Sunday, June 17, 2007

Happy Father's Day!

Lessons my father taught me...

You know where you're supposed to be on the Lord's Day. Get there.

And Monday night church volleyball, and Tuesday Ladies' Bible Class, and Wednesday night prayer meeting, too. And if there's a Saturday church work party, bring your gloves and elbow grease and a big smile and that Fowler work ethic...the more, the merrier!
(We put the PARTY in Work Party.)


Be brave. Even when things are scary, be brave.
(Here he is on police detail, still guarding the house that was bombed in the middle of the night.)





Be thrifty. Reload your own ammo.
("Girls, we're going to play a game. You know how you like collecting shells at the beach? Well, this is a game you play at the range. I like to call it Collecting USEFUL Shells!"


Love your children...and not just the two cute ones...but even the funny-looking one with flat feet and a lazy eye.


Sometimes you need to blow off a little steam. The armory is good for that.

Take turns. And protect your ears.

Go camping.
Camp Gander Brook and Camp Manatawny are good for body...and soul.


Be a public servant. If you CAN say yes to someone's request, then say yes.
(Here's Dad's Boy Scout troop.)


Have fun! Don't be afraid to sail through the air over the top of a snowbank or Grandpa's snowmobile ramp...but wear a helmet if your noggin is worth protecting.

Don't be conceited...even if God blessed you with good looks.


Earn your food...


...with a muzzleloader you built yourself.

(I have yet to take him up on that last Life Lesson.)


HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD!

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Joshua 24:15

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Incredible pictures ...where did you get them? Some of them you must have squirreled away years ago!

What a fun life it has been, and fathering unusual children was a real bonus...with some little stress thrown in, of course.

I never read a blog with tears in my eyes before...but this one is different. I am humbled and a little embarrassed.

Thank you, thank you..."Miss Fondle".

Dad

mad4books said...

Hooray! I'm glad you liked it.

Happy Father's Day!

(I think all of those pics were on the flash drive Russell has; check out those old picture folders on your hard drive!)

Sandra said...

This is so much better than a Father's Day Card. Great job!

The Dynamic Uno said...

Wow! What a great tribute to your dad! How's he doing?

mad4books said...

Much better, thanks! They've already replaced the van and driven it to Pennsylvania! Can't keep those two down on the farm.

Mom has low energy and trouble breathing, Dad has some lingering soreness and some spectacular purple & black bruising...but they do everything they need to do for their jobs AND lots of fun stuff, too. Amazing...and inspiring, too.