Hillman Family Connections

March 22, 2025 – Puzzle Discussion

OVERHEARD CRIBBAGE TALK

NIBS AND NOBS, CRIB, SKUNK, SPILIKINS

Cribbage was Claire and Gil’s game. CRIB and SKUNK are terms that most anyone that hung around while they played will know. I have to admit that I was not familiar with NIBS AND NOBS, nor SPILIKINS but once I learned of them I thought I’d have to work them into a puzzle.

Some might know nobs as the “right Jack” as the term refers to the rule that comes into play when a player holds a Jack in their hand that matches the suit of the cut card, also known as the community card. This situation earns the player one point, which is added to their score during the hand-counting phase. Nibs occurs when the dealer flips a Jack as the cut card (community card) and immediately earns the dealer two points. And, finally, spilikins are the little pegs used to track the score on the cribbage board itself.

THINGS IN OUR BABIES’ ROOMS

SHEET, ROCKER, MOBILE, JIM JAMS

SHEETs for a crib (which I sneakily used in another group), a ROCKER or rocking chair, and overhead MOBILE are all typical things found in many babies’ rooms. As far as JIMJAMS, I must have been hanging out with Cecil when I made this puzzle because he is the most Brit Non-Brit I know. Oh, jimjams is a British term for pajamas.

CHILDHOOD COMFORT ITEMS

BEAR, DOG, BLANKET, MONKEY

Catherine had a Teddy BEAR that she coveted (despite what the picture below may depict), Molly had her DOG, Cuite. Rick had several BLANKETs, I believe and for at least one Christmas season, Eleanor had a MONKEY. Not included in the puzzle: Michaela had a blue bunny named Sarah. Any others?

BONUS PHOTO FROM MOLLY. CUTIE IS WITH HER ON HER
SPRING BREAK CAMPING TRIP TO THE SMOKEY MOUNTAINS.
CUTIE HAS A BEAR WHISTLE AT THE READY. SMART DOGGIE.

ANOTHER BONUS PHOTO; ELLIE AND CURIOUS.

ELLIE! IT’S HER BIRTHDAY TODAY!

RAVENOUS READER, NOT SLIGHT OF HEIGHT, AWARD WINNING ARCHER


Happy Birthday to Ellie!

She’s a reader, she’s tall (and I’m jealous) and she’s an award winning archer!

Nancy Knott

20 responses to “March 22, 2025 – Puzzle Discussion”

  1. For some reason I can use the little cake symbols in the puzzle but I can’t seem to use them in the discussion page. It took me a while to figure that out this morning.

  2. Got Ellie after I stopped trying to make it Brian (birthday tomorrow). Forgot it was Ellie’s birthday today.
    The rest multipe,multiple tries!!!
    Can’t believe I didn’t get cribbage!
    Jaycie has multiple stuff animals that she cycles through but her unicorn is her favorite.
    Malia has a pound kitty that was Megan’s that she took from our house. At our house she sleeps with a blue dog that Jan gave to Brian as a baby. Also a large pound dog that was Megan’s that Meg named Auntie Jan as a kid. Don’t remember why, I don’t think Jan gave it to her
    Norma and her hippos, Bev had a stuffed monkey.
    Rick’s blankets had to have a silky edge. I remember emptying whole closet full of blankets trying to find one with a wide enough silky edge that he found acceptable one time when he spent the night at our house.

    • Cecil seems to cycle through stuffies too. I love that Megan named one Auntie Jan. I think MIchaela’s “Sarah Bunny” was named after Sarah.

      Did Norma have hippos as a kid?

      • Yes. I think the first was in second grade, though she can correct me if I’m wrong.

        • I got my first hippo in second grade. I’m guessing for Christmas? I don’t remember the rest of this but apparently I took in to school for show and tell. Karen Olson was in the same room as me. Next year she went off to the new Forest Park School. 10 years later I met her in English class. I didn’t remember her but she remembered me and my hippo. She also has a collection of hippos!

    • Not as a kid,but Tom Brown always has an assortment of stuffed animals in his truck. When not riding around with him the reside on the back of the couch.

  3. I was trying to make it Brian’s birthday at first too but realized it was Ellie after the archer and reader clues. Got cribbage.

  4. We got the birthday girl right away but didn’t get any of the others? Played cribbage my whole life and never heard them called anything but pegs.

  5. I had a heck of a time getting Ellie because monkey was such a constant presence and I kept reading slight of hand.

  6. I got Ellie’s right away!

    Cutie still comes everywhere with me lol. She was just on my trip to Tennessee!

  7. Happy Birthday Ellie!

    I got that one first try but only that one. I was on track with the kids’ special things but wasted too many guesses on one away.

    Jim jams through me because I was thinking it rhymed with shim sham and I was looking for other things that rhymed with dances we have done LOL

  8. I had forgotten that Meg had a pound puppy named Auntie Jan. That’s so cute.

    And how does Rick look like such a bad ass even sucking this thumb and holding a blanket! I think it’s the boots!

    My Meg also had this giant panda names Spotso! He is huge. She didn’t have him as a baby. Maybe around elementary school. And he came so many places with us, considering his size he is currently in her college dorm!