Happy Birthday Daddy! (a little late)

This post was intended for Wednesday July 27

unfortunately I was in ed dying with an evil stomach virus so I'm a little late.

July 27 would have been my Daddy's 70th Birthday

we lost him 7 years ago but I know he's still with me (likely cussing me quite often) and watching his

Grand Monkeys grow.

This was my Daddy & Mom

How freaking adorable are they

Many years later this happened

(Daddy & I)

Yes I was a cranky little beast even then, though I think I was just upset over the hideous lime green dress and not even a matching air bow!

(A plate my Daddy made during one of his 31 years as an Artist for Hallmark)

My Daddy was many things: An artist (by profession & passion), a musician (self taught & amazing), a comedian (involuntarily), an asshole (intentional & involuntary), a student of life and the world, a 4th degree Blackbelt in Karate & Jujitsu, a creator of words (I inherited this curse), a singer & song writer (terrible at both but he enjoyed himself), a weirdo and my Daddy.

We often disagreed, argued and rarely saw eye to eye. To us we seamed to be polar opposites and just never go on to terribly well, I was the opposite of a "Daddy's girl". But as I grew up I learned to appreciate him for the pain in the ass hat he was and to forgive him for his parental mistakes. He taught me a lot more than I realised (when I was young). He taught me to love music and to live and breath it. He taught me that "Art" does not have to be hung in a gallery or displayed in a museum to be art, it is anything that moves your soul to tears and back to a smile. He taught me to be open minded and never to let anyone close it. He taught me to laugh...loud, often and at everything! He taught me that intelligence is not found in a book or a school but in those who share the information that they hold...with anyone who will accept it. He taught me that color is beautiful and the world can never get enough of it. He taught me that race, religion, sexual orientation and the like only divide those who are too ignorant and fearful to open their hearts and see that in the dark people ALL look exactly the same. He taught me to question everything and never accept fact without absolute proof. He taught me how to be well mannered, polite and respectful. (I am capable of all 3 when I want to). He taught me that Weird is fabulous. He taught me to be myself, no matter what and to NEVER let anyone convince me that my me needed to fit into some little beige mass-produced societal box. And most importantly he taught me that I am the strongest, most stubborn woman that he ever knew and that I can do ANYTHING if I want to.

My Daddy with his first Grand-baby (my oldest daughter)

He adored her like she was spun from his own heartstrings!

My Daddy's hair....one of his trademarks.

I cannot picture my Dad at any point in my life not having his waist length braid or his perfectly curled handlebar mustache. Did he know that both were far from in style, outdated and the object of many a snicker? He might have but I doubt that he cared because he was "Wild Bill" and that was his, him and he was cool no matter what anyone else might think. This was a man with "style", his own off beat style but style none the less and he wore it well....from his hundreds of brightly colored silk Hawaiian style shirts, his Hiratchi sandals, his wide lapel suits, short ties, neon blue velcro Nike tennis shoes, his hundreds of crazy patterned overpriced sweaters right down to his "never leaves my finger" sterling silver and turquoise pinkie ring! He was 5' 4" of unique awesomeness!

This was my Daddy at 63 years awesome!

Happy Birthday Daddy...thanks for giving me your great hair genes and the Weird but proud gene!

I Love You!

Your little, Zodge, Zodgeroonski, Andrazaillia!