My dad was my biggest fan. He encouraged me even when he didn’t like my choices. Deciding to move 400 miles away to go to college was not what he wanted, but he still encouraged me. Moving to Houston after my graduation from college was not part of his plan, but he was always proud of who I had become. He eventually learned to appreciate Terry even though it meant I was tied to the Houston area a little tighter.

I was the first child. And I spent lots of time with my daddy. He took me to the farm. I got to ride on the lift at the gas station while they changed his pickup oil. He taught me to drive so i could help move farm equipment. He got me my first chihuahua puppy, my first Siamese cat and my first Pekingese puppy. He bought a Chevy Vega Wagon and drove it for a year before I got my license because that was the car I wanted. I learned that he traded cars faster when he was irritated when we traded that Vega for a Mercury Capri. He painted my first trombone case purple.

I got my techie gadget desire from Daddy. He loved CB & Ham radios. I’ve been to many a Hamfest in my life and met many people as a result. We had commercial radios when we started driving. And woe be the child that did not answer our radio when called!!

I was sure my daddy could do anything. He built cradles, carved bowls, loaded ammo, worked on cars among other things. He almost ruined me for other men. He didn’t remember birthdays, but he knew he had one child during harvest, one around Christmas time & one during wheat sowing season.

Today is Daddy’s birthday. The first one without him. I miss him.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!