Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Welcome to Our Blog!
No one can deny that those few acres on the south shore of Staten Island held great sway over the hundreds of inhabitants who called Spanish Camp "home." For adults, Spanish Camp was a refuge from the heat and clamor of the city. For children, it was the equivelant of total freedom. For all, it was a haven. On Friday, October 12, 2007, over 200 people attended the opening of the Staten Island Museum's related exhibit: "This Was Our Paradise"/Spanish Camp 1929-Present. That night was the catalyst for renewed friendships, swaps of phone numbers and e-mail addresses, and a flurry of communication that shows no sign of stopping. As an English teacher, I have learned that "interest" is often the key to motivating a writer, even a reluctant one. The number of exchanges that have occurred since October are testimony to this observation. I hope this blog motivates many voices to share their stories, their photos, and their sentiments about a common passion...Spanish Camp.
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6 comments:
Hi everyone - It's me, Sandra Serrano, sister of Sheila and daughter of Esther & Magin Serrano of Bungalow #82. I can't wait to read about all the memories that will be shared.
Thank you for the blog.
Hi, this is Irene Burgos, Catherine's younger sister. This was a great idea to set up. I cant wait to hear what everyone has to say about their memories of "My Paradise", Spanish Camp. I was the one who had the honor of setting up the 3D part of the museum's exhibit, I hope all of you plan to visit it at some point till the end of March.
Hi everyone - This is Sylvia Burgos Toftness, Cathy and Irene's sister, and grand-daughter of Maria and Antonio Marino. I look forward to sharing some of my memories and reading yours over the Christmas vacation. Hope yours are happy.
When I think of my childhood, I automatically go to Spanish Camp. The day after school ended, we went to the "bungalow" and stayed for the summer. We didn't see Bayonne again until after our wonderful labor day festivities at Spanish Camp. My grandfather, Florindo and my father Joe went to work from camp. My mother Rose & grandmother Mercedes usually spent the day cooking or doing laundry. Seemed like the rice was always started early in the day. Cleaning amounted to mopping the floor. Not much to clean. The shower was outside. My brother Joey, sisters Sissy & Sharon and I spent days doing whatever we wanted (once our chores were done). We didn't need supervisor because there was nothing & no one in camp to harm us. My sister Cindy was born while we were at camp. My mother left the bungalow one summer evening with a small piece of luggage and returned to camp a few days later with Cindy and a whole lot more laundry. Cloth diapers were used at that time, which we hung out and folded. The washing machine was outside and had the rollers to pass the wet clothes thru to get the water out. We were 9 people in one bungalow with one bathroom. We never felt crowded! A coal pot belly stove was in the middle of the kitchen for heat on chilly nights and mornings. And we had the best spot for a hammock! We had family fish fries every weekend which consisted of cousins coming from Bayonne for outside dining, plenty of music, dancing or playing pokino. Our neighbors Margaret with sons Butchie, David and later Teddy were usually outside with us. This is just a fraction of my camp memories beginning with our family life at the bungalow . There are soo many more involving life in "camp". When I walked across the field toward the cantina or the beach a whole new day of wonderful would happen.
Hi everyone, my fondest memories as a child and teenager were from Spanish camp. It was the best place to grow up. I'm so happy to be in touch with so many of my friends again.
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