My (favorite) Dad.

...I'm going rogue for Ten on Tuesday today. Carole asked us to share our ten favorite TV dads; while I was struggling to come up with even one or two (BJ from M*A*S*H?, Sandy from the O.C.?) from the make-believe world, I had no trouble thinking up ten plus reasons my dad is my favorite. And I'm very fortunate that he's still around to read this post!  So I'm going to consider this a belated Father's Day card* to my dad (who is, in the best Southern way...Daddy).

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you probably know my mom was great with photos - not only taking them :-), but also writing on their backsides "who/when/where" and ultimately putting them into albums. There are multiple pages of photos that include me and my dad at the beginning of my album, but these are are the first two that show both of our faces for the camera:

Roy & Mary. one week old (puts this at about Thanksgiving, 1962)

Roy & Mary. six weeks (I'm thinking this is the week between Christmas and New Years)

Oh my, right?!

and because I know my mom will read this too and I was struck by the total 1962-ness of this photo (not to mention my mom's figure...5-1/2 weeks after giving birth!?!), I had to share it, too.

Polly, Roy, Mary. 5-1/2 weeks. Christmas. Grove Hill.

In any event - I had fun looking through the photos...and documenting just a few of the reasons my dad is my favorite. He's kind, generous, polite, smart, intelligent, willing, able, diligent, loving, committed, loyal, faithful, witty, funny, athletic, determined, strong, has integrity (what's the adjective for that?) and he has a wonderful smile!

Thank you, Carole, for prompting this belated Father's Day wish... (if you haven't joined the Ten on Tuesday fun, click here.)

*I really did send a card (and he told me he enjoyed it) and we had a lovely long talk on Sunday about all sorts of things including To Kill a Mockingbird (which I'd just finished re-reading), the Queen of England (because I was reading her biography), the recent shootings in Charleston, and how much we both enjoyed Katie's wedding (Katie and I attended a wedding Saturday night that recalled all kinds of memories). I shared this photo on Instagram - I'd shared it here the Father's Day after the wedding - it's crazy to think of all that happened in the 50 years between this photo and ones above! xoxo Daddy, I love you!

with Daddy, at Katie's wedding. (photo credit to Sara - with many many thanks!)