BOARDING SCHOOL IN 1968

It was a shock to be sent away from home at 16 years old, particularly when my destination was a PRIVATE BOARDING SCHOOL FOR GIRLS. All I wanted to do at that time in my short life was be with BOYS!!

The first day there, I walked into the BATHROOM and there were 2 girls passionately kissing. "Not that there's anything wrong with that" of course, but I didn't know that Girls did that!  Ok, I had some things to learn and things to get used to, because I was going to be there for a full school year.  And do I have some more stories to tell!

Let's begin with the LOVELY town of LITITZ, PENNSYLVANIA.  And I mean LOVELY!!! I was in LITITZ yesterday to visit my BESTIES, LINDA and ANDY SMITH (professional watercolor artist), so I took a few photos to share with you.  

I actually fell in love with the town of LITITZ when I got married at age 23 in 1975.  JACK found us a 2-bedroom townhouse there to rent. Here is a photo - ours was this corner unit - still there 40 years later!!

While married and living there, I met BESTIE, JILL RODRICK at a WELCOME WAGON meeting (ever heard of that??) and we hit it off immediately. Our husbands did too, which made it even more fun. Jill and Gary lived in an apartment just a few blocks away. 

Thankfully, I still see them often, although they moved to OHIO not too many years after we first met. In fact it was just a few years ago that we met in LITITZ for the day.  We had a ball reminiscing.  An old friend of theirs joined us for dinner, who I subsequently fixed up with another BESTIE!!  Yes, they too are still happily together!

In 1968, when we were practicing field hockey every afternoon, we could smell the chocolate from the famous WILBUR CHOCOLATE FACTORY, which is still operating today. YUM!! My addiction to chocolate remains strong........

Boarding school girls were allowed to leave school and walk into the town of LITITZ only ONCE A WEEK and we had to "SIGN OUT" when leaving campus.  It took me about a minute to figure out that if I wanted to go into town (to smoke a cigarette or flirt with BOYS), I simply didn't "sign out". I walked off campus and came back before our required time.  This happened MORE THAN ONCE a week of course.

Ok, back to my visit with LINDA and ANDY SMITH yesterday.  Here is their home/studio.

LINDA and I took a walk into town to enjoy lunch at a great little restaurant called "TOMATO PIE CAFE". Always great food there. We actually tried something different yesterday, but didn't pass up starting with our cup of their homemade "TOMATO BISQUE SOUP".  

So, you're wondering what's in the bag? On the way to lunch we stopped in a little shop, MinD's BOUTIQUE, owned by MINDY DONECKER BEATTY, a good client/friend of LINDA and ANDY'S. I couldn't resist making a purchase - their clothing is so fun and trendy........

And as LINDA said, "Only in a small town will you see a sign on the door like this one!!" LOVE IT.

After lunch we wandered a little more through town.

I will continue tomorrow with photos of the variety of very cute shops.  If you've never been to LITITZ, it's a GREAT strolling town and my photos will surely tempt you to visit.......


JOAN