Happy Father's Day!

Most people love and admire their father. And on Dad's day we especially try to acknowledge our father with cards, gifts and kind words.

It was no different in our family. Neal and I were up early to make Michael breakfast in bed. He was showered with kisses, gifts, and love before his feet hit the floor. (Michael started making me breakfast in bed on Mother's Day when Neal was 2 weeks old. I have done the same for him on Father's day. So this is a longstanding tradition.) We then attended church as a family.

Neal and Michael Smith

We took Michael's father, Patrick Smith out to dinner at Red Lobster the night before. And then visited him after church.

 

          Patrick and Michael Smith                                                             Neal and Patrick Smith

                                                                           

Neal, Patrick and Michael Smith

Then we came home for a while and prepared food for a picnic with my parents and siblings to honor my father. Today was a special Father's Day for us. My Dad has been so ill and he is now doing a bit better and it was sort of a celebration of his improved health as well as Father's Day.

David That O'Neal, David O'Neal, Heidi O'Neal, and Robin O'Neal Smith

We took some pictures, we visited with him, we gave him gifts, we ate a great meal that we all contributed to, and then we visited some more. It was a great day!

 Heidi O'Neal and David O'Neal                                                     Thad O'Neal and David O'Neal

Robin O'Neal Smith and David O'Neal

My sister, brother and I, all have much to be thankful for. His improved health, and that we were so fortunate to have him as a father. Also, that he loved our mother and they stuck together for all these years!

David and Donna O'Neal

I'm sure each of us could tell many things we have learned from our father, but those are for another post.

I will leave you today with one final picture .......

Thad O'Neal, Donna O'Neal, My Dad - David H. O'Neal, Heidi O'Neal, and Robin O'Neal Smith

............and just to say...Father's are special and mine is the best!

Why am I starting a blog?

Do I think people will want to read my blog?   I hope so, I mentioned yesterday that I wondered if anyone would want to read anything I wrote….my life really isn’t any more interesting than anyone elses.   But I think that is the secret to success….people like to know what other people are dealing with.  They like to know they are not alone.   They want to hear about other people’s issues.   Our grandparents watched soap operas and listened in on party lines, our generation watches reality tv shows and reads blogs.  In both cases we compare our lives to others.  Sometimes we look better, sometimes worse, but it gives us some comfort in knowing others deal with the same issues.  But bottom line…I’m writing because I want to and I’m sure some of the things I write about will be enjoyable for my son to read in the future!

Do I think that I will someday be famous because I’m writing this blog?   NO, but I do think I will make some people smile, I will make some people shake their head, and some might even get mad at some of the things I write.  There is always the chance that I could be like Ree Drummond of the Pioneer Woman Blog and get tv and book offers.  But that would be a surprise to all and not the reason I am blogging.  I do think I will reach people outside of my little Saxton/Hollidaysburg world.  I think somehow, someway I will make a difference with this blog….if no where else, at least in my own life.  And I’m happy with that.

What are my goals?  My goals are simple…to record our history, the goofy things and the happy times as well as the sad times we share, to make you smile, to make you laugh, to make you think, to inspire you, and to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone at times.

Our family (whatever yours may look like) are the most important people in our lives. This blog is a way of honoring those people who matter most.

How long will the posts be?   Some days posts will be about this length, some days maybe a few sentences, some days a picture, some days, when I’m on a roll, the posts might be longer.  Feel free to comment if you think they are too long!

How often will I post?   At least once a week.  Hopefully at least 3 times per week depending on what is going on in my life.

How will you know when I post something?  Several ways….you can sign up to get a copy via email.  You can sign up for RSS feed.  Or sometimes I will post on facebook.  Or you can just look my page up when the mood strikes.

So tell me....do you think I'm crazy for starting this blog?

New Blog......Finally!

Can you believe this……a blog.   I’ve finally bit the bullet and started a personal blog.  This was one of my New Year’s Resolutions and here it is, the year is half over and I’m just getting this thing started.   But that is O.K.   The important thing is I’m started!  Woo Hoo!

So now you are probably asking yourself WHY?  Why would she want to do this?   That is sort of hard to answer.  My mind works in mysterious ways at times.  I guess you could say, this is a challenge.   I have wanted to do this for several years but wasn’t sure how to go about it.  I had lots of questions.  Would anyone want to read something I wrote?   I wondered if anything in my life would be interesting enough for someone else to read.  Would I be disciplined enough to commit to writing when I needed to?   Could I find the time in an already busy schedule to write?  Would I even know what to write?   Then I realized I didn’t care if others read what I wrote.  I wanted to do this for ME!   I wanted to challenge myself and grow.   This was a way I could do that.   I also have a long list of other things I want to accomplish while I am on this earth and blogging may help me to finally get to those things.  (More about those things in other posts!)

  

I started with a work blog on technology and found I could easily keep up with 3 or 4 posts per week.  Yes it took time, but it was manageable.  Many of the people that read my tech-bytes blog were encouraging and that gave me the courage to move forward with this more personal blog.  

I knew I wanted to start a blog, but wasn’t sure what to write about.  I thought about lots of things…parenting, technology, social networking, recipes, relationships, family, eating, losing weight, fun things to do, etc.  But had a hard time settling on just one.  So I decided to start with a family blog and I would be able to write about lots of things.  Whatever inspires me each day.

Then, deciding whether I wanted to write my blog on a blog hosting site, and if so, which one.  That decision seemed to take forever.  So I decided to test two systems and this one is part of the test.

Then trying to figure out a name was the next challenge….every name I liked was taken!  Smith is a popular name.  But used our first names to get the web address.  Seemed fitting.

 

I will be writing about my family, the silly things that happen to us, the boring things, our travels, what inspires us, what makes us mad at each other, etc.  This will be a written record of our existence. Hopefully I will have some entertaining and interesting things to write about so you keep coming back.  Check back tomorrow to learn more about my goals for this blog.

So lookout blogosphere....I'm here!

Saying Goodbye To My Gram

Today's post is about someone very special to me. My Grandmother, Dorothy Figard. She passed away May 18, 2011. My gram wasn't just a grandmother; she was one of my biggest fans and a friend. In her mind, she always thought I could do just about anything.

Even after her death, an hour before her funeral, when I was asked to say a few words during the ceremony, I didn't think I could do it without falling apart, but I did, because I knew she would think I could and I wanted to pay her the respect of saying a few things. Someone who lived 86 years on this earth deserved some personal words and anecdotes about their life.


My grandmother was an "Angel on Earth." Not that she was perfect and never did anything wrong, just that she was there for so many people over the years. I feel God puts us here and he decides how long we get to stay. We were so blessed he allowed my gram to be a blessing here on earth for 86 years.


I have lots of great memories of my gram, but the first one I can remember is riding in a car with her and my pap. I must have been about four. She had long, dark, wavy hair and red lipstick and the wind was blowing her hair back (before cars had air conditioning..windows were down) and she was so beautiful.


I can remember her making me Rice Krispie Treats and fudge.


I can remember that she always had the tiniest ankles.


When I was growing up and in my teens...she was certainly my biggest fan, almost to the point of being obnoxious. She told everyone in the town what a wonderful person I was and about all of my accomplishments. She ran a pizza shop/coffee shop and everyone in town knew her and they ALL knew about me!


When my pap passed away we had a lot of long talks. She loved him dearly and missed him so much. I would always talk about what I remembered about him and that made her happy...that someone still wanted to talk about him.


My Gram was a huge Pittsburgh sports fan. She loved the Pirates, Steelers, and the Penguins. She would get so involved she would swing her "terrible towel" and yell at the TV when they made a mistake. She was so excited one time when her team made an outstanding play that she flipped her chair. She had a shoulder injury and had to have several months of therapy. I cannot remember my grandmother ever being mad, except for when players messed up big time during sporting events. I would plan my visits to her around the sports schedule, because if sports were on....she just couldn't pay attention to anyone else.


When my son, Neal was born, she thought he was the best thing since "sliced bread." She loved when I would take him to visit and he enjoyed spending time with her. They used to enjoy watching "Judge Judy" together.


My grandmother showed her love to others by cooking them stuff. She was a wonderful cook. Many people in the Broad Top still rave about the pizzas and hoagies she used to make. When she would bake raisin filled cookies, she would always make me pineapple filled since I didn't like raisins. They were wonderful! She also made the best homemade noodles I have ever tasted and everyone in the extended family loved her Ham Pot Pie. Many times when she came to visit she would bring a plate of Monkey Bread that we all loved.


Running a Pizza Shop in the 60's and 70's, she got to know many of the teens that hung out there. Many confided in her about things. She often knew that babies were on the way long before the teens told their parents, or who was upset with their parents and who had a fight with their girlfriend. Many times she would just listen and be supportive. Other times she would offer advice, telling them their parents loved them, they should go home and not drink anymore, they needed a friend to drive them, etc.


We all have a purpose here on earth. Some of us learn what our purpose is early and some just never figure it out. My gram found hers - she was an angel on earth to her family and many of the teenagers that loved her like family. Her legacy is three daughters and many grandchildren who all loved her and will continue to relish the memories we have of her and keep her alive in our hearts for years to come. I hope we can all live up to her standards.


Now our "Angel on Earth" is in Heaven.

I created a video tribute to my gram after her funeral.

Gram, I will always love and miss you.