As I wrote a few years ago, leaving Lebanon, Missouri, in 1989 was difficult for my brother and I. We liked the schools, had friends and were comfortable. I had just turned 13, Dan was 11, and a few months before that big announcement, we thought we’d be there through high school. That was the […]
Twelve Days of Christmas, 2020, Part V: When we were mallrats Read More »
“Son, you’re a good person, and you’re smart as a whip. You should never be surprised that any woman likes you. She sees that you’re a good man. That is why she’s interested in you. Believe in yourself.” Dad told me that in the first week of January 2011. I’d called to tell him that
Twelve Days of Christmas, 2020, Part IV: Dad and my wife Read More »
Not every Christmas is as good as the others. The first one without Dad, in 2019, was easily the most difficult one. It just wasn’t the same. The first Christmas I spent away from home, living in Texas with my soon-to-be ex-wife in 2002, wasn’t exactly a bundle of joy. But those Christmases weren’t the
Twelve Day of Christmas, 2020, Part III: Mortal Kombat and burritos Read More »
Note: This blog was written on Wednesday, Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving. Hey, Dad. It’s been a while since I’ve written you. It’s been a crazy year with a pandemic, toxic election and much more. There have been times when I’ve actually thought, “You know, I wouldn’t want the old man to see or
Twelve Days of Christmas, 2020, Part II: Driving (and trembling) with Dad Read More »
During my Twelve Days of Christmas blog series about my dad last year, I mentioned several times that my parents usually worked craft shows during the holiday season. More often than not, Mom and Dad were gone for weeks while my brother and I stayed with friends and families. Who we stayed with depended on
Twelve Days of Christmas, 2020, Part I: Spending the holiday season with the Halls Read More »
My father would be celebrating his 76th birthday on Monday (Nov. 2, 2020). It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 months since he died and that this is the second straight year he won’t be here for his annual family dinner. I never got the impression that his birthday meant much to Dad. He was
Webb: Tis the season to celebrate the old man Read More »
Yesterday I wrote that in 43 years, I’d only been away from home on Christmas four times. It was just a given that the family spent time together on that holiday. Even after they divorced, Mom and Dad set aside their differences on the big day, spending that time together for my brother and I.
Twelve Days of Christmas, Part IX: Home, and family, is where the heart is Read More »
In 43 years, I was with my dad for all but four Christmases. That might not sound impressive to those who spend every Christmas with their families, but it is considering how many years I worked in newspapers and lived hundreds of miles from home. The first time I wasn’t home for the big day
Twelve Days of Christmas, Part VIII: There’s nothing like kids at Christmas Read More »
The first time my father ran away from home, he was 6 years old. He’d had enough of “not being allowed to do anything” and was set on seeing the world. Picture the iconic image of a boy leaving home with a bindle over his shoulder. That was the old man as a child walking
Twelve Days of Christmas, Part VII: About Dad’s best friend Danny Read More »
Tis the season … for presents. Let’s be honest, we all love them, even if they aren’t the true meaning of Christmas. In Part V, I’m writing about my 10 favorite Christmas gifts: No. 1 (1988): Our first Nintendo I’ve written about this in a previous blog. The NES was THE gift of 1988. If
Twelve Days of Christmas, Part V: My top 10 Christmas gifts Read More »
