The Granny Diaries and More: My Daddy

February, 1978

I intended to have this post ready PRIOR to Fathers Day, but it didn't happen. I hope all of "my guys" had a wonderful day. Since there is nothing ... and I do mean NOTHING ... to buy my Dad, I made his favorite dessert (Chocolate Delight) and took the WHOLE THING to him. He was pleased.

My Dad is 78 years old. He is a retired banker, and is also retired from the used car business. His hobby is reading. He has read more books than anyone I know. We gave him an Amazon Kindle for Christmas. When I told him he could store 3,500 books on it, and had over 400,000 books to choose from. His response was "Well, I won't live that long!" ... we had a chuckle over it anyway!

My Dad's health has declined in the last several years. He had a stroke, followed by right and left carotid surgeries, then was diagnosed with Diabetes. That disease has ravaged his body...he is over 6 feet tall, and went from around 250 lbs. to between 140-150 lbs. The carotid surgeries took some of his voice...not sure why...but he has a hard time talking loud enough for most people to hear.

Growing up, we were a "cat" family. And my Dad loved them ALL. He and my Mom's last cat, "Bunny", was a bob-tail calico and she was VERY strange. She was old and her health was declining around a year ago...and it was obvious she wasn't going to live much longer. I had been telling my parents they REALLY needed to get a dog next time around...but my suggestions were always met with a resounding "NOOOOOOOO, we don't even LIKE dogs". One morning last spring, my Dad went into their backyard and he heard something whimpering...after a little searching, he found a small, dirty, flea-infested puppy underneath the gas grill. He took it inside to show my Mom...and within minutes, they loaded up the little guy and took him (a Shih Tzu) to a local veterinarian's office who washed, de-flead , and pronounced him "good to go". Now my Dad (and Mom, too) think the sun rises and sets on that little dog...whom they named "Buddy". He is one LUCKY little dog!

When I took the Chocolate Delight to my Dad on Sunday, my brother had just finished cooking him his favorite meal...meatloaf with hamburger meat AND sausage in it, mashed potatoes, green beans, and tossed salad. I might have eaten a little of it...and if so, I probably thought it was really YUMMY:)))

Below are some pics of him through the years. Its late and I'm tired...and blogger is doing funny things with my pics tonight, so they are probably not in complete chronological order. Sorry.

Around May or June, 1932

November, 1932

Not sure of the date on this one...probably around mid to late 1933. I'm hoping this picture was "colorized" and not "in color" ... since it sure looks like my Dad is wearing pink! He was pretty enough to be a girl, I think!

Again, not sure of the date...maybe 1935'ish. Holding a pic of Granny!

Mom and Dad, the early years

I love this picture of my Mom and Dad...

Grandpa Clint, Granny Marie, Ann (front center), Dad, Mom...not sure of the date.

Dad with little sister, Ann, probably taken in early 1945.

The four of them...Clint, Marie, Dad, and baby Ann. 1945, probably.

Granny and my Dad...May, 1976...getting ready to go to my high school graduation.

Smoking his pipe after a long day at the bank!

Summer of 1982...this was Dad's "work-in-the-yard" garb. He only wore it because it drove my Mother crazy.

Dad with "Lucky" ... a poor starving kitten that showed up where I worked. I fed her/him?? for several weeks before the plant manager told me to call the Humane Society to come pick it up. Nope, wasn't going to do that, so called my parents and took it to their house that afternoon...went to work the next day...it was sitting on the front steps, which is a LONG way from my parents' house (at least for a cat). Carried it back to my parents...they fed it and got it healthy, then it decided to go live with the neighbors. Go. Figure.