Thursday, April 12, 2007

Dad's Birthday


Happy Birthday, Dad!

Since his birthday falls on a Thursday this year, thirteen things about my favorite dad...
1. He is seventy-five years young this year!
2. He gave wonderful piggy-back rides when I was a little girl and he could also turn me into a "sack of potatoes" and throw me over his shoulder.
3. He had just one brother but 46 cousins.
4. His grandpa taught him to play the harmonica when dad was a little boy.
5. He not only plays harmonica but guitar and banjo, and he also has a jaw's harp (Jew's harp?) which he used to play on rare occasion.
6. He is a polio survivor. The doctor said he would always be crippled but his mother took him to see an osteopath who helped him learn to use his legs again.
7. Dad took us camping every year when we were little girls. We usually camped not far from home often in our own hometown.
8. Dad grew a weedless vegetable garden.
9. Dad instilled in me a love for country gospel hymns and bluegrass music. Oh yeah, and a little bit of love for folksongs too!
10. He bought one house in his lifetime and still lives there today.
11. He's a great storyteller, book reader, and picture drawer.
12. He would do almost anything for his children. Once he drove all the way to Albuquerque, New Mexico just to bring James, Jimmy, and me back home to NY state.
13. I wouldn't trade him for the world. He is the most loving, dedicated, and devoted man I know!

12 comments:

  1. I love my Grandpa! He's the greatest!

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  2. Your so right Joe...he is one of the most incredible fantastic, interesting wonderful human beings that I know...and I am so much richer for knowing him, even as little as I do...Happy Birthday kind sir!

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  3. oh...that was Gramanita's first response in months...trying to get something right for a change...and what a wonderful day to start! Martha's fathers birthday..
    Heres to the father of 3 incredible children...A very Happy Birthday!

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  4. Happy Birthday, father of some of the nicest girls I have never met in person. You did a good job with all of them! ( don't tell your wife I said so, but you are one hansome dude!)

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  5. Happy Birthday (a little late I see) from Shelly too!!

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  6. Gramanita- He had 5 children...so which 2 of us aren't incredible?

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  7. He does sound like a great Dad!
    Happy Birthday to him!

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  8. ooooops...sorry about that...5 children...Okay..I made a mystake again...but no matter..He was one fantastic Poppa...and still is one of the best in the East...also a grampa and soon to be great..grampa...and what a wonderful choice of gramas he made too...These two wonderful incredible people are nothing but the very best..I am truly honoured to know them..just a little..big hugs and love to my family and theirs! Anony

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  9. Lol, I was just teasing you anonymous.

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  10. Mmmm... I love my Grandpa... Wonder what Adam would think about naming our baby after him... Alfred or Leslie.

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  11. Grandpa received the first blood transfusion ever administered for treatment of polio, by Dr. Al Siegl.

    I think that's what it was. Grandpa can verify the details.

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