If you knew my daddy, I don't have to tell you what a character he was. I don't think he ever forgot a joke. He was one of the funniest men I know. Not only did he remember a joke when someone told him but he could tell it and it would even be funnier than when he heard it. I would love to tell you some of them but the ones I remember probable don't need to be on this blog. Besides I could never tell one of his jokes and it be as funny as when he told it. I have even had people tell me "hey I got a joke to tell you I know your daddy would love". As a matter of fact, some still tell me that. Yep, if you knew my daddy, you knew a really funny man.
Oh my goodness, I can't even begin to tell you the fun he had at my mama's expense. I think she would definitely tell you there were no dull moments around our house. One time he super-glued a telephone book and a pencil to the kitchen counter tops. Super-glue, can you imagine? She never knew what she would find next. FYI, she did get her kitchen remodeled and new counter tops right after that.
It all started on this day, February 8, 1957.
The preacher that married them wrote the wrong date on the marriage license, he wrote 1967 instead 1957, so the joke was always that Keith was the only legitimate child they had. Weyland was born 11 months after they were married and Daddy would tell people "Weyland was born in December and we were married in February of that year". Which is true but if you didn't pay attention to what he was saying it sounded like Weyland got here before they got married. That drove my mama crazy.
This is Daddy with his favorite dog. He named him Booger. I don't know why the dog got that name. I would guess it is because Daddy knew people would think that name was funny. I can't remember where he got Booger from ( did you smile when you read his name again?) but he had that dog spoiled rotten.
Look what a proud Daddy.
I was so very fortunate that during college I didn't have to work. Mama and Daddy sent me through college and I never heard a complaint about what it cost. Wait, I did that one time about two weeks after my first semester when my grades came in the mail. I'm not going into that much (Zach may read this) but let's just say I started out with a full load of 21 credit hours when the semester started and when they opened my grade I had dropped all but 3 classes, and one of those was a PE class. Of course I failed to tell them that piece of information. I graduated from Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe with a major in toxicology and a minor in chemistry on my 24th birthday about three weeks after Grant and I got married. I hated school, I mean hated it. Had it not been for my daddy I probable wouldn't have finished. And I am so glad I did.This is a picture of him dressed up like Santa with Zach in his lap. He dressed up that year and went out to his store and, I think, stayed in that suit all day giving out candy canes to the little kids that came in. He loved kids.
I'm not sure you can tell what that is Zach has on his finger. It is a possum, a real, live possum. Daddy caught that nasty little thing and thought Zach would love to play with it. He was right, Zach did love playing with it but I didn't love that thing being in my house. Daddy had that thing crawling all over Zach, on his back, on his shoulder, and in his hair. I must admit though, it was fun seeing Zach and Grandaddy having so much fun. I'm not sure what ever happened to that little possum, all I know is that we didn't keep it.
I absolutely love this picture. Shea and Grandaddy looks like they are telling jokes. Just look at the smiles on their faces. Shea was only about 2 1/2 years old when Daddy died but those two were tight. I think he came to my house more in that 2 1/2 years than he did all the other times put together. Don't get me wrong, he loved Zach just as much but when Zach was that little Daddy was working all the time. Shea came along after his heart attach and after he had stopped going to the store as much. Lucky, Lucky Shea. He called her his "Suga-Booga".
I could go on and on with stories and I know some of you have some stories you could tell. We all miss him so much but I thank God for the memories we have and can share. When I start feeling sad I just think of what he must be seeing right now. So don't be sad for him, he is in heaven waiting on us.
Until we meet again Daddy, I love you,
Charlene
