I just wanted to briefly post and say that I’m alive and doing alright all things considered.
More than that though…
A photo from 2004, right before he left for extended Southernly adventure and a new home, and less than a year before I’d do the same. He continues to inspire me. Amusingly, I would never have believed it when I was a child — quite likely I’d have told you the opposite some days — but looking back on it now, I can’t imagine a better father and I can’t imagine a better childhood.
I wanted to thank a happy father’s day to my father. Growing up with him as my father gives me a great deal of strength and happiness and deep desire to keep going because of my pleasure in doing my best to repeat and expand upon the experiences that I was given and knowledge and wisdom and training that has been passed on like this for thousands of years before these three generations that I’m the middle of.
Today we installed an upcoming symphony of flood damage “indoor pool”. It will take a great deal of self control not to jump off the swing set and canonball into the pool.
I have also been reading The Half-Blood Prince to Nefarious, an important part of our day that’s rarely missed — thanks (a thanks devoid of sarcasm), JK, for seven thick books, one approaching a thousand pages. If you’re wondering how long it takes to read this out loud — out loud with interruptions of all sorts, snacks, admonitions to behave, washroom breaks, begging for candy, squirming, and begging for more when the clock gets late — then you’re in luck because that’s something I can tell you. It takes about forty-three hours. For you, fast forward.
This (the full length recording) is part of an ongoing project to create an archive of memories and artifacts that will help Nefarious remember her childhood and her life with me — I remember almost nothing of my childhood and as I see Nefarious living as a youth, I have so many questions about my past that only I can answer… and I can’t. I also hope that maybe it will be nice for theoretically-potential grandchildren.
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I don’t know why, but I clicked on the youtube timelapse video and watched it. Halfway through I dissolved into tears. It was just so beautiful. Your daughter is so lucky to have a father like you.
So glad to hear things are going well and that pool is awesome!
wow… that was so much fun to watch and it made me a bit tearful too… beautiful. Shannon you are amazing…
Hey, finally… I take at least a weekly shot of “Larrat” for already more than ten years, so I was already suffering from serious withdrawal symptoms! Feeling any better already?
wow, amazing! and that kid can NOT sit still! love it!
Love the video! Glad to hear your doin well.
Not to mention you have years of blog posts that she can go back and read, documenting her childhood and your life.
It’s good to hear that you are doing alright Shannon, I was beginning to wonder where you had gotten to when my check ins kept discovering the same posts.
Another blogger did something similar a long time ago: https://tynan.net/the-infamous-ghetto-indoor-pool
this post reminded me of an article i read a few weeks ago of a father reading to his daughter from 4th grade until her first day of college. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/fashion/21GenB.html
shannon i love the hell out of you and appreciate you in so many ways. i’ve always noted you as an amazing person in so many ways, but also as an amazing father as well. i that a day comes that i possibly can read online Nefarious blogging about you as well.
Like others, I too became emotional. The combination of the song, the images and the whole concept. I wish I could make more time to do things like this with my two girls, the time gets by quickly. Shannon, you’re a great father and I feel inspired watching your efforts. Happy Father’s Day to you (slightly belated).
Wow- touching and *hilarious* video. What an awesome dad you are!
I don’t really remember anything of my early childhood, either – not until I was about the age Nefarious is now in fact. Even looking at the few photos which have survived doesn’t jog anything except the haziest of memories and I’m not sure then whether I’m putting whatever it is into the right context.
I am envious of the legacy you’re leaving for Nefarious and I wish I’d had the same left for me. But I didn’t, and while I wish I did, I realize there’s no point in wishing for something I can’t have – and I do treasure the more vivid memories of my later childhood, which are overwhelmingly very happy ones.
i got about 30 seconds into the video before totally loosing it and crying my eyes out. your daughter is so amazingly lucky. you are amazing.
on the subject of blogging
a question worth asking is
am i a user or a pusher
of course we need each other
but are we pushin’ or usin’
It’s so nice to hear from you Shannon!! :-D X
I just needed to say that the time lapse video is absolutely adorable. Nefarious really is lucky to have you… If I am ever to have children, I hope to save memories for them like this.
Awesome video, I cant wait till my daughter is just a little older so I can do the same with her…
Glad to hear your doing well, when you dont post for a bit, Im assuming I’m not the only one who worries.
That’s a great video, and reminded me of all the times my father read to me as a child. Between my brothers and me, I think he did that for well over twenty years, just about every night!
You did a nice thing for your daughter, great video and music.
I wish every kid had a dad like you.
Very cute! I couldn’t help but realize how much you play with your feet though! :)
Glad to hear you’re hanging in there, Shannon.
The video clip is just beautiful. It’s great to have video and digital still cameras. We’ve gigabytes of memories for our twins, but nothing more than a few faded snapshots for ourselves…
The difference between an “indoor pool” and a “symphony of upcoming flood damage” is just a matter of time. Well, time and earthquakes. Guess it survived the one yesterday, though.
Hi Shannon
Have been thinking of you and saying some prayers along the way.I like the photo of you and your dad. From what little I know of him it’s quite obvious that his spirit inspired you at an early age. I do suspect that you have greatly outpaced him in the parenting department, like other posters have mentioned your love for your daughter is inspiring. I like the idea of documenting Nefarious’ childhood and especially appreciate the circumstances, but boy I sure get mopey when I look at old family photos.I sometimes wonder if that part of our life is better left to mythologizing. Speaking of documenting one’s past the Ozric Tentacles shirt you were wearing in the video made me want to meet up with you Scott and Todd and go to a show at Lees.
That is really awesome, reading to your kids is a really great feeling. Harry Potter might be a bit to advanced for my two year-old, but soon…
love the video and the new camera effects! Hope your not in too much pain today. Where did you get the whale weener cain from?
I enjoy keeping in touch with you online and partially living through what you have achieved when I haven’t had the ability to do so yet.
That statement relates to a lot, from the serious to the lightest – which it is at the moment.
I never would have thought of using a pool indoors, a hot tub yes, but not the pool. You have inspired ua again into thinking differently – all one of these days we shall try it – we just don’t think our apartment manager would approve if it leaked into the unit below us. :)
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