Cuch Alaine (sic)

In the fifties, the men worked and the women were at home. So what happened in the summer? The women and children went downdashaw (down to the Jersey shore) with the children. Where did they stay? Motels barely existed then. They stayed in a cuchalain (pardon my very poor transliteration.) This was essentially a boarding house where each family of mother and kids had a cramped sleeping room. Then there was a kitchen in which each family had space in a refrigerator for their food and used the kitchen to cook.

Now my mother did work as a school teacher. But she was off in the summer, so the effect was the same. I believe we had this adventure at least 3 times. I remember we went once with her cousin Estelle...who was at that time single. The idea of an unmarried woman in her 30's was strange to me. (Estelle later did get married....no kids. Her husband sold imported jewelry. My mother bought a very sparkly bracelet out of something called Marcusite from him. I remember it being a big deal so maybe it was expensive.)

I think we went to either Asbury or Bradley Beach.

I remember:

It was very hot in the house
The kitchen was tiny
I got knocked around by the waves
I got sand in my eyes
All the food was delicious
I remember eating soft ice cream (we called it frozen custard)

In retrospect, there was something special about vacations with just my mother. (There were also the summer months at Maple Manor.) Lacked the excitement my father generated. Much more laid back. But what a nice warm cocoon. The little things like getting lunch, eating grapes, walking to the boardwalk hand in hand, stick (and that is exactly the right analogy) in my mind and heart.

P.S.   I'm sure you can guess how to tranlate cuhalaine from the yiddish.....