Some people have memories of very early things in their life, as for me I can't say I remember a whole lot until I got to be about 5 - earlier memories than that are only like little snapshots. I kind of remember places and things but no really specific experiences.

My most memorable experience as a 5 year old was winning the "Safety Art Contest" in Kindergarten. I remember going up on stage and getting an award for my picture of a little girl (me I suppose) about to get run over a by a train. There must have been a good tag line in it to get the judges attention, something to do about staying off the tracks I suppose, that catapulted me into kindergarten fame.

That first award I would have to say was probably the beginning of my "career" as an artist.

After that first big win I was given art sets for Christmas, and every birthday I could count on something art related as a gift. Oils, watercolors, pens and pencils, colored pencils, I got sets upon sets . I never had any excuse not to be doodling,sketching or getting my dad to draw horses for me.

I loved art, I loved being able to draw and paint, and my creativity soared.

I believe all people are born with natural God given gifts, and for me it was art, and thank God for wise parents who always encouraged me to do whatever I did best, and for me growing up, that was definitely my special gift.

I also danced, my mother had always wanted to take tap so she got to live her dream through me as I was subjected to tap, jazz, and hula.

I have to say it was good for me - my mom always said she put me in dance to get me out my shyness but deep down I think she also just plain enjoyed seeing her little girl dance and wear the meticulously made costumes which she lovingly sewed by hand for me.

So my growing up years were rather uneventful - Still a lonely child I was kind of shy and kind of nerdy so most of my exposure was to adults - as my parents had lots and lots of friends. We did all kinds of things together - going to the racetrack, going to Reno and Tahoe, hanging out at their poker games, where my parents friends children and I would proceed to amuse ourselves by tying each other with ropes and other such nonsense.

One perk was getting to see movie stars and singers in Reno and Tahoe. I'd dress up and pretend I was a movie stars daughter, and once I was in the elevator with Jack Benny, and silly me - I protested going to see Elvis so my parents sent me somewhere else that night!

Since my cousins lived in LA we got to see movie stars there too - my dad's cousin was married to David Nelson (of Ozzie and Harriet fame) so it was always fun feeling that I was "somebody". My aunts and uncles always knew somebody who knew somebody, so we had alot of fun going to Hollywood and Santa Barbara.

It could get boring but I always had my art and best of all - my books.

Early on my mom and I would read romance novels, her on one couch and me on the other- our noses buried in books till our eyes hurt.

I think that was when I developed a passionate love for stories and writing.

I would always imagine myself as the heroine in the story - I could quite become like the character, and immerse myself in the storyline.

I adored the love stories. I was sure I was going to grow up to be just like one of the heroines in the story- beautiful with a handsome man that would cross the oceans just to be with me......

My mother had to practically tear me away from my books sometimes.

"Come to dinner" she'd say from the kitchen in frustration. "OK, mom, right after I read this last page" and 10 minutes later. 'COME TO DINNER, DORSI!!"

So life drifted by, weeks turned into years, but one thing never changed as I was growing up............

THURSDAY NIGHTS.

Thursday nights were the best nights in the world!

Thursday nights was when my mom went to bingo with her friends - and my dad and I had our "date" night.

Every Thursday my dad would take me somewhere special - the movies, out for ice cream, to the library or he'd let my friends come over and we'd all have fun together.

Everyone loved my dad, the friends that I did have always adored him, and always loved to come over and hang out with me and my dad. Some of my friends even called him their "grandpa".

He was funny and made everyone feel special and loved.

My dad and I were so bad together conspiring against my mother-

My mother NEVER allowed the dog in the house so........

As soon as she would leave on Thursday night in came our little dog Dolly and off we went in the car with Dollys ears flapping in the wind through the window of the car (she wasn't allowed in the car either)

My dad and I were like 2 peas in a pod - avid animal lovers - and avid pranksters.My mother would come home from bingo and glare at us, because she knew the dog had been in the house, because inevitably my mother would get bit by a flea once she sat down.

It was like the one solitary flea that had been on the dog would undoubtedly end up biting my mother, and she would give us a bad time until the next Thursday night when we would proceed to do the same thing all over again.

It wasn't until years later that I finally understood that it wasn't that my mother didn't like animals- she just didn't like to get too close to them, for fear of them dying........

As a child growing up I'd felt bad thinking she didn't like them and in reality it was losing them that caused her to distance herself from them.

Ahhh....my mother........

Another memorable Thursday night was the night of the GREAT CHERRY FIGHT. My friend Debbie and I had sneaked in a neighbors yard and stole all the cherries off the tree, and brought them home to share with my dad. We were all sitting at the table when someone got the bright idea to throw a cherry, Pretty soon all 3 of us were throwing cherries left and right until the whole kitchen was covered in cherry juice and laughter. ( My mom never knew about that one because we cleaned up REALLY REALLY GOOD!)

Another Thursday night when my friends were over I accidentally knocked over my moms prized 25th wedding anniversary candy dish that sat high on a pedestal. I was near tears and my dad got this special glue out and glued it back together at the base. I don't know how long it was till my mom discovered what had happened but I'll always remember my dad saving my hide that night!

So yes I was definitely a Daddy's girl but I also knew that my mother loved me very much, She just wasn't as silly as my Dad was but that was OK because we needed someone serious in the house!

Little did I know that my Dad , my beloved dad, was about to change- into someone I barely knew anymore......

In the blink of an eye..........