Unbelievable

This is my Dad. Hard working, honest and the man that taught me to treat all people in this world with respect and dignity. He will be 70 years old this September.  He's a paradox in so many ways.  One of the most generous people you will ever meet but also able to pinch a penny tighter than anybody I know. Kind of works on the perimeter of things as if he isn't paying any attention to you at all and then he will come off with a statement that makes you realize he really has been paying attention.  Says some insensitive things but then will do something so incredibly thoughtful and sweet that it nearly makes you cry.  He frustrates me to no end sometimes but I also wouldn't trade him for any other Dad in the world.

He's on Facebook now. Not because he wants to keep up on the latest and greatest social networking trend.  Because he's a man on a mission and it involves making my Mom happy, which he tries to do to the best of his ability.

Our trip to Norway this August is a return trip for my mother.  She spent time there in the mid 50's, recuperating from rheumatic fever.  Not sure why Norway's climate was better than Germany, maybe they thought the mountain air would do her good.  She has many fond memories of the place and especially the people she met.  But being a young girl when she was there she only knew people by their first names. 

Not sure how we were going to find them except to wander through the village asking around.  My Dad needed a better plan than that though.  He's not really one for flying by the seat of your pants.  I also suspect he can't see us making this expensive sojourn to Scandanavia and ending up with nothing to show for it. 

He called the hotel where we are staying and asked the person who answered if she knew anybody who lived in the village we are going to visit.  The desk clerk said no but her co-worker had grown up there and probably did.  This progressed to where we are now.  A FB account for my Dad and friendships with many of these people from my mother's past.  We now have addresses, names and open invitations for coffee when we are in town.

What a guy!