Happy Father's Day!

Hi, Happy Father's Day to all those of you, who are Dads - of all ages!

I am dedicating this post to my Dad; who passed away on April 30th, 1998; and "Happy Father's Day", Dad; eventhough you are no longer with us, save in spirit.

My Dad LOVED roses; and he also used to cultivate "miniature" roses! He always wore a miniature rose in his lapel - red, pink, apricot, yellow, white, or whatever the blended mix was of the day. He really enjoyed the pure simplicity, yet elegant, and unique beauty of the rose. He always saw to it, that there were roses on our table; and my Mum thus was further inspired to set a "romantic table". I have picked that joyful tidbit up from her; and appreciate also the beauty / gift of a rose and the contentment that a rose(s) can bring!

When we moved to our present home, there were tids and bits of "wild" roses (mainly miniature) scattered and "abandoned"; as my Dad was no longer here to care for them. My Mum was in poor health; and we did not discover these little bittid gems, until this spring, when we were clearing away debris upon debris. There they were! We have "resurrected" them, fertilized them, and they are BLOOMING forth - happily, so it would seem! Even at Pasley, my Dad planted some roses, in "clumps" on the rocks (with wire nettings around them, as a protective measure against the maurading deer) and they have survived magnificently for all these years!

Fortunately, I have good memories of him reading to me, when I was a child; and I also remember that I used to bake him a chocolate cake for every Father's Day. I can tell a tale on myself. I was about 10 yrs old....was making the cake; and somehow the cookbook page turned over...well, I just kept innocently "following" the recipe. The cake turned out perfectly, eventhough there was the combination of 2 different cake recipes! Go figure! However, with heaps of chocolate icing lathered on, who could really tell the difference! LOL! I thought the cake was delicious; and my Dad gave me no indication, as to it being otherwise! LOL!

Tidbit - It is the thought that counts!

My Dad was a great man; and sadly, it took his loss for me to realize that he was the awesome man, that people thought he was to them. Perhaps I am lamenting a bit, but it is befitting that I honour him as my earth Dad. I do have many wonderful childhood memories of him. I have written about him in a few posts; and a most recent one, - April 30/07.

Dad used to take me fishing in the wee tid hours of the morning; and we would return with a grills or two, (baby salmon) for breakfast. We did a lot together, when I was a child. As the years went by, other priorities took over. However, I do remember him as my Dad; and I thank him for having adopted me; because who knows where I would have ended up in this world. And, I also acknowledge that he did his very best for me. Thank you, Dad or "Mofa", as my children called him.

Bittid - As a reflection, my Dad was "slow to boil" - I think that is a good trait to work on; for those that do not readily possess a calm. Perhaps my Dad's love of roses, helped him maintain his sense of cool calm. He was a deeply spiritual man; and I know that what he accomplished, was with His help.

Please feel free, if you have any stories or memories that you would like to share about your Dads. Once again, appreciate your Dads and remember them on this day.

God Bless our Dads!