A Different Kind of Card

Yesterday was Father's Day and I thought about my dad a lot. He has been gone over two years now and it dawned on me that, as an adult, I don't remember ever spending an official Father's Day with him. Having lived almost my married life far away from my own family, Father's Day travel got sacked in lieu of visits later in the summer and in the winter. When his and my mom's health started failing and I began the travel schedule I have now, I still don't remember being there, except the year that Christian and Resh got married. His birthday, yes...a couple of times.

Fortunately, my dad was not the Hallmark kind of guy, nowhere near close to it or close to Ozzie Nelson or that oft-pictured "dad in his glory over the barbeque" for that matter. He was distinct, a bit of a loner.  

While not having an official Father's Day to remember, I do have the memories of lots of "father's days" to savor.

The cards I have from those days are his library card, museum tickets, theater stubs, a napkin from Claudio's were we would sail for oysters, my original skis and ski boots that he and I picked out together, the antics (and gross mishandling of memories on my brother's part, by the way) of my pony days with Topper, being rigged up in the trapeze for a fun (but little scary) and very fast sail in the Fireball, a program from Mashsomack and Long House, his dinghy and oars, a cutting from his pencil cactus, the memory of our winter sunset chase, our canoe adventure on the Peconic Estuary, quiet moments on the beach at Bootleggers Alley. 

Not me obviously but that is the trapeze my dad rigged me up in and how I actually looked under sail, minus the wetsuit.

Gardens at twilight at Long House

I am happy that those memories span 365 days and not just one. Made yesterday a lot easier.

Here is one of Dad's favorite cookies...he loved peanut butter and cookies. Thinking of you, Dad xoxoxo Phutsie

Dad's 'Boo Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup peanut butter (I use organic)
2 cups flour (I sometimes use whole wheat or a combo)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk

Cream butter and sugar. Add peanut butter. Add slightly beaten eggs to the creamed butter-sugar-peanut butter mixture. Next, stir in milk. Blend flour, salt and soda and add to creamed mixture. Lastly, fold in vanilla. Roll into balls; smash with a fork (wouldn't be peanut butter cookies without those fork marks!) and bake 325 for 15-20 minutes. Makes about three dozen.  
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Note: Yes, that is a lot of sugar. Sometimes I hold out 1/4 cup of the white sugar and roll the dough balls in it or use to sprinkle on hot cookies. I also like cookies slightly underbaked and so if you do, too, check the first batch at about 12 minutes and see how much longer you want to bake them. Cookies continue cooking after you take them out of the oven.