December 18th-my Brothers Birthday

Today is a special day for me, my little brother came into the world. It is hard to believe he came into the world and now is gone. It is even harder to believe one year and three months later my husband passed. I thought I would never get over losing my little brother. I think a sibling is hard because you played with them and all those memories come back. I especially remember that Dad drove all of us to the hospital. They took my mother in and left me in the car. I was 41/2 years old. It was scary waiting in the car by myself. Those days were different and the children did not go into the maternity section. We pulled up to St. Anthony's Hospital in Denver. Soon my father came out and told me soon we would have a baby. I waited a long time this time. Finally he came out and told me I had a little brother and we drove home. I remember going back to the hospital and getting Mom and the baby. The baby cried a lot and I wasn't as important. At least that is how I felt. Once Randy started walking he followed me everywhere and did so the rest of his young life. I couldn't go anywhere without him coming along. We were very close. We did everything young kids could do. My parents were pretty free on letting us go. We probably did things most other kids never did. Once we got to bicycles we rode everywhere.  We lived up in the mountains for a while. Dad was going to build a house up coal creek canyon. He drove 23 miles every day to Sunstrand. Sunstrand was part of the first rocket program and it was secret. Finally one day Dad took us to his work and we saw the space capsule. I am not sure which project he worked on but it was not the first or second capsule that went up. We had two acres of land and believe it or not Dad paid $1,000 dollars for each lot. There was a huge pile of rocks on the back of the land and you could look down in the canyon and see the train from Denver to California come  through. Last summer I went and looked at the land. I wanted to go up to their door and ask them if I could go and stand on those rocks once more. Dad built a huge swing from a fir tree. We stood on the rock and swung and could go way out. Parents today would have a fit if they saw that. We also sat in the truck bed and traveled up and down the canyon. The land was very near where my grandfather had his first fur farm. He raised foxes for coats during the war and the government bought the fur from him. I often think that is why Dad bought the land there. We had to catch the school bus at Wonderveiw and go 26 miles to school in Central City. If you have ever been there you know there  are hairpin curves going down to Pinecliff. It is hard to believe our parents let us ride this older bus to school. Randy and I would find different ways to walk  home. It was easier to cut through the yards and go almost straight up the mountain. There was one lady who didn't like us and would yell to get off her land. We called her the witch. All these memories come back and some day I will share them with you. We had an unusual childhood. But I learned a lot through it. Mom and Dad moved 26 times in their marriage. Randy I miss you and hope you think of me down here. I wish you were here so I could call you on the phone and share these old times together. Happy Birthday. Marna