A Day for and about Fathers

If Father's Day was to be considered a contest, it would end in a tie. Well, wouldn't it?



Some common taters, within this household as a matter of fact, bring forth the thought of having a Family's Day. The separated emphases have some plus aspects, but generally, as with the song, "you can't have one without the other". Recent and current attitudes toward family togetherness show some depletion in the numbers of 'full family' members.



What would happen if one all-inclusive day would happen vs. the current bifurcated approach? Flower shoppes and haberdasheries would have to realign their inventories,
greeting-card makers would use fewer trees perhaps. Higher unemployment - maybe for a time, and how about the lighter load for phone lines and cell towers - you'd have many of the celebratees in one location. It would be a great time for reminiscing - and genealogical interest and pursuits could be built up/expanded. Speakers of all ilk would need new sources and outlines for their presentations (so much for the gains in standing timber we had from the card-makers).

A new date would be considered - like the third Sunday in July or the second Sunday in August - helpful to round out a Summer schedule.

Now it's time for all the great thinkers of the world to weigh in on the great consideration before them.

There is probably enough space left to get in a word for my dad here. He'd have celebrated his 102nd birthday earlier this month - but he did celebrate 70 of them. He was somewhat 'playful' in his youth - driving a car 'round and 'round a traffic dummy in the center of town, to the disgust of the lone police officer. A traffic dummy in a small town? Yes, indeed; after all, it was the last stop on the main route from New York City to Montreal. He was bilingual, started work at Sheridan Iron Works at age 15 (after other jobs), and built the first radio in Champlain in the mid- to late-1920's.

He enjoyed electricity,but was conscientious in all he dealt with. I regard him as a craftsman. He talked me through many activities, and showed me the way to accomplish tasks, but not often would he provide a practice time.

Remind me to tell you about the 'mink house'. Maybe on Family's Day. . . . someday. . . .

Once more, with feeling

It would seem I've been able to learn well the lesson of not rushing into matters, like posting blogs. A degree of insouciance seems to be the order of the day. Since our last meeting much water has gone under the bridge, over the dam and wherever else it has chosen to venture.

* Mary has received the official okey-dokey on her first knee replacement. Dr. Cohen is tops! Lower extremity #2 will be a Jan., '09 consideration.

* Our Sunday School class (25 strong) helped in several projects (painting, fountain, spackle and paint the laundry room, prepare the coolers for summer, etc.) at 'Hospitality House' - a USO-like setting for military personnel in our area. They don't do overnights, but when they do come they have plenty of snack items, books, walking areas, meals, Bible Studies and fellowship to busy themselves with. The host family is very gracious, and the Mr. and Mrs. have undergone considerable training prior to being accepted as setting Hosts. (All this accomplished on Armed Forces Day (May 17) to boot!)

*We attended a Retirement breakfast for those of Mary's associates from Johnston School on Ft. Huachuca. One couple is planning to head to Costa Rica to build and settle in for the next 20 or 30 years. Their setting will be in Nuevo Arenal. His brother is a builder and a long-time resident of the area. Sounds helpful to me. That same evening, we a attended a 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration for friends of ours. Both settings were similar in some aspects - each celebrated an achievement and was a pleasant atmosphere with the recognition from friends and family; as well, in both settings, we were able to renew acquaintances from a few to several years back. I like that in an activity.

*This brings to mind one aspect of one of my retirement activities __ years ago. This was with one of the Elementary schools I was associated with - knowing my feelings toward the brown vegetable, they purchased a pink cord jacket, added several pockets and stuffed each with a variety of candy bars. I viewed this as very thoughtful as I generally refer to them as 'Snowbank Supplies', emergency, readily available and completely adequate items for home or travel, in the event of . . . .

*Did I mention that the following January I received a diagnosis of Diabetes, Type 2? Another of life's mysteries. I must say that these events are viewed as examples of parallelism rather than as cause and effect. Or perhaps genetic predestination. . .

***

Renaming:

The polite snake you saw last week - could be called a civil serpent. Couldn't it?
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(Hope you had some pleasant moments with your dictionary, Doug!)

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Jer.29:13 has good contemplative qualities. Reading it in THE MESSAGE gives it a bit of urgency.

Adios