Been too long
It's been a long time since last I posted, haven't had time or something. I realize what my last post was about, and six weeks after that, I lost my last grandparent, my Grandpa Thomas.
Like I said previously, when they made him, HE broke the mold. Not a day goes by I don't think about him, or my other grandparents for that fact. If he had had it his way, I would have grown up known as "Topher", not Chris. My Mother put a stop to that early!
He grew up as well in the Greatest Generation, although his feet were too flat for military service, he grew crops at home in Missouri to do his part. Some of his brothers were called to military service(he had 9 brothers and sisters, only my Aunt Lucille remains from the Thomas clan), but he stayed home.
I don't believe he had much more than an 8th grade education, but he could do just about anything. He was a farmer, truck driver, carpenter, welder, etc., the list goes on. When he passed I only wanted 2 things: his table saw and red toolbox. I brought them both back with me recently from Missouri. The red toolbox has already helped(had to fix my fence, and the toold therein helped out immensely!).
I have a hundred stories 'bout "Cap"(thats what everyone called him, although his name was Donald), but my favorite is how he taught me to drive a stick shift.....
I was about 10 or 11 years old, and I was spending some time with him and grandma, and I went with him to a farm to help fix a barn(about 30 miles away). When we were done, he asked if I could drive his truck around to the other side of the barn so we could pack up the tools. Not wanting to disappoint him I said yes. Getting going, no problem. When he told me to stop, BIG PROBLEM. I ran the truck into and broke the fence. He was a little upset. My punishment was fixing the fence, then we went into an adjoining field for about an hour while I learned how to drive the manual transmission. Then, if memory serves me correct, I had to drive us home too. But, by the end of the day, I could drive!!!
Just one story, on lesson learned from one of my 3 heroes I had growing up. My father and both my grandfathers. I really do miss them both.
The last time I saw my Grandpa Thomas, my hair was kind of long and shaggy. The last thing he said as I walked out the door was,"You'd better have that hair cut next time I see you!!", then he giggled in only the way Grandpa could. When my mom called to tell me of his passing, I went and got my hair cut, and I've kept is short every since. Because now he sees me everyday....of that I'm sure, and I don't want to disappoint him again.
Like I said previously, when they made him, HE broke the mold. Not a day goes by I don't think about him, or my other grandparents for that fact. If he had had it his way, I would have grown up known as "Topher", not Chris. My Mother put a stop to that early!
He grew up as well in the Greatest Generation, although his feet were too flat for military service, he grew crops at home in Missouri to do his part. Some of his brothers were called to military service(he had 9 brothers and sisters, only my Aunt Lucille remains from the Thomas clan), but he stayed home.
I don't believe he had much more than an 8th grade education, but he could do just about anything. He was a farmer, truck driver, carpenter, welder, etc., the list goes on. When he passed I only wanted 2 things: his table saw and red toolbox. I brought them both back with me recently from Missouri. The red toolbox has already helped(had to fix my fence, and the toold therein helped out immensely!).
I have a hundred stories 'bout "Cap"(thats what everyone called him, although his name was Donald), but my favorite is how he taught me to drive a stick shift.....
I was about 10 or 11 years old, and I was spending some time with him and grandma, and I went with him to a farm to help fix a barn(about 30 miles away). When we were done, he asked if I could drive his truck around to the other side of the barn so we could pack up the tools. Not wanting to disappoint him I said yes. Getting going, no problem. When he told me to stop, BIG PROBLEM. I ran the truck into and broke the fence. He was a little upset. My punishment was fixing the fence, then we went into an adjoining field for about an hour while I learned how to drive the manual transmission. Then, if memory serves me correct, I had to drive us home too. But, by the end of the day, I could drive!!!
Just one story, on lesson learned from one of my 3 heroes I had growing up. My father and both my grandfathers. I really do miss them both.
The last time I saw my Grandpa Thomas, my hair was kind of long and shaggy. The last thing he said as I walked out the door was,"You'd better have that hair cut next time I see you!!", then he giggled in only the way Grandpa could. When my mom called to tell me of his passing, I went and got my hair cut, and I've kept is short every since. Because now he sees me everyday....of that I'm sure, and I don't want to disappoint him again.
posted by Chris at 1:16 PM
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