Eighty {+ One}

August 8, 2010 would have been my dad's 80th birthday - had he lived a full life. Wow, that is hard to believe. As it is, he passed away, far too young, two days after my birthday and only one day after his own birthday.  I realize that I don't talk about my dad much. It's not for lack of thinking about him; it's just that - it really has been a lifetime.

The anniversary of his death quietly comes and goes each year on the tail end of my own birthday and I admit, I tend to not be the type to dwell on anniversaries of deaths. But the other night my son asked me questions about his grandfather and I owe it to him to record what few concrete memories I have left of my relationship with my own father.

The funny thing about memories is that as we grow and age our memories become memories. Those childhood memories I had are faded and blurred themselves; like a mist that I once walked through, dimly real, yet not tangible.


So what is left of that little girl's memories in this grown woman's body? Fragmented moments in time, like little chunks from an 8mm movie reel or a stack of well worn, much loved postcards capturing images of long ago... pieces of what was once.
  • My dad chasing me around and around the house until I was hysterical in laughter, giving him just enough to stop and hide then jump out to scare me with a "BOO!" only to finish with a hug.
  • He was a carpenter of sorts, he BUILT me a doll house, a play house and a sand box - I remember faintly going with him to a rock quarry to pick out the sand.
  • I remember how he took the time to fix up an old swing set, that came with the house my parents purchased, with red & white candy-cane stripes and new swings. I was very reluctant to let that swing set go when my mom updated it a few short years later and can even still see the monster-ish trash truck crunch and bend the candy-cane poles in it's large iron jaws.
  • I loved going to his appliance shop with him and playing with the neighbor kids behind the store, or playing hide-and-seek amongst the appliances.I sometimes wonder what happened to those kids.
  • He served in the Air Force and took pride in serving his country and I was so proud of him. I wanted to marry someone in the Air Force.
  • I loved having my birthday right next to his.
  • My dad loved children and children loved him. He was an only child and wanted a big family even though it wasn't meant to be. 
  • I found out later in my life that he went to school at night, studying to become a History Professor. He loved history and I now understand where Harrison and I both got the same love and curiosity for history.
  • I love that he loved my mom more than anything in this world and that he asked her to marry him the very night they met.
  • I'm thankful that when he swerved to miss a dog, but hit a tree on their honeymoon, God wasn't ready to take them home that day.
  • I love how my dad absolutely adored his in-laws and that they loved him like their own flesh and blood. My grandparents lived on a fairly nice sized parcel of land and offered to give our family a few acres to build and live on; but my mom didn't want to love deep in the hills of South Dakota. Sometimes I wonder where would the road have led had our family taken that route?
Fragments and pictures are all I have had for so long that as I read through this post - trying to express what is left of a little girl's experience with her father, I find my words here fragmented and disjointed. Albeit, I'm leaving them here because they are all a part of who that little girl became... of who I am today.

And I'm happy with that.

So no, I don't talk about my dad often, but do I think about my dad, I love him greatly, I miss him always, I wish he were here. I wish he could have met my prom date when I was a teen or attended my high school graduation, walked me down the isle on my wedding day or held his newborn grandson in his arms. I have wondered what my life had been like with my dad in it. What direction the road would have taken. But I don't dwell on those thoughts long.

I just don't.

All The Rage..

A few months ago I discovered Pinterest.com it’s a perfect platform to make and keep inspiration boards - without a gazillion bookmarks that I never seem to refer back to again. I can pin my own pictures, inspirational photography, pictures from yummy recipes, of home decorating, crafting ideas – you name it. I love it.

my pinterest close up

You can also browse and re-pin images from other Pinterest members. 
Such was the case last month, right before the Fourth of July when I stopped by one afternoon and was greeted with ONE very popular pinned picture. 


Apparently some pins are super-uber-popular…



most popular pin today
I can honestly say I didn’t follow suit by pinning it; but then I don’t think I’ll ever have a problem finding this picture again.
As for the person who made this image, I’m pretty sure they are feeling the LOVE! 

If you are want to know more about Pinterest, Megan over at SortaCrunchy (I love that name because I’m sorta crunchy- but not…)  wrote a post on the beginner's guide to Pinterest.  And if you want an invite, leave me your email in the comments, I’ll send you one.

BTW, I have started responding to comments within my comments (does that make sense?) Because it’s the best way I can respond quickly and efficiently. Something I should have done long ago when I had more than three readers; but hey. I’m moving forward from here!
Happy Wednesday!

Crafty Tuesday–I Don’t Need No Silly Sewing Machine!

So the sewing machine is gone from it’s little corner of the dining room for a couple months now.  But that hasn’t stopped me from crafting from fabric.
It also has been no secret that moving was hard on all of us; but I’m a believer of making lemonade out of lemons. At least I try…  Along those lines, I needed to make something cute and cheery for my circa 1970’s kitchen (I am of the belief that the 70’s was  not a good decade in the way of Kitchen design… although I know there are some who love avocado green appliances). 
So to give my little 70’s apartment kitchen a little pizazz of it’s own (that doesn’t include the badly needed cabinet redux) I made more bunting flags – because they really make me happy.

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Since I couldn’t sew them, I folded my fabric in half and cut triangles at the fold and then ironed double-sided fusing to the inside, I folded them over twine and ironed them again to seal them and they were ready to hang.

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I love walking into the bright light of the kitchen and seeing those little fabric bunting flags hanging over the sink.

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Happiness.
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