Christmas for Dad

It's been a Christmas of extremes, real bad and marvelously good. Christmas Eve was lonely, with two planned services canceled by the weather. At least it was progressively better from there. To have both my kids hanging out for the latter part of this season in the home calms the soul. So fun to listen to the banter. I know that they see this Christmas vacation as a time to hang with their good friends. I cherish the meals we have together, doing their laundry and it's so special when I can host a few hours of laughter with their friends. Makes the house a home.

Gotta nice decorated tree. It will stay up till mid-January. Like to sleep in the recliner next to that lighted wonderful thing. I know my daughter may be staying out east this summer. That's what kids do when they grow and follow their path.

Cherish every minute. God I love the time we got while we got it.

RS is just a late night sentimental old fool and that's not a bad thing!

To Anna from Pa

To Anna – From Her Pa

Time with my daughter Anna warms the soul like good soup. It’s healing, when needed. Every spoonful is savored. I’ve never known anyone like her.

My baby girl, my Sweet Pea, what a gal! Always on the go with a smile, a walk with a skip and reaching out to help whoever she can. I only asked God that my children have big hearts. Got that and so very, much more!

Where does she find the energy? You’ll find the answer on her bedroom walls. Written in crayon, 8x10 sheets taped here and there, are verses from Corinthians. Verses from Corinthians fuel her soul.

Also adorning her walls are drawings from ‘her kids’. Any child Anna has worked with at Day Care, taught in Bible school or just reached out to, become one of ‘her kids’!

She inspires and mentors many, including old Pa here. I like to think I instilled some good qualities in Anna, but her influence and example has helped make ME a better person. God probably figured I needed real special help!

I love her and burst with pride seeing her accomplishments. And that’s a whole bunch of love and pride. Lucky me, fantastically blessed with two amazing children!

We’re never shy to say it either and I’ll not be shy now. Anna, you’re still my baby girl and I love you!
Pa.

Veteran's Day Eve

Guess I couldn't wait for actual Veteran's Day. Maybe just a warm-up of remembrance, remembering four years of life I gave, hits every year. Just a volunteer thing, no war, on the tail end of Viet Nam, mixed in with folks who "didn't ask to be here".

Guess I couldn't wait, to have a Jag and a beer like in Germany thirty years ago. Those Army buds and I bonded strong, being halfway across the world, thirty minutes from being rolled over by the Ruskies, our only purpose to SLOW DOWN the Ruskies if they attacked. Always great to have a purpose in life!

These are my life-long friends.

So I had some Jag and beer and it sure tasted good! What the heck. Happy Vet's Day to you all. Have a virtual Jag with me and smile!

RS

Cold Wet Leaves

When rain removes the crispness of fall leaves, it's rain that has fallen on my harvest parade. Refuge indoors with chili, soup and other kitchen activities will help warm me. Need a bit of furnace, too. Sweatshirts. Flannel shirts. Fleece blankets. All in play.

Time with my son warms the soul like good soup. He'll be off to college next year, so remaining time is treasured. Busy as he is, this scatters that. Sundays are fun, with the Vikings on TV, volume down, and Paul Allen on the radio, volume up! He is the master! TV announcers are pitifully bland.

Kitchen radio seems more appreciated this time of year. Garrison Keillor is back at it, slowed none by a minor stroke. Prepping that Saturday night meal, cutting board positioned front row to my tuck-under-the-cupboard radio, is so very pleasant.

Friendship trumps chill. I enjoy my network of friends on the John Prine Shrine, lovable goofballs who are a joy to e-speak with. And sometimes we actually meet!

My circle of locals friends are special in that we manage to avoid negative conversation. Some of us are self-proclaimed mighty hunters. The turkeys and deer might dis-agree! Our bunch has taken to fly-fishing, too. Wading in the Root river, water rippling, trying to position that fly just right in the pool which might contain a trophy, is a big chug of relaxation.

Those leaves will dry eventually. Hope to burn a few. Ooo that smell!

The year races by.

Jonas Brothers - yucky poo

I have a Burger King right across the street from work. I'm fond of their breakfast specials. But my entrance to there finds the walls plastered with Jonas Brothers stuff. Posters everywhere! Hard on the appetite. Haven't puked yet, but could happen. They were on Conan O'Brian's Tonight Show tonight. How shallow. Conan, how could you stoop so low!

**At this point, Rumbleshorts chose to edit previous comments that were posted by his evil twin brother. That twin is once again locked up in the basement and we hope he will not see the light of day again!

Talking with Dad - 1999

Talking with Dad

Two years ago, my Dad was losing a long, crummy, battle with cancer, dying at home in a rented hospital bed. His bed was in the addition on the East side of our house where the sun could shine in through big windows every morning. That’s how he knew it was morning. He lived on tubes for months, until, one day, he gathered us together for one last act as head of the family. He said it was time to remove those tubes.

I gave the eulogy at his funeral; he asked me to because I was a Toastmaster. And I did good for him. I did the very, best I could for him. I remember the last line… “next year Grandma Erna is going to have her best garden ever, because every day Grandpa is going to shine down upon it.”

Mom continued to live in that house. For strength and healing, she embraced her circle of friends from church. And we’d come up to visit. Sometimes stay the night. She loves a houseful of kids! The more noise the better. Even at night… when everybody snores! And sometimes, I’d sleep down in that addition where Dad died.

I’m expecting a visit, I guess. I’d like to see him again. There’s so much we could talk about, not that we ever did. Maybe he’d yell at me for still smoking(God knows somebody should)! I can hear him now, “I quit cold turkey when I was your age!” Yeah, and it still killed ya thirty years later. Certainly we could find something better to talk about than that! I mean, after all, we are Minnesota sports fans.

“Darn Vikings! Stupid Twins! But hey… how about that Tom Lehmann?” Dad always liked Tom Lehmann because they were both from Alexandria, Minnesota. The only reason he would watch golf was to see if Tom Lehmann was on top of the leader board.

Even if I saw Dad and he said nothing at all, just smiled, well, just seeing him smile again would be pretty darn nice.

The grandkids would love to be part of this visit. Grampa was such a funny guy with them. He’d say “2 + 2 = 22” and they’d laugh, scream and protest “no, no grampa!” It was his granddaughter, my daughter Anna, who helped me cry out every last tear the day he died.

How stupid not to talk while we’re both still able! Shouldn’t that be a precious moment in every day?

We did have our memories. Dad used to pitch baseballs to Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva. I was Harmon and my brother was Tony O. He never did take his turn. He only pitched. We tore the hide off the ball! We fished and we camped. He worked, we played.

He really did quite a bit for us kids. And maybe now, I’m just being selfish. I want more. Maybe now that he’s gone, it’s easier to talk.

We’re going to my Mom’s this weekend. We’ve got a lot to talk about. It’s precious. And at night, well, the kids and I… we’ll sleep in the addition.

**Dedicated with love from Mark to his Dad… Morrie Sannes.

Father's Day Eve

Lucky me. A long fine day filled with time for both Jim and Anna.

Anna and I migrated north this morning so she could be in the Four Mile Run in Farmington. Hey, that rhymes.

Four mile run,
In Farmington,
My baby girl,
She got it done.
Middle of the pack,
Was a darn good finish,
Guess she must've,
Been eatin' her spinach!

And we returned home from a wonderful morning. While catching some zzzzzssss on the recliner, I realized the MN Twins had a night game. Jim and I are ravid fans, to put it mildly, and decided to attend the game on the spur of the moment.

We used to hit maybe 6-8 games a season, but his schedule of good stuff has made that more of a challenge. Today worked though. North again! We got the good old cheap seats. The Twins provided four home runs, the most special being Joe Maurer's patented blast to left center, two rows up. Just enough! Twins fell short on the score, but it was a good pa and son time.

I understand we may see the movie UP tomorrow at the Kasson State Theatre. Three bucks for matinee! And Dad will try to cook a good Father's Day supper.

I'm a lucky guy. There is no task too great to do for these wonderful kids!