father's day w/o the father

My father was odd when it came to presents.  He always seemed to struggle with gift-giving - ours, not his.  For whatever reason (s), he felt that our money was best spent on ANYTHING other than a gift for him!!!  And so, when a gift was presented it was often received with a "why'd ya spend your money on this for?" instead of, "thanks, that's great."  The last decade found me presenting the perfect gift - something that he could neither criticize or minimize.  Father's Day fell in late June - just when my romaine lettuce came in.  I always brought him a head or two of perfectly grown lettuce!  He was content; I was relieved.


And now he is gone.  Mom and I visited his grave site today.  It is a beautifully serene spot with a clear view of the river.  She left rocks gathered in Nantucket and red roses.  It was not as hard as I'd anticipated.  The suffering is over and the memories move us forward.  Mom brought something else back from Nantucket (I ended up staying behind this year for various reasons) - something quite scrumptious ...

What can I say about cashmere that hasn't already been said?

Absolutely nothing, and entirely everything.
Wandering around the gardens I found both lavendula and hungarian poppy in bloom - how did I miss them?

The Golden Dog and I sat outdoors for awhile and contemplated a perfect June afternoon, complete with knitting and a rawhide chewie.

We hope that your Father's Day was excellent in all ways.