Ladies from the CPN Empty Nester Group gather at the HOA2 clubhouse on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month to play Mah Jongg, an ancient Chinese tile game.

Article and photo by Carin R. Kirkegaard

The Castle Pines North (CPN) Empty Nesters have a group of ladies that meet twice a month to hone their skills and try their luck at Mah Jongg, an ancient Chinese tile game.

The group started with nine ladies who have been playing since September and meet on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Since beginning, the group has grown to 27 members and welcomes newcomers.

“We usually have three to four tables and we teach beginners,” said Jan Lorenzen founder of the Empty Nesters.

Although the group meets at the HOA2 clubhouse located off of Oxford in the Kings Crossing subdivision, they all take turns “hosting” and providing drinks and snacks for the afternoon of games.

Mah Jongg is a game that is typically played with four players and consists of equal parts luck and skill. Interested in finding out more about the Mah Jongg group? Contact Lorenzen at Contact by e-mail .

If Mah Jongg isn’t of interest, the Empty Nesters have plenty of activities to choose from:

The Hiking Club gathered on July 13th for their first hike; a 2.8-mile walk on Douglas County Back Country Trail (east/west trailhead) located 2 miles north of Daniel’s Park.

The Bunco players meet in the evening on the second Monday at a local clubhouse. Snacks are brought to share. Come and enjoy an exciting evening of tossing the dice.

The Book Club meets in the evening on the fourth Monday. In June, the group read “People of the Book” by Geraldine Brooks and in July they read “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield.

Ladies Bridge meets on the third Monday in the afternoon. Due to the limit of space in homes this group is full; however names are being taken to start a second group. If there is enough interest, the group is looking at gathering at a local clubhouse in the future.

Couples Bridge is taking a break for the summer. A new round robin session will begin in September. Interested couples should sign up soon.
The Mah Jongg group meets in the afternoon on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Group members take turns hosting at the HOA2 clubhouse. Interested in learning the interesting Chinese game? Seasoned members will teach newcomers.

The Golf Group has begun playing again this spring at various courses in the area including The Ridge, Red Hawk, and Bear Dance. Golf members take turns making arrangements for the group. For more information about the golf group, contact Shelly at Contact by e-mail .

Canasta started meeting July 15th at a local clubhouse. The group meets in the afternoon on the first and third Wednesday and will teach anyone who is interested in learning the game.

Restaurant Dinner Club had their first gathering on July 21st at the Pan Asia Bistro near I-25 and Lincoln.

The Charity Volunteer group will meet shortly to discuss the direction of their activities.

Interested in joining any of these groups or finding out more information, please contact Lorenzen at Contact by e-mail .