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eggs, and stewed tomatoes. Some women brought pickles and slaw, and1 a jug of tea, and if
Eddie Lou Markham went, we could count on having cake. Eddie Lou was a wonderful

cook. This little party took place every week for years and years.
Around 1930, Eric decided he wanted to camp out, so he got a tent, a couple of
tarpaulins, and two gas lanterns. We camped out with the frogs, crickets, birds, snakes, and
other varmints. Sometimes I’d take my pallet and get into the back end of the truck to sleep.

We had fun, but these rough outings weren’t exactly my cup of tea. We were lucky that it
never rained during those camping nights.
This was our routine until Sharon was bom. I was so sick when I was pregnant that I
didn’t attend the fish fries regularly. We couldn’t take a baby camping in the woods either.

After World War II ended, Eric went to Camp Blanding east of Starke to buy two
Navy barracks from the government. Mr. Guynn, who owned property on the Santa Fe River
at Rum Island landing, told Eric that he could put a camp house anywhere down near the
river. We picked a place far enough from the river where we knew the river wouldn’t over­

flow its banks—according to all of the old-timers.
We put the two barracks twelve feet apart and built a room between them that was our
kitchen/dining room. We had a gas stove and refrigerator. We really enjoyed this place—and

it was a lot better than sleeping on the ground. Sharon learned to swim in the nearby spring
when she was very young.
We always had company stay with us on the river. Sharon and I stayed down there
every summer with various friends’, and Eric drove down in the evenings and then back to

work the next morning. After many years, a lot of rowdies started hanging out at Rum
Island, some using dope. We didn’t feel safe here anymore. We were also advancing in age,
so we broke up our camp and ended our camping days with a few regrets.

When Uncle Jess (Ma’s brother) was overseas in the military service, he often sent Ma
silk hose. This was about the time that women started wearing silk hose instead of those
thick black cotton hose, but silk hose was difficult to get. Ma was thrilled and so was I

because she shared the hose with me.
I had my first high heel shoes when I was 16 which Ma had ordered. They were called
“Saint Louis heels.” Getting those shoes was the second biggest thrill1 of my life—the first

was getting that doll. I really thought that I was “Miss It” in my new high heels.

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