My Dear Dad...

Today's date, September 11th, has always been special to me because it has always been my Dad's birth date! Sadly, since the terrorist events of 2001 it has been remembered for so many other things but to me it still has much happy significance because that was the day he entered this world.

This morning I spoke with Mom Mom Esther and she told me about that day 65 years ago today. At around 4 AM she delivered the 9+ pound boy, Walter Kemp Jones, Jr., we call Dad. She went into labor before midnight and Grandad Kemp made two different trips to "go fetch" country Doctor Hodous who lived a few miles away from their Winters Run abode.

With mixed emotions, as this is our first round of special dates without Greta, I must share that she always put a lot of thought into her gifts and cards for Dad ~or whoever. I remember many times of celebrating when we all still lived at home. The four of us girls would go buy something for him and he'd say (and still says) we should not spend our money on him! For some reason he has always had difficulty with receiving gifts but we get and give them to him anyway. Maybe that is just the one way we could rebel and "get away with something" I guess. I remember one birthday we got him a bike; other years we would buy him clothes like blue jeans because we girls liked to tell him how to dress. One year I remember buying him tennis shoes and tube socks because we would shoot hoops with him in our backyard. We knew and still know that we could/can not go wrong with purchasing something Messianic, Chet Atkins related or at the very least Wrigley's spearmint gum.

Dad's choice birthday meal is fried Salmon cakes with mashed potatoes and homemade rolls (which must even out for his meal to end). German Chocolate is his favorite birthday cake. Oh and from taking his lead...always with a side slab of butter "on the nose" for the sake of a birthday tradition!

This pic is of Dad on Greta & Howard's wedding day, October 11, 2003. Ironically Greta married a man who shares his birthday with Dad! (So Happy Birthday to Howard too!)

In closing this post today, Dad, I want to say that my prayer is that you will remain as healthy and as steadfast as you are in your faith and desire to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others until He comes to get us all! I SURE DO LOVE YOU! Your oldest daughter and little tacker, Terri Dawn!