My Dad.
His name is Chuck. This is his house. This is where I grew up. Well as much growing up as you do from age 10 to 18. Which is a lot. See that pine tree on the right. That was our Christmas tree one year. See the sun tea on the corner of the old planter box. I have fond memories of that tea jar. That jar says home. I don’t like the tea Chuck drinks. It tastes like pond water. But the jar brings nice memories. See the window on the left? that was my room. Now I think it is a room for very important boxes of very important stuff that Chuck will have to find a new home for when he retires and moves to Missouri with us. Do you see the screens over the windows? When it stormed we had to run out really fast and roll up the screens before the gale force winds ripped them right off and deposited them somewhere in the front yard or left them dangling precariously from the little hooks secured in the soffit. It was very exciting. Well as exciting as the weather ever got in Phoenix, AZ. It was nothing like hail the size of quarters and tornado sirens. See the planter under my bedroom window? I planted kiwi there one year. The sun killed them. The catalog said kiwi grows in zone 9. It should have had an asterisk that said “*Except in southern facing flower beds against block wall homes.”
This is the one and only wedding that Chuck was a main player in. Do you see his suit? I don’t know where it came from or where it went after this event. I bet the girls at his work are laughing. He looks good, no? See that woman next to him? That is my mother. This was her third marriage in a long line of “serious, committed relationships”. What you can’t see is the look of pure unadulterated fear on Chuck’s face. Ok, maybe we couldn’t see it but I’m sure in his head he was thinking “What am I doing?” Ok, maybe he wasn’t thinking that right then but he should have been and I know he has thought that since then! This was 7 short years before my mother lost her mind and ran off to California. I use the term “lost her mind” quite loosely. Oh and that’s me! The cute curly haired kid in the white. I think I benefited the most from the ill fated nuptials. When my mother took off Chuck stuck by me. He may say that *I* stuck by him. I say we stuck by each other. We weathered her insanity together and I appreciate the commitment he has made to me and my family when no one else did. Then again, his whole family is that way. That’s why I claim him as my dad.
Lookie there Chuck, you married psycho woman and lived to tell about it. You even got 12 grandkids to baby sit visit in MO. Jeff, the mental illness skips generations. I’m good.
And add to all Chuck’s wonderfulness that he sends these amazing care packages.
What’s this?
It’s packed well.
Frisbees?
Tortillas!! A week ago he sent another package!! Jeff said to the kids “Don’t touch these tortillas.” He did intend to share but it sure didn’t sound that way for a minute. You better watch out Chuck or we will get spoiled!! I have a THATEOTY gift for you Chuck. I am hoping to get it done by your birthday… September right? ;)
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Your dad sounds like a very special man. What a blessing he must be to you all. :)
What a great dad. The woman I call mom does not share the same blood with me either. My bio mother also suffered (still does) with mental illness. We do speak now, but didn’t for 18 years after she left my life when I was 9. She has seen my children, but never alone and I strictly guard their hearts where she is concerned. Thankfully, God placed me in a stable, loving environment in which to grow up. Good to know that the mental illness thing skips generations! LOL Would Chuck adopt me? I want some good tortillas! ;)
Glad I’m not the only one with a weird background, course Jesus didn’t come from the typical family either! ;) Not that I’m comparing myself to Jesus, sheesh, didn’t mean it to sound that way.
Live down South and you will have shelves and shelves of tortillas to choose from. We like Tia Rosa.
a very sweet tribute to chuck! i wanna see current pics :)
Great tribute post! I loved the shot of you as a little girl! You’re very cute!!
Enjoy those tortillas! White flour and shortening have their uses in this world. I have some of them in my freezer right now!
Have a great morning!
I see Jenna in that pic! You were super cute, Katie! Isn’t God good to give us someone we can count on when others fail us?
Wow! What a guy. Then and now. All those tortillas. Why are you trying to get him to move to Missouri? He won’t be able to send the tortillas any more? Of course, he sounds like a great person to be around. So, I guess I’d do without the tortillas for company like that, too. :)
Hey Katie,
What a nice tribute to Chuck! It was great reading a little bit about your history! You crack me up with the whole “psycho woman” comment! Do you think she reads this blog! LOL!
It was good talking with you the other day. Thanks for being a wonderful sounding board.
God bless,
Diane
Ok, so I did NOT realize that this was Katie writing this until much later. And I was VERY confused. I was looking for the curly haired little boy and thinking Jeff was calling Reb a psycho woman. See how that might be confusing?
Phew, I feel better.
That is funny. Remember? I have my own blog. I am not taking the advice of those crazy ladies and posting on here. What are they thinking. Then everyone would always be confused. ;)
What a sweet tribute to your Dad! (No matter if he is ‘blood related’ or not – family is family, and love is love!) I think it’s great you have each other!
I think Jeff might have just called me a crazy lady?!?! Is he CRAZY???? ;)
Katie, your post about your dad reminds me of the song that talks about hoping to be “half the dad he didn’t have to be”. Have you ever heard that song? Anyway…. Great post!
Oh, And I’m sure Jeff thinks you’re exaggerating!
Katie is not exagerating. Chuck really is as great as she says! How did I get so lucky?
The things we never knew : ) Reminds me of this song, makes me tear up every time!
BRAD PAISLEY LYRICS
“He Didn’t Have To Be”
When a single mom goes out on a date with somebody new
It always winds up feeling more like a job interview
My momma used to wonder if she’d ever meet someone
Who wouldn’t find out about me and then turn around and run
I met the man I call my dad when I was five years old
He took my mom out to a movie and for once I got to go
A few months later I remember lying there in bed
I overheard him pop the question and prayed that she’d say yes
And then all of a sudden
Oh, it seemed so strange to me
How we went from something’s missing
To a family
Lookin’ back all I can say
About all the things he did for me
Is I hope I’m at least half the dad
That he didn’t have to be
I met the girl that’s now my wife about three years ago
We had the perfect marriage but we wanted somethin’ more
Now here I stand surrounded by our family and friends
Crowded ’round the nursery window as they bring the baby in
And now all of a sudden
It seemed so strange to me
How we’ve gone from something’s missing
To a family
Lookin’ through the glass I think about the man
That’s standin’ next to me
And I hope I’m at least half the dad
That he didn’t have to be
Lookin’ back all I can say
About all the things he did for me
Is I hope I’m at least half the dad
That he didn’t have to be
Yeah, I hope I’m at least half the dad
That he didn’t have to be
Because he didn’t have to be
You know he didn’t have to be
Do they not have tortillas in the backwoods- I mean the Ozarks?
My Faves are El Ranchito. Don’t know if they exist anywhere but the Northwest. About 4 hours from here in good weather is a town called Zillah, where my mom was born. She remembers the Abuelita sitting in her back yard by the clay oven baking tortillas to be sold at the stand at the front of the house. Later they built a “factory” which they later made into an automated factory. Now, in the original employee lunch room there is a cafeteria where you can get SUPER yummy mexican food all served with- what else?- El Ranchito tortillas. You can also buy great pan dulces (sweet breads and pastries) there if you can order in Spanish!
Katie – WOW – I remember that house. Chuck’s moving with you? That’s so cool! WOW … good ol days. :-)
I know you have your own blog Jeff, that’s how I got here, but I didn’t realize it was a “different” one. Anyway, cute story.
Wow, I just read this tonight while reading old posts. I really wonder if Katie’s current behavior is due to inherited/genetic mental problems. Maybe it did not skip a generation. I hope she is getting counseling along with the children. I am continuing to pray for the whole family.
Wondering, too, Suzanne.