A Hard Post - For My Dad

Before I start my post for today, just so you know, I am a little down.  My dad, who was diagnosed with bladder cancer two years ago, found out last week that it has come back.  He went in for surgery this morning.  So for those of you who pray, please do that for him and my mom.  For those of you who don't, please just send them very positive thoughts/vibes.

So forgive me if my post isn't the best today.

When I first sat down, I thought I would still try to do a funny, witty post to get my mind off everything.  But with what is going on this morning, I just can't.  So instead, I will take a trip down memory lane with my daddy.  I don't want you all thinking that I am being all morbid or anything, or thinking the worst.  But when your dad is on your mind,  and with what is happening to him, you want to think of fun memories.

My dad was not the typical dad while we were growing up.  While I always felt like most dads worked, and then came home and did their own thing, leaving the mom to do most if not all of the child-rearing, Daddy really seemed to enjoy spending time with my sister, Ellen, and me.  He would go with us to the Science Museum, the Virginia Museum, the Circus, and any other thing he thought we might enjoy.  He seemed genuinely interested in us, and in what we were doing.

He was a great teacher.  He would spend any amount of time with us whenever we would ask him how something worked or how to do something.

A couple of my favorite memories of things I used to do with my dad are:

Goin' to the Drugstore!

I don't know why, but I remember lots of trips to the drugstore with my dad.  And we'd go in and look at alllll the different toys in the store.  When I was little I used to come home with a doctor kit.  We must've had 500 of those suckers.  When I got a little bit older, I would come home with Matchbox cars.  I know that might sound odd for a girl, but I loved them.  Daddy and I would go through all of them and find ones that were more unique.  Instead of the doors opening, we would find one that the trunk opened.  Or it was a horse trailer with horses inside.  Or it was a fire truck with a ladder that would raise up and there was a little fireman in the bucket.  And we would come home with them and Daddy would open them and he'd always inspect the "suspension".  He'd show me how the wheels would either have a lot of give or just a little.  And I don't know why but that conversation always pleased me to no ends.  I still have my whole collection and they look almost as new as they were the day I got the.  Very different from Jamey's toy cars.  Just sayin'.

Daddy's Music

My dad is a musician.   He played accordion (yes, you heard me) when he was growing up.  He even had his own little local TV/radio show!  And so we grew up listening to polka music.  And I know a bunch of you are groaning.  But we loved it.  I still do.  I'm not saying I go around playing it all the time, but if I hear it, it doesn't make me want to run screaming from the room.  Instead I stop and listen.

When we were growing up, Daddy would wait until we went to bed and then sometimes he'd play his music.  And Ellen or I would eventually yell down the stairs, "Play it louder; we can't hear it!"  And so he would turn it up.  I bet he loved it when we asked him to turn up his polka music. 

Several years ago, Jamey, me, my mom and my dad did several polka numbers for a little mini music festival they had at church.  And we even sang "Roll out the Barrel"!  At CHURCH!  Can you believe that?  And I honestly think we were the hit of the whole thing.  Everybody really seemed to love it.  That was a total blast, and it still makes me laugh to think of that.  My dad ate up the attention.  And I loved that part the best.

Projects

My dad used to come up with projects for us to do together.  The best one was when we built little stools in his backyard workshop.  It was so much fun.  Years later, I painted that stool.  And then I was totally stupid and I somehow got rid of it.  I will regret that forever.  My sister still has hers.  I'm glad one of us does.    But we'd do all kinds of things like that together.

Daddy and Me Going on Dates

This went on for as long as I can remember.  Daddy would have to go somewhere, usually the hardware store.  And I would go with him.  I loved to go with him.  I am sure that's why I still like to go there today.  I get all excited if Jamey has to go to Lowe's.  Anyway, Daddy and I would go run whatever errands he would need to go take care of, and then, probably more often than not, he would take me to lunch.  Usually something easy like McDonald's.  And we'd eat (I'd get a cheeseburger meal, and Daddy would get a fish sandwich) and then he'd always let me get a sundae.  I think I like these memories best, because it was very special time to me to be able to spend one on one time with my Dad.  I was a lucky girl.

There are other memories too of course.  But these were the ones that sort of were rattling around in my brain this morning.  I haven't done them, or my Dad and how great he is, justice.  But I know you will forgive me because my head and heart are not all here right now.  Part of it is with my Dad (who for some reason over the past several years, I have started calling Pops.  I don't know why, but I love calling him Pops as much as I love calling him Daddy.) 

I'm not even going back to proof this.  Daddy is done with his surgery.  The doctor said he was doing well.  I have no other news though.  So please keep him in your thoughts.  I will let you all know how he is doing when I get more information.  Lest you think I've sat here crying the whole time I was writing this, I wasn't.  I am worried, but thinking about these special times with my dad was just lovely for me.

But I do apologize if this post is a little down or not very well written today.  But again, I know you all understand.  Blessings to you all.