It's My Birthday...

December 14, 1965. Gary Indiana. I meet mom and dad for the first time on this day. Later, I come home to meet my 2 brothers. I will live in Griffith Indiana. I spend my first 8 years on Woodlawn Avenue. 334 to be exact. I was the first girl born. More than a year later, my sister will come home. We move to Illinois in 1973. The old picture above is me with my mom, brothers, cousins, and granny on the farm. I don't remember it. While writing this, I am trying to recall what my first ever memory is. This is what I came up with: It is of Christmas morning in Griffith. I was probably 3 or 4. My biggest brother had a trainset. It was set up around the Christmas tree. I climbed up on his back just as the train was coming around. I'm not sure if it hit him in the face, but I would like to think it did. Makes for a better story. I remember celebrating birthdays on top of the kitchen table. It was sort of a throne I guess. We were not normally allowed on the kitchen table, but when it was your birthday, you sat on top with the cake. Now that is special! I don't remember any certain gift, but that memory is enough. My mom always made our cakes, and...the frosting. When we got older, we got to choose our birthday restaurant. I chose Long John Silvers, and sometimes McDonald's. This was back in the day that restaurants were a rare occasion, a big treat. McDonald's served billions, but probably just 5 billion back then, when they counted the billions. I now eat lunch most every day in 1 of those establishments. I don't appreciate them at all. I remember my Grandad giving me a silver dollar on every birthday. I now collect old coins. I remember thinking when I was 4 and my oldest brother was 8, how great it would be to be that old. I could do the things he did. Now that I am 42, I don't want to be 46, like my brother. Now, I can do things he can't, or shall I say...won't.

For this birthday I am eating in. I am celebrating with Cuttidad, who's birthday is on the 18th. We are going to have steaks from our local butcher, along with blue cheese crumbles, and stuffed mushrooms. All homemade! We will probably play Guitar Hero and open gifts. Maybe I can sit on the kitchen table, who knows?