Father's Day loot haul

That's sweet. *grin*

And a very happy Father's Day to you. Though it sounds like you're already having one anyway.

Happy Fathers Day Rod. It's the day when we fathers get to look around and be really really appreciative of our blessings.

My step daughter called the other day and asked what my wife what I wanted. My wife put her hand over the mouthpiece and asked me what I wanted. I told her that daughter had already given me the three best gifts any father could ever want. A card would more than suffice.

My step daughter has given us three wonderful kids. The oldest is twenty five and the youngest just turned seventeen. My son and daughter has given us three also. They range in age from almost two to almost seven. Yesterday was the boy's fourth birthday.

If something happened to me anytime soon it's my step daughter's kids who will have and cherish the most memories of me. My poor kid's kids would be saddled with all the stories. I'm sure more than one reprimand would be followed with, "if your grandpa was here......"

I think they said we'll have fourteen over for dinner today. I'll be doing my hamburgers. Only two of the fourteen are mine by the traditional definition. The rest of the adults are friends and families of the kids whom have worked their way into our hearts. The house will be full and it'll probably take me the next year to get all the blessings counted. But then, that's what blessings are for, right?

"I don't think I have the guts to wear it outside the house."

$20 if you wear it to work and post a picture.

I really like the shalwar kameez too--it is pretty much unisex, though the female versions are a lot more colorful and decorative, and you're right, it's great for hot weather, being both comfortable and modest (and, in the female versions, can be dressed up like mad!)

The problem with vegetarians is that the meat is dry, given their diet. Plus you can't do much with the feet, not even soup -- the Birkenstocks won't come off.

I'm glad you've discovered the salwar kameez. I spent a couple of years in Karachi and brought a couple back with me when I returned to the US. I used to wear them in public, but after a certain distancing from my Pakistani life, it began to feel too unnatural to wear them outside. But they are wonderfully comfortable and graceful, and nothing is more dignified than a bearded man in a salwar kameez, vest, and turban (you're one down; now you just need the accoutrements). Anyway, enjoy the outfit.

You know, posts like today is why I often come to this blog first when I boot up - it always a rich experience, and gets a man thinking.

Some comments:

1) It's a pleasure to see you enjoying life.

2) Forgot it was Father's Day until somebody yelled "Happy Father's Day!" as we were walking to mass and I was like, huh? Since we started seriously celebrating the liturgical year we've slowly dropped secular holidays and never looked back, and I'm glad for your detailed post helping me keep up on what "normal" people are doing out there (like presents for Father's Day). It seems strange, even absurd to me now, and you help put it all in context.

3) Query: does the Orthodox version of Lent allow fish?

4) The kameez story makes me smile. Did you know the Romans once had their own version of the Punjabi suit, long forgotten? It's the growth of cultural things like Cinco de Mayo and the salwar kameez that mark in no uncertain terms the relentless decay of the West. One can look at the demographics, but yet still not really "feel" it. It's a new dark age; we are in it, grabbing what we can from cultures that still have it going on. Food, clothing, religion, family and marriage relations - it's the wild West fire sale! Bring it on, I say. To paraphrase Huxley...May I offer a toast? To our death!

It's official: Rod Dreher is a terrorist sympathizer. Careful, Rod, before Fox News catches on to you.

Kizmet: You should look into getting a kilt. Wearing them in public shouldn't be as much of a challenge for you.

Utili-kilts are pretty popular in the Pacific Northwest, I hear.

But no Fred Sanford t-shirt, huh?

It's the growth of cultural things like Cinco de Mayo and the salwar kameez that mark in no uncertain terms the relentless decay of the West. One can look at the demographics, but yet still not really "feel" it. It's a new dark age; we are in it, grabbing what we can from cultures that still have it going on. Food, clothing, religion, family and marriage relations - it's the wild West fire sale!
Posted by: mdavid | June 15, 2008 4:47 PM

Bah humbug! We take the useful stuff from other cultures and discard their baggage.