This is a post for the 2017 A to Z Challenge ~ All About Me created by Jeanne Bryan Insalaco of Everyone Has a Story.
Brothers
In my family I have one brother Billy. However, between my birth parents I have six brothers, which by the way, is more than I thought I had! I know for a fact that my brothers through my birth mother that one is older and one is younger than me. I am not sure about my brothers through my birth father but I suspect that they are also older than me. From my non-identifying information I knew that I had at least eight older siblings but my birth father's obituary listed that he had eight children so at least three of his children were born after me. I have four paternal brothers, Richard, Johnny, David and Mike. I never dreamed I would have so many brothers both older and younger than myself.
I have been searching for Richard, Johnny, David and Mike since I learned about them in June 2016. Hopefully I can find them sooner rather than later because I really want to meet them and get to know them.
Barbara
Barbara is my birth mother. I met her twice first in March and again in late April of 2011. We talked for several hours during our first visit. I showed her pictures of my children, pictures of my parents and siblings. She showed me pictures of ancestors and my siblings. She was very forthcoming when it came to family and medical histories. She told me a little about my maternal siblings. We soon learned that we were both long time book readers and even liked some of the same authors. The one thing I wish I had done was to take a picture of her especially because she made it very clear that she did not want a relationship.
When I asked her about my birth father she didn't have much information because according to her he lied about everything he ever told her. It was obvious that he caused her a lot of emotional pain, I could see it in her eyes when she spoke of him. I am hoping that my siblings will share pictures of their respective parents with me at some point.
Birth and Baptism
I was born on Saturday, the 21st of July, 1962 at Baptist Hospital in Miami, Dade (now Miami-Dade) County, Florida. My birth mother told me that she worked in the X-ray Department typing reports and was working on the day I was born. I was delivered by Dr. Grosskloss (now deceased) and he is the doctor who arranged my adoption. My adoption was considered a closed, private adoption. My parents brought me home from the hospital the next day and the rest as they say is history.
Daddy, Momma and me the day I came home from the hospital. (personal collection)
I was Baptized one week later on Sunday, the 29th of July 1962 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Hialeah, Florida. It was also my Momma's birthday. My Godparents are my Aunt Barbara and Uncle Kenny. Uncle Kenny is my Momma's younger brother. My Baptism was performed by Fr. S. J. Clift. I was the first to wear the family baptism gown. All of my siblings as well as my nieces and nephews wore this very same gown too. I had my children baptized together when Kenny was one and David was a newborn however, David weighed in at 10 pounds and even leaving the buttons undone he was just to big for the gown.
This is me in my baptismal gown. (personal collection).
Books
Books and reading have always been a passion for me. As a child who had severe asthma and allergies I spent a lot time inside. One of my parents was always reading to us kids. Once I learned how to read there was no stopping me! In middle and high school I would read late into the night. I can't tell you how many times my Dad would come in and tell me it was time to go to bed and turn out the lights.
I am not exactly sure when my parents bought this particular set of books (the books are long gone and I don't even remember the names any longer) but it was series I read repeatedly about U.S. Presidents for elementary school age children probably up until about 6th I would think. My particular favorite was the volume on John F Kennedy. These books fit in with my love of history which led me to reading books about the Salem witch trials, the kidnapping of the young son Charles Lindbergh, the sinking of the Titanic and other fascinating events in history.
By the age of 12, I discovered Agatha Christie novels. I couldn't get enough of them. In my freshman year of high school I discovered J R R Tolkien's, The Lord of the Rings and what some might call "trashy" romance novels. Complete ends of the spectrum I know. My senior year of high school I discovered true crime books when I found my Dad's copy of The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule, which was about Ted Bundy.
I am never without my e-reader which I received for my 50th birthday but I also still read real books too. I am a voracious reader and always have been. I would spend lunch hours in my car reading. I would read at my children's sporting practices but never during a game! I still read at lunch, between television commercials and always before falling asleep. I can't tell you how many times my husband has woken up in the middle of the night to find my book beside me with the book light on!
This is my largest bookcase. It has only my hardback and oversized paperback books. (Personal collection)
As you can see in the photo above one set of my bookcases is quite full in my living room. I have a smaller bookcases on either side of my entertainment center filled to capacity and overflowing with paperback books only. I still have boxes, tote boxes, nightstand drawers, a shelf in the closet filled with books. Then I have a bookcase in my office filled with genealogy books, magazines and notebooks.
I refuse to part with the series books I have collected over the years such as the Alex Cross series by James Patterson, the Luke Davenport series by John Sandiford and the Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell to name just a few.
