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Lorraine Spiering
and
Dinky

Age: "I'll Never Tell"

Lives: West Linn Oregon (USA)

Family: Married, two adult children

Invention: Crossword game for all ages

A Wordsmith: Lorraine Spiering is the type of person who loves playing word games and thumbing through the dictionary.

Dad Was "Crazy": When she was a child, Spiering's father, John J. Chavez, was a master welder. He created a metal tool box that was actually a bumper on his truck.

Most agreed that he should've tried to patent and market his invention. Others said he was "crazy." "Somewhere along the line I heard someone say, 'What bank is going to give a Mexican money?' And he didn't go after it."

Over the years, Spiering would herself tinker with one big idea after another. She became a professional seamstress with her own alteration store, stitching everything from sun bonnets to wedding gowns to linings for caskets.

When her family moved to Portland in 1990, she met Darlene Hunker. Darlene was the new wife of an Uncle on her husbands side of the family. Darlene walked into the apartment, dumped a pile of Scrabble tiles on the table and said, "Hi, I'm Darlene! Let's play!" The game was creating crossword puzzles faster than the other players. Lorraine was HOOKED! Darlene told her the game had come about by some women at a retreat. They were bored and started pushing Scrabble tiles around, making their own crossword puzzles. Lorraine said, "Let's develop and create a set of rules. Let's package and manufacture this game!" None of the friends wanted to join the venture.

1993 - With rules developed and the SYZYGY name picked, Lorraine called the Milton Bradley company. The secretary on the line said, "Honey, if you think we talk to just any person that calls with a game idea, you're CRAZY!" That was the magic word to have Spiering put her idea on a shelf, resigned that it would never amount to much.

1995 - March 12^th, Lorraines father passed away while on vacation in Chile. It was a great surprise to learn that he had left an investment account for the kids to share. It was a modest but welcome amount.

Breaking the Cycle: In the fall of 1995, Spiering took a seminar on "integrity." It was there she realized she had never seen a dream to it's fruition, as if she were following the path her father had trudged. IF SOMEONE SAYS YOU ARE CRAZY, DON'T DO IT!!! "At that point I declared; 'My father lived on would've, could've, should've,' but I am going to produce my game."

So she invested her inheritance in making a prototype and having a patent attorney copyright the rules and SYZYGY name. After finding a gaming company in California who would help get the games produced in China, she and her husband refinanced their home to pay for the first shipment. And in February, 1997, 20,000 units of the game came from China to San Francisco.

Anyone Can Play: The word Syzygy (siz-uh-jee) is an astrological term for an alignment of celestial bodies. Lorraine's favorite alignment is of the Sun, Earth and Moon. "A full Eclipse is an absolute miracle."

In this game, each player makes his or her own crossword puzzle drawing from the 304 letter tiles. The game is very interactive. Play goes very quickly. The best part is that everyone, regardless of age, can play together. Families and friends playing games is a treasured memory of Lorraine's childhood.

Success No Matter What: Several toy stores across the country have put the game on their shelves. No major retailer has picked it up. But Spiering believes she created a game that can be used in classrooms and has a promising destiny. "It's not a moneymaker yet. What it is right now is a person maker. It's an accomplishment, it's faith."

Article by Chastity Pratt/revised 2001