Happy Father's Day: I Miss you, Dad

On this Father's Day I pay tribute to my late father, James P. "Jim" Duly, Sr., who was born in 1916 and passed away in 1983. Dad was the sixth child of eleven children, and he lived a hard life during hard times. He grew up during the Depression and served in the Army Infantry during World War II. Only Dad, three of his brothers, and one sister survived to adulthood.

My dad was an Irish-American who loved all things Irish, especially telling stories, arguing about politics, boxing, and drinking beer. On St. Patrick's Day he'd tip a few then show us his version of the Irish Jig. He liked to tell puns and sing off-color ditties that I didn't realize were off-color until I was an adult.  

The following is an excerpt of my essay, "A Just Man," which was published in 2012 in Life Lessons from Dad, published by Write Integrity Press.

While my father was no saint, he was a good dad who taught me important lessons which have served me well, and which I hope to pass along to my grandchildren. Among Dad’s life lessons are:
* Be proud of who you are. When Dad wasn’t in the Veteran’s hospital receiving treatment for a service-connected disability, he performed hard physical labor at a local refrigeration plant.  While small in stature, he was big on courage. He was proud of his country and never backed down from a fight.

* Get a good job. With a house full of kids, our folks couldn't afford to send us to college, so Dad urged us to get good-paying jobs with the government after we graduated from high school. My sisters Kathleen, Bridget, Glenda, and I took his advice. Ten days after high school graduation, I started working as a clerk-stenographer for the Army--which helped pay for night school courses and a college degree.

* Never stop learning. Dad had a curious mind and loved to read. One of my fondest childhood memories is of Dad reading the Sunday funnies to us. Dad’s thirst for knowledge and his love for words rubbed off on me.

So, today I remember my late father, James P. "Jim" Duly, Sr.

 

I admire Dad’s wit and wisdom, and his love for family, faith, and freedom. Dad taught me how to be proud of who I am, cherish my freedom, stay curious about the world and never stop learning.  

 

Today, in Dad's honor, I'll drink a beer and wish him "Cheers" in Irish: "Slainte!"

 

Leap Day Trivia, Traditions and Legends

Growing up, most of us learned the rhyme (or a similar version of it):

Thirty days have September,
April, June and November.
All the rest have thirty-one,
but February stands alone
with twenty-eight, in line
Till leap year makes it twenty-nine.

Procrastinator that I am, I'm happy to have an extra day to meet a March 1 deadline tomorrow. Other than that, Leap Year/Leap Day has its own special trivia, traditions, and legends.

Did you know that:

* According to Irish legend, St. Brigid of Kildare approached St. Patrick on behalf of all women to complain they had to wait for marriage proposals from men. St. Patrick agreed that each Leap Year, specifically on Leap Day, the tables would be turned and women could propose to men.  

* In some countries, Leap Day is also known as "Bachelor's Day."

* In Scotland, a woman proposing on Leap Day should wear a red petticoat under her skirt--and make sure it's partly visible when she proposes.

* In Scotland, it was once considered unlucky to be born on Leap Day.

* People born on February 29, are called "leaplings" or "leapers."

* People born on February 29 are invited to join The Honor society of Leap Year Day Babies.

* In Greece it’s supposed to be unlucky for couples to marry on Leap Day.

Here's a link to read more Leap Day superstitons. If you type "Leap Year Superstitions" in Google search you can find even more.

Now I better get back to work on those pesky deadlines. Although after reading the Irish Leap Year legend, I have an excuse--procrastination is apparently a trait I inherited from Irish ancestors on my dad's side.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas and a joyful New Year. I'll be taking a break from blogging for the rest of the week, but I'll be back next Monday.

Until then, I leave you with this Irish blessing:

"May you always walk in sunshine. May you never want for more. May Irish angels rest their wings right beside your door."

Blue Mountain Press Deadline Extended

Today's forecast for St. Peters, MO: Partly cloudy, high 99 degrees. That's not a typo--it's gonna be a scorcher today. Time to hit the pool--or better still, stay inside.

Speaking of hot--here's a hot market tip, courtesy of Dianna G.

Blue Mountain Arts is looking for inspirational stories and wisdom related to Ireland or Irish culture for an upcoming anthology. They are accepting stories and essays (100-600 words) and poems (non-rhyming; no minimum word count). Stories should include "a pithy saying at the end, which sums up the inspirational message of your story. For example: 'Laughter is brightest where food is best.'"

Payment: US $50 for anthology rights upon publication. Deadline: June 30, 2009 (extended).

Send name/address and submission in the body of an email with “Irish” in the subject line to write4us@sps.com. *

I've begun an essay about my great-grandfather that I plan to submit. The essay is under 600 words, but I want to get closer to 500 before submitting.

A Blessed St. Patrick's Day to You All

Today's forecast for St. Peters, MO: Sunny, high 80 degrees. It's a beautiful day for wearing of the green.

It's said that everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day. In honor of those of us who are Irish, Irish-American, and everyone else, happy St. Patrick's Day. And in memory of my late parents, James and Katherine Duly, my late daughter and late son-in-law, Julie and Mike O'Donnell, my late son Walter Erik Volkenannt, and all the members of the Duly, O'Donnell, Volkenannt, Wade, Noblitt, and McMullan families, wishing you a joyful and blessed St. Patrick's Day.

For my writing friends--Irish or otherwise--here's a Limerick I wrote awhile back, which actually has won me some money in writing competitions. Hope you enjoy, and feel free to add your own--but keep them somewhat clean--it is a saint's day, afterall.

Reverend Finn

A fist-pounding pastor named Finn

chastized all who fell into sin,

but after Finn met

the spripper, Yvette,

Finn's preaching forgiveness -- Amen!