Happy Milestone Birthday Dad! Ninety!

Today my dad had his 90th birthday!



My parents' wedding day

It was difficult to find a nice, clear picture of Dad to scan because I don't have very many good ones of him. My parents divorced when I was 12 years old and I didn't see him very often after that. We've lived 12,000 miles apart for most of my married life...him in Australia and me here in the U.S.

Consequently I have very few photos of him.



With Kathy, our youngest, in 1994

Kathy and I visited my Mum in August, 1994 just after she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Sadly, she died in 1996.

During our visit we spent time with Dad too. One day he took Kathy and I fishing on Stockton Beach in Port Stevens, NSW. He always loved fishing. Kathy discovered sand dunes for the first time that day. She was 13 at the time and had never seen them before. We had such a lot of fun fishing and picnicing on the beach and running around in the dunes all day.

If you let a little air out of the tires you can drive a car on the beach. My dad has always been a kid at heart, and he took us for a great ride on the beach and up into the sand dunes. He almost gave us a heart attack when he came to the edge of a very tall dune and applied the brakes just in time to avoid going over the edge! He even scared himself. He hadn't realized that edge was there. Anyway, we got stuck trying to back up and had to dig ourselves out. Kathy of course, thought it was a great adventure :)

So Dad, I wanted you to know that on your 90th birthday I'm looking back and remembering some of the fun times we've had together :)

I had a nice chat on the phone with Dad tonight and heard all about his birthday celebration. Apparently it was wonderful, with lots of old friends dropping in for a surprise visit...even people he had worked with years ago!

My brother and SIL took him out to their favorite chinese restaurant where the owners totally spoiled him with special foods. When K & C brought him back to the retirement home where he lives, the ladies had made him a big beautiful cake and organized a party. He was so touched by all this fuss and attention on his behalf that he got all emotional telling me about it.

He told me he thinks he'll make it to 100! Now that's optimism! I hope he does!! He says he's going to call me on his 100th birthday :)