Oct 7, 1960- October 7, 1965

1960 October 7th at approx 6 pm I came into life; We live in a little house above my grandpas; I read a newspaper sort of.
1961 I am walking and talking; I give my dad a black eye; Queenie and Prince keep me from getting run over
1962  My mother has a stillborn child; she becomes sad and withdrawn; Sometime this year Janet comes to live with Aunt Lena; I am running and climbing
1963 In July of this year Mom brings home a baby brother for me, he is called John Henry; I have a conversation with a shepherd on the rocks behind our house
1964 In December of this year my second brother arrives he is called Francis Ralph; This is also the first year I am molested; I started school in September of this year
1965 I complete my first year of school; I discover ballet; I dance with shadows; I get chicken pox; Our house burns down; I spend the summer with relatives; We move to a farm in the middle of nowhere; I go to a different school where I am the only girl in my grade 2 class.

My father's mother died shortly after I was born, my grandfather followed her sometime in 1964 I think. Aunt Lena had a husband but I always thought of her as a single parent because he worked in the lumber camps and I don't remember him being around until after grandpa died. He did not like me much though Janet and I were nearly inseparable until middle school. Dan did fine wood work and I own several pieces he did for my parents.

Janet was my best friend for a long time. Her story is much more complicated than mine. Born into a family of ten, about eleven months after her nearest sibling she was given to my Aunt Lena to raise, one to ease the burden on her parents and two to replace the daughter Aunt Lena had had to give up to the childs father a few years earlier. I am not sure why Aunt Lena had to give her up but my guess is Dan did not want to raise another man's get on his wife especially not a girl as he seemed to have no problem with Aunt Lena's oldest son also another man's child or with Janet who had a completely different set of parents.

My own story is simpler in that though I was not his child my father asked my mother to marry him; "to make an honest woman" of her. To his credit I was well into my 30's before he told me so though I knew I didn't quite fit I never knew why. He was my dad; when I asked mom who my father was she said the one that raised you. Her way of saying he was a sperm donor and not much else is what I think now.