Monday Memories: My Dad

Hey, y'all! Monday may bring us back to work, but it also brings us one of my favorite memes and it's all about sharing memories! Y'all know how much I appreciate memories so you can imagine how excited I was to hear of a meme all about writing our memories! 

Want to join in? Just click the button and link up to Memory Monday at Retired, Not Tired!

This week's prompt is: My Dad

Dad was born in March of 1935. His father was the town dentist and his mother stayed home and raised my dad and his four siblings. Dad is smack dab in the middle of five children coming in at number three- an older sister and brother ahead of him and two brothers after him. The house they grew up in was on South Main Street.

The part that juts out in the front was my grandfather's dental office. The rest of the house is where the family lived. That house is HUGE. I know because it's the same house I grew up in. On the other side of the house is a driveway that runs all the to the back of the house and ends up at a garage separate from the house. On the back of the garage, but attached to it, was the tool shed. Dad and his older brother, Carl, were, apparently, the two who tended towards...shall we say, mischief? My favorite story is the one Dad tells about keeping Uncle Carl in the garage one day by pinging him with a BB gun every time Uncle Carl tried to come out. I can't remember what Uncle Carl had done to Dad that time, but Dad kept him in that garage until it was time for their dad to come out of the dental office and into the house. I can just envision dad sitting there, on the back porch, gun ready and aimed and pulling the trigger every time he saw Uncle Carl's blonde head peering out from behind the side wall of the garage. It cracks me up!

I don't know who everyone is but that's my grandfather kneeling down and, I believe, my dad on the far left. 

I never knew Dad's father because he passed away of colon cancer before my parents even met--at the age of 53 or so. But I have heard stories. I know that he was a man of few words but, when he spoke, those kids listened. And I also know that he backed up my dad's mother and none of the kids were allowed to backtalk her. I know that the family valued education and being respectful because of the story that Dad tells about the time that he smarted off to one of his teachers. It wasn't pretty. I've also heard stories of the advice he gave the boys and I've always been told how much he loved his family.

That's Dad on the left. 

Dad's senior picture. If I'm remembering correctly. 

When I was little, I called my dad, Honey. Dad and I have had our ups and downs over the years but, for the last 25+ years, just ups. I remember Dad being busy a lot when I was growing up. But I remember that, when he was home, he was funny. I also remember that he had a short fuse on his temper. He wasn't abusive, just short tempered. He would yell and it was always short lived. And, as far as I remember, not really directed at anyone. I will say though, for the most part, that temper would flare when things didn't go as planned or his way or whatever. Sort of the same reason my temper used to flare. Ha! That hotheadedness has cooled over the years- in both of us. Thankfully. 

Sometime in early 1958. 

I was calling Dad, Honey, about this time. 

My favorite memories of growing up were centered around watching football Sunday afternoons with Dad. I am still an avid football fan and Dad and I talk every single Sunday evening during football season to recap the college games from Saturday and the NFL games from Sunday afternoon. There were some weekends that we would go to Columbia for a USC game. 

Dad played football in high school. 

 We always had a dog and that was due to Dad. He loves dogs. His favorites are French Bulldogs though, in the last 20 or so years, he had English bulldogs.

Dad has always been very social but he was also a touch-me-not. I'm not that social but I am a touch-me-not. Deanie got his social skills and Birdie is a touch-me-not. Funny how things get shared.

Dad loved new cars and he'll tell you right now that he is a new-car-aholic. We always had a new car about every 4 years or so. We also had campers and took weekends camping trips to the mountains with family friends. Those were fun too. AFTER the yelling that accompanied hooking up the camper to the trailer hitch stopped. It was the same with the boat--fun AFTER it was hooked up to the trailer hitch. I laugh now every time I see a commercial or a sitcom with the dad losing his temper when attempting this feat. Regardless of whether we were camping or staying elsewhere, we always took vacations.

Dad and I in Florida around 1969.

One of the things I love most about Dad, besides his sense of humor, is his willingness to always take responsibility for his actions. He's never shy about saying he was wrong and he never holds a grudge. He's easy to talk to and he loves to shop! He also loves to people watch and he and I can sit in a crowded place and make up stories about the people we see for long periods of time. Both of my parents could cut quite a rug in their day. You might even call Dad the life of the party. But it's due to his love of people and his humor. Dad is not a drinker. Never has been. In all the years, I've seen him take a drink, maybe, 6 or 7 times. I have come to greatly appreciate that about Dad in the last 30 years.

And now, that humor of his. I think these pictures will give y'all a good idea about Dad's silliness:

Yep. That's Dad.

My parents divorced when I was 21ish. Which was no fun at all. But, as time went by, readjustments were made and life went on. I'm just grateful that I have such a good relationship with Dad and that he found happiness with my step-mom, who is a wonderful person.

While Dad is not perfect, he not only admits errors, he always tells the truth. You can depend on him to be honest. Nothing is left to chance with Dad. If something isn't working right or there is a problem of any kind, he is on it right away. He will fix it himself or, if he cannot, he will get someone in to fix it. He takes good care of everything he has.

Moss has never had a chance to grow on Dad when it came to making a living either. He worked hard his entire life and, when I was first born, he worked two jobs. He has a good sense of handling money (not surprising, he is an accountant by trade) and has invested well over the years.

The last thing I will mention here is that Dad, without a doubt, has got your back. He has shown that to the lovelies and myself. He is our knight in shining armor. In other words, do NOT mess with the women in Dad's life. You will draw back a nub. Just sayin'.

Dad, me and my brother, Tony

As each of the lovelies say, all the time, "Paw Paw is the best man I know."

Agreed.


BTW: I've updated my post from last week- My Mom if y'all want to read it. It's much better now. :)

ALSO: Since I posted this earlier this morning, I found out that Dad's cancer is on the move again. The doc says our backs are not up against the wall but some bone thing and CAT scan needs to be done no later than March. January is the month we're shooting for on this. So, I'm asking for prayers. I can't begin to tell y'all how devastating bad news will be to me. My dad, as the lovelies say, is the best man I know.