Remembering Daddy

Father's Day is a little bittersweet now. It's been 10 years since he left us. Way too soon. He had just turned 70. I am the oldest of 3 siblings. Mom and Dad were young when they had me... 20 and 23. My Dad had been in the Navy in the Korean War. Then stayed in the Reserve for around 20 years. I will never forget how handsome he was in his "dress whites". It would make you swoon. One time the highlight of his tour was when he met Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis in an officer's lounge. He was a great Dad, always ready for something fun and we had a lot of it.

Here we are together on my wedding day December 28, 1972. I was 19 and he was putting a penny in my shoe for good luck. This photo has been setting on my bookcase for many years. It makes me feel young again.






Here we are in a family photo in 1995. Mom and Dad, my brother who passed away 5 years ago, and my sister who is a great sister and friend. She lives here in town and really helps out my mom. They live a block apart.

This photo is of myself, my husband, our daughter Erin, and her then fiance Keith, and our younger daughter, Alyson. Remember, this is 1995. That explains the "do".

My husband and I being chauffeured to Rolla, MO. for our annual Easter Lunch, by our younger daughter Alyson, and her husband, Chris. He isn't in any of these photos so I'll have to post their picture later, maybe on their Birthdays or their Anniversary. Anyway, Chris is a great son-in-law, so I don't want to leave him out. He helps us so much take care of things from moving furniture for my booth space, to landscape work, to pool opening. He and Keith are for sure our boys. I can truly say that my husband is my best friend. Six years ago I had 3 major heart attacks and then open heart surgery. This was the same thing that took my Dad and brother. It made us rethink and make our relationships a priority. It changed us for the better, but I can't say I'd want to do it all again.

This was taken last Christmas at our house. Erin is no longer a blond, she went dark red. These girls are the best! Erin and her husband live in St. Louis, and Aly and Chris live here in town. They are Daddy's girls for sure. Next month we are heading to St. Louis. E&K bought a house last October that is incredible, can't wait to show you pictures. It was built in 1903 or so and was right across from the St. Louis World's Fair.

Thanks for letting me share some of these family photos. I'm one of those crazy people that really likes to see other peoples family photos.

David's dad and mom are still living. They are in their mid-eighties and his dad suffers from advanced Alzheimers. It's hard, he doesn't recognize us.

I just want to mention a book, for anyone out there that didn't have a lasting or good relationship with their father. It's called "Knowing God as Father" by James Robison. I highly recommend it. Sometimes it's hard to know our Heavenly Father, if we didn't have a model of fatherly parenthood.

Have a wonderful Father's Day weekend!

Be Blessed, Debra

Hello Kitty(s)

I'd like you to meet my little fur girls.

I've been reading blogs long enough to know that I'm not alone out there when it comes to our pets. They are more "family" than "animals".(Don't tell them I said that, they think they are my kids). You love them to pieces, then your heart can get broken when they go. Been there done that, many times.


I've had a cat, or 2, or 4, since I was about 3 or 4years old. I grew up in an old farmhouse just outside of town, so we had room for the everchanging menagerie of critters...mostly of the outdoors variety.
My Daddy was a softie, and would feed anything that wandered by...cats, dogs, wild chickens, and because of that, opposums, racoons, and the occasional skunk family would take up residence under our big front porch.

(Hi Handsome, how about a date?)

(please no negative comments about this mountain lion hide, it is very old and my husband found it at an antique mall.)

(assuming the position for dinner)

(don't look at the fur all over the curtain lining)

The old house has been torn down for a new insurance company complex, and my sweet Daddy is in Heaven, but I still love kitties. These cuties are twins, the only two of a litter: Miss Jenkins, who has short hair, and Miss Wrigley, who is Maine Coon. They are 4 years old. They answer to many names, such as Tubbers, Biggley, Poodles, Sweetie, Hair Ball...you know, the list goes on and on.
I'm sure you'll be seeing more random shots of them. They're my little buds.

Blessings,

Debra

p.s. Because I am new to this and don't know what the hecky darn I'm doing, my last post on the "Second Helpings" of my sunroom was timed wrong on the timer so I messed it up. Please take a look because I was up till 2:00am working on it.

Have a great day, y'all, I need another cup of coffee.