Sunday, June 16, 2013

On Fathers and Yes, GetFresh is not just a figment of our imagination!

Happy Father's Day!  And an especial Happy Father's Day to Patricia's Husband, (Sorry Patricia - sometimes I just can't resist being a cheeky monkey!) who will be celebrating again! :-)

I wondered if I would feel sad that this is my first Father's Day without my Dad.  Those firsts are always sad.  However, I will shamelessly steal the quote my friend AudreyBella, who knows very well what I am talking about, has on her blog:


Wise words!

Me being me, I like to think that my Dad (and my Mom) is always with me and there were many times in the last few months that I would pray for guidance on things and find that decisions that I thought would be too hard or difficult to make would come easily.  There is always a little voice telling us what is the right thing to do on certain issues; sometimes I have chosen to ignore that voice because I might not have felt brave enough to do what it was I needed to do.  One of the gifts of my dad's passing is that I have bravery in spades now!  I am Carpe Diem'ing all over the place!


Our fathers are different from our mothers.  My father related to us often more as buddies at a certain point, than creatures with emotional lives with depths to plumb.  My dad was one of the original Keep Calm and Carry On types, and he was most happiest when he could provide middle age guy advice: when to cut a tree, how to change a tire, buy car, etc,.  When I was a kid, it seemed like my father was always working and I think he was; he was either doing his job or doing chores around the house.  Once or twice a year, he would take us on vacation and that's when he would become a different man; the man who liked to shop (Happy Father's Day Mr. BP!), tell stories and have a few drinks.  His favourite thing to do every year was to take us to see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus in Boston, which usually happened during the long weekend in May.  He never got tired of the clowns and the tigers.  My father believed in magic and Santa Claus and clowns and hard work.  Not bad things to pass along to your kids!

I am lucky that I live with a great Father every day.  Barry is more patient than I am and like my dad does not feel the need to try and plumb the emotional depths of his children (he has me to do that!).  He is the one they watch certain movies with - the three of them can quote whole pages of dialogue from Pineapple Express - and the one that is most calm in any situation with them.  They love him dearly, even if they aren't up yet to tell him!



Thank you Barry for being a great father - I love you!

And Happy Father's Day to all Dad's today - those who are still with us and those who have gone on ahead to make things comfortable for us...

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You didn't think I would fail you again, did you?

Miss GetFresh came back yesterday (the coffee and muffins did not scare her off last week) and we had a wonderful lunch Al fresco out in the yard with her and her lovely husband, who has the best and most mellifluous voice!

GF is one of those people who just make you feel like you have known her all her life.  She is funny and smart and thoughtful.  My son was particularly thankful that she came, as she arrived with jam and homemade oatcakes, which I think he ate more than half off for dessert (matched in quantity only by his father!).

She has kept her anonymity quite well, but did agree to let me post a couple of photos of the two of us yesterday.  She complained about her hair afterwards when she saw the photos (but doesn't she have great hair?) and I complained about how chubby my cheeks looked (don't I have nice chubby cheeks?) but really, she is a sister from another mother:



Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...
Isn't she fab?

Have a great Sunday all!  Stay Safe out there!









34 comments:

  1. I have already been scolded..when I asked Hubs to take out that trash..that this was "his" day and he should be treated like a king. Gonna be a long day. It looks like you gals had a great time. Always nice to put a face with a name.

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    1. Good luck today, BB! I am assuming Barry is going to man the BBQ later as we have friends coming for a father's day/graduation BBQ!

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  2. So nice to see GF!! I am glad she showed herself to your readers. You look beatiful GF:)

    Fathers Day was already celebrated here about a month ago,so no celebration,which wouldnt work anyway because my husband is still in the states. We have major changes ahead of us!!!

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    1. Oh - assume there is a new posting in your future! Can't wait to hear all about it!

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  3. It took me a while to get there but yes that quote is so true!
    Although in my family it was my father who was the mothering one...Your dad sounds like he was great fun :) Hope you have a great day today!

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    1. Hi CSW - I know others whose fathers were the mothering ones! My dad was the cleaner - my mother never cleaned. Well almost never. it was either my father or housekeepers who did it - and she was a stay-at-home mum!

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  4. I love the Dr. Seuss quote. Their is nothing more wonderful than the start of a great new friendship. Now, if some of you only lived a bit closer!

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  5. You ladies look gorgeous! What fun to meet up AND have oatcakes.

    Hoping our progeny Skype their dear Dad today; he is a wise father the girls consult for advice now that they are adults. He was the beach guy,too. Have a great day with Barry.

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    1. Mine finally got out of bed at 9, which is really early for them on a sunday morning! I am off to get more goodies for the pool party! Looking forward to seeing our old friends!

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  6. To you and Audreybella, huge hugs! I've always said Barry is a marvel ;)
    You ladies look so beautiful! Both of you have great hair, and even better smiles. I feel so much joy looking at these pictures and reading this beautiful post.

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    1. Aww thanks!! We had a good time, as the picture shows! GF's husband chose not to make his blog debut, and i can't blame him a bit, but I do have a picture of him for posterity! Have a wonderful day!

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  7. Lovely of you to remember your dad so fondly!

    You and GF look great in those photos! She can come over with oatcakes and jam anytime! :)

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    1. But it goes so quickly - all gone now - most in my son's belly!

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  8. I absolutely love that photo of you and GF laughing your heads off!
    Happy Father's Day to Barry!
    What nice memories of your Dad.
    MrBP says he has had the best Father's Day ever. I spoke to my Dad earlier this morning but not for long as he was already on the golf course!

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    1. Oh your dad was lucky! Barry got a lovely new shirt and some movies and a book that teaches you to speak klingon. All worthy things!

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  9. Thank you for the beautiful pictures w/ GF and this special post for fathers. They tend to be overlooked and though they don't want to be fussed over, they do deserve this day. I am close to my mother but it was with my father that I felt unconditional love, no teeth gnashing and over analysis. Hope everyone enjoy this day with the special men in their lives.

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    1. Hi Marie! gotta love the dads out there! i think my husband is the only man who reads this blog, so he will be feeling the love!

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  10. Those pics made me laugh! My cheeks are chubby too, but it will make us look young.
    I miss my dad, he was such a kind man, thoughtful and measured, always did the right thing. Remember though, my dad and yours are upstairs having a wee whisky just now.

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    1. that is true - and maybe sharing tales our misspent youths!

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  11. You look so much like your dad. Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful dads!
    GF is beautiful and that pic of the two of you is awesome.

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    1. yup - it is scary - I look more and more like him the older I get!

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  12. Thinking of you this Father's Day. I love your Seuss quote!

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    1. thanks merry wife! am looking forward to you being on the east coast!

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  13. Hi WMM, my husband was tickled pink by your shout-out, thank you!

    Thanks for posting the photos of GF - it looks like you had a wonderful time together. I always look forward to her comments on your and on Dani's blog, so I can imagine that you fell into chatting like long-lost friends.

    My dad died when I was 10, so I don't have that many memories. He definitely gave me my love of reading and learning - he was an immigrant, from Ukraine, and one of the first books I read on my own was the book he learned English from, there were lots of short stories in the back (I still have it). He lived through the famine in Ukraine and the Second World War, so not an easy life.

    My husband is such a joker - when we had a Japanese student living with us for a year when the kids were smaller, she just didn't know how to take him at first. Her father worked late all the time and was very serious - Gerry was home at 4.15 pm every day (at that time) and you cannot get a straight answer from him about anything! She eventually learned to appreciate him and told him so before she left.

    Happy Fathers' Day to Barry and all the other dads, enjoy your day!

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    1. Oops, sorry for the HUGE comment!!

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    2. what a shame about your dad dying when you were so young - I still have so many questions for my dad and things I wished I had asked about - it drives me mad sometimes!

      Glad your husband is getting his second desserts - I am sure he deserves it and I do like my men to be a good time!

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  14. OUT & ABOUT First, a cheer and a wink to all of the fathers who are already upstairs (love that term Tabs!) with special thoughts for our WMM, Audrey B., Tabitha and Patricia. My Dad has been both my father and my mother for a long time now. And having just spent a week with him after a bit of a bobble, I find it very hard to imagine my sphere minus him in it. Anyway, Wendy thanks for posting your always juicy, generous thoughts. I hope Barry the B. had lotsa sizzle in his afternoon. Tell him I will be back for coffee. The mint made it without all being munched by kitty (pics to follow.) Jam as bribe for DS noted, but DD? And my DH says Klingon book coolest.

    PS I do want a hair do-over when you come "west." But agree we look like a long-time tandem act. (Acronyms over.)

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    1. DD is world's pickiest eater, though she loves a good steak! Is a hard one to feed, trust me! glad the mint arrived in, well, mint condition! I will keep you posted on the mint bed - but then, it is slowly taking over the world and you will see it soon enough!

      Poured like the bejesus in the middle of our party! sigh..

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  15. You guys look great! Do oatcakes have sugar in them? If they do, I am on board! Your first Fathers Day is sure to be a tough one, hang in there. I'm sure your dad would be glad to know you are trying to make the best of it and enjoy the day as best you can.

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    1. Yes cate they have sugar! Like a very thin, totally crunchy oatmeal cookie. I brought WMM jam, but best other way to have them is dipped in melted chocolate or with Nutella (a non-WMM edible.)

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    2. they remind me aesthetically of a well-made, proper gingersnap, not the awful thick ones you get (or I make!) - such a good oat cake!

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  16. A big ((hug)) to you & I enjoyed reading about both your father and Barry. They sound like wonderful men.

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Kindness is a virtue...