The renaissance man

My father not only worked all week, he worked all weekend. He would be up by 6:00 am on Saturday morning raking and cutting grass and puttering in the yard. All along the fence, he grew magnificent roses. Every year there was a parade and one year I was dressed up and had this big hat that was covered in these huge roses that were pale pink and pale yellow with pink tipping. Strangely enough, my mother never did do anything outside and yet later in life was known for her prize winning window boxes while my father, on the other hand, had given up growing things by then.


We had a volunteer fire department and my father was a Lieutenant. They had a pool table in the back of the station and he was known for his skill at playing pool. He said he had played against Minnesota Fats. He and some of the other firemen built several barbecue grills out of 55 gallon drums and had them on the side of the firehouse. Everyone looked forward to the great food they turned out. I imagine they cooked to raise money for the firehouse. Today, people are trying to raise money for that same firehouse to preserve it for posterity along with the GAR hall next door. I'm sure my father would have approved.

One of the other things that occupied his time on the weekends was St. Christine's. He helped to build an addition on the church and he and Father Flynn spent many a Saturday afternoon in the rectory. It was rumored that the Irish whiskey flowed freely. Never the less he and my father would be at 7:00 am mass on Sunday morning.