MY DAD

MY DAD

When I think of my Dad, I am reminded of many things....

I remember the sound of his soft-spoken voice saying, "Ash?"

That voice become beautiful music as he sits singing and struming his ukelele
"My Dog Has Fleas"

I'll never forget that time in the car when both were singing
"Oh Black Water, keep on rollin" AT THE TOP OF OUR LUNGS!
You see, a passion for music runs in our family.
My dad and I can play a new CD over and over until everyone wants to kill us!
SO SHOOT US! WE LOVE MUSIC!

Music takes over our senses.

A certain smell like the leaves of autumn, the taste of banana muffins, the sight of a country landscape and the sound of crashing waves reminds us of a GREAT song.
A song that set the mood for that perfect moment in time.
Dad is the one who introduced me to all the greats: Carol King, Kingston Trio, Joan Baez, John Denver and Elton John.
I used to sit in my room for hours listening to all his records.
Music is truly the one thing that connects us.

I also remember Saturday mornings
I think Dad loved Saturdays more than any other day of the week.
It was his therapy from the long hard work week.
I remember it all so clearly.... Dad creeping downstairs, letting Penny in from the garage...
"Me-e-e-o-w", out to get the paper, pouring a glass of orange juice, setting into his red chair with his feet pointing.
I could always count on waking to "ROCK - N- ROLL" on the radio and the sound of scissors clipping coupons.
"Where's Dad?" was always the question.
Dad would leave in the early morning hours and return with boxes of cereal, two for one coconut pies, cake mixes, jars and jars of "Duke's Mayonaisse," bread GALORE and his latest finds from "K & J" outlet.
Let me just tell you something about my dad: MY DAD LIKES TO SHOP - and he in an expert!

Some Saturdays would be spent in the yard perfecting the green lawn, planting azaleas and pulling ivy off the trees. No matter how much we complained,
"I HATE DOING STUPID YARD WORK"
it was always worth the long day's work.
At the end of the day, Dad would stand back and admire our beautiful yard.
After that he would drink a big glass of ice water, take a short nap, a long shower and then it's time to get ready to go out to dinner with our beautiful mother.
Dad would come downstairs in his new clothes (and we'd "Ooh" and "Aah" over them)
wearing his shiny Bass Weeguns and smelling so clean....I remember that smell. I think it was "Skin Bracer" - that green liquid that men smacked on their faces.
"THANKS, I NEEDED THAT"!

There are many things I wish I could remember.....
Like, when was the moment I stopped being my "daddies little girl"?
When was the moment I stopped holding his hand when I crossed the street?
When did I stop running and jumping in his arms when he came back from a long trip?
It seems that I just went out to that wide-open road and looked both ways....
with out looking back.
Always in such a hurry to grow up
There were years when it seemed like we were going in different directions
Sometimes struggling to find each other down the crooked, curvy path....

As I experience the magic of parenthood, I realize that path has finally led us back to the beginning -
To the point in our lives when we both need that hand to cross the street and loving arms to hold us tight.

Dad, I would like to thank you for your guidance, for your love and most of all, thank you for you!