Daddy's and Friends

It is so funny how things happen..just by a simple phrase or past quote in a conversation with friends..
Today during the course of the morning and afternoon, I was emailing back and forth with a couple of my most dearest Online Friends. Our little group was formed quite awhile ago, and most of have met in person!! It is wonderful meeting those who you talk to every day..:)
I don't know how it all got started, but I sent an email to the girls about a saying that my Dad used to say, Oh, you would like to know the saying?? Well he used to say "He would shovel shit against the tide" to provide for his family.. My dad had some real funny sayings, and said them quite often..So I had emailed the girls a little ok, well a long email about my Dad..this past June 10th, he has been in Heaven 19 years!! I will share the email because one of the girls, whom I find to be very wise and insightful said that this would make a good Blog.. so here goes the email..
OH JANIE, YOU WOULD HAVE LOVED MY DAD..HE WAS A TRUE LOVER OF LIFE, NO MATTER WHAT.. HE WAS A SURVIVOR OF COLON CANCER..HIS FIRST THANKSGIVING WITH HIS COLOSTOMY BAG, HE WAS A HOOT...WE WERE ALL SITTING AND STUFFING OURSELVES AS WE USUALLY DID ON THANKSGIVING, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, DADDY SAT THERE LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY..!! I SAID TO HIM..WHAT'S SO FUNNY DADDY?? WELL HE LAUGHED EVEN HARDER, SO WE ALL JUST STARTED LAUGHING, NOT KNOWING WHAT THE HELL WE WERE LAUGHING AT, THEN HE TURNED AROUND AND SAID, I'M THE ONLY ONE HERE THAT COULD SIT HERE AND ENJOY THIS WONDERFUL MEAL, AND TAKE A SHIT WHILE I'M EATING!!! OMG, WE ALL ALMOST FELL OFF OUR CHAIRS!!.. DADDY WAS A CARPENTER BY TRADE..OVER THE YEARS HE HAD LOST ALMOST ALL HIS FINGERS WITH A POWER SAW, AND THE LAST FINGER HE CUT OFF THE DOC SAID TO HIM, CHARLIE, I THINK IT'S TIME YOU THINK ABOUT A DESK JOB..WELL DADDY LOOKED AT HIM WITH HIS HANDS HELD UP ( HE HAD 3 FINGERS AND 2 STUMPS ON HIS RIGHT HAND, AND HIS THUMB AND 4 STUMPS ON HIS LEFT) AND SAID WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO TYPE?? LOL..WELL HE CONTINUED IN HIS LITTLE BUSINESS HERE ON THE BEACH, WITH MANY CUSTOMERS WHO JUST LOVED HIM, AND WOULD CALL HIM EVEN IF IT WAS TO JUST CHANGE A LIGHT BULB..!! THEN 10 YEARS AFTER HIS COLON CANCER, HE HAD A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK, THEN 5 YEARS AFTER THAT, AT THE YOUNG AGE OF 70 (1991) HE PASSED AWAY OF LUNG CANCER..BUT HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE LUNG CANCER IN JAN. OF 91 AND WORKED UP UNTIL MAR. OF 91.. NOTHING AND I MEAN NOTHING KEPT DADDY DOWN..BUT THE CANCER DID GET THE BEST OF HIM TOWARDS THE END, AND HE KNEW HE WAS LOOSING HIS FIGHT TO IT, SO HE RETIRED IN MARCH, AND TRIED TO "VACATION" FOR THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS OF HIS LIFE..THAT IS WHAT HE CALLED IT..LOL.. BUT HE FISHED AND DID SOME MINOR JOBS THAT I WENT WITH HIM TO DO, OXYGEN TANK AND ALL..UP UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF MAY, THEN IT WAS DOWN HILL FROM THERE.. BUT DADDY WAS A TRUE BELIEVER IN HARD WORK NEVER KILLED ANYONE..AND AT THE AGE OF 65, MOM WANTED HIM TO START THINKING ABOUT RETIREMENT, AND DADDY TURNED AROUND AND SAID, RETIREMENT IS FOR OLD FARTS, AND I'M NOT AN OLD FART, AND I'M NOT RETIRING!! SO HE DIDN'T..NOTHING BUT NOTHING KEPT DADDY DOWN..EVEN IN THE HOSPITAL, HE WALKED THE HALLS TRYING TO FIX THINGS..HE WAS A HOOT FOR SURE..HE WAS ALSO A VOLUNTEER FIRST AIDER FOR MANY YEARS, AND A FIREFIGHTER..WHEN HE TURNED 62 HE STOPPED FIGHTING FIRES AND DECIDED TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE FIREPOLICE..WHICH HE LOVED..HE WAS VERY VERY ACTIVE..AND MY FATHER NEVER HAD AN ENEMY..WHEN DADDY PASSED AWAY, THE FUNERAL HOME WAS PACKED BEYOND WORDS, AND HIS PROCESSION FROM THE CHURCH TO THE CEMETARY WAS ALMOST 12 MILES LONG..!! THERE WERE FIRETRUCKS, AMBULANCES, POLICE CARS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.. HE WAS A FIRE COMMISSIONER FOR THE COUNTY AT THE TIME OF HIS PASSING..WHICH IS AN ELECTED POSITION, AND HE WAS STARTING HIS 3RD TERM. OK, SO THAT'S THE STORY ABOUT DADDY.. I AM ENCLOSING A PICTURE OF DADDY AND MOMMY WITH ME ON GRADUATION DAY FROM HIGH SCHOOL.. THIS PIX IS 35 YEARS OLD..
OH, HERE'S ANOTHER ONE OF DADDY'S FAVORITE SAYINGS..LOL.. IF HE WAS WITH SOMEONE THAT WAS BEING CHEAP WITH THEIR MONEY, HE WOULD SAY THEY WERE "TIGHTER THAN A CRAB'S ASS AND THAT'S WATER TIGHT".!! HE WAS FULL OF THEM I TELL YA!! HEHEHE