ABOUT ME

I think I always have had a vivid imagination. From the time I was 6-10 yrs. old I was happy playing by myself with my imaginary friends. I was always the cowgirl and I had the hat, skirt and vest to prove it. Not to mention my double holster that held my two guns. Then there were the boots also. Now,I don't mean to say that I didn't have friends to play with because I did, but when they weren't around I was just as happy.
I took tap dancing lessons and baton twirling lessons for 2-3 yrs. I loved it. Besides, my best friend Joannie took them with me. We had to perform on stage at the Ballantyne school a couple of times too. I was also in a baton twirling contest a couple of times.

In first grade I was on stage getting ready to practice for a play, I heard my teacher say something to another teacher like " does her neck look swollen on the one side to you?" Next thing I knew I was off to visit the doctor who confirmed I had the mumps. That same year I had my tonsils out and the day after I came home from the hospital the doctor came to the house and told my mom that I had pneumonia. As a result I missed a lot of first grade.

I remember asking for a pony every year for a long time. I asked at Christmas, Easter, my birthday or any time I thought I could get away with it. One summer evening when I was about 5, my mom and dad and I took a ride after dark and before I knew it my dad stopped and was talking to a man who gave pony rides. Soon we all were out of the car following this man and his flashlight into a dark field where we saw one brown pony, one black and white pony and a grayish colored one. Then we went back home. I found out that the man was selling them and my daddy was looking to buy one for me. It turned out we didn't have any place to keep it so that's as close as I got to having my own pony. Before I close this story about a pony, I do what to say that when I was married and had a houseful of kids we did buy a horse. A very large horse. We had him for a year or two. Do you know how much it costs to feed a horse that stands 16hands tall? A LOT!

At the age of six I received a baby brother. He was named Roger after my dad but with different middle names so he wasn't a junior. Soon after that we moved into a house from an apartment that my grandpa had built onto their house for us. Now we move ahead a few years, so read on.

I had the shock of my life when my new school turned out to be huge compared to the one I just spent five yrs. in. I was so scared everyday. I began having anxiety attacks but I didn't know what they were then. I was afraid I would forget my locker combination even though I had it written down, because I might lose the paper I wrote it on. I was fearful of forgetting how to get to my class from the cafeteria or from the gym. Half way through the year a new school opened near my house and it went through grade six and I loved it there. You see I could walk. The big school was farther away and I had to take a school bus. I was shy and that made it harder to make friends. I was so scared to get on the big yellow bus. Looking back it sounds like how a kindergartner would feel. The worse part was no one understood how I felt because I didn't tell anyone. My brother was just starting school and my mom had a job that practically fell into her lap in the office at the huge school I had been in and would be going back to next year. I didn't want to upset her so I suffered in silence. My dad owned his own construction company and was busy and not home till late so I couldn't tell him either.

Now I'm back in the huge school and the same old fears came flying back at me. The only good part was my mom was still working at the school except she transferred from the office to the music dept., you see my mom was the best piano player in the world. Others would disagree but I don't care she was the best to me. Her sister would always say "music is Mary's life except for her family".

Next time I'll tell you how I met the love of my life at age 14. Thanks for listening my new friends.

God Bless