Happy Birthday Old Man!

Eighty three years ago today, in a tiny little town in Oklahoma, my dear old dad was born.  We were fortunate enough to celebrate his last birthday with him -- his 75th -- back in 2002. At that point we knew he was dying and this would likely be his last one, so we flew out to be with him for a couple of weeks, spending several days at a friend's beach condo in San Clemente.  He lost his beautiful hair and was skinny and weak from the chemo, which was not helping him, and he slept a lot.  But when he felt up to it, we went down to have breakfast on the pier a couple of times.  

And he liked to sit out on the small balcony and look at the ocean through binoculars.  

The whole family came over to the condo to celebrate his birthday -- we had dinner and a small cake, most of which he didn't eat.  I have a picture of him with his cake, but it breaks my heart to look at it, so I am not posting it.  It was bittersweet, all being together, knowing it was his last birthday, trying to make the best of it.  Obviously there were tears, but some laughter too.  And the best part was that both Bob and I could be there to spend his birthday with him.

It's hard to believe it's been almost eight years since we lost him, much too soon.  It's amazing how much he's still part of our lives on a daily basis.  We quote him all the time, we remember his unique pearls of wisdom, and enjoy his handiwork around our house.  Here, in his healthier days, he helped Bob put in our new kitchen floor soon after we bought our house.


Here are a couple of him in Laguna Beach, also pre-cancer, chatting with his buddy Madeleine L'Engle.  She and my mom were great friends, and Dad met her through Mom.  He often got people's names wrong (on purpose or for real, who knows), so when he first met her he called her Marilyn.  She didn't miss a beat and shot back calling him Howard.  Marilyn and Howard became great friends!

Finally, two of my favorite picts -- the first is of my parents from 2000, celebrating their 50th Anniversary a year late with the whole family in Santa Barbara, CA, where they first met.  And a favorite of him and Bob at the same pier shown above, many years earlier. Happy Birthday, Daddy-O! We miss you every day, and hope you are happy and at peace, wherever you are.