Happy Dad's Day

This is my dad and me on my Christening Day. I was a mere 6 months old and as you can tell my dad was young, a mere 19 yrs old. I hear times were tough but I never knew that as a kid. My dad was the one who taught us how to play tag, hide 'n seek and baseball, ride a bike, chase lightin' bugs, shoot a gun and churn good ole' fashion ice cream. I have wonderful memories of the good ole' days.
Love ya, Dad.










So many male role models are a factor in a child's life and my father-in-law was one of them. He's gone now, passing quietly and unexpectedly after surgery a few years ago. When I met my husband this little guy on the right was 2 yrs old and my father-in-law stepped up to the plate and took the role of grandfather and he did an awesome job. He had a twinkle in his eye and a quiet sense of humor. He was a good Christian man and we miss him dearly.

The guy on the left is the DH. He took on the daunting task of raising our 4 kids. Living in the Appalachians means jobs are scarce and it's a tough life. Great place to raise kids but good jobs are hard to find. This guy sometimes worked 16-18 hour days, 7 days a week to sustain us to give the kids opportunities they may otherwise not have had. Times were tough but we did it.

He taught them to fish, took them to car races, attended as many events as he could; band performances, horse shows, dance recitals and he was a boy scout leader which entailed camping trips in all kinds of weather. I appreciate everything he has done for this family.

Happy Father's Day to all those who stepped up to the plate to do their best to be good role models for their children.

What makes a dad......

What makes a dad ……
Any man can be a father but it takes a real man to be a dad.
I have been blessed with a father and a husband who are dads. They’re the first to admit they were not perfect, but then who is? The flip side is they stuck it out in spite of the trials and tribulations along the way.
This blogger's list on what makes a man a real dad:

One who works hard to provide medical and everyday expenses .
Patching his own shoes and wearing clothes for years in order to see to it there were little extras in life.
Trips to the local fair and bringing home bags of penny candy.
Sugar bread (when mom clearly stated no sugar bread during dinner).
Sled rides even though it was after dear old dad spent hours shoveling the stuff
That special Christmas gift that you just knew would not be under the tree (because it was too expensive) yet it mysteriously appeared and dad was beaming with pride.

Making fudge and potato candy (while mom was shopping and clearly stated, Don’t make a mess while I’m gone)

Scooping new fallen snow to make ice cream in the middle of winter

Dragging out the wooden ice cream bucket on a hot summer Sunday to make homemade ice cream

Never scolding when a child "helped" weed the garden and was pulling carrots instead of the weeds.

Attending "funeral processions" of childhood pets and informing the buddies who were helping to put on a new roof to remove their hats during the "funeral."

Trying in desperation to find a new kitten for a little girl who couldn't stop mourning.
Deer hunting and knowing oh-so-well the young girl in tow would chatter too much and upon seeing the graceful creature squealed, “Oh look, look! A deer, a deer!.”

Attending dance recitals, school concerts, ball games, art exhibits, Science Fairs and bursting with pride through it all.
Getting up at 4 am to work a 12 hour day in order to make it in time for the football game to get a glimpse of the son/daughter’s band performance

Horse shows (and I won't even begin to list the work involved with those)
Boy Scouts and many memorable camping trips (including the one in an ice storm when mom clearly stated NO camping and dad responded with “we’re making men of them." At the age of 10 yrs? -_-)

Taking scrap lumber and building an A-Frame fort with the boys
Teaching driving skills and handing over the keys to the car with confidence (can’t say as much about mom's confidence)
Never saying a word when a certain teen driver (ahem) accidently drove right through the brand new garage door
Teaching sons and daughters how to change the oil and a tire.
Tolerating way too many vehicles parked in the driveway (because a certain son found a “good” deal)
Encouraging the sons to get a trade along with their degree because one never knows when they may need a trade in life (to pay for those “good” deals)

Emphasizing the need for a good education (because he didn’t want his kids to work as hard as he has in life)
Attending each and every graduation with pride.

Life goes on and these men in my life continue to be good role models. Each and every event and each moment spent with these men was a time to learn and a time to cherish. Whether or not others appreciate the sacrifices remains to be seen. I for one, am very blessed to have these men in my life. :-)
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

UH-OH

The economy is bad but the daughter and her friends have become very resourceful for entertainment. One of their events is a movie night. We and the friends' parents take turns for a movie night at our homes every week.
She was at a friend's home for movie night. At 11:45 pm (her curfew is midnight) she came in the door shaken to the core. She blurted out she hit a deer 1/4 mile from the house. We know that is a known deer crossing .
She handled it well for about 5 minutes. Then the wailing began. She was concerned she killed a life (as she put it). This is the only damage to the car. She's a lucky young driver. Her very first and hopefully only "accident."

Daughter will be gone over Father's Day (more about that on a later post). She wanted to give her dad something before she left. So I pulled my resources and she took her dog-sitting money (yes, she dog sits) to buy him a weed eater.
His back is not good and has been worse since the near mishap in the city last week. I can no longer fuss with the weeds with my bum leg so this gift is perfect.
He loved it! He put it together and there's not a weed in sight around here:). Men and their gadgets LOL.




Mr. Bettis & Co receive a steady supply of treats. Because....well... because (shrug). Just ask Chan why they get treats:).
Miss Gypsy (brat) set her treat in the middle of the couch then kept a vigilant watch. It drives Mr. Bettis crazy.

He is such a gentle dog and he will not take the treat unless Gypsy leaves. Notice the difference in size. Since Gypsy and Phoebe, the cat, were keeping watch he laid his head on the couch and stared at the treat. He waited. Miss Brat....er.......Gypsy was not budging.

So what did he do? He went to my knitting nesting corner and got into my knitting! Right in front of my eyes! I couldn't believe it. Caught red-pawed! I wonder what his attorney has to say about this?