RUNNEMEDE REMEMBERED

Growing up in a small town in Southern New Jersey


Friday, August 14, 2009

Sunday school picnics -- addendum

My sister wrote the following: My words are italicized and colored pink.

Oh, I loved those picnics too. And Daddy always went (I didn't remember this or the following), though if he could get a ride home with someone who was leaving early he left with them. After our lunch we all gathered at the tables and sang hymns, and then Daddy would bring a short sermonette (This I remember).

Uncle Bill (Manduka) or Uncle El (Wentzel) always brought the hymnals. Daddy always gave the excuse the he had to prepare for Sunday's sermons, and no one minded that he went home because they knew his preparations were in their best interests.

I loved that thermos Mommy had. She sometimes made lemonade, that was my favorite. And she always, always brought olives, green and black, as a special treat. And the cookies were the sandwich kind with chocolate on one side and vanila on the other side with white icing in the middle. We gorged on all the goodies as I remember.

The reason for the meeting after the eating was because in those days folks thought that after a meal one never went into the water because it could bring on cramps. I remember waiting for that magical time frame to be up so we didn't go in one minute early and get a cramp and drown. Funny how things change, huh!!

I never rode the bus because if I did I would throw up. Usually I rode with Mrs. Kenders. She had this big Plymoth with fins and the back seat was so smooth, I never got sick. She really was very attentive to my needs. We had some very special ladies who loved all us Drexlers didn't we. Hard to find that now (because we're now the older ladies!).

God has blessed us immeasurably through our lives hasn't He. I mean you and I were Princesses. We were placed in a loving Christian home with folks in the church wanting to be our Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents. Wow, we had it so good.

I do recall that Plymouth that Mrs. Kenders had. It was such a fancy car for anyone in Runnemede to have. They were the first family in the church to get one of those cars with the fins. About the bus -- I probably threw up in the bus a couple of times or almost because I always got bus sick. I still do, although I have found that if I take a sea-sick pill prior to riding in a bus, I don't get sick. And Deb is correct about the lemonade -- it was lemonade kool aid, not real lemonade. Mom would never have been able to afford enough lemons to make lemonade to fill that large thermos.

I guess this finishes up the Sunday School Picnic sagas. I hope you have enjoyed reading them.

ttfn

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