My Three Dads + One -Part Two

Last year I started my tribute to my fathers. I have three + one. Here is what I wrote about my First Dad. He still is cute as ever and full of life he even drives a Motorcycle now.

Danny is my second Dad. I call him my Legal Father that is because when I was born my Mother was married to him.

Dad was a trucker! I believe the only state he had never been to was Hawaii. His favorite home was Alaska. That is were he lies. When my son was almost a year old Dad past away. He left 4 children. We all miss him in our different ways.

I love him so much and I look forward to the time when I see him again.

My Three Dads + One -Part One

June is the month we think of our fathers so I thought I would do a short note on each of my Dads. I have 3 ya know and a Father- in-law. They are wonderful Men and I look forward in telling you about them.


My sister took this picture which I think is just wonderful.

When I am asked why I have 3 dads, I tell them I have a Biological father, a Legal Father, and a Step Dad. This is my biological Dad. I didn't know about him until I was 9 years old. Through the years he has turned into a great friend. I am very blessed to have him apart of my life.

Memory: I thought of a time when we were on our way to somewhere and we stopped to get gas at Domar's (little family run gas station with the best homemade sandwiches). I was sitting in the car waiting to for him to fill the car up and he started talking to the guy on the other side as if he was a long lost friend. Then he stopped to say hi to someone he knew on the way in the store to pay. I know he talked to a few people inside the store because we stopped there often. Then on the way back into the car he briefly said hi to the new guy getting fuel.

I thought to myself and even asked how do you do that? "Do what?" was the answer. Dad has away of making people feel happy. Their wall comes down for a brief moment and he usually leaves them with a smile on there face. Kinda like in the movie "You've got Mail" where Tom Hanks meets Meg Ryan in the grocery store. The lady behind the counter is grumpy and doesn't want to use Meg's credit card because it is a Cash only line. In comes Tom to save the day, a few uplifting words and the Teller is smiling and over looks the cash only. The lady's wall came down and she forgot her troubles for a brief moment.

I don't think that my dad has ever met a stranger. I have looked up to that talent and am so grateful that my son has it also.

Grandpa

This is a classic picture of my Grandpa !

My Grandfather is a worker, from sun up to sun down. I have never heard of a time where he didn't work. Although he was had lots of jobs in his life like being a merchant Marine, working in factories, in the Newspaper business and being a farmer.

The last is all I have known him by. Before he retired he would get up at 5am eat and go milk the cows then he would walk the turkey houses and talk care of things there. 11 he would come in for lunch then back out to the fields or barns to fix stuff. Then in for dinner at 5 and back to the milking and turkey barns again the to bed by 9.

He had a modest farm yet it not only raised animals but also a family. A total of 7 kids and countless grandkids were raised on the farm. I'm included in that brewed.

Hard Candy and Scriptures are things I remember as a child always sitting near him. I remember him teaching me to swim in a creek and letting me "Drive" the tractor. Most of all I remember the instruction (or attitude adjustments) he gave me and the laughter that is always apart of my life when I am near him.

My Grandma

My Grandma is a very kind, gentle lady. She has been through a lot during her life. One of my favorite stories of her was the time I brought my soon to be husband to meet her and my Grandpa. As we walked on her porch we stopped dead in our tracks. There through the door window we saw her standing there taking a "Mrs Smith's" Pie out of the metal packaging and putting it into a glass pie plate. It has become an "Old Family Recipe" for me.

Sadness. During her life she has had a few sad days. She is a child of the depression. She remembers only having one slice of bread in her home and her Mother cutting it in 3 peaces to share with her three children. I think that moment is one of those that shape who you become.
Her children's lives had hard times too. As adults there were times in their marriages where they needed a place to live and Grandma opened her home to them. I remember living with my grandma 4 different times before I married.

Kindness. To pin point one time that shows my Grandmothers kindness is very hard. Grandma's life is one of kindness. Like the time when she knew I needed a little help so she sent me home with a box of frozen Turkey. The times she donated things from her home to help a church bazaar. The time she made each of her 7 children scrapbooks three inches thick. The times that meant the most is the time she shared her talents, love, gentle spirit, and there are truly to many to share.