The time when Clare was working in NYC in the early 1990’s and it was the WORST winter… Clare took the train to work that day and it snowed at least 2 feet that day. The trains were delayed and Clare had no way of communicating to Mom and Dad in Denville. As she was passing the train stations on the way to her stop in Denville, she saw in dismay the parking lots filled with cars - unrecognizable because they were covered in snow by at least a foot. She had no idea how she would dig her car out. When her train pulled into the Denville station… after hours of delays… she could not believe her eyes. The entire parking lot was covered in snow - no cars were seen… just mounds like small hills. EXCEPT one line car visible… Clare’s car had been cleaned of all snow and a path had been cleared so she could reach her car and drive out of the lot. Her angel - Dad - had done this for her. An unforgettable demonstration of what it means to be a Dad.
There were always surprises in our family. We often weren't told ahead of time what the family plans were, partly because there were so many of us, and too many variables -- anything could happen so plans would change, and Dad and Mom sure didn't want a bunch of kids asking a million questions while they were busy changing horses in mid-stream.
One morning we woke up and Mom and Dad looked at each other with that "no one's got a broken bone, no one's throwing up, so...okay..."
Then they announced we'd pile in the VW van and drive to New Hampshire and camp out in Grandma Lorden's cornfield, along a river -- for a whole week.
Within an hour it was "Tally ho, and away we go! After about 6 hours of counting license plates, we landed in the cornfield and all piled out to explore while Dad outfitted the van for us to sleep in. It was an old-style VW camper, with the metal rails on top of the bench seats, on top of which Dad laid boards. Several of us slept on those board all lined up like sardines. Others stretched out on the bench seats, and the rest stretched out on the floors while the little-little kids slept in the way-back, with one kid in the front seats straddling the gear shift. Mom and Dad slept with the infant (who?) under a lean-to tarp stretched out from where the side doors swung outward.
I don't remember how many kids there were then, but I think I remember counting 10, plus Dad and Mom and the infant, so it was quite the engineering feat for Dad to figure out the logistics of fitting in all the kids ad our clothes, PLUS the boards and blankets and pillows. We might have even had the big German Shepherd then, too.
I loved the New Hampshire family farm, and our great-aunts and uncles. From then on, farms were more than just pretty landscapes. After that, the farms came to life when we drove past them, as I imagined the people in the houses and barns doing all the things they do with the animals and all.
I'm grateful to Dad and Mom for showing us the examples of being creative, mentally agile, resourceful, persevering, and generous.
This birthday party for Dad is another one on a long list of many memorable experiences together as a family. I hope you can come!