Birthdays and Christmases

As a kid, I remember one birthday. I'm not sure how old I was but we were in Houston. My Mother's mom had had a nervous breakdown. It was so memorable, that I don't remember whether my folks were in Texarkana or whether they were back home. I just remember that MaMa Beall had that nervous breakdown and they'd been gone.

I remember one childhood Christmas. We left Fort Worth to move to El Paso over the holidays. We had a little net tree in the car and I got a Dating Game. Daddy got strep throat and I remember them complaining because he went to a charity hospital and he had to wait and wait and wait. Finally he asked who he had to pay to see someone and he got to see someone really fast.

When I was in the 11th Grade right before Thanksgiving, my dad had a massive heart attack. I remember that Christmas because I didn't think I'd have another with him. He was home by Christmas though. I was grateful.

When I turned 18, we had a football game that night and my friends Rita and Annette and I went to the game and then out for dinner. I don't remember where we went afterwards! I do remember sitting in the stands and cheering. They got me a corsage with streamers. One of those big ones in the school colors with the school names on it. We went out to the parking lot arm in arm when it was over.