Today is a year since my father passed. I've written about it at my other blog, The Rest of Me.
I'll leave today's posting to that.
Showing posts with label Dad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dad. Show all posts
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Monday, August 07, 2006
"Memorial" Day
I was able to get together with many of my family members on Saturday for Dad's memorial "service". I saw aunts and uncles I hadn't seen for over 20 years and met a cousin of my father's for the first time.
We all met at my oldest brother's home in Lansdale and though there were only 3 of us children there, it went really well. I felt like I hadn't been away from anyone at all and we all just sat and talked and laughed and cried.
My step-mom was there of course, and that was probably the hardest thing for me; I have never seen Joyce without my father. That sort of solidified the fact that he was gone. She had asked a bit ago if there were anything of my dad's that I wanted to have and I didn't answer at first. Giving her an answer and getting something from her that belonged to dad would make it all too real and I was still in, and wanted to be in, denial.
We had gotten around to talking about dad's shoes. For years he wore Chuck Taylors and those "Bobo's" as we all called them when I was a kid, were a source of great amusement for us kids. I asked Joyce on Saturday if dad had ever worn red ones and she said yes, he used to. I then asked if he wore high top or low top and she said both. It wasn't that I had forgotten, as I feared was the case, it was that I remembered, but I remembered all of those shoes. I recalled the black ones, the red ones, the high tops, the low tops; thankfully my memory wasn't fading as quickly as I'd thought.
Joyce asked if I wanted a pair and I told her yes, I did. She said she would clean up a pair and send them to me. I look forward to, and dread, the day that they are delivered.
My Uncle Earl, a pastor, was there and read several scriptures that he and dad had discussed shortly before dad's passing and shared some of his own experiences with other loved ones dying. It was good to hear about everyone again, Aunt Margie, Grandpa, Grandma. Uncle Earl himself has been sick with cancer for quite a few years and the thought was always that he would pass before dad. I sensed a disappointment when he talked that it hadn't happened that way. God's timing is perfect though, and although we don't all see it, He does know what He's doing. Earl may not be with us for too much longer and I'm so happy that I was able to see him again. Hearing him "preach" on Saturday was so reminiscent of the few times that we had attended a church he pastored in Hereford, PA.
My oldest brother shared a talk he had with my father, and had me read his memory he had written. I won't go into any of that now but when dad's memorial book is finished I'll share some things.
It was decided that my brother Jon would take dad's ashes to Six-Mile Lake in Michigan sometime in the near future and even though dad didn't specify anything about his ashes (on the contrary, her said he really didn't care where they went) I think he would like that. He always loved nature and was sure to place himself where he would be surrounded by it.
Dad's cousin was there with her new husband and she handed out a photo of dad that was taken at her wedding last year on dad and Joyce's wedding anniversary, June 26th. I was floored by it since it was so recent and all the photos I have are 10+ years old. I also told her it held some significance for me. When dad was setting off to his cousin's wedding (I am so ashamed that I didn't find out the spelling of her name--Eleanor or Elinore or something in between!) he emailed me as usual and let me know his plans. The email made me sad because dad sounded as if he were trying to explain himself "we're only going because..." ; I think he felt he had to let me know why he was going there but not coming here. I understood completely and never even would have thought of it that way. Canada is so much closer to where he lived,it made sense.
This is that photo. I know I'm partial, but I think he looks fabulous and I plan to frame it and place it somewhere very prominent.
There were so many photos shared; from dad's infancy to his last months, and many of them will be in his book. I really look forward to it.
I did take the food and to me it was nothing overly special but I made a point of taking my Gumbo since dad had really enjoyed it on one of his trips here. I have a feeling that he would have liked everything and hovered at the table a bit longer than the rest. I'm sure part of my love for food came from dad.
I hope he was there to see us all together, Joyce said over and over that he would have had a good time just sitting around talking with us all. Someday soon we'll all be doing that; a bit North of here.
We all met at my oldest brother's home in Lansdale and though there were only 3 of us children there, it went really well. I felt like I hadn't been away from anyone at all and we all just sat and talked and laughed and cried.
My step-mom was there of course, and that was probably the hardest thing for me; I have never seen Joyce without my father. That sort of solidified the fact that he was gone. She had asked a bit ago if there were anything of my dad's that I wanted to have and I didn't answer at first. Giving her an answer and getting something from her that belonged to dad would make it all too real and I was still in, and wanted to be in, denial.
We had gotten around to talking about dad's shoes. For years he wore Chuck Taylors and those "Bobo's" as we all called them when I was a kid, were a source of great amusement for us kids. I asked Joyce on Saturday if dad had ever worn red ones and she said yes, he used to. I then asked if he wore high top or low top and she said both. It wasn't that I had forgotten, as I feared was the case, it was that I remembered, but I remembered all of those shoes. I recalled the black ones, the red ones, the high tops, the low tops; thankfully my memory wasn't fading as quickly as I'd thought.
Joyce asked if I wanted a pair and I told her yes, I did. She said she would clean up a pair and send them to me. I look forward to, and dread, the day that they are delivered.
My Uncle Earl, a pastor, was there and read several scriptures that he and dad had discussed shortly before dad's passing and shared some of his own experiences with other loved ones dying. It was good to hear about everyone again, Aunt Margie, Grandpa, Grandma. Uncle Earl himself has been sick with cancer for quite a few years and the thought was always that he would pass before dad. I sensed a disappointment when he talked that it hadn't happened that way. God's timing is perfect though, and although we don't all see it, He does know what He's doing. Earl may not be with us for too much longer and I'm so happy that I was able to see him again. Hearing him "preach" on Saturday was so reminiscent of the few times that we had attended a church he pastored in Hereford, PA.
My oldest brother shared a talk he had with my father, and had me read his memory he had written. I won't go into any of that now but when dad's memorial book is finished I'll share some things.
It was decided that my brother Jon would take dad's ashes to Six-Mile Lake in Michigan sometime in the near future and even though dad didn't specify anything about his ashes (on the contrary, her said he really didn't care where they went) I think he would like that. He always loved nature and was sure to place himself where he would be surrounded by it.
Dad's cousin was there with her new husband and she handed out a photo of dad that was taken at her wedding last year on dad and Joyce's wedding anniversary, June 26th. I was floored by it since it was so recent and all the photos I have are 10+ years old. I also told her it held some significance for me. When dad was setting off to his cousin's wedding (I am so ashamed that I didn't find out the spelling of her name--Eleanor or Elinore or something in between!) he emailed me as usual and let me know his plans. The email made me sad because dad sounded as if he were trying to explain himself "we're only going because..." ; I think he felt he had to let me know why he was going there but not coming here. I understood completely and never even would have thought of it that way. Canada is so much closer to where he lived,it made sense.
This is that photo. I know I'm partial, but I think he looks fabulous and I plan to frame it and place it somewhere very prominent.
There were so many photos shared; from dad's infancy to his last months, and many of them will be in his book. I really look forward to it.
I did take the food and to me it was nothing overly special but I made a point of taking my Gumbo since dad had really enjoyed it on one of his trips here. I have a feeling that he would have liked everything and hovered at the table a bit longer than the rest. I'm sure part of my love for food came from dad.
I hope he was there to see us all together, Joyce said over and over that he would have had a good time just sitting around talking with us all. Someday soon we'll all be doing that; a bit North of here.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
For Fathers Everywhere
This is a recipe that I believe NO man should be without, not just fathers.
Ice Cubes
Makes 10-12
1/2 cup water
1 ice cube tray
Make sure tray is free of any foreign material~crumbs etc.
Carefully pour water evenly over all cube openings.
Do NOT fill any space to the top~water expands as it freezes.
Carefully transfer the tray to the freezer and close the door.
Wait for several hours (peeking doesn't help them along) and they
should be fully frozen and ready for use.
You already know how to get them out so I'll skip that part.
*Note: When I told my husband I would be posting this he told he me he would post about the wonderful "ice miracle" that his life seems to have been filled with. He says that no matter what time of day or how many cubes he uses, the ice seems to miraculously reappear in the freezer the next time he looks. Like magic!
Imagine that.
I actually put this on a recipe card and hung it on the freezer door to no avail.
Please guys, don't miss your opportunity to print this out and keep it handy!
**********
In case you were wondering, I did the "real deal" Father's Day thing over at my other blog.
Ice Cubes
Makes 10-12
1/2 cup water
1 ice cube tray
Make sure tray is free of any foreign material~crumbs etc.
Carefully pour water evenly over all cube openings.
Do NOT fill any space to the top~water expands as it freezes.
Carefully transfer the tray to the freezer and close the door.
Wait for several hours (peeking doesn't help them along) and they
should be fully frozen and ready for use.
You already know how to get them out so I'll skip that part.
*Note: When I told my husband I would be posting this he told he me he would post about the wonderful "ice miracle" that his life seems to have been filled with. He says that no matter what time of day or how many cubes he uses, the ice seems to miraculously reappear in the freezer the next time he looks. Like magic!
Imagine that.
I actually put this on a recipe card and hung it on the freezer door to no avail.
Please guys, don't miss your opportunity to print this out and keep it handy!
**********
In case you were wondering, I did the "real deal" Father's Day thing over at my other blog.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Dad
9/23/1941-5/20/2006
Dad passed away late last night at 11:15 pm after being very sick all day and lapsing into a coma for 2 hours before his death. He was in a hospice residence and was well cared for.
Before you think that second photo is a bit silly, let me just say, that was dad. He was quick-witted and funny almost all the time. Don't get me wrong, he was serious when it counted; in his love for us children, in his trust in the Lord.
Just last week when I called my step mother to check on dad I told her he would probably go out with a joke. My brother called this morning and told me that Joyce (our step mother) said that dad kept his sense of humor up to the end.
In that first photo we both look so serious, what really happened was a photographer that kept forgetting to tell us all to "say cheese". In the second, I don't recall what dad was saying to me but that is just a classic "dad moment", him saying something to make me laugh.
When I saw him in January one of the first things he said to me (through a drugged haze) was "Did you drive all the way up here?" I said, "Sure I did!" and he replied, "And you didn't kill anybody?".
My brother told me that while he was visiting last week there were times that they weren't sure that dad was "with them" and at one of those moments my step mother leaned over and asked dad, "Do you know who I am?" and dad's reply was "Rumplestiltskin?".
What a guy. I've never known anyone smarter...he was a whiz no matter what he was doing. He seemed to know the answers to everything. You couldn't win a brain-based game (like Trivial Pursuit or Boggle) against him if you had Einstein on your team. He was strong. Just 3 years ago he came to visit and we all left a particular restaurant about a mile away from my house at the same time. I took off walking pushing a stroller and he and Joyce and a couple of my kids went in his Suburban (dad always had a Suburban). I got to the park we were meeting at near my home and everyone but dad was there. They let me know he went to catch up with me. Several minutes later, there he was, RUNNING in our direction. He had run nearly the whole way and proceeded to tell me about a marathon he had been in when I was younger that I didn't remember.
I could go on and on...I am so heartbroken I can't even relate it now.
Yes, he is not suffering, yes, he is with our Lord. I just wish it hadn't happened this soon.
One thing we agreed on when I saw him last was this; when you think to yourself "I have time" just remember...you don't know if you do. Carpe diem and all that.
For any of my dear friends reading this that got my email early this morning with the time of death wrong-please forgive me-my mom is a dear but often gets "details" mixed up. My brother called this morning and gave me all the particulars.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Ready, Set, Cook #7!
It's R,S,C Tuesday~Check out the button in the sidebar to your right~~> if you are new to this, for the Rules of Play. (There's also a link there to my newest blog)
Here are the three ingredients for today:
salmon filet
fettucine
asparagus
Grab a cookbook, put on your thinking cap, and GO!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PS~Dad is in clinic in Tijuana today~keep him in your prayers.
Here are the three ingredients for today:
salmon filet
fettucine
asparagus
Grab a cookbook, put on your thinking cap, and GO!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PS~Dad is in clinic in Tijuana today~keep him in your prayers.
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