I’ve always had a fondness for kite flying. My birthday is in March and every year I’d get a new kite which my dad would help me put together and then when he got home from work we’d go out in front and fly it. It would go very high and sometimes we’d write a note and send it up to the top where the string meets the kite in case the string broke and the kite got away. We hoped that if someone found the kite they’d let us know how far away it got. We never got an answer from anyone but I still have those great memories of times I spent with my dad. I very much think that time spent with your dad, or mom for that matter, on a one-on-one basis is a date. Especially if you have siblings like I did, time alone with a parent is precious. I wish I had asked dad more questions about his own childhood while he was alive. Kites are still a big thing and there is even a Kite Festival you can go to.
Yesterday I suggested jet skiing, today I’ll go for a little less exuberant time on the water with kayaking. Not something that we have done but I know my daughter went with her boyfriend and had a great time. Living practically surrounded by water with the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean, there are a few different spots you can rent kayaks from. There is even a Bay Water Trail.
Finally, there is karaoke. This wasn’t a thing when my husband and I were dating years ago but I know the kids have been several times and it is more popular now. There are several around the area. This one in San Francisco called “The Mint,” boasts over 22,000 songs to choose from! I happen to be married to a real romantic and there are times he’ll just come over and sing a few lines from a song to me, like these from Leather and Lace:
You in the moonlight
With your sleepy eyes
Could you ever love a man like me?
And you were right
When I walked into your house
I knew I’d never wanna leave
Sometimes I’m a strong man
Sometimes, cold and scared
And sometimes I cry
But that time I saw you
Knew with you to light my night
Somehow I’d get by.
Not making this up, folks. He really does stuff like that. Maybe that’s one reason why we’ve been together so long. Who needs to spend money in a bar when I’ve got my own singer right here?
No pictures today but I made it through another letter!
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Hi, Janet!
ReplyDeleteHappy K-Day, dear friend!
You shared precious memories of great times flying kites with your dad. I agree that the delightful and healthful one-on-one activity qualifies as a date. I did the same thing with my dad. We lived on a hillside there in suburban York, PA, and we flew kites on many occasions. We even tried a box kite once or twice. Remember those? Thanks for linking to the Berkeley Kite Fest. I see that they even teach you the art of making your own kite.
Three years ago, I honored my cousin Paula with a blog tribute. You and I were not following each other at that time, and you probably didn't see it. If you go to that post and scroll down near the end, you will see a picture taken the day Paula and I and our dads flew kites on a nearby hillside. It remains one of the fondest memories of my lifetime:
https://tctgyb.blogspot.com/2019/02/hey-hey-paula.html
I've never been kayaking, and while it looks like fun, it is linked to a very sad and tragic event. My best friend in high school and the one I hung out with every night at the Shady Dell, drowned while kayaking with his wife on a lake, bringing his life to a premature end back in the mid 2000s.
I also think karaoke would be fun, but I never tried it in a public place. However, Mrs. Shady and I had fun on several occasions watching a karaoke channel we found on our Apple network. You should have seen us standing in front of the TV impersonating Sonny & Cher and singing "I Got You Babe!" We were pretty good! That karaoke bar called The Mint is smart for offering so many choices of songs to perform. It gets boring in a hurry to see couple after couple doing "Islands In The Stream" or other common karaoke oldie. Don and Stevie knocked me out with their "Leather And Lace" duet, and you really did find a great guy if your hubby spontaneously approaches and serenades you with a song like that one. Keeping the romance alive is so very important to a relationship.
Just a reminder that I have my own version of the A TO Z Challenge running this week at Shady's Place. I invite you to come have a look.
Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday, dear friend Janet. I'll be back to see you tamale on L-Day!
Hi there my friend! I am so sorry to hear about your sad memories of kayaking. I can understand you being averse to getting out there.
DeleteI popped over to see the post about your cousin. Most of my cousins were older than I by at least 10 years so while I have some memories, we didn't really hang out together that much. I loved that photo of the two of you with the kite. It was almost bigger than you! We never flew the box ones, mostly just plain diamond shaped.
It really is those little things that make the difference in a relationship. He does it much more than I do. Thanks for the reminder about your A to Z. Now that baseball has started I'm spread pretty thin! Going there now!
Those kite flying trips sound great and having a husband that serenades you is lovely. We've done kite flying but not as a date but kayaking is not for me - I'm a really poor swimmer. Karaoke is ok with family but I wouldn't want to do it in a public place.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm. not sure I'd like to sing in front of a bunch of people either.
DeleteI'm not a kite flyer but I loved reading how much it felt to do this with your dad. I wish my dad was around d too but he has been gone 34 yrs already. I loved going g with my dad when he would scale the logs. We owned a sawmill amd when we got a load of logs in, he had to measure them. Once he scaled the log, I took the red crayon and marked it. Once I could not reach deep to mark a log. My dad came over and, with one hand, lifted the bigger log o top of it. I was beaming because of his strength.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby owns a 17.5 fiberglass kayak. He has not been out mu h at all with it. I wish he would since a lot of money was spent on it.
As for singing, nope never.
LOL I think all husbands have toys that they don't use. Mine had a boat that sat in our driveway for years. Never used it once. Loved your dad story. Thanks for sharing it.
DeleteI mentioned in an earlier comment that we like to paddleboard in the summer. Last year we purchased a paddleboard that can be used like a kayak, with two seats that attach to D-rings on the board. We love it! (Being on the water really helps us beat the heat during Arizona summers.)
ReplyDeleteYes, I can't imagine being in the Arizona heat. I love it warm but not much over 90 please.
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