Happy Father's Day!

Wishing my Daddy (Ernie) and Alan's Dad (J.P.) a Happy Father's Day! The moms will probably get me for not writing about them on Mother's Day! Another time Moms!)
We had a wonderful lunch with our dads and the rest of our family here at our house.
Down-home Southern country cooking-it doesn't get much better. Baked ham, fresh homegrown (Daddy) snaps (green beans for readers outside of northeastern NC), squash, hashbrown casserole, rice cooked in ham broth, potato salad and pineapple cake. I'll definitely need to get some exercise going this week!! But really most things were cooked following Weight Watchers & diabetic guidelines, including the cake. (We won't talk about portion control though). LOL.

Alan, Shari & I are very fortunate when it comes to our dads! They are the best two dads in the world!! Both are honorable men, strong in their Christian faith and love for their families. Daddy and J.P. both are firm disciplinarians when they need to be, but also the ones we seek for for strength & comfort when we need it. They both enjoy gardening and piddling around outside. Both men are well-known for their teasing and aggravating! You're okay if they are teasing & picking on you, but if they aren't-you'd better tread lightly. One of the special bonds between J.P. and I is our love of flowers and animals. We always have to walk around each other's yards to see what's blooming, and trading plants & bulbs. I must say I've gotten the better end of that deal-he has more to share than I do. I've enjoyed his chickens, peacocks, collies and other animals through the years (not so much the parrots & Quaker Parakeets & tarantula!). I love him dearly and am so glad he is my father-in-law, and so glad he raised such a wonderful son.

I'm totally a Daddy's Girl and my daddy has always been my Hero, with a capital H! As a child, I wanted to be just like him! (Not so easy for a girl). I would get mad when people told me I looked "just like your Mama", which happens at least weekly now. When I was around 3 or 4, I cut my hair one night. I started above my ear! My comment was "I want to be like my daddy!" I had a very short pixie for awhile. I always wanted to go wherever he went (and didn't like it one bit if I couldn't go.) To this day, he better not leave without telling me "Bye" and hugging me, or I'll be in tears. I think some of this comes from him being a NC State Trooper, and we realized the importance of saying goodbye and getting a hug before he left for work each day, because you just never knew if it would be the last one. Of course none of us do, but it was a high risk profession. While I want my mama and Alan there when I'm upset or something is wrong, I need my "Diddy" too. They each have an important, yet different role to play. Somehow it just seems that it will be all right eventually if he is there. Daddy is the tower of strength and wisdom in our family. He has impeccable judgement and the gift of discernment, so I, as well as other family members & friends often seek his guidance. Now if you know me, you know I love Alan with all my heart; he's my best friend & the other half of me, and he ranks right up there with Daddy, but he'll be the first to tell you that 99% of the time I'll go with what Daddy says. Can't help it, just the way I am.
I love you "Diddy" and you're still my HERO!