Happy Father's Day!

Today I'd like to honor the fatherly progenitors of our particular clan: Boompie and Grandpa.

Boompie would be Moogie's father, still kickin' and driving at 80. That's him holding Maxie, the dachschund, circa 1959. Boompie served 20 years in the Navy Reserve, but I couldn't get to the box where older family photos are stashed in what we lovingly refer to as "the attic room" to find a pic of him in uniform. Mama was beautiful -- she's lived in heaven since 1977 and she moved there entirely too early. Am I cute in that picture, or what!

The dashing young Corporal is Grandpa, my father-in-law. This is probably my favorite picture of him. He lied about his age and joined the Army Air Corps at the ripe old age of 16 (which caused all sorts of problems down the road when age needed to be verified for VA stuff!) and headed for Burma during WWII. He left us way too early, too, in 1990. I still miss him.

Boompie and Grandpa taught me lots of things.

Boompie taught me how to distinguish between a Cessna and a Bonanza, and how to shoot a pellet gun out of his bathroom window to chase squirrels away from the birdfeeder. Grandpa taught me how Solitaire can be a sport and where to find beer on Sunday in Hot Springs. They both are among the most intelligent men it's been my pleasure to know.

So, here's a happy day to all the fathers out there. And as a blog-buddy says: Call yer ol' man!

(On a Musing note: that pic of the pre-school Moogie has a caption on the back, in Mama's elegant handwriting, that identifies all of us, and notes that it was taken in our house on "LeFever Lane." That just makes me think of the old test of how you find out what your stage "stripper name" is. You know -- take the name of your first pet and combine it with the name of the first street where you lived that you remember. That would make me "Maxie LeFever." It could work! Well, it could have worked a few years and pounds ago. I guess Maxie LeFever will not be working Bourbon Street this Father's Day!)