Thomas - #7 out of 10

Tommy, we called him. He is my sibling closest in age. Whereas, all the others were much older, or much younger, Tommy was probably more like a "normal" sibling than the others. In other words, he didn't spoil me. And I didn't idolize him. Tom (as he is now called) was just barely three when I was born. My earliest memory of him is on a hot summer day on the farm. I don't remember what precipitated this action, but I saw him sitting on the ground by (I think) the bunkhouse. I recall picking up a hammer and hitting him on the head with it. I have no idea why I did that, but I'm sure he deserved it (smile). I also remember resenting that he got to sit in the car, by the door, before I could. Seems like I was in the middle forever. We would play games for hours; Monopoly, Sorry, Pounce, and others. But there were also times when he did not want me around. He would take off and run so fast that I could not keep up. I don't know where he went, but I had to finally turn back and find something else to do. Other things I recall doing together - shelling peas, snapping beans, weeding the garden, shucking corn, braiding twine, playing ante-aye-over and kick the tin can. There were hours of roller skating in the basement, cops 'n robbers, tinkering in the machine shed, playing in the trees, building tree houses and tree airplanes. Tom also trapped gophers in the summer. He would cut the tail off each gopher he caught and killed and Dad would give him a nickel for each one. One day he brought in a tail from a weasel. Dad said he would get "two bits" for that tail. I was really upset. I thought "two bits" was two dollars. When a gal gets twenty-five cents a week for allowance, two dollars is LOTS of money. After he got his driver's license, I rode with him to basketball games and "canteens" in Churchs Ferry. I remember his interest in UFO's, the law, and in architecture. I remember his first prom. I think his date was named Sandy. I overheard a conversation he had with mom about buying a corsage. I went out and picked a few wild flowers and dandilions and told mom that he could use them as a corsage (I was serious about it, too!). They didn't like my idea. Yes, most of my childhood memories include my brother, Tom. He is four years old in the picture. January 7 he is 61. Happy birthday, Thomas!