I so enjoyed being at the lake. The name of the area where we lived was called Peach Lake. It had a nice sized Pavilion where you could purchase basic sundry items in the front, sodas, snacks, etc. on the right was a small bar and in the back was a large hall with lots of windows and chairs. Saturday night was the night out!! We took basin baths with heated up water and spent a good part of the day preparing our clothes, dresses with crinolines, shining our shoes and making sure we had stockings that did not have runs, or Mom polished our patent Maryjane's with vaseline. Jewelry was polished and many times a hair stylist who became famous would come up and do the women’s hair for the night. We used pin curls in our hair sprayed with hair spray and sat out in the sun to dry, or slept with them in our hair… ouch!
I loved seeing my mother and sister all dressed up and my Dad was so proud of us so take us out. I can still smell the aroma of my mother's Shalimar perfume in my mind and my Prince Matchabelli, Wind Song cologne. When I became older, she let me borrow hers. I still wear that fragrance today for sepcial occasions.
Looking over to the other side of the lake was Bloomers which was accessible by boat or by taking a bit of a drive. They had the largest pavilion at Bloomers and Friday night they had roller skating which was so much fun. It was crowded as most people and especially the young folks came to enjoy this night. They played all the most popular music while we skated and it had a large area for skating and an expansive front porch overlooking the lake. We would take a break from skating with a coke in glass bottle and bag of chips or snack and just enjoy the summer air and stars and listening to the crickets in the background. It was just perfect.
One night I did something with my cousin and some of her girlfriends that was very out of character for me. They went skinny dipping late at night and I joined them. We swam out to the float and took our swimsuits off and put them on top of the float and then swam under the float. It was such fun, and I found that I loved swimming in the nude, but was scared to pieces that someone would find us and we would get into trouble. I realized the stress it put me through was not worth it!
The community to the right of Peach Lake was called Vail’s and they had a Pavilion also. My father’s brother, Uncle Henry and his wife Aunt Eleanor who was Norwegian and two children Christine and Johnny had their summer place there. Sometimes they had sock hop like dances there. Whenever I think of Vail’s, I can still hear the Every Brothers song “Till I kissed Ya” floating in my head, and dancing. I found out it was written in 1959. Here is a video of the Everly Brothers song I talked about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJki0mKY-Ic&feature=related
I wasn't in "puppy love" with anyone at the lakes. I guess my heart was waiting to meet Billy!!
I would have been 13 at the time, at the lakes with the Everly Brothers. I did however go to the Jr. Prom with Michael Cudney. We took ballroom dance classes together and our Mom's knew each other .. it seemed a natural for us to go to the prom together. I can still see my sister with her sweater worn backwards and buttoned down the back. She wore with it a skirt and wide cinch belt and a scarf at her neck. I don't remember if she had one with a poodle on it, but I sure did! Oh something just came into my head. She had navy and white saddle shoes with white laces. Oh by the way, don’t know if I mentioned it or not, but my sister was also very funny. She had and still does have a quick wit!
my inbetween years 1/2 woman & 1/2 child .. still lovin' my Madame Alexander Cissette Doll
Total Fifties gals
Dig that crazy sound Juke Box
Santa Land
Gwen and Donna
Tarrytown, NY
Gwen and Donna
Gwen, Dad and Me
Dad and Me
Florida Easter trip, we're getting older
Cutting toe nails? LOL!
On the way to Peach Lake with Dad
Christmas with Gwen hanging stockings
Christmas
I still think the Loden coat is spiffy.. I had one in High School too in Evergreen
Jersey Shore Wildwood
Tarrytown
with my "pixie" haircut
Blue Ruched Suit
at Ft. Lauderdale
Spring Break
the next 2 pictures
at Cape Cod Summer
Fort Lauderdale Easter Breakwith sister Gwen and friends
PROMS ~~
Jr. High School Dances with Mike Cudney
The first is the Christmas Dance
The second is the Valentine's Dance
and the third is the Spring Prom
I went with Michael Cudney
We took ballroom dance classes
together and became close friends
His mother and mine were involved
in PTA together
Freshman Prom with Billy I met Billy
when I was in my early teens and we were
"an item" through high school and beyond..
With Maureen Cooney
before Prom my "baby
girl" her mother babysat
for me and I in turn
babysat for her .. we were
like family.. I adored her
Jr. Prom with Dad in Middle with Billy
and Rosemary Page with her date
Rosemary Page and date, Cathy Coffey and date, Billy and Myself
Senior Prom with
Billy Rapaglia
wow he was a cutie!!
I pray his life is filled with happiness and great joy.
He was also my hero when he drove to pick me up one summer at the Jersey Shore where I was working at a top resort as a waitress .. my parents thought it would be a good experience for me.... NOT!... I was miserable, missed Billy terribly and being spoiled by my parents I was not ready for this sort of work, the accomodations were spectacular for the guests and the pits for the help, not even a fan in the room and a light bulb that hung with a pull chain for a light. On top of that, can you imagine .. nothing but a place to hang maybe ten hangers. I HATED it.. and Billy came to my RESCUE!!! My HERO!!! I had been working there three weeks.. they never paid me and I think Billy and I were out of there in a New York minute!!!
Back to Peach Lake! You could rent canoes at the lake shore. We would sit in them outside when they had sock hops, and drink soda and talk when he would drive up to see me. I liked cream soda and orange or cherry pop. I did enjoy canoeing, but I never could get the hang of water skiing. I was real thin at the time, but try as many times as I did, I could never stay up on the skis and would almost drown in my endeavor! My Nana loved Billy, and she was a strict Swedish woman who didn't joke much.. Billy called her "NanaBanana" and she liked it!! Also, he liked my sister thought she was so funny "a card" as we used to call it!!
Boat rental area and
swimming dock at Vail’s
Billy, would drive up on the weekends at times in this old 1940’s Chevy car my father helped him get. It was about as old as Methuselah! No kidding it was ancient of days. My father had taken pity on him as he hitch hiked everywhere for us to date.I was always afraid he would get frost bite. He lived about an hour away and they used to say he had a “golden thumb”, and I think he did ! The car was similar to the one in the picture except it was a dark color, not pale green as shown. The seats were upholstered, but felt like old scratchy horsehair. LOL!! The springs were gone in the seats and so you bounced all over the place when riding in the car. You needed to be iron man to open the windows too. It did have a radio that mostly worked though, and that was all that really mattered.. hanhanha!! And at least my boyfriend had “wheels”. It had to be the grace of God that kept that thing going for sure.
Peach Lake Memories is a 15 Chapter book with vignettes about my childhood memories. It is copyrighted. Please ask for permission before using any information in my book.
Thank you .. donnatrex@yahoo.com
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