Today is No D Day when those of us who normally blog about the D-word take time to open windows into other parts of our lives.  Laddie, Sue from New York, and I have each written posts with memories and photos of our childhoods.  Thanks to George of Ninjabetic for organizing this day, and click here to read other No D Day Posts.

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I had a wonderful and loving childhood despite the fact that my parents divorced when my brother was 6 and I was 6 months old.  My father joined the Merchant Marines after the divorce and although he was out at sea for long stretches of time, my Mother made sure that we had a good relationship with him.

During summer vacations while my brother was at overnight camp, my Mother and I would spend a few weeks in the Catskill Mountains where our family from all around Pennsylvania and New Jersey would congregate for memorable weeks of togetherness.  I loved those vacations.  This was when I got to spend special time with my Mother and our extended family.  Throughout my life, family was very important to my Mother and she instilled those same values in my brother and me.

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In the Catskills, all the youngsters would go to camp during the day, and at night everyone would get dressed up in their finest clothing for dinner and great shows after dinner.   I loved the mountains and especially loved dressing up but more then anything, I loved being with my Mother.  During the rest of the year, my Mother was a working mom who owned her own business and although she was devoted to my brother and me, she was at work during the day.  So to have this time with her was very special.

As a footnote to my little story, when I was 14 my parents remarried each other and were together for the next 18 years until my father passed away.  My mother passed away at the age of 93 having spent 73 years in her own business as a Jeweler on Philadelphia Jeweler’s Row.