So, today is January 23.  Hard to believe, but as of 11:17am this morning it has been 17 years since my Dad passed away.  He died young at age 58 – I was 34.  Not ready to lose a Dad, but it was a bittersweet time.

Through the years we bumped heads a lot.  A LOT.  I’m sure that my Dad loved me in his own way, but not being shown love by his parents (or family for that matter), it was hard to show love to others.  Don’t get me wrong, though my childhood had some rough moments, it also had some great moments as well.
In 1988, my dad had another motorcycle accident–one that took his life 3 times on the ER table that night, before the 4th defibrillation brought him back.  From 1988 to his death in 1994, I saw him go downhill both emotionally and physically as his life sort of crumbled around him.  So when his Mother died December 6, 1993 he just basically gave up.  He had a bad heart and blood pressure through the roof that was not managed with meds.  On his birthday on January 7, 1994 – I begged him to let me take him to the hospital after we had taken him to dinner, but he said…”Nah, I’m sure I just ate too much – the steak was just too damn good.”  Who would have guessed that 16 days later (and 6 weeks, 6 days after his Mother) his heart would just blow out.  He passed away in a greasy spoon diner in Akron almost immediately that morning.  Which, after the hell he went through after the motorcycle accident, it was the best way to go I guess.

But I’m not the only one remembering a loved one today.  One of my long-time dear friends is also remembering her brother who passed away on January 23rd but a year before my Dad.  So, I think and pray for her as well as she misses her brother.

But….this is not meant to be a sad post as I have chosen to remember my Dad today by not remembering the hurtful things sad or done.  Instead, I’ve chosen to remember the things that we laughed about through the 34 years I had with him. Like one of my all time favorite things to laugh at my Dad about (and actually then by laughing with him as I got him to laugh) was to watch him watch the old westerns or Lassie.  Yup, Yup–it’s only a matter of time before my Dad is CHOKING back the tears for the old horses or for the perils that Lassie would be in.  Oh, I truly have no idea what the story line was because I was watching him!!!  Once the lip would begin to quiver – I was on the floor rolling and howling.  My Dad would usually throw a pillow and tell me to shut up, but I’m sorry – I was gone!    Or how about the time that I realized that the garden hose with ice cold water sprayed through the window into the shower while he was showering would garner such a barrage of language.  Of course after FIRST the loud screech that would bring my Mom into the bathroom thinking something was wrong.  At this point, I realized why bicycles were created so you could get the heck outta Dodge before he could dry, dress and come outside.  Yeah, I know I seem to be a sick individual!   Hehehehehehe!!

So, if by chance you are sad at the thought of your absent loved one today may I please suggest that instead of “missing” him or her that you “remember” them by remembering a time you laughed with them.  It does heal the heart if only a little bit each time, but oh so worth it.

I think I’ll have to end here….I’ve been chucking enough at some of the thoughts that have come to me, I may need to go down the hall to the little room down there!  And to my dear friend – may you think of some funny things you shared with Jeff!  Love you.

…and that’s all I have to say about that!

Tammy

Ok.  So the news said that January 17, 2011 is going to be the most depressing day of the year and June 17, 2011 will be the best day of the year.  So, who decided that?  We now have someone sitting somewhere deciding what our moods will be on any given day?  I say–hooey!  Apparently, I really didn’t pay attention to it last week when I first heard of it, because I forgot to be very depressed yesterday.  In fact  I spent much of the day doing what I love best—LAUGHING!!!   When I watched the news at 11 PM, I realized that I had failed to do what was predicted, I forgot to be depressed because they told me to be!   I love to laugh (ok – you Mary Poppins fans, go ahead you know you want to sing those words when you see them!).  I find laughing both healing and contagious.  So, that is what I’ve set out to do this year.  Both to laugh more myself and to get more people laughing!

Growing up, I remember always being the clown in the family trying to get people to lighten up.  Maybe it was because it could get pretty tense in my home.  Somewhere along the line, I just felt the joy when people were laughing.  I regularly laugh at myself, too!  In our home, the three of us laugh on a very regular basis.  Sometimes with each other and sometimes AT each other!  Oh, don’t get me wrong, we have our fair share of frustration—we are, after all, three only children living together!  Now THAT’S something to laugh about…..three only children living together…..all three always right!  If laughter weren’t in this house, someone could be dead!!  Joking!

Seriously, when was the last time you laughed – no, I mean REALLY laughed?  You know the kind, you laugh so hard your cheeks hurt, your sides are killing you-reminding you that you really should do more ab exercises to tighten up those obliques?  It’s really a good feeling, no really!  The pain in your sides and your face is so worth the effort!  Think back to that time of deep laughter, and even now as you’re remembering it,  doesn’t it still make you smile?  I bet so.  I have so many memories of great, deep and super hysterical laughing that I can’t help to smile reliving those times.  I hope you can too.

So – for today here is my challenge to you.  Yes, it’s mid January in Ohio, and yes, maybe your bills are coming in from an overspent December but do this one thing.  LAUGH.  And I mean really laugh.  Then find someone to share it with.  I bet just getting your giggle on, you can start someone else to laugh along  with you.  I dare you…..no – I double dog dare you!

As for me – I’m heading out to meet one of my bestest, long time buddies for lunch.  AND I promise you we are going to laugh and laugh some more!

…and that’s all I have to say about that!

Tammy

Seriously, as I get older I no longer find the fun in snow and all that it entails.  I’m not a ski bunny or snowboarder, but think those that do those things probably have a ton of fun.  Me–I’ll stay indoors thank you very much.  However, with being sick the first 10 days of 2011, it has garnered me much couch time and, well, much thinking time!  So, a rather funny memory came to mind the other day I thought I would share with you. So, here goes….

Back when I was a freshman in high school, my Dad got a hold of an earthmover intertube and thought my two boy cousins and I would love to “take it down the hill a time or two”.  What WAS he thinking!  Have you ever stood beside one of those bad boys??  Well like I said, I was freshmen and so was my one cousin (R) and the other  cousin (B) was an 8th grader.  So we just thought my Dad/Uncle Don was the coolest ever, cuz nobody else had one of those! (May have been a good reason!)

So, we threw that bad boy into the back of my Dad’s pick up (of course it’s hanging over the side and getting lots of looks!) and head for Goodyear Metro Sledding Hill.  After the effort of unloading it and dragging it over to the top of the hill we were ready to go.  Uh, except we now have a huge crowd staring and asking, “Hey, how you gonna get up on that?”  R & I always the smart (alec’s) said, “No, problem, it’s great – you’ll see.”  As we both shoot a glance more like—“how the heck do we know!”

We gather close together and say – “Yeah, how we gonna do this thing?”  After a few minutes of discussion – we come up with a plan.  I’m not pointing fingers nor will I ever admit I suggested any part of it…but let’s just say – B being the younger brother and always wanting to do ANYTHING we did – we decided we would stand it on it’s side, put B in the middle and roll it down the hill.  (Just to see if it would roll of course!!!)

Ok – so loaded and ready, B is curled in the center and we are ready to send it and him down the hill.  PUSH…………and off he goes.

Now, you notice there has not been any mention of steering, brakes, getting it back up the hill or anything remotely smart about this whole ordeal up to this point!

Halfway down the hill, as B is wiping out anyone who’s getting in his way-not on purpose mind you, a nice adult came over to offer his opinion.  “Uh, kids, how is he going to stop or better yet, how is he going to get that back up the hill alone?  And were you counting on running over the little kids on the hill?”   Uh oh, gulp.  No.
But what happened next was hilarious, well later and to this day, but not as it happened.

B stayed upright all the way down the hill and thus picked up speed.  And he finally gets to the bottom of the hill at the tree line and guess what happened?……wait for it…..yep, he bounced off the trees and came back up the hill – again wiping out those in it’s wild and crazy path!!  So funny…..(again, later!)  He manages to make it halfway back up the hill, then heads back down for the trees again.  Well, we panic and start running down the hill and realize we have a whole bunch of kids running behind us laughing as well.  The intertube does this a couple times, each time only coming a little further back up the hill until it loses its momentum and finally falls over.

With what seemed like forever, B finally comes crawling up and out of the center, commando crawls over the edge and tries to stand up.  Let’s just say, super drunken sailor comes to mind.  He said nothing.  R & I are feeling the swats we are going to receive at home knowing he’s going to tell on us, again.  When he finally can stand up sort of,  he yells, “I wanna do it again?”  Whew……punishment avoided.

But now, we have tons of new friends!  Uh oh, one intertube.  But, then again it took about 12 of us to push it back up the hill.  Uh, Dad – a rope for pulling it up would have been nice!!  Just saying.  We didn’t do the roll again, but we figured out with all the folks that wanted on it as long as we had 6 pushers, we could get it going and then everyone just jumped on, were pulled onto it or yelled—“Look out, here it comes again!”  The sledders parted to the sides to allow it to pass knowing they would be able to take a turn too.  It ended up being a super fun, play in the snow kind of day!

So, I guess the moral of this story is…..When God gives us lots of beautiful white snow—go intertubing or sledding and make a bunch of new friends!

…..and that’s all I have to say about that!

Tammy