MEMORIAL DAY, 2013, May 27

Monday, we come home from camping early, due to threat of rain.

I call on the way home. We'll be there. I am making you 13 or 15 or 17 bean soup for dinner with the

hot duck sausage we cooked while we were camping.

I'll be over at

2:00 ish or so.

We take separate cars. I go over first.

I want to offer to buy plants for the fence railing boxes he made.

I get there.

The railing boxes are gone. Dirt emptied into the vegetable beds.

So no early Father's Day present.

I wanted to take him to the nursery to pick out plants.

Suck it up.

How can I help?

He says I want those plants there and uncover this bench. This is one

Grandpa Wilcox had on his porch.

We need these flowers there, this pot plate is on the side of my shed right there.

Where? I search and come out with the wrong dish. I'll find it Daddy.

Be careful with the baby praying mantis.

Mother comes to the shed and says I need to know where my money is.

You know Daddy is not well.

I am irritated. I need time with him not you.

 

Deep breath, mend fences, find the plate to put under the plant.

I said to Daddy.

You know Mother is worried about the money.

He says in his irritated Daddy voice. She knows where the box is. It has all my papers,

all my information. I say, we need to sit down an talk about it.

I need to mend fences.

He says ok.

He says just pull out the rest of the onions.

I say ok.

I am crying.

It's not the onions.

Deck is clean, water fountain working.

It is getting cooler outside so he is sitting in a chair, just inside the sliding glass door.

He is happy. There is calm smile on his face. His family is there.

His garden in place.

We go inside, go over the financials.

It is cocktail hour.

Honey comes in and says he needs a beer. Dad say look in the bottom shelf in the right hand door. There is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Dad knows everything.

I say I need a beer. Dad do your want one?

Mom shakes her head and says no.

I say we can split it.

I pour the beer in 3 Fostoria dessert glasses, 1/3 beer split.

My dad, my sister and I.

My mother says no.

I have a beer with my dad.

We finish the financials.

I hadn't planned to stay for dinner.

I say, Daddy, Father's Day is in 2 weeks.

We'll have the amazing fillet steaks we had this weekend for your dinner.

He says OK but can we start like at 3 or 4?

I say ok.

I think, he's not going to make it.

I hate empty promises.

II say I'll be back to help you next week.