I pulled my green cotton suit out of a drawer in the kitchen. No stripes or decorations. Just a plain cotton coverup, easy to get into. Mom said, “You can go out just in front of our house. Watch for cars.” Suited and barefoot I streaked out of the house. The ditch by the road in front of our house and on down the street was filled with maybe six inched of water. How great to run through it splashing every way. In a few minutes Julie Anne, who lived next door, came running out to join me. We splashed each other.....playing.....it was a lot of fun. We were good friends, so there was no meanness between us. We shared toys, puzzles, coloring books, about everything we had....except my skates and her tricycle. Those were our bargaining chips. We lived next door to each other for several years. Her father was the minister at the Methodist Church..... our family church, too. Every Sunday when Grandmother Hanna was living with us, she took me to Sunday School and Church. That was a given. Flip the calendar a few years ahead...9, 10, 11. Now to swim, splash, “bombs away” from a rope on the limb of a big maple tree, basking in the sun until we were chased away by the “big” boys. We weren't supposed to know they were skinny-dipping, but we stole a peek once in a while. Wouldn't you? The swimming hole was in Torrey's Pasture. Later on, it was the site of Wiener Roasts with games like Spin the Bottle.. If the bottle pointed to you, you went behind a tree and were supposed to kiss the boy who was there waiting. The whole circle ooohed and aaawed, hooted and hollered. No one knew what happened behind the tree. A mystery! Everyone shared the hot dogs, buns, and marshmallows to roast. There always seemed to be enough to go around. We built a small fire surrounded by rocks to do the roasting and toasting. It was a lot of fun for us “town kids.” Moving right along.....families often went to Canadotha Lake for picnics. I remember jumping off a raft and scrambling to come up for air. I wasn't a good diver, but I could swim. Then to Edinboro College where I passed all of the Red Cross Swimming Classes.....to Life Saving. For some reason, I never felt that I could save anyone's life. However, one night my friends and I were swimming in the Lake. Jeanne got tangled in the reeds. We pulled her out and then high-tailed it out of there. Yipes! My last summer in college I worked at Lee's Restaurant down by the lake. We rented boats and bikes the use of which was part of our salary. I loved taking a rowboat out to the inlet to watch the sun come up and the water lillies open their blooms to the warmth. I worked in the kitchen prepping orders. I did not enjoy waiting on tables. During the week, friends of the boss would catch frogs. On Friday nights, the cook would prepare the legs for the staff and a few special diners. They really did taste like chicken. That was my best summer. The restaurant was owned by my Master Teacher, who had seen me through my Student Teaching. Midway through that ordeal, I managed to fall down the stairs at Perry House where I lived. My forehead was split and I was in the College Infirmary for two or three days. When I got back on my feet, I finished my student teaching with a bandage on my head that I tried to cover with bangs. In my whole life, I have never done anything the “easy” way. 90+ DEGREES. How did I get from there to here?.....and this is only half the story. April,09
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