Lesson #16

Lesson #16: It's okay to have cats (just don't admit it).

Ask my parents if they have pets and the answer is an emphatic NO! Followed by a meek, "Well, there are a couple of cats that come around." Let's just say that at one time of another there were about 900 cats that they were feeding everyday. Okay, maybe not 900, but certainly enough that they could have opened their own cat shelter.

Remember, they live on an island. So, really, those cats are going to keep coming back.

My dad doesn't like it to get around, but he's attached to those furry hairballs. He even saved one that got his poor, tiny paw stuck in the screen door track. My boys still talk about that. How Poppop saved the poor, little kitten. Awwwww.

So, now the boys think (honest to goodness), that it's okay to have a lot of cats...feed them, give them water, NAME them....as long as you say you don't have pets. Huh. I think this lesson comes with a bill for Meow Mix.

Love you, Dad! =)

Lesson #15

Lesson #15: Bologna should be fried.

I remember coming home from church every week and getting lunch ready with my mom. My dad would always want fried bologna. Extra crispy, please. Oddly enough, that's the way I like my bologna too.

Unfried it's slightly slimy and mushy. Fried it's crispy and bacon-esque.

Good lesson. Bologna should always be fried. Thanks, Dad!

I love you!

(P.S. - The boys are big fans of fried bologna too and every time they eat it they say, "Hey, Poppop likes fried bologna too!" Nothing like a lesson that's been passed down from generation to generation!)

Lesson #14

Lesson #14: If you want things to change you have to get involved.

When I was in high school my dad ran for supervisor of our township. He won and became a member of an elite group of governing members. As a daughter, it was kind of cool to have my dad be a Supervisor. His photo still hangs in the township building alongside other former and current members of the board.

And now that he lives on a small (and I do mean small) island in the middle of the Carribbean you'd think he'd be kicking back. Well, not quite. Now he's on the board of the civic association. He's involved again.

The lesson in this comes from what happens when my dad gets involved in things. He changes them...and for the better. What others say can't be done, he does. What others say there's not enough money for, he finds a way to fund. What others complain about, he just gets it done. He's taught us that if we want things to change, we have to try to change them ourselves. And that's a powerful lesson. Thanks, Dad!

I love you!!

Lesson #13

Lesson #13: Make a list.

For as long as I can remember my dad has kept a notepad,usually a yellow legal pad, on his desk with a list of things to do. Everyday he writes his list and everyday things get crossed off.

It helps him organize his time, feel accomplished, and prioritize tasks.

I'm happy to say that this is a lesson that I whole heartily embrace. My husband usually gets bug eyes when I show him lists of things that I want to get done, but it works for me. I like crossing off things as I go through the day and it helps me remember what it is I have to do. Sometimes after chasing around the kids I'm a bit scatterbrained so it helps me come back to reality.

My dad was and still is right. Start a to do list. Then mark things off as you do them. You'll feel better about your day and you'll sleep a little easier at night. Thanks, Dad!

I love you!

Lesson #12

Lesson #12: Just Say No

Well, yesterday's post made me think about all of the people that came into our lives while growing up via my dad's business.

There was a very, very nice gentleman who visited from Brazil. A nice guy with none of the arrogance of yesterday's said employee. Well, this man from Brazil was thrilled with the cost of things here in the U.S. and spent a ton of money on things for his family back home. He was quite generous and was touched by my parents' hospitality and the way he was so warmly welcomed to our small part of the world.

In fact, he was so touched that he offered my parents a present. A maid. A maid who he'd send up from Brazil and who could live on a cot in our laundry room. The gift of humanity.

What lesson did we learn from this? Yes, that's right...if anyone offers to send you a maid from a foreign country just politely say no. See? We learned some heavy life lessons early on in life! =)

I love you, Dad!

(And just in case my brother is reading this, NO, the offer probably does not still stand and you can't hire someone to clean your house and live in the laundry room.)

Lesson #11

Lesson #11: Put as much milk in your cereal as you want.

I'm sticking with the milk theme here, because after writing yesterday's post it reminded me of an incident that occurred at least 20 years ago, but still gets brought up quite often.

One of my dad's employees came to stay with us for a few days many years ago. He was an....interesting man. Actually, I always thought he was a little creepy, but shhh.... =)

So, the night he got there he wanted a bowl of cereal. My dad decided to have one too. Well, this man was very opinionated and proceeded to tell my father that he was putting too much milk in his own cereal. Yes, apparently my father was using too much milk in his own cereal in his own house. The milk hog.

You may have guessed what happened next, but if you haven't it's spelled H-I-V-E. Yep, my dad got a great big hive starting on his forehead. He gets hives when he's stressed.

We have used this little story about employee X (who is no longer an employee, by the way), to tease one another just about every chance we get about how much milk is put in the cereal bowl. It was a good lesson in tolerance, hospitality and keeping the gun cabinet locked at all times.=)

I love you, Dad!

Lesson #10

Lesson #10: Cookies taste better with a big, cold glass of milk.

My dad has never been one for a lot of sweets (unlike me!). He does like his Oreos though. Plain old Oreos - not the new fancy, schmancy ones or the generic sandwich cookies. And really there's no comparison between the Oreos and the generic cookies. Oreos win hands down.

Whenever he has Oreos he also has a big, cold glass of milk for dunking. It may not seem like there'd be a lesson in this simple act, but I think there is.

For me it's a reminder to savor the simple things. Sometimes there's nothing better than cookies and milk...not a million dollars, not a huge mansion high on some hill, not anything money can buy. Sometimes milk and cookies are all that you really need.

I love you, Dad!

Lesson #9

Lesson #9: Spelling is important.

For some reason this morning I was thinking about spelling and I remembered being in school and having to study for spelling tests. Never a fun task. Unless my dad was helping me study, that is.

I remember him giving me tricks for remembering words and patiently quizzing me over and over until I got all of the words right. He'd even ask me again in the morning on his way out to work. So, I'm now a stickler for spelling. It's hard to fight the urge to circle misspellings in bright red ink....especially when it's somewhere prominent (like on a menu board sign outside of Applebee's...just as an example *grin*).

But the lesson isn't really about spelling. It's about taking the time to help. No matter how busy or tired or overwhelmed you find yourself, helping someone else (even with spelling words)can leave a lasting impression. Thanks for the help, Dad!

I love you!!

(And just in case the Applebee's sign writer is reading...."Apple" is not spelled "Appel".)

Lesson #8

Lesson #8: If you drive fast keep the FOP badge on the license plate and don't get caught.

My dad used to have a black Corvette. Convertible with red leather interior. I was a teenager and, boy, was that a cool car. Even if I hadn't been a teenager it still would have been a cool car. The fun though was when we'd just go out for a drive...just me and my dad.

We'd go across a stretch of road that just begged for speed. So, we usually went pretty darn fast....top down, wind rushing in our hair...fun! Sometimes I'd wave like Miss America as we traveled down the road. People would look and we'd laugh. Goofy, but that's okay...see lesson #7. =)

Of course, by the time my kids get old enough to drive I'll have to have deleted this post so that they don't get any ideas. But it was fun and it's a good memory. Thanks, Dad!

I love you!

Lesson #7

I know my dad thinks I forgot to post today, but alas, no such luck. =)

Just a late night of working and a busy day of child chasing yesterday made for little time to type. I've been trying to get the posts typed the day before so that they'll post before he wakes up in the morning.

So, today's lesson...

Lesson #7: It's okay to be goofy.

Anyone that knows my dad knows that this is a no brainer. He has a wickedly sick sense of humor (that I am proud to say I've inherited) and isn't (usually) afraid to be a bit goofy...like letting his grandkids play "dress up" with him or getting a talking monkey head and setting it to go off when people walk by just to freak them out. Thepictures of the make-up/hair-do session are stuck on my cell phone, but boy, would they be fun to post here.... =)

So, thanks, Dad. For showing us by example that goofiness is okay; humor is essential and life is too short not to wear lip gloss. =)

I love you!

Lesson #6

Lesson #6: When trying to protect your newly coated, newly made pool don't drop cinder blocks in it. And whatever you do, don't let go of the wet vac.

So, the pool, the long awaited in ground pool, was finally finished and all that was left was some outside cosmetic work on the stairs. The large piece of plastic covering the pristine water was held down by cinder blocks. What was my brilliant idea? Pull the cover to the side and drape it over the wire fencing. Sounds simple enough. Yeah, well, there were holes in the plastic and as we tried to roll the cover it started taking on water - making it impossible to actually lift the plastic out of the pool. So, being the smarty that I am, I jumped into the pool - fully clothed - and tried to use my Herculean strength to lift the plastic out. Yeah, great idea, only one of the cinder blocks fell into the pool.

I have to give my dad credit, the hives were starting to pop out on his forehead and he still managed to keep a little bit of his cool. After all, he loves me and I was pregnant and it would look bad to kill a pregnant lady over a cinder block. We managed to get it out and there was no damage. Of course, now there were big pieces of cinder in the pool.

This called for the wet vac. At this point, I pointed out that a pool vacuum might be a good investment. And yet another hive popped into existence on his forehead.

So, there we are, my mom and I, holding onto the wet vac that's plugged into the outlet as my dad dives under the water to suck up the cinder with the wet vac hose. Maybe this lesson should be part of a "Top 10 Things Never To Do" post. =)

Anyway, the lesson is to keep cinder blocks away from the pool, don't dive underwater with a wet vac, and make sure you're a couple thousand miles away from your dad when you retell this little story. I can just feel the hives popping up all the way from here!

Love you, Dad!

Lesson #5

Lesson #5: You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose.

Sage advice, I tell you. Really when you think about it, that little gem has more implications than what you may initially think. Sure, the obvious nose-picking idea is tried and true, but how else can you apply that to your life?

It's a good reminder that you can't do everything for everyone. Even those you care about. Sometimes you have to let them pick their own noses. Literally and figuratively speaking, that is.

The lesson can also apply to the rules of social interaction and personal hygiene. Think about it. Happy picking!

I love you, Dad!

Lesson #4

Lesson #4: Don't wear your underwear on the outside of your pants.

Gee...need I say more?

I love you, Dad! =)

Lesson #3

Lesson #3: If You Don't Have Anything To Say, Stop Talking

My dad is not a big phone talker. He tends to only answer when my mom is out or indisposed of...and you can hear the "oh crap, I have to answer the phone" feeling in his voice. I don't blame him. I'm not really fond of the phone either (unless I'm talking to my mom...then I can blab for hours - poor mom). And it's not anything personal (at least I hope not!), he just doesn't like talking on the phone.

So, when we do have one of our phone conversations it will last a few minutes until he says, "Okay, I'm out of things to say." And that will be it. If you don't have anything left to say, stop talking.

That's a great lesson to apply to all aspects of social interaction. Co-workers, family, friends...sometimes we all tend to talk TOO much. And too much talk is not all it's cracked up to be. How many times have I said something I probably shouldn't have said and regretted it the moment it came out of my mouth.

And that's all I have to say about that.

I love you, Dad!

Lesson #2

Lesson #2: "Stop laughing!"

This one dates back to when I was, oh, maybe 12. We were sitting in a Mexican restaurant on vacation/work in California and I was just...happy. For no reason other than being together, having a good time, etc., etc. So, I started to laugh. Giggle really. In a 12 year old girl sort of way. Slightly annoying I know now, but it was a giggle of just pure happiness.

"Stop laughing! Nothing's funny! Just stop laughing!"

Aw, Dad. You got so upset and I just couldn't help myself. The angrier you got the funnier I thought it was that you were mad that I was laughing. So, I just couldn't stop. Even thinking about it now makes me snort trying to hold back laughter.

Boy, did my dad get mad. And STAY mad! The entire flight home from California to Pennsylvania was made in stony silence the next day. Even that was funny, but heaven knows I didn't want to start laughing again.

Okay, so what's the lesson? The lesson is that it's the little things that make the memories that last. It's those moments that you don't plan, can't plan, and probably wouldn't want to plan that shape the fabric of a family. And it's a good memory. It's a funny one and it's one that reminds me that it's those little moments that matter. Thanks for that, Dad.

I love you.

Lesson #1

Lesson #1:

"I brought you into this world, I can take you out. It doesn't make any difference to me; I can make another one just like you."

This little gem was borrowed from Bill Cosby and was a mantra when I was growing up. Although said (mostly!) as a joke, it got some pretty good mileage and can still be heard every once in awhile. Usually when the grandkids are around....but honestly, it doesn't quite have the same effect. They don't seem to get it and it sounds slightly creepy having their grandfather say it.

So, what's the lesson? That my dad has a Bill-Cosby-esque sense of humor. And anyone who has ever heard Bill Cosby knows that he's got a great heart, loved his Huxtable kids, and was a great Huxtable dad. Just like my dad....except not the "Huxtable" part.

Love you, Dad!

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

It's Father's Day 2008 and this year there's no tie for you! It would clash horribly with your Hawaiian shirts and look too creepy with the tank tops. So, what do you get you may wonder? A generic gift certificate, a picture collage, a tiny blue Speedo? Nope!

You get THIS!

Wahoo! A blog dedicated just to you! (You can wipe away the tears now. Yes, this really is your present.)

I hope I don't embarrass you too much as I share the tidbits and snippets of wisdom that you've passed down to your offspring! It'll be like a "Daily Dose of Dad Wisdom." =)

Happy Father's Day, Dad! I love you!