With Love To You All- Maxine Grossman Wasserman
                               
Friendship happens in a special moment, in a special place, in our case, at Camp Blue Ridge. It has made a special difference in our lives.

Childhood friends were easy to make. Growing up together in the vulnerable, learning years, we have built a storehouse of memories, nourished by the give and take of our childhood spent together, first, as a bungalow and then as a bunk.
      
All dressed up in our peasant skirts and blouses, crinolines and flats(which were
worn on our trips to Honesdale, during the summer) we met at the Chambers Street Ferry, on to the Erie R.R. and finally the bus to start our summer adventure.
          
Our Bunk:
Marilyn (Abrams) Katz- started camp in 1938
Joan (Bruder) Danoff  - started camp in 1940
Libby ( Fein) Mosberg- started camp in 1939
Maxine  (Grossman) Wasserman - started camp in 1941
Barbara ( Kahn ) ? - started camp in 1941
Elaine Kaplan-  started camp in 1941
Connie ( Klieger ) Goldstein- started camp in 1940
Vivian ( Mink ) Burton- started camp in 1939
Joan ( Seltzerman ) Sontag - started camp in 194?
Ruth  ( Silverman ) Kotcher - started camp in 1940
Joyce ( Spero ) Lefkowitz - started camp in 1940

As friends, we talked about and shared important experiences of our lives.  These are moments that belong to us alone. Spending time with each other now, always reminds us of a happy past. We are still friends for over 60 years!

As bunkmates, we shared and compromised, ( important life lessons ) borrowed each others clothes for the big " Social" on Friday nights.  We made mind boggling decisions, such as whether to shave under our arms, or use a brand new product, Nair.  We discussed hairdos and analyzed the worthiness of the boys accross the lake.  I personally had the weekly task of trimming Anita ( Pasternack ) Finkelsteins' bangs, using Buddys' hat from military academy.  Anita is still a friend of long standing.  As younger campers, we had the reassuring goodnight kiss from Chief.  We enjoyed and admired our head counselors, Laura Goldberg, Gert Lehrer and Joyce Lehrer.

Our "clever" manipulation of our counselor Joyce Lehrers' love life. Joyce cut her leg shaving.  We all dashed to the infirmary to notify Dr. Dick of this " serious wound" in the hopes of bringing attention of one to the other!  I guess it worked!

We enjoyed our camp activities, lying out on front campus enjoying the warm summer sun, swimming B.A. at Judge Boltys'  If the day was too hot to trek to the tennis courts, we hid in the lockers, under the clothes. One poke of a broom handle by Joyce, revealed our hiding place.  Raindrops beating on the tin roof of our bunk, signaled the start of a game of jacks on the porch. Our night celebrations were catered with salami on white bread with yellow mustard, followed be a marshmellow roast.  We enjoyed the cabaret, circus at the boys camp, color war, wth elaborate sets and unique favors for the Judges, the celebrations of V.J. Day at our social, our "daring" break to the boys boathouse.

Buddy Wasserman was my partner at the Senior Dances.  I remember the social hall was so warm, that our cheeks stuck together as we danced! I still remember the aroma of his after shave lotion- Lemon.  As a counselor, he would visit me on an extra night out.  He would hide behind the wash on the porch of my bunk.  We met at Trill, spent our days off together and continued our relationship in the city.  The after camp event- meeting at Elmans' was popular for all.
                 
Some of us married Equinunk boys, Libby Fein to Norman Mosberg and Buddy Wasserman and I.  We are partners still, for fifty years of married life. We enjoyed Deja Vu when our children, Jill and Steven spent their summers at camp. This is true of many of my bunkmates' children.  They are now "qvelling" over their grandchildren at camp, who are creating the same happy memories..,

There are so many individual stories, poignant and funny of our years together at camp. As friends, still, we rejoice in each others happiness and successes and support of each other during stressful times. We are each others cheerleaders and psychologists. The friendships that started so many years ago, is as strong as ever. We are only a heartbeat away  from each other.
                                 
AND THE BEAT GOES ON...........