PBJC

Palm Beach Junior College, today called PBCC.

At 16, my parents, gave me a choice of either college or work, since I was no longer in Boca High School. I knew I wanted to go to college at some time, so I decided to go ahead and go. Probably, not the best idea at that time.

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I was still having issues from getting beat up and my fear of going anywhere. I took 3 classes. Two I did rather well in, but my Art Appreciation class I bombed. After a month in college I found out I was pregnant. Gee, the stress was too much. I decided not to return to college. Instead I made the mistake of getting married at 16.

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We got married in Boca Raton, in my grandmother's backyard. Her house was located behind Boca Mall (which is now Mizner Park). We stayed in Boca, matter of fact living with my parents in their Boca Raton home.

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Next, raising my oldest in Boca.......

Boca Raton High School

High School was an extremely tough time in my life.

In 9th grade, I did fairly good in school. My favorite class was Drama. I hated the acting part, but loved doing the lighting at our productions.

I also, got to go to Ireland. I won the trip through my job. I delivered newspapers and they held a contest. Who ever could get the most new subscriptions in our area won. I had gotten the most, so I was the winner. But one of the kid's of a big wig that worked at the paper, also won, even though his new subscriptions didn't even come close to mine. Wonder how that happened?

The missed school did effect my grades, because there was no time to do the work over there, and I just couldn't get myself to make it all up when I got home. So, I was doomed for summer school. Somehow my Dad managed to get me out of it, and I still went on to the next grade.

To top it off, while in high school, I had back surgery. I was out quite awhile, but did have a tutor so my grades improved greatly.

In my 2nd year of high school, I got jumped by 4 kid's and had the daylights beaten out of me. I was too scared to return to regular school there. Since I was only 15, the school board didn't want to let me take the night classes to study for my GED. They finally changed their minds, with the talk of a lawsuit against them for the beating on school property I had endured.

My night classes were at the same school, I hated going, because I still feared being around people I didn't know.

So, when I turned 16, I took my GED and passed with 1 point. Whoa, glad that was over.

To this day I hate going back to Boca High. My oldest went there for high school and every time I set foot on that property I could feel the rush of fear come over me again, but I got through it for him.

Next....PBJC

Boca Raton Middle School

6th to 8th grade.

Changing from private to public school was a big change, for sure.

I had never gone to school with anyone who wasn't white. The class sizes were larger. Some teachers didn't give that one on one attention (but I don't fault them for the most psrt-some of the kid's needed their attention more).

Here's where I realized how mean kids really could be. I was a heavy child, but had begun shaping into a teen. That horrible stage.

But here is where I had my first 2 boyfriends in life and met my very best friend, and to this day we are extremely close. So there were special and fond memories for me here.

I also had my first fight here.........

I was mainly an A and B student, but as I got into 8th grade many of those grades fell to C's and D's.

I was on Student Council and Yearbook.

I now watch my youngest getting ready to go into Middle School, and hope he remains on the good path he has chosen so far. It so easy to fall in with the wrong people. I was lucky when my oldest went here, he kept his nose clean, had good relationships with his teachers, and was even in the band.

Next blog.....High School

My younger years.

After daycare/preschool, I started at Boca Academy. A private school. It was rather new, and the actual campus wasn't built yet. They used local churches for their campuses.

I hated it the first year. But I hung in there.

By my 2nd year, the campus was finished (this school is now PineCrest). I loved being on the campus and in class here.

I met my first best friend ever, Cecily. Even though she turned out to be a trouble maker, and of course, I was a follower and not a leader. But my Mom nipped that friendship in the bud.

Once, I can't remember if it was 2nd or 3rd grade, Cecily and I convinced our bus driver that we needed to be dropped off at the Boca Raton Polo fields (back then it was on the corner of Glades Road and Butts Road). Our parents had no clue where we were. AS it grew dark, we were too afraid to call our parents, so we took off on a 3 mile hike to my Aunt's house. Of course, she called our parents, and we were TOAST!! I almost lost my horse over that (which is why we were at the polo field anyway to see my horse.), and did lose my friendship (though from time to time, we were able to pull off getting together). Funny, most of Cecily's plan were flawless. Wonder what she's up to today? Makes me wonder.

They let me keep my horse, but I was grounded for what seemed like forever.

As a parent today, I surely understand what they must had felt.

I kept my nose clean for the most part until I hit public school, in 6th grade. Once in awile, Cecily and I would hook up, but when we finally did get caught, my Mom wouldn't let me go anywhere unless she was with me. That did change once I went to public school and Cecily stayed at Boca Academy.

Stayed tuned for life at Boca Raton Middle School.

Moving to Boca Raton

We moved to Boca Raton, when I was about 4 years old. We were a family of 6. My parents (teachers), my two older sisters and one older brother, I being the baby.

Boca was nothing than, like it is today. I tell people, I moved to Boca, before "Boca WAS Boca".

I can't believe the way it and the surrounding areas have grown.

I went to Tick Tock Pre-School. Matter of fact, that building still stands today (I sometimes wonder what is still holding it together) and is still a daycare/preschool. Both of my son's attended that same daycare/preschool, they are now 24 and 11.

My neighborhood, wasn't what you really call a neighborhood. There were about 10 streets already paved, but only a few of those streets had any houses on them. I believe our house only had 6 houses, today it has over 20 houses. The other streets that had houses, only had 3 or less. Now every street has a house crammed in wherever it will fit.

Driving down Federal Hwy., in those early days, was like driving through a ghost town. There were very few traffic lights or shopping plazas, even other neighborhoods.

Most everyone went to the very few schools that were here. Now, it seems to be a school on every corner.

If you wanted to clothes, shoe shop or even go to McDonald's, you had to go down the rode to Pompano Beach. These were special outings for us. Now, if you just get in your car and drive an half a mile (sometimes less) you can find places to take care of those things.

You could see burrowing owls and gopher tortoises at a drop of a hat. They say they are still around today, but I don't know where. I have only seen 2 gopher tortoises in the past 12 years.

A walk on the beach, when I first moved here, you could find the most beautiful shells, sand dollars and even a starfish from time to time. You can still catch a nice shell now and then, but I believe all the beautiful beach scenery is gone.

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