My Dad Paid Me A Visit on February 21st

Happy Saturday everyone.  I have to apologize to most of you for not reading your blogs for the past week.  I wish I could say that it's all because I was so busy getting out and meeting new people but that wasn't the case. I was just in a reading funk and when I am like that I don't leave the comments that you all deserve.  So onward and upward today.

I have to tell you about my "visit" from my Dad the other day.  Yes, you heard that right.  My Dad paid me a visit.  It was so good to know he was around.  Wait until you hear this one.

Tuesday, the 21st, was the 15th anniversary of my Dad's passing.  And as always I think of him and say hi and tell him I love and miss him.  He was a really good guy and I was Daddy's Girl.  Despite the hardships he put me through, in what was the toughest, scariest time in my life, I forgave him and moved on.  For those of you newer bloggers, you can read about that episode in my life here in this 3 part blog post.  I promise you'll be moved to tears!

http://bouncinbarbs.blogspot.com/2010/11/always-count-on-familyjust-not-mine.html
http://bouncinbarbs.blogspot.com/2010/11/always-count-on-family-just-not-mine cont'd.html
http://bouncinbarbs.blogspot.com/2010/11/always-count-on-family-just-not-mine the final piece_05.html


Anyway, on my personal Facebook page, I acknowledged my Dad's passing but not till late in the evening.  Bruce popped in and wanted me to tell the story of what Dad did in the Navy during WWII.  Awhile ago, Bruce and I were watching a WWII Naval documentary and they showed guys on a ship shooting machine guns in the Pacific.  So I pointed to Bruce and said that's what my Daddy did.  But if you know me, I talk with my hands and make sound effects.  So what came out along with my words was me pretending to shoot a machine gun back and forth and making the sounds to boot.  I don't think Bruce has ever stopped laughing at that one. (I am entertaining to say the least).

Tuesday, I did not feel like putting that on Facebook so I ignored it and that was that.  No big deal and I went on with the rest of my day.  Later that afternoon Bruce and I went grocery shopping as our cupboards were bare.  When we go shopping, he carries the bags into the house while I start putting everything away.  It's done and over with quickly that way.  This day though, Bruce had to go to the bathroom, so he went right straight into the house.  I decided that I would bring in the groceries (which I haven't done in ages) and opened up the hatch.  What I saw made me just stop in my tracks and say "Oh My God".  Here's what I saw laying in the back of my SUV.

That's my Dad bottom left! His Fighting 35th during WWII was written on the back

Now please understand that I have not laid eyes on this picture in years.  Months ago, I loaded up a bunch of stuff for storage and this must have been in that stuff.  Bruce saw it wedged down in the folds of the seat when he was putting the groceries in the back and pulled it out not thinking anything of it.  At that point in time, he did NOT know that it was the anniversary of Dad's passing.  Coincidence?  I don't believe in them.  I was meant to be the one to unload the groceries that day.  I'm convinced that was my Dad's way of saying hi and that he was around.

If that weren't enough....which is usually the case the me, later that day I got an email from Classmates dot com that said my high school yearbook (1977) was available for viewing.  I lost my yearbook in 1978 when I went to Idaho.  I asked everyone I knew that had one and they lost theirs over the years as well.  I tried contacting the high school but the school merged years ago with another and they had no old yearbooks.   So for 34 years I've been trying to get a hold of it.  Sure enough, I went onto Classmates and someone had scanned in the entire year book from 1977.  I couldn't believe it.  I saw my picture and showed it to Bruce.  and as I was scrolling through, I saw a picture of our football team scoring the winning touch down at the Thanksgiving Day game against our rivals.  Here's the pic...

See that bottom right picture on the page?  See that tall guy clapping in the background.  That's my Daddy.  He worked for the school system grounds dept. and had to work the game that day guarding the gates. I did not recall ever that he was in that book.  I think I slid off my chair.  What are the odds that I would see my yearbook, 34 years later with a picture of my Dad on the very anniversary of his passing?  I'd say slim to none.  Dad was just saying hi and letting me know that he was around.  I love it!!

Oh and here's a blast from the past.  Until next time........