Friday, September 19, 2014

Cheese Curds and the Bucket List

Today has been a day filled with memories of my dad. I stopped by the grocery store and had to pick up an appetizer for a happy hour party. They had fresh cheese curds and the lady giving out the samples called them squeakers, just like dad! Of course I bought some and they were delicious. Later today, Erik and I spent some time swinging on the swing set in the backyard. I thought of how dad and Steve got up at 6 am to start construction on the swing set and how we had to convince dad that he couldn't start drilling and nailing at 6 am in the city! Just now, we watched The Bucket List. I remember dad loving this movie and it's message...find the joy in your life! I am grateful for the glimpses of dad today.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Juke Box Hero

Tonight we celebrated my mom's birthday with dinner in Cannon Falls. We asked her for her best birthday party memory. She said, "A party where we got to invite boys and we got to swim in the gravel pit." Is anyone surprised by this? When I asked her what her best gift was she did not hesitate at all. "My fiftieth birthday when Myles bought me the jukebox." I will never forget that day and how excited my dad was for mom to see the gift. We had her come out to the garage and she thought she was getting a new dining room table. When mom saw the jukebox she kissed the guy from Jim's game supply. He said it was the best reaction he'd ever gotten from a delivery. The next time you come to the cabin and listen to a tune remember my dad, the jukebox hero!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Two Years Ago Today

Today marks the 2nd year anniversary of us living without dad. It hardly seems possible that we've been able to keep on laughing, crying, working and soldiering on without his presence. This morning I woke up at 5 am and had the best vision of dad. He was sitting in the front of the Bass Tracker with one foot on the trolling motor looking at the sunset on Blue Lake. I hope the fishing is great, dad! PS...I can't bare to eat the last walleye package in the freezer so it sits in the corner of the deep freeze as my sweet memory of dad each time I look for something to make for dinner!

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Curious Call

A few weeks ago mom received a phone call at 4 am. It was the day she was closing on the house so she'd been having trouble sleeping that night. It was a man named Marty Fairbanks. He had been a sentenced to serve worker and he and dad had hit it off many years ago. When he was able to move into his first apartment mom and dad bought him a microwave and some other items that they thought he would need. He had been away from Thief River Falls for the last few years and called looking for dad. Mom told him that dad passed away and he couldn't believe it. He told mom how dad had been like a father to him and his dream was to run a tree service business with dad. Mom finally got him calmed down and told him to keep in touch. On a day when we needed dad, this call made mom realize how much he is still around in the others that remember and miss him.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Letter To Dad

Dear, Dad Today I'm feeling the need to be closer to you so it's time for a letter. First, an update on the Christmas festivities of 2013: * Katy continues to be in the lead for best lefse roller. She and mom made homemade lefse for all of us and Steve-o ate the most. * Erik is on a no-clothes kick. Every day he asks if he has to wear pants. He is currently wearing fireman underwear and roaming the house. * Myndy and Jason hosted a great Christmas celebration. You would have loved the pasta bar with homemade meatballs. * Mylee and Stella got a fancy Cadillac Escalade for their present. Should be fun this spring and summer. No Crestliner for us yet, but Steve is shopping for boats daily! You would be proud of mom. She has done a great job getting the house ready to sell and should close sometime next week. I made her a book about "The Little Brown House" where you are featured promimently! Many shots of the family with wild game. Myndy and Jason are in Hawaii and Stella keeps thinking there is a man who looks like you...right down to the Merrells and Hawaiian shirt. I'm sure you are keeping an eye on all of us and tapping us on the shoulder ocassionally. Love you, Heather