Empty House

Dad's gone back to my brother's home for now. He didn't want to spend a winter in the north. Well, I guess we added to the illusion of winter helplessness by showing him the photo at right. But he couldn't be convinced that inside the house we are safe and warm.

(Caption: There's a garage in here somewhere...!

This photo was "staged" in that my son is on the roof on his knees to give the illusion of several more feet of snow. There is a lot of snow here, but not as much as it looks like. This storm did, however, bring our area to a standstill last winter.)

To celebrate his leaving, the weather decided to give us our first big snow storm of 2008. It all melted in a matter of half an hour, but it was dramatic while it lasted. I am tired a bit and thinking about all I can write here, so I will add as I think of things. There is lots to share from 80+ years of life, and lots more I wish I had had time to listen to and talk about. Thanks for reading, -- more soon.

"So Brave, Young and Handsome", upholstry, and Fred Offenhauser

http://books.google.com/books?id=MDMFSp7xTp0C&pg=PA87&dq=Fred+Offenhauser

My dad has had a lifelong fascination with auto racing and I never understood exactly why, -- except that he was a mechanic (airplane) during WWII. However, today I got a different angle.

We were talking, and I discovered that his best boyhood friend, Chuck Tinley (sp?), was the nephew of Fred Offenhauser, creator of the Offenhauser engine that dominated the Indy 500 for at least two decades. My dad and his buddy Chuck would go to the races in L.A. and sit in the Offenhauser box. They were so close to the action that they had to hold their programs up to their faces so that they could quickly duck behind the (protection of the) paper when the car tires threw mud into the crowd. My dad mimics himself at that age, an imaginary program paper held between his two hands just below his eyes. Then he quickly raises both hands as he hides behind the program saving his face (but probably not his clothes) from the splattered mud. All this accompanied by the appropriate car and track sound imitation.

I wish I had unlimited time to sit and talk about such things. We were actually, at first, talking about a book I found earlier this year, "So Brave, Young and Handsome" by Leif Enger (recommended). I was able to find a copy in large print for my Dad to read. We talked about boat building. (My dad built himself a small fishing boat.) Then we talk about auto building. He tells me that the first cars were "square" because that made the parts easier to cut out (window glass, metal, etc.). Rounded shapes take more machining. Then he launches into how Chuck Tinley's dad was an upholsterer for a car manufacturer in L.A.

Eventually, this leads to hearing about attending the races with Chuck because his uncle was Fred Offenhauser, the famous creator of the racing engine. I learn so much, -- and then go online and find that, yes Offenhauser is famous, just as my Dad said. Fred Offenhauser is in 3 or 4 auto racing halls of fame. Los Angeles County (where my dad grew up) seems so far from Indianapolis. But there you have it. That is where the Offenhausers lived. Fred Offenhauser is the subject of Chapter 10 of the above link. Chapter 10 also includes a lengthy first person memoir in Mr. Offenhauser's own words.

My dad lost track of Chuck, he says, when he started living here and there -- a reference, I believe to his location becoming scattered among his (divorced) parents' and grandparents' residences.

I am not skilled ...

My Savior, My God by Aaron Shust seems appropriate today.

It is a little known fact (among my circle of friends) that the words were originally written by Dorothy Greenwell in 1873.

Thanks be to Aaron Shust for adding the bridge "My Savior lives. My Savior loves. My Savior's always there for me. / My God He was. My God He is. My God He's always 'gonna' be." and re-packaging this wonderful poetry from the 19th Century.

Tagged

This might not go completely well, as I am not sure how to do all of the 4 steps listed in the box. Hmmm. 1) First I linked the one who tagged me. So far so good.

Next 2) Seven random facts: a) I have too many books, b) I have too many pets! c) My third grade teacher encouraged me to be a writer. [ed.: running out of time here...] d) I am still in touch with my third grade teacher! e) During my mid-life cadenza, I took piano lessons. f) I have lived briefly in Australia. g) I have lived briefly; true statement from a history buff!

Now 3) -- Ummm -- Unfortunately, I don't know 7 people with blogs! But, I digress. I will think about this more and return, as I am not sure even how to link to another blog. Sigh. [Have they published "Blogspot for Dummies"?]

What have I done?

Ok, so the day after creating a blog, I had a moment of panic when I thought I should very quickly delete it! I already had a following (even though it doesn't show here). What was I thinking?

Eventually, I let my mind wander to the object of all this. Look at the photo. My dad and uncle are both life long musicians, family men, veterans of WWII, part of the great generation. So the blog stays for now.

My dad loves kites. Any dimestore variety will do. In fact, I remember him building his own box kite and teaching me to build the more average (diamond) shaped kites out of the Sunday funnies. We built a mini-model once from colored tissue paper and he flew it from a spool of thread. The great thing about this kite was that, once aloft, it appeared to be miles away (because of the perspective of such a small kite against the sky). People would comment on that in passing, and then he would show them that he was flying it from a spool of thread. "Incredible!" their eyes would say. We loved that reaction.

Now Uncle Harry loved to fly kites too. Later in life he bought Japanese fighting kites. The two grown men (empty nesters by then) would meet here and there to fly kites, go camping, go fishing, go boating. I never considered this unusual, but I must admit, I haven't seen many grown men flying kites - lol!

Well, all this to say, I have about 6 or 7 kites in my laundry room (folded & rolled, of course) that were gleaned from my Dad's home after he moved out. I must admit, I love kites too. If I could fly one from my front yard, I would. He sits by the bay window, and I am sure he would enjoy giving me tips as I attempted to get the thing aloft. Could I even run fast enough to get it started skyward? I am not sure.

If you have kids, do not neglect flying kites with them. Any dimestore variety will do.

Something new

I just created a blog!

Next: life and events will I log.

I've envied, it's true,

All the others who do,

So add to the gear one more cog.

original poetry on the fly by dawnpatrol 10/10/08