Happy Birthday To My Father-In-Law Today!

Happy 93rd Birthday, Dad Lupole!

Last year, my father-in-law had to say "Good-bye" to his daughter, Pat. She moved away to West Virginia because her daughter wanted to move there and wanted her parents to move too. So Pat and her husband left New York in May of 2012. This photo was taken at Wendy's just before they left. He was, and still is heartbroken, to say the least. He keeps saying to me, that she promised she'd never leave him. Well, I guess that is how life works. He is 93 years old today and every day is touch and go with him. He can barely see and can't hear very well at all. He can talk to you one on one. Too many people talking makes him lose the conversation pretty fast. He is a wonderful man and father-in-law!

Happy Birthday, Dad Lupole!

Copyright © 2013 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2012  Kathleen G. Lupole

My Christmas Spirit Is Back

Christmas 1988 - My son, Jeffrey

Christmas is not usually my favorite time of the year. When my son was growing up, I went all out for it. I decorated our house lavishly. We had two Christmas trees, even though I did not decorate the outside with lights like many people do. One tree was white with silver and blue ornaments and lights. That tree was in my big bay window in my upstairs living room. I loved that tree!

Merry Christmas Readers!

My Christmas spirit had vanished. It is rough out here in the cold winter. Usually we have at least a foot of snow by now. Instead we have rain and mud this year. Some years, we did not go anywhere due to the amount of snow we got. Or someone in our family was sick, or had a cold, so Christmas was canceled. It is different when everyone is grown up and there are no children. You can always have it on another day.

Our Pine Tree!

Every year my father has been having Christmas with my niece and her family. So I don't spend the holiday with my father anymore. He does not like to drive on my road to come, especially in the winter. It is a bad dirt road in a secluded area, so I understand. Since my mother had passed away in 2002, my family had changed.

Daddy and me!

For years, I am the one who did Christmas for my whole family. But when I married my husband, his mother would get upset about us not coming to her house.So we went there, since it was so important to her. My parents did not make a big deal of it.

The Way To FIL's House!

Now both mothers are gone, My FIL and BIL live together in a city not far from us. They invited us to come to their house for Christmas this year. A small dinner, his Dad's Famous Chili, if he can remember how to make it! I had just spoke to my father on the phone and he sounded like he didn't want to go to my niece's house for Christmas. So I thought I'd invite him to go with us to my FIL's house. My sister-in-law and her husband will be there too. A small gathering with our fathers, who at 91, FIL and 92, my father, could very well be our last. Though I have told my father to make a new goal of living to be one hundred!

Jeff and my father in the summer time!

So now I have something to look forward to! As long as no one gets sick or anything, we will be headed to spend our day with both of our fathers. We aren't telling my husband's family that we are bringing my father. It is our surprise. They have been complaining because no one comes to visit them anymore. And they really like my father. I can't wait to get there and see our fathers having a nice Christmas day with us.

Merry Christmas to all my readers here. I am not sure I will have the chance to write another post before then. I love you all, and hope you have a wonderful day with your family, friends and critters!

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole
Updated July 2016

Father's Day Thoughts

Mike Dran, 1986 

Today is the day to honor our fathers. In my family, my father was the center of our home. My mother always put him first. He was not demanding or hard to live with in any way. He always supported us and I can never recall a time that he was out of work. He worked hard at his jobs and at home he was always outside working on our houses or fixing something.

 Hazel and Mike Dran, 1942

When my mother became ill in 1978, he took care of her at home the best he could until her death in 2002. Now at 92, he is still working outside in the garage or in his garden. This year he just put in a new circuit breaker box in his house. Wiring it in because his was hit by lightning.

My father and his parents.

My grandfather and grandmother came from Poland in the early 1900s and my father was the youngest of their four children. I never knew my grandmother because she had died before I was born. My grandfather I did know. But he spoke Polish and I could never actually talk to him. Someone always translated for him. He lived at my aunt's house so he would be there when we visited.

My father today!

My father said his parents were not very affectionate toward their children. He had never been hugged until a handyman that lived with them, held him on his lap and would hug him. So my mother's family was exactly the opposite. They were big time huggers and kissers! He said the nearest his father ever came to telling him that he loved him, was once when they were fishing, (after he was grown up) out in the boat, his father looked at him and said, "If anything ever happened to you, I'd kill myself." It makes me sad as I write that, as my parents moved to Florida in 1962, and my grandfather died while we were there.  

 Happy Father's Day to all fathers today! 

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
 

Birthday Wishes For A Special Father!

Michael Dran 1986

Today is my father's 92nd birthday! He has lived a long life in his book. Being a very active man, even at 92, he is always outside working on something. If it is not rebuilding a motor of some sort, rototiller, snowblower, lawnmower, whatever, then he is working in his garden. Always doing something, and usually outside.

My parents

 

 

My parents were a good couple. They loved to do lots of outdoor things together. One of their favorite things was to go fishing. We lived in Florida, and fishing or swimming was something we did as a family many times. They showed a lot of affection and care for each other. No doubt that they loved each other very much.

My son helping his grandfather.

 

 

I wish I could be following in my father's footsteps, but seeing as he can walk better than I can, I guess that is not to be. In many ways I am more like him than my mother. Not in this way though. He is an avid gardener and I like to think that is where I get my love of gardening and making things grow.

Daddy showing a mower he had made.

He was the type of father that would take you places with him. Or build things for you. Made you feel safe. He took care of us and whatever we needed, he did. If we heard a prowler around at night, he'd take his big 44 out of from its place next to his bed and go outside to check. I always was reassured with my father sleeping the next room!

 

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
 

Happy Father's Day

Today is Father's Day. My Father is 91 years old. He is a very good 91 years old. Very busy as he has always been. He is a diabetic but takes care of his health so seems to be doing pretty good. So good in fact, that recently he was back up on the roof of his house fixing the leaks! Not good for a 91 year old! I just want to share my memories of him today.

Daddy wearing his orange cap!  2010

Kathy, Mom, Daddy & Mickey Dran

Daddy & Kathy (me), 1954, Rocky Mountains

Hazel and Michael Dran 1942, Orlando, FL

Hazel  and Michael Dran, 1979, Endicott, NY




Copyright © 2010  Kathleen G. Lupole

Father's Day 2005

Today is Father's Day 2005. I wasn't going to write about that, as this is my first post. But I had to comment on it. My father is 86 years old and in pretty good health for a man his age. He has a large garden every year, but every fall he says he's not going to have one the next year and every year he gets out his rototiller and puts one in. He's the person who taught me how to can. Every year he usually gets a lot of concord grapes and he cans it all as juice. In 1995, he taught me how to can grape juice and jam.

When my mother was alive he took care of her at home. She had Cushing's Sydrome and was crippled by it for many years, and bedridden for the last few. My father and her were married for 60 years - she kept saying, she wanted to just live long enough to make it to her 60th anniversary - which she did on August 28, 2002 and she died with my father and myself at her side on November 22, 2002.

So in honor of Father's Day I just want to say "Daddy, I love you! I'm so proud of having you as my father! And I will always keep you in my heart with my mother!

One other thing I want to comment on is the fact that I am trying to live a self sufficient life. This means that I try to grow most of my own food. I live off the grid and generate my power by using solar panels and batteries. This surprises some people, as I make my living on the internet. But it is possible.

I feel that this is the way of the future. Most people in other countries think all Americans are very wasteful and selfish. Well, there are a lot of people here that are not that way. They call themselves "Homesteaders" - and they are the Homesteaders of the future. We live a frugal lifestyle, grow and raise most of our own food organically, shop for clothes in thrift shops, recycle everything, try to make our livings from our homes-be it on a computer or off our land.

Copyright © 2005  Kathleen G. Lupole