Monday, June 21, 2010

3 Best Things This Morning... and This Weekend


1. Please go to this site to see the full linea de tiempo for the family, and make sure you click on the picture for Nicolas 2009. (found via Unruly Things via Hither and Thither)




2. I visited Sweet Sammies in the W7 area on Saturday night, and despite how full I was after dinner at Patrizio's, that ice cream sandwich was a revelation. I chose oatmeal toffee cookies and buttered pecan Blue Bell for mine.


Plus, I waved at and received a reciprocal wave from Casey Thompson through the Brownstone kitchen observation window. (image from Eat This Fort Worth)

3. My dad


He loves animals, the outdoors, his grandson, and laughing. He is a man's man--hunting, fishing, football coaching, building and fixing--but he is creative and artistic and tenderhearted, too. My sister and I danced growing up, and Dad would sometimes be caught crying during our performances. He has a very good sense of direction, not just geographically but the way he points his life toward loving the people around him.

He has a strong sense of right and wrong and justice and honor. He always seemed to find teachable moments when we were growing up. He expected me to work hard and not to quit. Oh, track and the 800m, how much did I hate you?

He is friendly and accepting and... I think jovial is a good word for him. He taught and coached all his adult life, and I remember in high school sighing as the boys preferred talking sports with him to talking much of anything with me.

He knows all sorts of random information. Hub and I were debating where the term "cop" originated, and Carter said I bet your dad knows. We called him, and of course, he did. (from the copper badges policeman used to wear)

He is strong but flexible. I think he enjoyed allowing me freedom to be what I wanted to be, and I think even liked debating over differences in opinion... like when I argued for vegetarianism my junior year in high school or wrote the essay for him and mom on why I should be allowed to spend the weekend in College Station visiting my boyfriend. After initial thumbs down for both, I ended up getting to do both.

But if I had to pinpoint one thing he taught me that I think has had the most lasting impact, it might be the way he loves Mom. He would say to us as we helped Mom make dinner, "Isn't she the prettiest woman you've ever seen?" And she was! But we would sort of roll our eyes and be grossed out. Dad always said without excuses that he loved us, but he loved mom most. And this always just seemed natural to me. I mean, he's known her longer. When we both graduated and moved out, she was still there. But I also think that placing her as primary importance in our family taught us what it is to really respect and love a woman and that she was worth it, and that created a legacy of what to look for in our own husbands. His loyalty and devotion to her defined what I looked for in the way my husband would love me one day. And though Carter and Dad are different in many ways, in this particular way, they are the same.

Happy Father's Day.

6 comments:

Molly said...

Two things...

1. Sweet Sammies is AMAZING and although way too much for one person to eat, especially after a meal, I seem to put it away rather well each time.

2. Wonderfully written Father's Day tribute! He is and has always been such a perfect dad #2 to me.

Caroline said...

Ooooo, sweet mama, that ice cream sammie looks YUM! I want to try making homemade ones (the full whack -- homemade cookies AND ice cream) sometime this summer -- I am DYING for an ice cream maker.

Anyway, huzzah to ice cream sandwiches and wonderful dads!

Carter said...

you're the best! and your dad, too. love you.

Silver Strands said...

That's a really GREAT 3 things :)
oxox
Denalee

Jennifer said...

This is extra sweet!

Dana said...

Love it! Sweet sweet sweet tribute to your dad. :)