29 years ago, in a land covered in red and white stripes, a secret meeting was held at a young woman’s house. Eleven other ladies attended, each in anticipation of a truly lofty goal – becoming a card shark. 

This secret society played Spades for hours; cutting cards, laughing and cheating the best they knew how with libations in hand. At the end of the evening a band had been formed: The Spadettes.

The Fairy Tale and the Legend of the Spadettes grew. They became a force to be admired in the land of red and white – TGI Friday’s Corporate Office. Women far and wide longed to be part of this wild, crazy bunch who could not only go “Nilo” without looking at their cards, but also had the best monthly partying going in town. 

They expanded their mission to include slumber parties, papering houses, road trips, parties, and river floats. Seems the fairy tale never ended.

The Spadettes attended marriages, were there as on-call babysitters, dealt with job layoffs and supported each other through divorces, all the while playing Spades and cheating at cards. 

They expanded their secret society fun by coming up with yearly events: an annual slumber party (everybody needs a break from the family now and then), a White Elephant Christmas Party (fighting over presents makes for true friends) and the ultimate: a yearly pilgrimage to the river for the infamous Spadette River Trip. 

In this land of red and white, with reputations to be upheld, this secret society came up with only two rules: Be prepared to support your partner on a Blind Nilo and whatever happens on the river stays on the river. 

And happen it did. It’s actually a fabulous feeling to know there are things that have to go to the grave with you. 

Age and surgeries may have slowed the floating, but the party is always on when it comes to the precious River Trip. Did you know that after a day in the river, you actually feel like you’ve been to a spa? Of course the way these ladies do it, relaxed and rejuvenated quickly turn into exhausted and hung-over. 

As we well know, it is hard for a fairly tale to live on, even a red and white one. Without warning, one day tragedy hit this band of merry women. One of their husbands decided to make a quick exit with a massive heart attack at the age of 46.

Once again, The Spadettes gathered around one of their own with loving support and managed to keep her from going to that great spades game in the sky via grief. At this moment, the fabric of this group grew into something so tight, it can never fray. 

As life changes and ebbs, so has this wonderful group of women. Burying a child is never easy, a heart attack can be life-changing and cancer has been thrown into the mix. But never fear. The fabric is tight and strong. 

Once again, it is that time again for a wondrous road trip where reality can be left behind. Too much to eat, too much to drink and too much fun are the order of the day. But most importantly, it’s the camaraderie that has kept these 12 women surviving the last 29 years. 

Card games are not a prerequisite for having friends. Support through life’s ups and downs is more important than gold, but along the way being a card shark and downing Jello shots surely couldn’t hurt. Maybe Fairy Tales can come true.

Spreading laughter throughout the world…one chuckle at a time.

Mikie Baker
www.mikiebaker.com