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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Sitting by the fires


Tuesday's Slice of Life...

Sitting by the fires...special memories of my dad...
One of the special things I’ll always remember about my dad is how much he loved sitting by the backyard campfires.  My dad used to volunteer on the town fire department where he learned about fire and then taught us.  He always respected fire.  Just from watching him, it was obvious that he was meticulous about making sure every piece of starter paper, kindling stick, branch, and log was perfectly arranged before the fire was started.  There would always be a large bucket of water off to the side in case of fire jumping to a place it wasn’t wanted.  Once the kindling caught, the fire would begin to burn brightly in the tire rim urn outlined with bricks.  When old enough, the kids were finally allowed to help build and start the fire and use the coveted poker stick!  The “poker stick” was the perfect tool to nudge and rearrange logs so that the embers continued to flicker-flame and catch the other logs ablaze causing the fire to burn late into the wee hours of the morning.

Gathering around the fire made for an inviting time together, especially on cool summer and fall nights.  Anyone and everyone who came to the Farkas Fire Pit always had a good time.  The crowd was sometimes just family, sometimes just friends, sometimes old and young-or just married couples on a date night away from the kids.   The point is, no matter who gathered to exchange conversation, tell a story or play games, Dad’s cozy fire was always put together with love.  As my sister-in-law so lovingly puts it, the fire pit was a place to warm the cockles of our hearts.

Anyone who pulled up a chair to gather learned that nature was always part of the experience as well.  Watching the moon come up on the horizon, play hide and seek behind the clouds and shine brightly in the midnight sky was especially appealing.  Listening to the chirp and tweet of the crickets, the buzz of the cicada and the often annoying buzz of the mosquito were so pleasant when heard through dad’s ears. 

Dad always noticed the formation of the clouds as signals for when to douse the fire as the lightning would dance in the sky. Dad would watch for planes heading for other airport destinations determining if they headed east, west, or north of our house.  He taught us to enjoy nature’s outdoor treat while we sat to chat!  Sitting by the fires is a special experience I’ll always remember with DAD!  Thanks Dad, for all of these fireside experiences!  Love you!

27 comments:

  1. Oh Amy gathering around a fire is magical! I can so relate as I too have wonderful memories around a camp fire as well as having my favorite "poker stick"... I had one for years actually! Thanks for the beautiful thoughts, it gave me much to remember as well.

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    1. Thanks Lynn!
      Yes, the coveted poker stick-very useful tool!

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  2. What a wonderful Dad memory, what a beautiful image, and what a lasting impression. What great traits--meticulous, respectful, nature loving, and welcoming. What a great way to keep your dad with you and to keep his legacy alive to the next generation.

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    1. Thanks! I know my husband loves joining my dad out there! Hopefully my son will too!

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  3. Beautiful memory. Loved the details of things your dad did (bucket of water, watching direction of places, cloud formations, putting all the sticks just so, etc.)

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    1. Thanks Dana!
      I could have gone on longer-he's definitely a detail oriented person-I guess I comeby it honestly!

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  4. Thanks for sharing this memory of your dad with us. He sounds a lot like my grandpa....

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    1. You're welcome Deb! I love hearing that we know people with similar fun character traits!

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  5. That is a beautiful tribute piece for him to enjoy. I need to do one also...your dad reminded me of mine in so many ways, especially the campfire built with love. Thank you. xo nanc

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    1. After he read it, he just beamed a big old smile and said, "I love you! Thanks, Amy"

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  6. You could have been talking about my dad here! It sounds like we have had some similar fireside experiences. My dad used to say "it just doesn't get any better than this!"

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    1. That's awesome! I could imagine my dad saying something similar!

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  7. What lovely memories of a dad who certainly instilled a love of love and a passion for making memories with those he loved.

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    1. Yes, he certainly did and still does love making the campfires!

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  8. Great memories! We will be moving probably next year to our retirement place by the ocean...maybe it's time to have a place to have a fire and gather with neighbors there to watch sunsets and boats come in. It sounds wonderful!

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    1. A fire gathering place near the ocean to watch sunset sounds perfect! I hope to enjoy something similar one day!

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  9. I love this line - "Gathering for a fire made for an inviting time together." Precious memories of times to gather in love with family and friends. I also love the paragraph that focuses on nature as part of the experience. This is a piece that I'll share with students as an example of using our writing as gifts for those we love.

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    1. Thanks Ramona! What a great idea! I never thought of sharing it with students...hmmm now you've got me thinking in a different direction!

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  10. What a lovely piece about this memory. I need to take the time to write some things about my own parents :)

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    1. Yes, I was subconsciously thinking about what qualities and things I'd share about my mom if I was writing about her...it's gotta be the cooking!

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  11. So, so beautiful...especially that second to last paragraph where you share that the specialness of those evenings came from experiencing everything through your dad...finding joy because he was joyous. Thanks for sharing this with us, Amy.

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    1. Thanks Tara! There is much joy! Each fire was its own special celebration!

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  12. So beautiful. I hope I'll be able to write as poignantly about my dad someday. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks Peg!
      Hope your desires for writing come to fruition!

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  13. Amy, thank you for sharing memories of your dad. I read through the comments as well. And saw that you dad read your story. So, he must be alive. I read it through a few times, to see if your dad was dead or alive. It was not completely clear to me in the writing. I am happy he is still here to hug.

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  14. Yes, he's still here! It made his day I think when he read it! He just doesn't get to make the fires as often as he used to! Plus a lot of good friends have moved away or passed...it's sad in a way, you know?

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  15. What a nice tribute to your father. I remember sitting outside my parents house every summer late into the evening with my father. It was our time to talk or just sit and listen to nature. My father passed away 8 years ago and I can still remember those pleasant evenings.

    ~ Michael<><
    The Color of Sound
    @mgdobishinsky

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