Eek! A Spider

I've always enjoyed games, especially games that involved intellect and not just chance. Three of the games I most enjoyed when I could find a good, competitive partner were Jotto, Scrabble, and Boggle. I learned to adapt Boggle to my classroom by putting the squares up on the board so that teams within the class could compete. Jotto, which involved a writing implement and paper, could be played almost anywhere. Scrabble required a Scrabble board (at least before the advent of computer games) and was usually played seriously. It was after I retired and became interested in computers that I discovered Spider Solitaire. I read recently that it may be the most played of all computer games. I have found it both addictive and challenging. By the way, I always play the Intermediate level, having long ago dismissed the lowest level as too easy and the highest as impossible. The middle level is winnable and keeps my wits sharpened. I find myself playing Spider Solitaire when I have a few minutes left before church or when I'm waiting on a friend who is a bit late. It soothes my impatience and makes me use my mind to reason out the best solution. And, on top of playing a challenging game, the computer goes into a little fireworks demonstration when a game is won. You certainly don't get that in Scrabble.