WELCOME!

Hi! My name is Donna Boyce Trexler Geertz ... I grew up in Tarrytown, NY and attended Sleepy Hollow High School. I now live in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. You are invited to join me as I share thoughts and contemplations along my journey in life (68 years). I have lost two husbands within the last several years. My first late husband, Bart Trexler, whom I co-pastored a church near Charleston, SC, died from a brain tumor in December 2004, and on Feb 1, 2013 my husband Joe Geertz from complications with a gallbladder operation.

“PEACH LAKE MEMORIES is a compilation of 15 Chapters / vignettes, including pictures, filled with fond remembrances and thoughts of years gone by as I was growing up.
If you scroll down on the right hand side the different chapters are listed, under the faint wording that says "blog archive"..Just click on any one that may interest you.

I have also posted many other stories too on this blog!!
I do hope you enjoy taking a walk down memory lane with me!

M
ay God bless you richly today~

**As a side note, I have other blogs too... 18 in fact.. If you scroll down to the bottom of this page you will you will see a smiley sun graphic.. right under that is the list of my other blogs. Just double click on any one that interests you.




SWEET SONG OF THE PAST

How fast childhood years have flashed by
When hop scotch, jump rope and
pick up stixs where things we played.
Hoola hoops and old maid where so much fun,
comics and mystery books, and boats in the sun.
Oh, to go back to the old ways,
when skate keys and scraped knees
where all part of the phase of growing up!

My dollies where my constant companions,
and playing teatime delighted me so,
Mommy, will you be my turtle,
and help me make a bow,
talk to me for hours,
and swing me soft and low?

Times of lemonade and gingersnaps,
Dragonflies and sitting on my Grandpa’s lap
Swedish pancakes with raspberry jam,
and of course my favorite, swiss cheese and ham!

I took it all for granted, and then childhood faded away
To a place in my mind, where only whisps of it remain.

Oh, to go back to skipping stones, and princess phones,
Fishing with bobbers, and fireflies aglow
and yelling “catch me Daddy” off the dock.
Praying with Mom as we watched the cows graze,
All locked in my mind .. such wonderful days.

In these golden times,
I am grateful for the childhood I had,
knowing it is over sometimes makes me sad.
But, today holds memories of its own,
thank you Lord, I have someone to share it with
I am not alone.

©Donsie's Dialogs 2011 written by Donna 2011



Monday, June 20, 2011

PEACH LAKE MEMORIES CHAPTER 4 - THE LAYOUT

PEACH LAKE MEMORIES CHAPTER 4 -THE LAYOUT

I always liked the layout of the bungalow even though it was eclectic, a mishmash of this and that, but what you would expect an upstate older rustic Country vacation cottage to be like. The front room was the airiest; it had a double bed with iron headboard and chenille bedspread. My sister Gwen who is four years my senior had that room. Dad hung some window boxes one year in the front where beautiful red geraniums or petunias grew. Somehow they managed to stay alive even with my mother's poor gardening skills! The room was surrounded by windows and had a one level bunk bed/window seat that overlooked the side and front of the house that I loved to sit at especially on rainy days.

My sister Gwen at Peach Lake .. what a cutie!


My room was the next, with double bed and also an old iron headboard and flowered bedspread in white with the most pastel of flowers in the pattern, the closest I could find in picture is below, and the cutest ice blue milk glass lamp with raised bubbles became my reading light. I had a satin quilted bed jacket that I just loved and somewhere I have a picture of me wearing it in my old pictures, but I have found an exact duplicate in yellow for you to view below. I also had a chenille bathrobe that I used on chilly mornings until it wore out over time. There was also a looped hook oval rug on the side of my bed. It felt so cozy when I stepped out of bed. My bed was near a wall with a set of high windows and was a bit hard to make, which made it kind of difficult, but I had my own room which I adored.

Satin Bedjacket
Chenille Bedspread
Me at the age of about 11
Chenille Bathrobe
Flowered Slippers

My parent’s room was on the end near the bathroom which by the way was a septic potty type. We were lucky we had that. Some of the cottages had outhouses... LOL It was kind of like upper class camping out inside and it was just part of the package when you went to the bungalow. We had an old and friendly septic man called Hank who came to empty the tank when it was full and “Phew”, I sure was happy when he was gone, because he smelled like his work!

The kitchen was a nice size retro and it had a stove you had to light with a match with high burners and an icebox for cold products and ice cube trays. An old seasoned cast iron skillet was what much of the cooking was done in. The table was enamel with pretty painted flowers on each corner, as you will see below. The coffee pot was not electric. It was aluminum with a little glass top that unscrewed for cleaning. There was a stem inside that held a circular holder for a flat filter and the ground coffee. You would then heat water on the stove to the boiling point and then pour the water into the pot for it to become coffee, a similar picture of what it looked like is below. Our dishes were a pretty green color depression glass among other inexpensive dishes. There was a cute Red Riding Hood cookie jar too! The picture of the wire chicken below is similar but not exactly like ours. It was for holding eggs, but Mom used it for holding fresh lemons. Swedish woven throw rugs were at the back door and the side door and entrance. Everything was more difficult there without running water and what we considered at the time modern conveniences, but we didn’t seem to mind at all. Roughing it was acceptable as long as we could be there!
Cast Iron Skillet
Enameled Table
Drip Coffee Pot
Depression Glass
Red Riding Hood Cookie Jar/ I have seen these going for up to $450 on Ebay!
Wire Chicken
Swedish Throw Rug

The small house had a kind of narrow living room area with couch, enormous out of scale lamps on the end tables and we had a coffee table and some upholstered side chairs. My mother told me when I was being potty trained; I would bring my little chair into the living room when family was there because I didn’t want to miss anything! LOL! I can’t believe I found a picture of one just like it online!! It had a little chamber pot that slid underneath and could be removed for cleaning that is not shown in the picture. We also had a Victrola for playing records, a radio and a TV with bunny ears for reception. It was a sunny quaint and bright bungalow and it was so Country.


Potty Chair
Victrola


Here is a perfect look alike of the tray my Mom used to bring us meals in bed... what fond thoughts I have of her doing this




Dad on his honeymoon
Mom on honeymoon

©PEACH LAKE MEMORIES 5/21/11
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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