Remembering
The 4th of July is a special day to remember the birth of our country and the freedom we cherish and seek. For me it is a day of remembering my father who died on July 4th in 1954. He was 39 years old and died of complications from lifelong diabetes.
I wish I could remember more about my dad. I have only fleeting pictures in my mind of special things about him, but daily life with him evades me. I know he was a curious, inventive, funny guy. He loved the new gadgets of the time like being able to make records of me and my girlfriends singing. He must have been an "early adopter" of new technology...I got that from him. The funniest thing I remember is how he hooked up the vacuum cleaner to power the player piano. It was great except the vacuum sort of overpowered the piano!
My mom and dad based a lot of their lives on "5 Acres and Independence". They bought 5 acres in Gurnee, Illinois and built their own house. We had goats, cows, geese, chickens, rabbits, sheep and provided a lot of our own food from these animals and our garden. I think they exemplified the American spirit of independence and freedom.