It's All About Me

One of the advantages of being the firstborn is that my mother at least began a "baby book". I discovered it the other day and decided to post the pictures and words she personally wrote. So in my mother's own words...

This is a part of your life as remembered by your mother. Don't forget she is not perfect so, take all mistakes as love.

You arrived at 4:50 a.m., Monday, July 28, 1952 at MacDill A.F.B. Florida, Hillsborough County. MacDill A.F.B. is just outside Tampa, Florida.

I will start by saying you started giving me trouble almost from the moment you were conceived and have been doing so ever since. You arrived in this world on your dads and my anniversary. At the time I had been in the hospital one week and had to stay another one after you were born. This was due to high blood pressure and toxemia. Oh yes, you weighed seven pounds, but I can't remember how many ounces. Sorry about that. 5 oz. I think.

Most of this story is gonna be in pictures. We were living about a block off Bayshore Blvd. in Tampa when you were born. At the moment I can't think of the name of the street. Maybe I will later. I wasn't quite eighteen when you were born. As I've said many times, we've sorta grown up together. As I think back over the years, maybe we haven't done too bad together.

Of course your daddy was in the Air Force at the time you were born. He was a boom operator and flew in a KC-97. When we were married, he was a B-29 gunner.

Well, I think it is time to start with the pictures.

This is your mother and daddy on their way to be married. They were married July 28, 1951 - 1:55 p.m. on a Saturday at the parsonage of the First Baptist Church in Tifton, Georgia. Rev. Davis M. Sanders performed the ceremony. Calvin and Alice Padgett were best man and matron of honor. We left the next day for MacDill A.F.B., Florida.

Before you were born your Dad had to go T.D.Y. to England, Norway, etc. So I went home to Georgia for those three months. Upon your Dad's return, your grandmother, granddaddy and Aunt Ruth brought me back home. Thinking you would be arriving soon, they stayed. The were with us for a month. Needless to say, Granddaddy got in lots of fishing, which he enjoyed very much. But, Aunt Ruth got tired of waiting.




(Mom's captions for the pictures read "Here I am waiting for you. This is the Gandy Bridge between Tampa and St. Pete". Also, "Granddaddy's big catch off Davis Island Bridge". Look at the size of those fish!)



You were born in a barracks type hospital. The only ones to have private rooms were the fussy officer's wives. This was my very first stay in a hospital. I don't even remember visiting anyone before. So I was pretty scared and ready to get out when they did decide to let me go.

This was taken in Hyde Park. You and I used to take long walks. Lots of times I would park the stroller in the theater lobby while I'd watched the movie. I had lots of free time then.

On the front porch of your first home. Your daddy made your seat you're sitting in. He was smart even then!! Besides, he married me, didn't he?

Front yard of the house we lived in when you were born.

Address: 209 Verne Street, Tampa, Florida



This is a card from friends. They sent roses in the pink shoe you have. This is the florist I bought the green frogs from. It was just up the street from Dad's and my first apartment.

This is a bench along Bayshore Boulevard.

A park on Davis' Island. I don't remember how old you were in any of these. That's me holding you. As you can see, you were bald-headed as an onion until almost a year old. So were your sisters and brother. Well, there was some fuzz.

(Take a look at my stroller)

When you were about eight months old, your great granddaddy Cattell and your great Uncle John Cattell came for a visit. Then we drove back to Michigan with then. This was the first time I had ever been there too. It was lots of fun even if I did get teased for my Southern accent.

We came back by way of Missouri on the train. (That was also a first for me). After our visit there with your grandparents, aunts and uncles, we went back to Tampa by train. So you had quite a long trip.

These were all made at Cypress Gardens when we went one Sunday while Granddad was visiting. You were about eight months old.

These are of your first visit to your grandparents home in Mountain View, Missouri. The first time I went there, there was nine inches of snow on the ground; I almost froze. After all, I was a Georgia Peach.

I don't think you liked Aunt Patty very much. You don't look very happy. Safe at last!! Back in Daddy's arms.

It sure looks like you are having fun. These were all made when we lived in a garage apartment for a few months between your dad's T.D.Y.'s. I think you were 10 or 11 months old. When your dad left this time, I believe it was to England and Norway.

I wish I could remember the address. But all I know for sure, it was somewhere in Tampa.

I just remembered the first T.D.Y. was to Africa, not Norway and England.

(I found a notation of "eight months old" on the back of the bottom picture.)

The morning you were born, your dad was home in bed sleeping. They called from the hospital but couldn't wake him up. Your grandmother said she heard the phone when it rang. The hospital called later and told your dad he was a father. This clipping came from some moments your Grandmother Cattell gave me.

This is at your grandparents house in Tifton.

The great concert artist. You and Grandmother McGhee about one year old.

I should have given you this bit of history before. But I said I wasn't perfect. I have to write as I remember.

As I said, your dad was a B-29 gunner when we got married. Well he transferred to the 306th Air Refueling Sqdn, August 24, 1951. He become a boom operator on a KC-97. That is he became a boom operator later. At first he I believe was a "cargo master".

He went on a lot of T.D.Y.'s. Before you were born he was over most of the U.S. He went to school in Mass., Texas, Seattle, Washing. (I think it must have been right after he returned from Westover, Mass., after two weeks that I got pregnant with you). He also went to Puerto Rico. He was very impressed with it.

The first and last stock car race I've ever been to was at Tampa State Fair in February 1952.

Oh, I almost forgot!! Your dad brought back some Puerto Rican cigars for your Grandad Cattell. When we went to Missouri in November (my first visit) we took the to him. I stayed there while he was gone to school in Texas. You Uncle Dave and I decided to try a couple of cigars out one afternoon. It wasn't as if I had never smoked a cigar before. I had some of your dad's. Of course, I was expecting you too. Needless to say we were two very, very sick, green people. We told Dad Cattell he could have the rest of them. He sure did laugh at us, but I think maybe he felt just a little sorry for us.

Your dad wrote his folks, "when I get hooked up like the picture shows, I'm boss of two airplanes worth over $5 million and 10 other men, some of them colonels. A big boss aren't I?" That's all for now on your dad.

From old letters he wrote May 5, 1952. We had just moved to the house where you were born. He said "it had a big orange tree beside it". (This I don't remember). It was upstairs.

We had just purchased a toaster a few days before and that just about completed our appliances. (Oh well, we didn't need much then).

It was while he was in French Morroco in June before you were born in July, that he bought my hand-woven bedspread. He returned to the states July 6th and you were born July 28th.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S. by me...Thank you Mom for all the information. I really learned some things about you, Dad and myself. I guess the picture and information that made the biggest impact on me was the visit of my great grandfather. It boggles my mind to realize that Corey can see a picture of his great great grandfather with his mother and grandparents. But even more so is that one day Derek can see a picture of his great great great grandfather with a picture of his Grandma Carol as a baby.

Also, don't forget that you can click on the pictures and they will become enlarged for a better look.