BARBARA..........THE NAME OF THE SKATING RINK WAS....WATSONTOWN SKATING RINK...I AM SURE THAT IS THE ONE YOU MEAN...THATS THE ONE WE ALL WENT TO...AND I TOO HAVE MANY FOND MEMORIES OF THE SKATING RINK...I THOUGHT I WAS SOOOO COOL WHEN I FINALLY GOT MY OWN SKATES AND MY MOM MADE ME POM POMS....AND WHEN I LEARNED HOW TO SKATE BACKWARDS...WELL NOW THAT WAS JUST THE BEST!

I remember baseball in the spring. The smell of the leather gloves, the feel and crack of the bats, seeing the catchers in their gear. baseball !!I was never any good at it , but baseball and spring were the memories of my youth.

Summertime meant baseball during the day. Usually started at 10AM at Myrtle and Emerson in Lindenwold. We played all day. If there weren't enough players we would close right field. We played hundreds (maybe thousands) of innings there. I loved those days. 

On the non baseball days, I remember riding our bikes everywhere. We would play a game called "Cops and Robbers". It was a game of bicycle tag. And of course, we built treeforts. Some were strong enough to sleep ten. LOL!

My favorite time of the year and things to do was cut grass every morning for money, then hang out at Clementon lake till 5 or 6pm, then play baseball till dark. We had a gang of us who all hung out together, Dennis Hans, Bill Garrity, Brian Pearson and Tom Hansen.

When the sport seasons changed we changed to the sport of the season, we used to tear up Dennis's Dads grass playing football, and base ball. The Brewin girls used to come and watch us when they were allowed out. I think we all had a crush on one of them at some point in our lives.

Of course we did the bike riding thing, wire ball etc. It's strange now how we all hung together for years  and then like somebody threw a switch, we all went in separate directions with our lives. I would like to relive just one of the old days together, laughing and joking, with not a care in the world.....wow!

Chuck Kleinfelder

I agree Chuck. We played on the same fields together for years and then simply walked away. Life intervened, I guess. After graduating in 1969, I did not see many of my classmates for another 39 years. Hard to imagine. 

Today I had a chance to re-unite with some of them. I played golf with a few "old" friends during the Memorial golf outing on behalf of Coach Larry Mauriello.

It was a blast to play with those guys one more time!

I would go to the skating rink on Sunday afternoons. Tons of fun!!! I still have my skates in the attic. May-be one day I'll pull them out and see if I can still skate. In the summer we used to go to Lake Worth. WE would get a season pass. If we didn't get a pass we would get in on a friends pass. Tried to learn to swim there. The kids pulled me onto the diving board and pushed me in. The life guard pulled me out .....That was my swimming lesson!!! Last year I went to swimming for Seniors...God I can't believe I'm a Senior..... I can now swim alittle. If I wasn't skating or at the lake I would go to the little library next to Gibbs School and check out books. Read Gone With The Wind in one day.

Hey Nancy -- I guess you are just trying to make us all feel bad with that "swimming for seniors" comment -- lol.

You cannot be a senior because you were in my class and I'm still only 33 (in my own mind).   I never ever think of myself older than that!  

Last week I went zip lining.   I had to ride a donkey for an hour up a hill and then rappelled down this incredible several mile long water fall.   I was laughing so hard, soaked through to my thong(no!   i still won't wear Granny Panties).   My husband sat at a bar and drank margaritas while I did this, shaking his head the whole time no doubt and telling people his wife is insane. 

I guess I'm going to my grave denying the aging thing.    But if you feel good enough to do these things -- I guess we should.    A chiropracter recently advised me to stop doing the splits because about once a month I was going for an adjustment.   When he asked how I kept jamming my hip I inquired, "Could it be from doing the splits?".   He said, "What?  Aren't you 58? "    I said, "Yes, why".    He shook his head and said, "Grow up!"     I replied, "NEVER!   If I grow up, I'll grow old.   If you rest, you rust".   

So, all that said -- you did NOT qualify for the senior swim -- you snuck in on someone else's pass like you used to at Lake Worth!    Deny your age at all costs!   It keeps you young and freaks people out.

Barb

Hay Barb!!!! In my mind I'm still in my 30's. But being a senior has it's advantages. I only paid $24 for 6 weeks for my swimming classes indoors in a heated pool. I've gotten free flu shots and you can't beat the senior discounts .  I've come full circle, when I was in my 20's and 30's I got carded everytime I wanted a drink. Now I get carded every time I want a senior discount!!!! LOL.

Yeh it was the Watsontown Skating rink right in front of Lake Worth in Watsontown...anybody remember going to the old Pine lake in Lindenwold with the big pavillion with the jukebox inside where everyone used to hang out and dance?? This older women Mrs Miller owned it and it also had summer cabins back there in the woods...soooo much fun!!!! Doris DeRosa Class of 68

When I was little we would play dodge ball, not like they do now, my goodness now I think you could be killed playing the way they do...LOL  My cousins and I would play "Mother May I" growing up, that was fun, we were told to do something and if we didn't say "Mother May I" you were kicked out, you would keep doing it till you got the last person out.  We would play hop scotch and jacks for hours...

Guess it's time to slowly slow down. The three thinks I remember most was swimming at Pine Lake. Down there so much Mrs Miller & the family were on first name bases. Riding bikes explorng S Jersey, The freedom back than was great, just explored where roads would take you and where they joined together. Finally was just the freedom to run, no worries and the sights were great; miss that today as just don't have the stamina; now just walk.