A Day With Dad

 

 

June 14, 2013 - Friday

 

Today I picked Dad up at his condo around eleven in the morning. He was all dressed in a perky yellow shirt and light-colored khakis ready and waiting for the day. Me too! Not that I was wearing a yellow shirt or khaki pants, but I was excited to spend the day with Dad.

 

First off we drove to Five Points and picked up one of his prescriptions. Of course, when we were waiting at the small pharmacy counter, Dad saw someone he knew and I saw someone I knew. So we both chatted with our respective friends and then said hello to one anothers' and took our package and walked arm in arm across the street to the Post Office.

 

"Where have you been?" the lady behind the counter asked Dad. He then proceeded to fill her in about the fact that he'd had a stroke and can't drive now. She said cheerfully that she was glad to see that he was upright and walking! Dad paid for two sheets of flower stamps and we were off to our next adventure.

 

All the way to the other end of Glenwood Avenue we drove with the windows down enjoying the cooler air that whooshed in last night on a storm taking Dad's electricity out for the night. He said he did not have power until around nine this morning. We were glad it had cooled down in the 60's for that fiasco. My lights flickered but graciously stayed on.

 

At any rate, we reached the parking lot of the Food Lion where we walked in, grabbed a cart, and went in search of sodas to buy for tomorrow's cookout. Father's Day and other celebrations included in the hot dog event at my sister's house. While there we grabbed some Doritos just in case anyone would like some (mainly me). Then a bar of Ivory soap for Dad.

 

Back in the car and on around the corner to the Goodwill. There we perused the shelves that held books for sale. $1.75 for hardbacks no matter how thick. Dad found a few and so did I. He was looking for some of his favorite authors, especially Stuart Woods, but no luck. We paid in cash (no checks or credit cards taken) for them at the counter. Dad gave the lady his money and said, "Keep the change". She smiled and said she would give it to some people in need. Again, we went back in the car arm in arm.

 

Still driving with the windows down, we made it to my street and turned in, and caught a glimpse of a deer crossing the road. I slowed down and there in the neighbor's yard was a doe and its little spotted fawn. Bambi, anyone? How adorable. But it had a limp and I wanted to grab it and take it to the Veterinary School. But it turned its head and looked at us, seemed happy, so we drove slowly on to my house where we went inside and settled down on the couch (for Dad) and in the kitchen (for me). I made us some open-faced ham and cheese sandwiches on rosemary sourdough bread for our 'picnic lunch' which I crisped in the little toaster oven. Yum. I cut them up like little canapes in hopes it would help Dad chew small bites. We ate them while sitting on the couches and had fun talking.

 

Afterward, I grabbed the new potatoes in the fridge I had boiled the previous night and sat back down on the couch to cut them up in a bowl while Dad read more stories to me. What a delight to hear him laugh and enjoy the tales. He is quite the storyteller. He read from a book that was written in 1945 by someone who had been a boarder in his grandparent's huge house on Market Street in Washington, N.C. (Carl Goerch; founder of Our State Magazine). What fun. I am looking forward to reading it as well.

 

When the potato salad preparation was done for the moment, we decided to open the screen door to the porch. I set him up in the shade with a glass of water over ice. He read with the breezes blowing while I began to make us a treat. A shortcake recipe that is really good. My idea? To take them hot out of the oven, and we could eat them with melted butter and some maple syrup or honey drizzled in the middle. All the cutting in of the cold, sweet butter and the kneading and the rolling and the cutting out in biscuit rounds was to no avail. I have no idea if it was the fine weather, the gas oven (which I do not like how it bakes), or just what, but they would not cook in the middle. Just a gooey mass with crisp outer shells. Poo!

 

Well, my freezer ice cream didn't work out either this week. A grand recipe from The Two Fat Ladies Cookbook that looked really easy to prepare and sounded delicious but which ended up looking like frozen mashed potatoes. I don't think the cooking gods were with me this week so I have laid that notion aside until next week. Better luck? We'll see.

 

So I got my book and joined Dad on the porch to read. But not before I gave him a manicure that he asked for. His nails were willy nilly and he has nice nails when they are filed. I like doing it for him but I leave his toenails for my sister!

 

Before we knew it, the time on my iPhone read almost 4:00, the time I told my brother-in-law that I would bring Dad back to the condo. (He and my sister were living with Dad at his condo, for a time, after he fell and broke his hip.) I asked Dad if he'd like to stay longer but he said he should probably get back. I know he likes to read his mail and catch up with the newspaper. I don't suppose he had time this morning to get it all done.

 

Thanks for the memory, Dad. I love you. Happy Father's Day.

(c)nancy 6.15.2013