This year was a little different for the Alzheimers walk. In the past my daughters and I raised money and went on the walk. Each year it is a challenge for us to raise money and get the time off from work to participate in the walk. But each year we do accomplish it some how.
The first year that we did the walk was 2005 we had 5 that walked for the team. In 2006 we had only 4, the 2 girls, Alexis and I. Sarah and Bekah even designed shirts for us to wear to honor the memory of their grandpa. In 2007 we had the addition of Jaxen to our team, also Stormy came along to help out with the kids.
We all enjoy taking the time to pay tribute to dad.
I remember the time when I was just 5 years old and he had taken me to the Norwalk clinic, very late in the evening, because my tonsils were very swollen. Making my breathing very labored. Mom had to stay at home with the other girls, although my littel sister also was having similar problems. "Back in the day" you could tell the family physician you had another one at home and they would get medicine for them too.
Dad also taught all of his girls basic car stuff. We could easily change oil, tires, check transmission fluid. Like I said the basics, we could use this to impress a boyfriend as well! :-? Well I don't know that dad knew that trick. I tried to pass this on to my girls, thinking that they too would need the basics. They were not intent on learning the car stuff. Although I did impress my boys, it was very funny to see the look on their face when I could show them where to check things at. Even on Facebook I beat one of the scores for knowing the car parts.
He also was the one to teach us to drive!! He made us learn how to drive a stick shift too. That could also be used to impress a boyfriend, just ask my older daughter!
Dad could do just about anything he set his mind to. He worked with a friend during the summer months doing odd jobs. this inclu ded adding on rooms to houses, rewiring and roofing to name a few. He let us work with him in the summer, paying us for our work too. I believe that he taught us more thatn we will ever realize during the summer. I remember him
telling us "always look busy, even if it is just sweeping".
My mom tried to get dad to talk to us when the Alzheimers diseas had gotten worse. He would only talk for a few minutes before he could not answer any of the questions. Ed and I have talked several times about when dad started getting worse, we both decided that when dad asked for help with the water heater which had gone out. Needless to say we are not that mechanically inclined!! We were able to get the water heater out of the basement, and hook up the new one. But dad would have been able to do it in half the time in his good times.
Dad died in 2004 due to complications of Alzheimers. I think of dad often and know that others miss him too.
Dad I miss you a lot! Look forward to seeing you again!
Love ya! Debbie
