Pennies From Heaven

MY FATHER.......

My father was killed when I was 7months old, so I never knew him. Still.. I loved him so much. He was working as an electrical power lineman and traveled around repairing the high wires that lined the rural roads in Wyoming back in the 1940 and 50's. These beautiful and frightening, lightening storms we've all been having lately..are reminders of how my father died ..as he was electrocuted while working on those high wires up in the sky! A lightening strike had damaged some electrical wires and when he had climbed up one of those tall poles (they still did that back then) to repair the lines..he had come in contact with a live wire, it killed him instantly. We, kids always revered the comforting letter from the owner of the power company my father had been working for informing my Mother of that fact and telling her that to at least rest assured that he did not suffer. He died at 26 years of age and left behind a very naive and timid young wife and 4 little children under the age of 6. We still have the satin cloth that went across his coffin that read "We'll Miss Our Daddy" and we did miss out on so much!

my dad as a young wild, onery boy!

One of the very earliest things I ever really knew of my father, Richard, was that my only brother was ...JUST like him. My grandma, Dona, would travel up from Texas, pile us playful kids in what I think was her old 1956 Oldsmobile, with it's old camel-hair seats and drive, alone, with us monsters.. on up to my Aunt's ranch in the gorgeous Rocky Mountains of Colorado, whereas the whole time my brother teased us unmercifully.....just like my father was supposed to have done to his only sister.

(that's me in thw picture with my brother..he must of got dressed up for this pic!) My Grandma was a hoot, she talked way too fast and endlessly.. she rambled on in her southern drawl about this or that, but she always made sure she told us about all about her son and how our father loved us so! Funny.. she seemed to never take notice as we screeched and hollered from the back seat of that car while she painfully manuerved it through those steep, winding mountains OR how much our brother was either pincing, poking or prodding us into doing something stupid or funny, as we greedily ate ALL her cauliflowers, tomatoes and peppers from the box of fresh vegetables she was hoping to surprise our aunt with.

my dad... when his face was full of freckles! Ronny had lots of freckles too.. everyone used to say, "did you forget to dry your face?..sure looks like maybe you rusted!"

Me and my big brother!

As Ronny grew up, he came to possess my father's modest and demure mannerisms, his warm, funny, and very reliable and likable character and his indearing ...huge smile! And he never lost his desire to tease relentlessly! I adored my brother. He broke our hearts as he did sooo suffer, and he, too, died way too young. We lost him to dreadful melanoma cancer when he was just 52. He left behind 3 wonderful sons and a beautiful daughter. I know he was a fantastic father and his kids loved him tremendously .... so did I. I remember my Mom's words as my brother lay dying in his home, "We are going to miss him." And I do.

I think he liked me, too! He showed this pic to his Navy buddies.

He went into the navy in 1967 and would buy us groceries when he was home on leave.

Mom and Dad 1946.

I believe girls mostly end up marrying someone like their fathers. Boys mostly marry someone like their moms. I believe people choose someone that is within their comfort zone (bad or good)...someone like what they're used to being around..maybe growing up around. Now you can mix that up and choose a multi-family-character-such as a mate with a personality like your dominant mom mixed with traits like your favorite brother or sister.... cause people tend to settle in with what makes them feel comfortable-(sometimes even if it's that an abusive relationship! you know.. someone that's been raised in an abusive home..gets into an abusive relationship..never leaves the relationship..raises kids who enter into abusive relationships..and the legacy can get passed on....)...it's all what they are used to growing up around..people tend to head straight back into what feels normal.

I found someone kinda like my norm..a man kinda like my brother..and I hope..maybe like my father. My kids' dad is very likable, reliable, dependable, responsible, and certainly a relentless TEASE! He, too, is a sick man now . He has had a matastizised bile-duct adenocarcinoma tumor removed from his liver, has chronic liver disease, and is in kidney failure and has to suffer the routines of an artifical kidney- dialysis machine- 3 times a week. But he is doing so well because he is so strong. My 82 year old mom came over last week to have her infamous home-permanent hair treatment (done by "Kay"..me) but it took us awhile to get to that perm as she had something to look me in the eye and say! And to which she did with her most earnest regard. She has always paid the most sweetest compliments to Mike and has been consistent with her remarks about what a good man she has always thought my husband to be. I know that she prays for him more than once a day and I truly believe the Good Lord listens to her prayers, because we are genuinely blessed to have him around. But this time she was looking at me differently. She had some things to say and reminded me of some things Mike might be needing right now and told me that she thought Mike was staying around because my kids and I still needed his strength so much. I really needed to hear that. She remarked, "He has been and always will be a family man." He has always been the glue that held us together. It is easy to fall apart when someone is sick around you every day but I think we owe it to him to be strong too. And I will miss his strength..

Today is Father's Day. And my husband is still in bed as I write this. My kids and I always have a brunch or dinner for him on this day but we have passed it up this year for his boys are traveling to go to work for our company...and that is my husband's legacy to them. I know as they drive out of state to their destination it will bother them leaving him on this day but they know their dad is resting assured that they are taking care of his..their business. And..maybe I'll take him out for his favorite 'In- and Out' ...later!

Happy Fathers' Day to any of you dad's out there and really to anyone who has memories of a special father. I hope I reminded you of good and happy thoughts of the fathers in your life..so Please ..write to me if you have a memory you'd like to share of a Dad.... even if it's not your own..I'd love to hear your thoughts.

And what does that have to do with pennies from heaven ..you say??? Well..I have been finding alot of coins falling from heaven.... from my brother??? ..lately, but I'll tell you about the coins in my bed another time.