My Dad was gone a lot, so unfortunately there are not many memories of him in my early years. I just thought he was dashing, mysterious and glamorous!! He ended up in Korea for a year while Mom and I lived with my grandmother (mom's mom, Mary B. Lehnert)
My dad would always bring me wonderful dolls and presents home when he returned. I always had something to look forward to......I still like to look forward to things to this day....and I LOVE to give presents!! I can see how my worldview started to take shape. We women could take care of things....there was no man at home......we could rely on ourselves. And who was the authority in the home? The women, of course.
This is the place where I REMEMBER disobeying my Dad and he and I got burned pretty badly. He had come home and we were celebrating with dinner on the back porch. We saw a fire in the kitchen through the window. Dad told me to STAY OUTSIDE while he ran in. Unfortunately I ran in (I was worried about him), stood in a corner while he was taking out a burning pot of grease...the wind caught it and blew the fire on me. He and I ended up at the hospital with fairly severe burns. One of my first memorable lessons of disobedience and headstrongness...many more to come!
