A look Back 25 years

25 years ago today, my dad passed away.  It doesn't seem like its been that long.  There are so many memories I have of my dad but I thought today I would share just a few.

1. Golf. My dad loved to play golf.  Every chance he had, he would play and when he didn't play, he watched golf on tv. His favorite thing to say was that since he was too old to win the "green jacket", he was counting on his grandson to win it.  Dad also said that he had a deal with God that when it was his time to go, he would do it on the golf course.

2. Louis L'Amour.  My dad loved to read westerns and his favorites were written by Louis L'Amour.  He was very excited one year to travel to Minnesota and visit L'Amour's home town and purchase an autographed copy of one of his books.

3. Crossword puzzles.  He loved doing these and he got me hooked on them too.  I would find one from the newspaper that he had been working on and then try to finish it.  I never did but it was a neat game we played.

4. Fix-it Man?  He thought he was but I am sad to say he was not.  Dad gave it a good try but it just didn't seem to work out the way it was supposed to.  The big joke was that dad always kept a large roll of neon green duct tape in the car.  Whatever needed fixing, dad would duct tape it.  He would be delighted to see all the different kinds of duct tape they sell today.

5. Singing.  Dad loved to sing.  He couldn't sing but he loved to do it anyway.  When we would be in the car, dad would be singing as he drove.  We would put our hands over our ears and ask him to stop.  Dad would laugh and say we had no appreciation of talent.

6. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  My dad loved the UP.  The green forests, trees, hills, winter snow...all of it.  It reminded him so much of his home state of Vermont. 

25 years ago today, my dad passed away.  And you know that deal he said he had with God about death and the golf course?  Well, he was right!  My dad had a heart attack and passed away after playing the ninth hole.  Dad and God had a deal all along!