BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JUNE 25, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 37
BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com JUNE 25, 2020 • BUZZ • The Quens Courier FOR vschneps@gmail.com
With the world in unrest
and the coronavirus
still with us, I escaped
to the ocean.
Being a Pisces, I have a great
affi nity to the water, and I grew
up spending summers on Lake
Oscawana in Putnam Valley. I
have sweet memories spending
time there with my cousins who
had homes nearby.
My mother’s sisters lived within
walking distance of mine, but
everyone came over because we
were on the lake. It was also the
gathering place for my parents’
relatives, who were also our best
friends.
My mom was always the hostess
and I think I never wanted
a summer house because our
home became everybody’s
vacation location.
Memories survive
because I have
the photos of my
many family members
who visited
us. We grew up
surrounded by
relatives.
Being on the
lake, one of my
favorite activities
was to go
fi shing from our
little motorboat.
We kids had to
use oars because we
weren’t allowed to go
alone using the motor. We
would row out to the nearby
Lily Pond on one side of the
lake to catch little fi sh, but for
me the best part of the fi shing
day was catching the worms that
we would put on the hooks of
our rods.
Th ere was a plot of land on
the side of the house that was
set aside to rake the leaves into
every fall. Th e fertile ground was
the best place to dig for worms!
I was fascinated by how you
can cut a worm and it still kept
wiggling.
I was in charge of putting the
worms on the hooks and I loved
every second of it. I hated taking
the fi sh off the hooks, so that
job would go to one of my cousins.
We would spend hours and
hours fi shing on the lake. Rarely
were we able to eat the little fi sh
we caught!
On the other side of the lake
was a building called Th e Trading
Post. It was the only place to
shop — we always begged our
parents for some money to buy a
soda and we rowed very hard to
get there — and it was always a
great adventure.
On the front lawn of my house
was a large picnic table where we
would gather every aft ernoon.
My mom would embroider
tablecloths and my aunts would
knit. Somehow, I never learned
either skill but I did learn to
love reading Nancy Drew
mystery books.
We had a deck over the lake
and I still picture my father sitting
there reading his newspapers.
Since we moved there
when I was 3 years old, my dad
had built a
“crib” that
was a safe
place for us to
learn to swim
until we were
strong enough to
go out to the fl oat
that seemed to be so
far away.
When we got a little older,
there was a day camp nearby
and we all were registered. I was
never an athlete, but my favorite
activity was theatre. Th ey had a
great theatre counselor and the
play I remember most was “Guys
and Dolls.” I didn’t get the star
role, but I was thrilled to be one
of the chorus girls named Pearl
the Prostitute. I still remember
twirling pearls on the stage and
hamming it up.
We spent the rest of our summer
days at the lake until I was
9 years old and I transitioned to
sleepaway camp. My brother and
I went together with my cousins
from my dad’s family to Camp
Pocono Ramona in the Pocono
Mountains.
Th ere were separate campuses
for boys and girls. Th e bunks
were quite a distance away from
each other, but I got to see
my brother and cousins at the
fl ag-lowering ceremony every
night. Th e fl agpole was the midpoint
between the campuses.
Even though I had family
members around I was lonely
and wrote to my mother daily. I
remember handing in my mandatory
letters at dinner before
entering the cafeteria. Writing
came easily to me, but I know
my brother was tortured over it
and somehow beat the system.
At mid-summer visiting days,
my mom complained that she
rarely got letters from him!
Camp became a part of my
summer life until I got married
in my senior year of college.
My husband Murray used to kid
me that he didn’t know if he
should take me to camp or on a
honeymoon!
I had started as a camper
and rose through the ranks
to become a counselor and
eventually a group leader.
I still remember my interview
with the camp owner, who asked
me how I could be a group leader
in charge of all the counselors
when I was so little, standing
at 5’2”. When he challenged
my ability to be taken seriously
because of my size, I reminded
him that Napoleon Bonaparte
was also short and it never held
him back from his victories! I got
the job and happily led a group
of 10-year-old girls.
I have wonderful memories of
carefree days fi lled with organized
activities and memorable
friendships.
Since I wasn’t an athlete, just
like at day camp, my favorite
memory at sleepaway camp was
musical theatre. Th e highlight
of my summer camp days was
when I was chosen to play the
lead role of Anna in “Th e King
and I.” I still have a photo of me
with the “King,” and I think that’s
why I remember it so well.
Do people still keep photo
albums? I’m moving soon and
the only quandary is what to
do with pages of endless photo
albums fi lled with memories of
my parents’ lives and mine.
Fast forward to today, and I’m
grateful to be back spending my
summers at the waterfront —
not at a lake, but rather a beach.
Somehow it restores my soul to
see the endless waves and crashing
sounds of the ocean on the
soft white sands of Long Island.
Victoria’s
DIARY
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
tweet me @vschneps
Remembering my magical
childhood summers
My dad with my cousins before
we jumped into the lake.
My father with our Kornberg and Adler
cousins on the lakefront dock.
My mom
and dad.
My dad, Marty Adler,
on a fl oat in the
middle of the lake.
/WWW.QNS.COM
/www.qns.com
link
link
/www.qns.com
link
