I had to laugh in getting these photos together .... Recently a fb friend was joking that being the second baby, there were only two photos of her!! I see this must be a thing in families of long ago because it isn't easy finding them of any of the kids after the golden child first born lol...

Brother Joey 4 Golden Child Linda 6 Rome Pennsylvania.  This house I remember fully and I left there just under the age of five.  I wanted to stay.  At least there I was best friends with the neighboring farm's dogs Barney and Shep.  I still remember saying goodbye to those goofy dogs outside in the field between our house and the farm.  The wild flowers and meadow weeds were taller than me or at least eye level.  Those dogs went with me in that meadow everyday and I imagine that they protected me from all kinds of snakes and things. They were cute.  I also loved the cows and the barn cats and kittens.  June, the mother of the farm would milk the cows and bring in fresh warm milk to have with homemade pie in her kitchen.  Me, her, and the dogs.  I remember the house in Rome, Pennsylvania all those years ago.

Golden Child Linda 4 Nichols New York at Grandma's and Grandpa's holding baby goat. One more year and she was learning to iron clothes.  She already at this age made NM's bed and helped with the little brother.  And listened to NM's complaints.

Eldest left golden child Linda 13 holding cousin Andrew 2  Debbie lost child 5 cousin Chris 6 Grandma holding cousins, Kathy and Laurie 2 and 4 and Me, 8, scapegoat Standing with one hand on Grandma (wearing dress and red tights) lost/scapegoat child Joey standing behind. Look at me here.  I am actually cute.  I always thought I was ugly.  I mean really ugly and obese.  I should have been told how adorable I was.  Instead I was told I was ugly and fat by the GC and poor Joey there..  NM's pit the children against each other for better means of control.  You would be rewarded for abusing your siblings. 

Me and Debbie one and three on the swing-set Grandpa put up for us at Grandma's and Grandpa's in Nichols New York

This photo is one of only two that I know of with Debbie or even of Debbie alone as an infant. There are literally hundreds I think of Linda the golden child but I think a lot of those were taken by my grandparents when the NM lived there while my dad was still in the Korean War. But still... that's all?

This is the couple that gave birth to the monster that is our "mother" the NM.  They were a lovely couple and really beautiful people.  A sweet good family.  My grandmother was kind and such a good mother and grandmother - patient and giving...  Grandpa here was so wonderful I remember everything about him and he died when I was two and a half.  I loved him so much.  He was so happy to see me every Sunday and I would break away from my parent's hands and run to him in his chair where he'd throw me up into the air over and over and eat my belly!!  I remember what he wore and that he smelled like the slaughter house's sawdust.  He had a slaughter house in Nichols, New York.

All grown up at class 1978 35th class reunion in Athens, Pennsylvania 2013. I am far left second row.

Debbie 15 building the house - She and our Dad built that whole house - It still stands in Nichols, New York... She was home on weekends from the foster home she lived in after being signed over to the state by the NM at 14. 

My sister Debbie the lost child at around 11, just before being signed over to the state by the NM - Here happier times with our precious father ... I think he was about 35 here..  Aren't they wonderful.

Debbie, my little sister, threw me a birthday party for my 19th birthday in the new house she and my dad built in Nichols, New York.  It was nice of her to surprise me with this party and a beautiful opal ring.  I'll tell ya, the lost child here started out life so hopeful, so generous, and so kind.  Look at me here waiting for the other shoe to drop.  You never knew what the NM would complain about to my dad after it was all over....

Golden child Linda home for the holiday from hitchhiking all over the united states with a drug addict.  This year my dad got these medallions for the 1976 celebration .. one for me and one for Debbie pictured on her here.  NM to the right with her fancy hairdoo she had it done every single week for as long as I could remember.  She also had people hired to clean her house.  Every morning I would say "Good morning Mom" and she would quip back, "Make my bed."   Every single morning since Linda took off at eighteen..  all her jobs became mine.  NM had it pretty good.