Happy Father's day

[RB]

My dad passed away when I was a teen - so my mom sees her kids on both mother's day and father's day.

Well, retailers certainly appreciate these gifted special days. I mean they capitalise and seem to lead the direction where their interest lay .. in big business

Do you feel appreciated, significant, and relish in your special day.

Have your say!

[Guest American Woman]

Not being a Dad, I can't 'have my say,' but I would like to wish the Dads on the board a Happy Father's Day. Hope you all felt appreciated and special!

[BC_chick]

RB.... my niece, who is almost a teen, is going through her second father's day alone this year.

All day I've been thinking what a day like today must be like for people like you. Thanks for the post.

[RB]

RB.... my niece, who is almost a teen, is going through her second father's day alone this year.

All day I've been thinking what a day like today must be like for people like you. Thanks for the post.

BC_chick

I have very fond memories of my dad - he still tops my list of heroes. Dads have so much strength to shoulder for all their children. I recalled the many times my dad took my little hands into his big calloused ones as we head off gleefully to our various journeys and escapades. I am in awe of the strength that was there. Almost superpowers, well, kids are impressionable of their dads. I mean dads indulge their kids in all sorts of glory, and they also know their kids think they are the best. My dad always had a beautiful smile.

I think all dads are special even the deadbeat ones.

[capricorn]

All dads are special. Just ask a kid.

My dad was a WWII veteran. A kind soul and wise person who died too young. I miss him.

Happy father's day, all you dads.

[Renegade]

Do you feel appreciated, significant, and relish in your special day.

Absolutely! For my daughter and me this day is not commertialized at all. Sometimes gifts are given, sometimes not. It is never expected but always welcomed. But we always spend the day together and usually the one day of the year she fusses over me. I love it.

[margrace]

My husband's father died two years ago, now my husband is trying to create a relationship with his 36 year old son, one he never had with his dad. In fact when the family phoned begging my husband to go see his dad he waited until we walked in 5 mins after he died. Did he care? I don't know like most men he never talks about things like that.

His son now looks at him with a strange expressio, wondering where his dad has appeared after all these years.

[Mad_Michael]

Well, retailers certainly appreciate these gifted special days. I mean they capitalise and seem to lead the direction where their interest lay .. in big business

Um... the retailers INVENTED Father's Day.

Mother's Day began as an international day of protest against war. The retailers didn't like that and turned into some Hallmark crap instead (since war is generally profitable and popular with the big business set).

[M.Dancer]

I got the gift of mustard and whisky .....

[August1991]

Is it middle class or bourgeois to think of your kids?

A special prize for anyone who identifies this Dad and Kid pair.

[BC_chick]

A special prize for anyone who identifies this Dad and Kid pair.

Alice Cooper?

BTW which is worse - getting that right or getting it wrong?

[geoffrey]

Is it middle class or bourgeois to think of your kids?

I certainly hope the answer is niether.

--

My dad worked too hard for us (my brother and sisters), nearly took his life with a heart attack. Good to see him settling down now. Don't get me wrong, mothers are amazing and care more deeply than anyone else for their kids, but dads really step up on the side of working to excess in order to give their kids every advantage in life. Most of the time it's underappreciated... at least initially.

[jbg]

My dad passed away when I was a teen - so my mom sees her kids on both mother's day and father's day.

I have very fond memories of my dad - he still tops my list of heroes. Dads have so much strength to shoulder for all their children. I recalled the many times my dad took my little hands into his big calloused ones as we head off gleefully to our various journeys and escapades. I am in awe of the strength that was there. Almost superpowers, well, kids are impressionable of their dads. I mean dads indulge their kids in all sorts of glory, and they also know their kids think they are the best. My dad always had a beautiful smile.

I think all dads are special even the deadbeat ones.

In Memorium

One of the periods of my life I remember best was the period 1972-73. This period involved three trips to Canada, and they were memorable. Unfortunately these were not the only memorable parts of my life then. This period of my life was bracketed by my father’s death was a period of my life marked by great promise, great tragedy, and great change. Unfortunately and sadly, I have not always lived up to that promise, though at age 50 I suppose there’s still time.

I turned 15 in April 1972. While I always did well academically, I had never done well socially and that year, my freshman year of high school, was about the worst. My parents were asked to consider putting me in another school. That summer, I was thrown out of the first camp I went to after half the summer.

The second half started the more positive phase, though marked by a developing tragedy. First, the bad part. My father’s colon cancer had started to recur, though we didn’t quite know it, at least officially. Now the good part, and the part that relates somewhat to Canada.

I went to a different camp for the second half of the summer. It featured limited travel as part of the program. For the first time in my life, I made friends relatively easily. One of those was a girl. We repeatedly ran into each other and were singing the same song, coincidentally, each time. I think the songs were Joni Mitchell’s (of Canada) Both Sides Now. The other was Led Zeppellin’s Stairway to Heaven. Here’s the Canadian part. The final trip of the summer was to Quintes Isle, Ontario (Prince Edward County). That was my first of many trips to Canada.

After returning home, my school was still pretty serious about getting me out, but they had no grounds to expel me. My family and the school settled on my starting some activities that began before school started to see what happened. I chose marching band (I played tuba, which was odd since I was 5’5”) and soccer. Both went well.

That semester, I was active in band, soccer, the school newspaper and the weather club (which is why you see me on the Kyoto threads constantly). Though in soccer I was a fullback, they put me in once as forward, because the New Rochelle team was getting a bit aggressive. I scored a goal during my 3 minutes in.

During that period, I made lots of friends, many of which I still am close with 30 years later. It was one of the happiest, most productive periods of my life. It was, unfortunately, also marked by my father’s rapid decline and death from cancer. We played tennis for the last time in October 1972 and he died at the beginning of January 1973.

When I say I have not always lived up to the promise of that period, I mean that I am not all that I can be. I am, on balance, not satisfied with the friends I’ve made since that period (with the exception, of course, of my wife). I have allowed myself to be sidetracked by petty insecurities and concerns, things that, in the long run, didn’t and don’t matter.

If there was a time I’d like to go back to, it’s that period. I’d like to start over and do many things differently and better.

[Shakeyhands]

Wow, reading some of these makes me feel very, very lucky to still have my Dad. My Dad is going to be 92 this year and for the first time, believe it or not, is beginning to show his age A BIT! Most would think he is in is seventies and I sure hope I get that trait (alone with the hair loss... thanks Dad!!!!!) I missed most of fathers day with my children as I was travelling back to Toronto from Vancouver, but my children (5 & 8) made sure I enjoyed what was left of the day with homemade cards and hugs! I hope both I and my kids get to share many more days with their Dads!! No need for it to be a Hallmark thing.

and....

I'd like to know more about this mustard and whisky thing!!!!!!!!

[guyser]

I got the gift of mustard and whisky .....

What , are you sick? Mustard for a mustard pack for your chest, and the whisky to make you less ornery and a happier sleeper?

Dont reverse the two tho.

[M.Dancer]

I got the gift of mustard and whisky .....

What , are you sick? Mustard for a mustard pack for your chest, and the whisky to make you less ornery and a happier sleeper?

Dont reverse the two tho.

No...I just happen to like good mustard. Not sure if what I got is good though.....but at least they are imports from sweden which does make flavourful mustard.

The whisky is a 14 year old Scapa...which should go well with a roast beef and mustard sandwich.....

[Mad_Michael]

No...I just happen to like good mustard.

Keene's English Mustard is the very best. Not for the faint of heart though - it is very strong.

[M.Dancer]

No...I just happen to like good mustard.

Keene's English Mustard is the very best. Not for the faint of heart though - it is very strong.

...a good, nay, very good beginner's mustard.

There are some german brands that come in tubes and are deep brown in colour. Their aroma will clear your sinuses at 10 feet.....

I also like wasabi

[guyser]

I also like wasabi

Oh now you are talking. Wasabi peas, wasabi mashed taters, wasabi in Caeser's , and of curse wasabi and dried ginger and sushi/california rolls.

[Shakeyhands]

I got the gift of mustard and whisky .....

What , are you sick? Mustard for a mustard pack for your chest, and the whisky to make you less ornery and a happier sleeper?

Dont reverse the two tho.

No...I just happen to like good mustard. Not sure if what I got is good though.....but at least they are imports from sweden which does make flavourful mustard.

The whisky is a 14 year old Scapa...which should go well with a roast beef and mustard sandwich.....

Ahhhhhh.... A single malt man, I may like you after all!

check out this link:

http://www.thequaich.com/

Can't remember where you are from but we probably have a chapter there!

[M.Dancer]

Ahhhhhh.... A single malt man, I may like you after all!

check out this link:

http://www.thequaich.com/

Can't remember where you are from but we probably have a chapter there!

I own a quaich.

Funny thing...I used to have a fine collection of drink....Oban, The MacCallan, Hart Bros......then children came and instead of going out 3 or 4 times a year to drop $100 or so...anyway, as my wife says my selction isn't smaller, just the bottles....

So this fellow we know owns an upscale pub. The kind of place where yoiu can drink a $20.00 bottle of beer and a $26 ounce of scotch to go with it.....He says to my wife, "I never see your husband try our scotches....." ....she says "he has them at home, where he doesn't measure the pour with an eye dropper...."

Single Malt Scotch Tasting and Dinner

Date to be announced. Contact the Convenor for details.

Enjoy a delicious three-ccourse dinner and tasting of three superb single malts in the company of old friends and new

Badminton & Racquet Club of Toronto, 25 St. Clair Avenue West.

(Behind the CIBC bank)

This is around the corner from me.......

[Shakeyhands]

you should check a dinner out, our President Ed Patrick is an old time press man (editor of the G&M years ago I think, when there was a Tory slant) and funny as all get out. Only malts that are not available via the LCBO are sampled. The dinner is really a good value and I know you'd be more than welcome.

[jbg]

Deleted. Duplicate.

[capricorn]

I was in Scotland in the 70s and visited a scotch distillery in Glenfarclas. Man, it's the best. Glenlivet also excellent.

Edit: the smell of the distillery was of olives, big time. After a few shots, it smelled like roses.

[jbg]

Maybe my post above (link) wasn't the happiest in the world, but happy belated Father's Day.