has an active group playing! I am delighted about this, because it is a difficult game to learn.
I teach American Mah Jongg according to the precise rules of the National Mah Jongg League. Though the game incorporates a bit of chance, it furthermore requires skill, strategy, calculation and concentration. By origin, it is a Chinese game with 152 pieces (“tiles”) with Chinese symbols. Mah Jongg is a lot like poker and rummy, but played with a rules card that determines winning hands. Each year the rules card changes, with new combinations of hands to achieve a Mah Jongg. The excitement of Mah Jongg lies in the continuous decision-making process, the clicking of the tiles and their feel and the camaraderie that builds among players.
Our group plays twice a week in the Kingsboro and Activities rooms, for two to three hours. I will be teaching again in the near future and Lily, who is now our Mah Jongg mascot, and I look forward to having a larger group of residents, male and female, to play with!
In addition to Mah Jongg, I enjoy participating in Lenbrook’s knitting group, as well as singing with the Lenbrook singers.
Interested in learning more about playing Mah Jongg? Please do not hesitate to call me for any further info!