Ode to Dads

My Daughter wrote me a poem some years ago. As Father’s Day came and went, I reflected on the poem. It is still one of my favorite poems.

Dad is a verb, an action, you see,
By watching this man, you’ll know what to be.
For all of the stories, piggybacks, and games on the lawn,
Tickling, funny jokes, and fishing we’ve gone,
Isn’t it obvious that he’s a great guy?
He’s better than any gems we could buy.
He’s quite a romantic, writes poems for mom,
If she needs a helper, you know he’s Da Bomb!
My dad is a verb who leads FHE,
He reverently holds Priesthood responsibility.
He brings us together to read scriptures and pray,
A disciple of Christ, he is every day.
One Rose among thorns, he calls me his Princess,
And then with his heart, his hugs mean he loves us.
Dad is a verb, an action, it’s true,
Just look what he does for me and for you.

By Jennifer Adamson

The Top 10 Things About Dads

1. Dads are fun. It is not uncommon to see children clinging to a father’s arm or being tossed in the air by their father. Dads chase children around the park and the house. Anytime can be playtime when daddy is home.

2. Dads try to teach. The term dadquotes is so popular because dad tries to sneak in learning experiences whenever he can. My father had so many little sayings. From “the early bird gets the worm,” to “be true to the guy in the mirror.” My life was enriched by my father’s sayings.

3. Dads listen. When you have to explain how the vase in the front room got broken, in spite of the “no-rough-housing in the house” rule, dads will sit and listen to your explanations. When you want to talk about what you did at baseball or scout-camp, dads will listen. When you want to share your dreams and expectations, dads will listen.

4. Dads buy impromptu treats. My favorite part of going on a road trip with my dad was stopping at the gas station, before we left and picking up a candy bar, or a soda, or a package of cookies. Every experience is enhanced by sharing a treat with dad.

5. Dads make it to your sporting events. I could count on my father being in the crowd when I wrestled, played baseball, or basketball. I always had a supporter in the stands when I was playing a sport or performing. Dads are there, when they can be.

6. Dads are funny. My father had a new joke most every day. Whenever I was discouraged, disappointed, or just needed cheering up, dad was there with a new joke. Laughter really is the best medicine, and dad knew how to administer it.

7. Dads have the best shoulders to rest on. On those occasions when we had to wait for events to start or in between activities when we just had to wait, I could always count on being able to cuddle up to my dad and lay my head on his shoulder.

8. Dads let you get your hands dirty. Some of my fondest memories of my father are those where we worked side by side. Dad didn’t just show me how to work, he encouraged me to get right in the middle of the project. Dad was OK if it didn’t get done as well as he would have done it, it was more important that I got a chance to try my hand at it and sometimes get a little messy through the adventure.

9. Dads are loud! They like playful and constructive noises. Its OK to scream and squeal with delight while playing games with dad. Its OK to yell at the top of your lungs when its your turn to be goofy. Dads like goofy things, even when they are loud.

10. Dads are the best examples. Dads teach with their actions. With dad around, you don’t have to listen to a sermon, you see a sermon every day!

(Oh, and did I forget to mention, they take embarrassing pictures of their kids!)

Some of my Favorite Books About Dads

Showing Dad that you Love Him.

Great Times with Dad

This one gives you the opportunity to write in the book and tell dad what you love about him. I LOVE this idea!

The Joys of Being a Father and the little milestones in you baby’s life.

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How Long until we colonize mars?

How Long Until We Colonize Mars?

What would it take to make humans a multi-planet species? Could mars really be colonized? With the prospect of ice actually being in abundance just below the surface near the poles on Mars, the plans for colonization of Mars have blossomed.

(picture by Nasa, read more: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/2017/20170929-spacex-updated-colonization-plans.html)

Elon Musk is projecting a short seven years to put the first colonists on Mars! However, his plans call for a Moon Base, a kind of space station that orbits the moon. This would the jumping off place for sending colonists to Mars. He plans on using re-usable space “shuttles” to send colonists, 100 at a time, up to the moon base, then send them in a larger ship on to Mars.

(picture by SpaceX, read more: https://www.nasa.gov/topics/moon-to-mars/overview)

All though the moon is not technically another planet, plans for sending colonists to the moon also exist, and are tightly coupled to the plans for colonizing Mars.

The Martian Chronicles

The thoughts of sending people to live on Mars is not a new concept. Ray Bradbury had his own vision of Martian Life back in 1950! His book, the Martian Chronicles is a classic. OK, so it is a little eclectic and witnesses the demise of earth, but still worth the read.

The Martian

A movie was made from this book. A man is accidentally abandoned during a storm on Mars. The story revolves around the efforts of this man to conquer Mars, and the efforts of his friends to come back and rescue him.

There are many more. Some appealing to children and young adults. The implications of life beyond earth are enormous. The race to get there is being joined by governments and private industry. The dreams of getting there have long been in the consciousness of man. Will we make history in some short seven years? We are only limited by our own imagination.

Other Adventures

Other stories you might like:

Dad Quotes

With Father’s Day is around the corner. I have a lot of fond memories of my father. He passed away some years ago, but he was my best friend while I was growing up. He had a LOT of sayings that shaped my life and continue to make a difference today.

Here are a few of my favorites:

It is better to be prepared and never get the opportunity, than to not be prepared when the opportunity comes along.

Life is like a mirror: it reflects back everything that you present to it. If you are tiered of seeing frowns all around, put a smile on your face and you will be amazed at how quickly those around you respond in like manner.

The hardest part of any task is deciding that you are going to do it! The second hardest part is deciding that you aren’t going to stop until it is done. You can have most any task completely conquered if you will do those two hardest things right up front!

Jump right to what you should be doing, all of your other problems will blow away like the sand!

Be yourself. An original is always way better than any imitation!

Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further than other men, it was because I was standing on the shoulders’ of giants.”

I have felt that way all of my life. The shoulders that I was on belonged to my father!

There are a few books that I would recommend for fathers everywhere. Here are a few of my favorites:

Which books would you recommend?

Other content you might be interested in:

Black Panther 2 Reveal

(image from https://screenrant.com/black-panther-2-release-date/)

The Black Panther returns. After its incredible movie debut where it garnered the top box-office revenue for some time. Marvel Comics hit a home run with the first Black Panther movie. Will the second one be able to keep up. I have high hopes that it will. Black Panther appeared in Marvel comics back in 1966. After that Christopher Priest took up writing the comic for Marvel.

The origin that we saw in the movie comes from Priest’s work. Wakanda, T-Challa, the heart-shaped herb, and the dazzling technology all cam from this original work by Priest. Even the arch-villain, Killmonger, comes from Priest’s work.  However, the depth of the characters, the look and feel of the movie setting, the attitude of the entire movie definitely comes from Ta-Nehisi Coats, the current writer of the Black Panther Comic.

Ta-Nehisi is a journalist by profession. A national correspondent for The Atlantic. He writes about cultural, social, and political issues, many of which revolve around African American struggles. Ta-Nahisi is without a doubt the new face of the Black Panther and mastermind of his upcoming adventures.

If you want to get a jump on what to expect next in the series, you might get that insight by taking a peek at his latest comic books.

Other posts that might interest you.

Got Your Reads?

Amazon makes it easy to pack your reading with you. I have often wished that I had brought my book when I needed to wait at the Doctor’s Office, or wait in the car for a child to finish with band, dance, or other activities.

When I have my Kindle, I have a library where ever I go. I always have the latest book that I am reading. The Kindle keeps track of where I’m at in the book too. I don’t need a little piece of paper or card that gets lost each time I open a book.

I love being able to pull back up a reference book when I am at work. I remember a quote or instructions that are relevant to what I’m working on at the time, I search it on my Kindle, and there it is, right when I need it. If I had to search my paper-library, I probably wouldn’t have found the quote. What a difference it makes.

Now that I have Kindle, I’ll never go back!

Some of My Favorite Authors Are:

Who are some of your favorite authors? Or what are some of your favorite books?  

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Introspection

April is Poetry Month

        

Introspection

Which Group Are You In

Look inside to decide if you are a complainer or a doer? If you find that you are doing more complaining than doing, it is time to change a perspective. Get on those task that you are procrastinating. Make a list of the things you should get done. Make a goal to take one or two of those things off of your list every day. You will be surprised at how quickly things get done. But the biggest benefit is how you feel about yourself when you get things accomplished and they are no longer hanging over your head.