This is too cute not to share!
Archive | June 2012
Me and My Dad
1981 ~ Camp Russell ~ Me, My Dad, and a Bear
So many times I’ve started to write about my Dad and what he means to me, only to find myself unable to fully express how much I love him – and what a huge part he played in my childhood. Today, on Father’s Day, I’ll try. As you will soon see, I have no ordinary Dad.
I suppose I have to start with my very early childhood. Thanks to the nature of my Dad’s business and my Mom’s teaching career, my Dad hauled me everywhere as an infant, especially the first nine months of my life, while my Mom taught and before I had a babysitter. At the time, in 1981, it was still very unusual for a Dad to be seen around town, alone, with his infant daughter. I made my debut in the business world as an infant, happily sitting in my baby-seat while my Dad conducted business at the local newspaper/printer. A good friend of my Grandpa B. (my Mom’s Dad), Ed, the old editor at the paper, couldn’t get over the fact that my Dad brought me to the newspaper office with him. He told and retold that story well into my teenage years. I still find it funny that men of the 50s found it so unusual as to comment on it. Why shouldn’t a Dad care for his baby daughter?
Even after I had a babysitter, my Dad was always around, and I loved spending time with him. For whatever reason, many of my preschool memories revolve around my Dad. I remember heading out to my Grandma’s deer camp, Camp Russell, with my Dad in his old blue Ford truck. In fact, the picture above is taken right in front of camp. That black/white bulk on the other side of my Dad is one of his first bears.
My Dad has always spent a lot of time on his hobbies, especially hunting and fishing. When I was very young, he even trapped. It was nothing for me to watch my Dad filet fish, skin a muskrat, or cut wood. For many years I took it for granted that most people’s Dads hunted. Deer season was almost a holiday in my family, and one of my favorite times of year.
Early in elementary school, maybe even in kindergarten, my friend Lois came home from school with me. We were going to go play, but I wanted to check in with my Dad first. Lois and I headed downstairs to my parents’ furnished basement. My Dad’s workroom is immediately at the bottom of stairs, to the left. Sure enough, that is exactly where we found him. He was skinning a muskrat. I thought nothing of just barging in, talking to him, probably giving him a hug and kiss. Lois, of course, remained at the bottom of the stairs, not quite sure what to think.
Later, at age six, after my parents took my little sister and me to see Bambi, I remember seriously asking my Dad why he hunted deer. Much to his credit, he gave his six year old a serious answer; an answer I still remember to this day. He told me that if people didn’t hunt deer, they would likely become overpopulated and starve to death. It still impresses me that he gave me such a serious answer at age six.
And then there were sports. As a preschooler, I spent many hours watching my Dad play on a men’s softball team and a men’s basketball team. Of course, as his daughter, I thought he was the best baseball and basketball player ever, even if I didn’t always pay attention to the game. I write extensively about my Dad and baseball here.
As I sit here and write about my Dad, I keep thinking of just one more thing I remember or want to say. Another infamous memory involves my Dad taking my little sister and me out in our pajamas to watch fireworks in my parents’ campground one 4th of July. I could even tell you exactly which pajamas I wore. The entire memory is just beautiful. As E, Dad, and I sat on the hill overlooking the campground, it was almost if the fireworks were just for us.
Of course, as my parents own a canoe livery and campgrounds, there were too many canoeing and tubing trips to count. After the first overnight canoe trip, my Mom decided she wasn’t much of a camper. After that, it became tradition for my Dad to take my brother, sister, and me on overnight canoe trips. I can only aspire to be half as good of a storyteller as my Dad.
As I grew up, as with many daughters, I just wasn’t quite as close to my Dad. Yet I still have so many wonderful memories. While my Dad didn’t teach me how to drive (it was my Dad’s Mom, my Grandma R., who taught me), he did make me feel better about my skills behind the wheel. When I came home devastated that my drivers’ ed teacher recommended additional formal instruction, making it likely I wouldn’t get my license on time, a serious social taboo where I grew up, my Dad didn’t miss a beat. He somehow knew exactly what to say. He saw how upset I was and simply said it didn’t matter. Due to family circumstances as a young teenager, my Dad ended up getting his license at age 15. If I didn’t get my license on time, it wasn’t the end of the world. Our experiences would cancel each other out. As it turned out, I did get my license on time, and it was my Dad who took me to the Secretary of State’s Office to get my license, a solemn occasion for any 16 year-old. He even let me pick out a license plate for my car.
Oh, and my car. You see, as a teenager, I had an agreement with my parents. I would run errands and drive my little sister to school. They paid for the insurance and upkeep on my car, my Mom’s old Grand Prix. One summer the alternator decided to give out. I knew my car wasn’t running properly and told my Dad so. He didn’t quite believe me. Now that I’m older, I’m not sure if I’d trust the opinion of a new driver either. In the end, I was vindicated. He took my car for a spin and it almost left him on the side of the road on US 23. Fortunately he was able to pull into the local garage just before it died.
As my Dad was also my boss, my coworkers didn’t let me forget just how lucky I am. At the time, we had a simple tab system at the canoe livery. If any of the canoe jockeys wanted pop or chips from the store, we simply made a note of it, and it was taken out of their next check. Once the story of my alternator became common knowledge, some wise-guy wrote “Lindsey – 1 Alternator” on the tab sheet. Many kids I grew up with didn’t have a car, much less parents who would pay for repairs.
I’m fortunate to have had my Dad as my first boss too. We used to conspire to get my Grandma, his Mom, to take at least one day off every week. I loved it: Just me and my Dad against Grandma, for her own good. It was through my experiences working at the canoe livery that I learned just how much my Dad loves and respects his Mom, and vice versa. My Dad and I didn’t always see eye-to-eye, especially the summer before I headed off to Michigan State, but I couldn’t have asked for a better boss, even if he did have to chew me out for being a minute or two late from time to time.
There is still so much to say, but as you can see, my Dad is one of a kind. I’m so fortunate to have had him as such a prominent part of my childhood. I know how lucky I am. I’m glad my childhood wasn’t exactly typical and that my Dad didn’t have a 9-to-5 job. I would not have nearly as many memories. I love you Dad, even if I don’t always show it as I should.
Below are a few very funny and very touching Father’s Day posts:
Father’s Day Gifts for My Favorite TV Dads « Childhood Relived – Her Little House on the Prairie reference is just priceless. Her gift-giving guide is spot-on.
My Dad Saved My Life. And Then We Went to Burger King. | Go Jules Go – A very sweet post! Love the picture.
A Dad Story | The Middlest Sister – So good, as usual, I’m going to reblog it too.
Do not be surprised if I continue writing about my Dad in the days ahead. This post stirred up a lot of great memories, most of them pretty funny.
Now for an appropriate music video. So many choices… This takes a little explanation. Most kids would choose a sweet song that reminds them of their Dad. Nope, not me. I’m choosing “Kokomo” by the Beach Boys for an entirely different reason. As a child, I travelled to Aruba with my parents. My Dad knew that I hated the song “Kokomo,” which was pretty popular at the time. So, as you never give my Dad ammunition with which to tease, all my Dad had to do was start to sing the very first words of the song, “Aruba, Jamaica…,” making me wish I wasn’t cornered 30,000 feet above the ground. It was one long flight.
Yep, I’m Still Here
It’s been an interesting spring/early summer, to say the least. Despite my best intentions and carefully laid plans, I seem to be getting nowhere. This is the quietest I’ve been in a while. All I can do at this point is charge ahead. Isn’t that all any of us can do? Well, I’ll spare you the details of my off-line life. Suffice to say things aren’t going as planned, nothing ever does.
As always, I have a lot planned here @ Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde. First up is a small tribute to my Dad. It is Father’s Day after all. Also, today I was pleasantly surprised to learn Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde has been nominated for another blogging award, once again, by Becoming Madame. More details and a post to follow.
Things become more interesting all the time. So much to say, so little time.
Jules over at Go Guilty Pleasures just wrapped up her efforts to bring back slap bracelets. The post is a doozy. Angie Z. from Childhood Relived takes centers stage as she relives her 1993 senior photo shoot, slap bracelet, choke collar, side tail, and all. How do Jules and Angie keep coming up with this stuff? I’m just glad they do!
Well, fashion-forward Chipmunks. The time has come. I’ve given away nearly 200 slap bracelets since December, and your response has made my guilty pleasure heart soar.
I think we’ve done it. We’ve brought them back. A quick Google search of “slap bracelets” proves this. They’re everywhere. (Add “chipmunks” to that search and see what happens!)
Congratulations to you for being so awesome.
Oh and a final tip before we view some FLIPPIN’ FANTASTIC PHOTOS – I’ve noticed my few remaining slap bracelets are suffering from lackluster snappiness. Perhaps it’s the gawd-awful Jersey humidity. Anyhoo, it seems they like being stored rolled up, instead of flat. Here’s a helpful illustration:
And now – onto the final pictures (posted, as always, in the order in which they were received)! If you’d like to see past slap bracelet pictures, or Go Guilty Pleasures slap bracelets across the blogosphere, scurry over to my Slap Bracelets page. And of…
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Of Flappers And Side Ponies ~
I’ve been quiet this week. As usual, life rudely intrudes. Below is the promised side-pony picture promised Jules @ Go Guilty Pleasures! Yes, it is true. For a two-year period in the mid-1980s, my little sister and I took tap and ballet lessons. This picture is my favorite of all of our recital uniforms.
My Fab Four
Over the last several months, I’ve finally started to discover a group of bloggers I really love. The voice, the tone, the humor, along with a healthy dose of admiration keeps me coming back day after day. If I were to put together a super group of humor bloggers who revel in discussing childhood memories, good and bad, this would be my Fab Four:
It all began with Freshly Pressed. Thanks to Freshly Pressed, Angie Z. of Childhood Relived is responsible for my “discovery” of several of the blogs below. Childhood Relived serves up a humorous look back at childhood way back in the 1980s. She covers all the essentials, including 80s fashion, Cabbage Patch Kid dolls, Teddy Ruxpin, ShowBiz Pizza, as well as Poltergeist. I can’t get enough. Her humor is wonderful. If you long for the days of jelly shoes and bracelets, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Her latest piece is a priceless look at Richard Simmons. Enjoy!
What the . . . Richard Simmons? « Childhood Relived
Once A Little Girl is the only one of the Fab Four I didn’t come across thanks to Angie Z. Nope; it was fate instead. I just happened to be browsing WordPress when I happened across Adela’s Once A Little Girl. It was love at first sight, but more on that in a minute. Adela not only grew up in Michigan, she also happens to be the aunt of a childhood classmate.
Now on to why I love Once A Little Girl so much. First and foremost, Adela’s voice throughout the blog is pitch-perfect. At times it is easy to forget her pieces are written from the perspective of an adult chronicling her childhood memories. The voice that comes across in each post is that of a wide-eyed child who happens to have the distance and knowledge to realize just how meaningful childhood memories can be. It is unique. I can only hope to do half as well. Once A Little Girl is sweet, not saccharine. Do yourself a favor and check out some of her reoccurring features. I’m honored to have guest-posted.
Once a Little Girl Friends « Once A Little Girl
Little Girls: Then and When « Once A Little Girl
The Middlest Sister | There are 5 sisters. She’s the middlest.
The Middlest Sister is the most unique blog I’ve ever come across. It is part comic strip, part blog, and all painfully true. My love of The Middlest Sister led to a few unexpected surprises along the way. Back in February, as my Mom and I continued work on her series of children’s books, I introduced my Mom to The Middlest Sister. As the middle sister in a family of five girls, I knew my Mom could relate. Thanks to the The Middlest Sister, my Mom now has a basic appreciation for blogs, even though she does not yet fully understand the concept of someone working so hard on a project without compensation.
So, what is all the fuss about? Frankly, there just isn’t anything out there today similar to The Middlest Sister. Nicole spends each week crafting each new comic strip and/or post. You have to see for yourself. On top of the uncanny crafting of each post, the scenario depicted each week will leave an empathetic smile on your face if you have any siblings at all. The trial and tribulations depicted in each new comic are timeless experiences of childhood. They ring true whether you are 60 or 6. The Middlest Sister rightfully gained some recognition recently. See the link below for more details:
All Copyrights belong to The Middlest Sister ~ 2012
Nicole’s interpretation of yours truly. I love it!
The newest kid on the block in my universe, Jules of Go Guilty Pleasures! shamelessly brings back the side pony (or as my family called it, the side tail) and slap bracelet. How could I not help but include her here, especially after learning of her affection for chipmunks and enjoying every minute of her feature on Childhood Relived? Check it out here and/or here. The entire premise of Go Guilty Pleasures! is something I can support. Why not indulge in what makes us happy, as long as it is legal and doesn’t hurt anyone?
Honorable Mentions:
Below is a list of blogs I visit regularly and love. I didn’t include them above simply because they do not focus on childhood antics and/or nostalgia.
A great family blog by a fellow Michigander, I love Emily’s candor when discussing her own challenges, as well as experiences as a Mom of a teenager. She may not know it, but My Pajama Days helped set me in the right direction when I looked to grow Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde earlier in the spring. I simply began looking into some of the blogging communities featured at the bottom of her blog. A few seemed a perfect fit and set me on my way. Emily, thank you.
If I am ever an expat living in Spain or South America, one of the first things I’d do is set up a blog chronicling all of my experiences living abroad. Of course, I’d have to model the blog after Becoming Madame. If you’ve ever dreamed of living in France, Becoming Madame is a wonderful resource for all things Parisian.
Robin Coyle happened to be my biggest cheerleader throughout 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge: Beatles Edition. She is as almost as big of fan of the Beatles, Paul McCartney in particular, as I am. Most importantly, her blog is a fantastic resource for writers. I will be sharing and commenting on some of her posts in the near future. If you are a writer or even think that you may one day want to write, you need to check out Robin Coyle.
free penny press is probably the blog most similar to Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde in that Lynne features whatever catches her fancy on free penny press. Her blog is gorgeous, well-done, and always interesting. Her latest post brings wonderful news: Her brother is coming home from Afghanistan! Check it out. He’s coming home « free penny press
Little Girl Feet (Photo credit: mtsofan)
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OK. I reposted the wrong post the first time around. This post includes the Lego shop. I love both posts so no harm done.
After seeing the Lego bookshop, I had to repost this. Brilliant!
Happy Sunday ~
I hope you enjoy one of my favorite Beach Boy’s songs. I also included one of my favorite “Pure Michigan” videos. Despite the rainy, cool weather, it makes me want to jump in the lake!
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Another Freshly Pressed gem. Considering Seinfeld’s popularity – and end – all took place throughout my high school years, this post made me feel, well, old.
I love Seinfeld. I’m not a super fan or obsessive about it (especially since the show ran while I was ages 2-11) but I’m always up for it, because it always makes me laugh. There’s a Seinfeld episode for every random life situation. That’s what’s so great about it. The show ended 15 years ago, but somehow it still resonates with people. Except for one minor thing: most episodes of Seinfeld would be impossible today.
Think about it. Think of all those really great episodes, and all those moments that leave George, Elaine, Kramer and Jerry baffled, where you and I would just pull out a cell phone. Technology has sky-rocketed in the past 20 years, and a lot of their sticky situations could easily be averted with an iPhone. There are countless incidents where they needed to get a hold of one another in a pinch, or look…
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Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde 