FOR POPS, WITH LOVE

As I said in an earlier blog, it's important to share memories of people while they can enjoy them, too. So here are some memories of my father.
I remember making taffy at home. It is one of my Dad's favorite candies and there was nothing more exciting than allowing a child to smear great globs of butter on their hands!
We took long drives on Saturdays eating Smart Food (white cheese popcorn for those not familiar) and circus peanuts.
My sisters and I used to have dinner at his place on Tuesdays and watch Aquaman (a tv series I'm sure very few people remember.)
Movies have always been part of my memories and two specific ones I saw with my father were Superman and the Jessica Lange/Jeff Bridges version of King Kong.
I spent a Halloween watching him decide which child got Smarties and which got Dumdums. He thought the holiday should be fun, no matter whether you are a kid or a not.
We took a trip to St. Augustine, Fl one Thanksgiving and sat on the porch of a bar drinking beer and sharing laughs.
I'll never forget the trip to Florida that was interrupted by an overnight stay on the floor of the Detroit Int. airport. Thanks again, Marco Polo, for that one!
My father is very artistic (a trait lost with me) and I've always enjoyed watching him in his workshop turning pieces of wood into beautiful pens.
Many of my favorite things were introduced to me by him:

• the Harry Potter series which he insisted I should read and I've loved ever since
• an endless list of movies: Triplets of Belleville, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, all the Monty Pythons (which we randomly quote to one another every time we're together)
• the tv series My Name Is Earl which is a source of endless laughs.

I am eternally grateful for everything I've shared with him and everything he has given me. All the knowledge, laughter and love I cherish forever. So on this day, determined by a card company, I would like to tell him that I love him every day. Thank you, Pops, for being you!