My dad worked in the timber. Before I started school, a tree feel on him and broke his back. They told him he would never walk again - my dad walked out of the hospital. I learned to read the summer he spent in the hospital. I remember sitting on his bed "reading" to him while he did his back exercises after he came home from the hospital. I also remember him reading to us because we didn't have a TV. This probably explains my love of reading.
My dad couldn't work for a while after he broke his back. That fall when I started school my dad was the one who had to get me ready for school. That included fixing my hair. That explains why I always wore my hair short - it was easy for dad to fix.
I remember dad taking us on bike rides. He went with us. I enjoyed that. My Dad liked to 'tinker' on cars, motors etc. I remember him bringing engines into the house to work on in the winter time because it was to cold to be outside working on them. He would sit on the floor with parts spread around him. I loved playing with his tools in the garage although we weren't really supposed to. My favorites were always the carpenter pencil (it's flat and won't roll away - shouldn't all pencils be made like this?) and his folding ruler. I was always breaking his ruler but it was so cool to unfold and fold it up. I think Dad could fix anything. He was also a carpenter. He made beautiful cabinets. He was always working on something. One of my favorite toys as a child was a little wooden cabinet he made for me to play with. I kept my little dishes in it and used it when I played house.
Dad liked to watch basketball on TV. This was the only sport he really watched. He played basketball in school. Dad usually fell asleep on the sofa while he was watching TV. However, you could not change the channel - he would wake up and say "I was watching that." Gary says I do the same thing. I know I can take good naps with the TV on.
Dad taught me to hunt and fish. He treated me like my brothers. If they got a gun I did too. Our way of fishing wasn't with poles, although we did do that some. We would go hand-fishing. Dad always let me go too. We also went hunting - squirrel, rabbit, quail, deer. I always hated it when I was sick and couldn't go hunting with Dad. He also took me mushroom hunting in the spring. He let me trail along with him. My dad was tall - about 6'1". I certainly didn't get my height from him! While he would step over the logs I would have to jump up on them, swing my legs over and jump down on the other side. Dad could always find mushrooms. I could too - but I also would have flowers, rocks, etc in my sack. It never seemed to bother Dad that I picked more flowers than mushrooms.
Dad always planted a big garden every spring. I always helped him. And every year, he would let my brothers and I pick out one new food to try and grow. Something unique that we could try. One year we planted peanuts. He always let us plant gourds and Indian corn. We would then sell these to the teachers at school.
My oldest daughter Tarinda is the only one who ever had the privilege of spending the night with Grampa Power. He was so proud when she was born. After she got old enough to 'chatter' she and Dad would talk on the phone every week. They talked for quite a while. I don't know that he could understand what she was saying but I always thought it was okay because Dad had trouble hearing anyway. It worked for them. LOL When she was about 18 months old we were visiting in Missouri for the weekend (we lived in Iowa at that time). Tarinda was insistent on spending the night with Grampa.(My mom had already passed away at this time). He packed a little bag for her and took her home to spend the night. I'm sure they both had a good time.
So if you can't be with your Dad this Father's Day - take time to 'remember' the good times you had with him. If possible - call him - let him know how much he means to you. I'm glad Dad let me trail along with him and traipse through the woods. He gave me a love of reading and a love of family. He taught me that you always support your family no matter what, do what's right and always lend a hand to someone in need.
The first picture is one of me, Dad, Granny Lake and Tarinda. Dad always told people that Tarinda and I were his best girls. The bottom picture is Dad's basketball team
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