Fathers and daughters

As I sit here pondering what to post for my blog I think I will post about fathers.  My husband is building a glider with my daughter Abby as we speak, it's a science project and yes Abby is lucky she has a father who will help her AND that her father happens to be a pilot.....It's sweet and they are enjoying making it together.  What Abby doesn't realize is just how lucky she is to have a father who would do anything for her, and who enjoys helping her.  I wasn't so lucky.  My real father left when I was 2 maybe 3 and I never saw him until I was 35 and I finally met him for the one and only time.  My step father was not a very good parent to me and he never really accepted me as his own, we never really liked each other and when I was 18 we were finally rid of the burden of being 'related'.  So the father thing is sad for me, it's not something I think about or dwell on to be honest but when I see tender moments between my daughter and Ben it makes me grateful I married such a generous and kind man.  He is the kind of father I wish I had and even though I don't have a good father I can have a good husband who also happens to be an excellent father.  He's patient, loving, smart, helpful, funny and dependable to name a few.  Honestly he doesn't even know I'm posting about him, he is also very humble.  I wanted to marry the opposite kind of man to my step father and I did.  Ben never yells, never orders me around and accepts me the way I am, all things that were not the case growing up.  I'm not interested in bashing my step dad, rather I am trying to show in contrast how grateful I am to have a man in my life who counters all that negativity into a positive.  I was fortunate to pick a man I knew would be dependable, kind and generous and my children are able to be raised in a family where they are loved by both of their parents.  This means the world to me, that my children have the kind of childhood I would dream for myself.  As a parent what more can you hope for???

The Tao of treasure hunting

Treasure hunting requires a certain skill, first it takes an adventurous spirit, as one needs to hunt down treasure spots.  Second, one needs to be able to decipher junk from treasure, now this is an individual perspective to be sure but one becomes trained to edit out 'junk' from potential goodies after much practice.  Third, you need to be able to haggle.  The beauty of these places is the bargaining, there are no price tags and the more you buy the better the deal.  It probably helps to be a girl and have blond hair too....Fourth, you need stamina.  Fifth, a truck for hauling all the treasure.  Today I had the Vovlo and I couldn't buy the settee that was so sweet....

Sixth, cold hard cash.  Seventh, A good GPS.  Eighth, a sweet hook up for where to go.  Nineth, a place to put all your treasure.  And tenth, the crazy passion it takes to run around and dig through mounds and mounds of 'stuff'. But this hip chick can think of nothing better, it's hilariously my calling and I am thrilled to be able to do it for my 'job'......what a crack up! Thank you Sharon for the amazing cupcakes and for being my partner in crime on our escapade of hunting.....so many junk yards...so little time...