Memories of Books and Getting Around in Tequesta

I remember that I read a lot as a child. It seems to me that I was reading ‘real’ books by 2nd grade. Mom and Daddy had a real library in the house on Riverside Drive. It wasn’t very big – more like a wide hallway or laundry room. Bookshelves lined one wall, and half shelves on the other, with a large built in desk under them. My favorite things to read were the Reader’s Digest magazines on the top shelf. I read every one cover to cover.

We also had a set of Oz books – illustrated. All sequels to The Wizard of Oz. I don’t know how many there are (Mom still has them, I think) – maybe a dozen? I read all of those – over and over again throughout my childhood. I loved Ozma the best – a good witch – fairy godmother. She was so beautiful.

I also read all of the Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon mysteries. God, I can’t believe I remembered that!

For a time, I was fascinated with a series of books about a girl who traveled around with her family – they were poor and took odd jobs – farming, fruit picking, etc. she went all over. I, of course, loved the ones set in Florida the best. I’ve been trying to find those books on Ebay. I found one – Strawberry Girl.

I just found so many of those books on Ebay. They run from $20-$100. Wow! They were written by Lois Lenski. Prairie School, Coal Camp Girl, Houseboat Girl, We Live in the Southwest, Shoo-fly Girl….I read them all!

My great-aunt Grace (Grace Fortescue) used to give us money to memorize poems. I loved this not for the money but for the poetry and the performing it in front of Aunt Grace. She was so old and so elegant – think Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Aunt Grace would clap her small hands together and say, “Grand! Just grand!” I only remember one poem – The Shadow. I only remember the title, not the poem.

I spent loads of time at the Tequesta Library. I think I still have my library card somewhere. It was thick paper with a metal bar at the bottom. I was so proud of that card! I always did the reading challenges each summer at the library.

We walked everywhere in those days. Our parents rarely drove us. It was just a little town. We walked or rode our bikes. We didn’t even have to lock our bikes up in those days. No one stole things then. See what drugs has done to our society? What a shame. Even in elementary school, we went by ourselves to the dentist and the doctor. Just walked there by ourselves. All the adults knew who we were. And, for a time, Mary’s dad was the mayor of Tequesta.

Mary lived right in back of me. We were always together. Nancy lived a block over. The boy I had a crush on (from 4th grade to high school!), Rodney Denton, lived right on the way to town, so I always got to walk by his house on the way to town. Rodney’s best friend, Jeff Cannon, lived a few houses from Rodney. Everyone loved Jeff – such a sweet guy (still is).

I usually cut through Mary’s yard to go anywhere rather than walk all the way down Riverside Drive to Tequesta Drive.