Second Of Five

The War was over and the GI's came home to start their families and their lives. On a cold winter evening in Milwaukee, WI just weeks before the famous Blizzard of '47 as her mom was about to enjoy Queen Anne cherries for dinner, I would become the second of five children in the growing family.When I was born, my dad called me Suzie but my older brother pronounced it Boozie. This was the beginning of my humorous and always challenging life in a large family at the beginning of the Baby Boom Generation. Moving in with our twinkly-eyed grandfather after living in Post War barracks gave my life even more family adventures as I started school in my dad's old grade school, Keefe Avenue. It was walking home from this school that I almost got killed, and it changed our lives forever.My story is told with love and laughs as I recall, as best as I can, our family vacations and collections of pets in small town Cedarburg. Join me as I grow taller than all the boys in my class, learn the science of Psychology by babysitting, and buy my first Beatles album with my sister. Discover my secrets for getting out of Math class, and how to continue playing with dolls beyond the normal age. Our free time was spent at our Public Library which was so small it was above the only Fire Station with its volunteer staff or the new swimming pool that was built just two blocks from our home.Somehow I lived in a time when I could safely walk home alone in the dark but be frightened speechless by my high school English teacher and by watching the movie "The Portrait of Dorian Gray" at my own birthday slumber party. Makes you wonder if any of the boys finally got tall enough or if I ever over came my shyness to finally go out on a date. Come join my life and see what it's like to grow up with a large family in a small town.