Daddy's carvings | maryagneswilding.com

A podcast about birds, Tony Fitzpatrick, and "the book"!

This is a podcast from Dave Hoekstra's radio program I am sharing with you!

http://wgnradio.com/2017/01/10/birds-are-eternal-tony-fitzpatrick-and-mary-wilding-talk-art-aviary-inspiration/

Clem and Dot and Shadow!

This is a treasure I forgot I had. I found it while cleaning in a closet. I think I got my writing ability from my dad. I typed up the story and I am posting it in the following frame.

A Day of Play (Clem Wilding 1951)

A Day of Play

The other day I felt draggy. My bones ached and I felt like I was getting the flu. After all, a lot of the people in the neighborhood had it . If there is anything going around like that I never fail to get it . In my day I've had everything that could be caught - mumps, measles, chicken pox, whooping cough, etc. Anyway, the next morning I knew I had it because I did not feel like going to work. I was not sick enough to stay in bed so I picked out my favorite easy chair and relaxed. That is about the best way to take care of the flu that I know of.

I was not sitting 5 minutes when our 3 1/2 year old daughter Mary took over. She means to take advantage of this day which is really a break for her. Pretty soon, I realize that I have been neglecting her in this busy life of ours. We just get to talk to her in the morning and evening. Either she is not wholly awake in the morning or is tired in the evening when we have time for her. But this day she has me to herself and she means to make the most of it.

The first thing she does she hauls out a story book. Come read this to me, daddy, about Mary and the lamb, and then Old King Cole. About ten minutes of this, then off the lap she slides "Will you draw me a horse and a pig?", colors in one hand and paper in the other. We draw a number of crude looking animals which she treasures for days afterward. Then her little mind already has thought of something else. Let's play Tiddly Winks, daddy. OK, I say lets. We play that till she gets mad because I get more winks in the pot than she does. "Lets get the doll dishes and have a tea party". So the doll dishes are brought out and we are sipping milk out of little cups and munching crackers. I never knew that crackers tasted so good before. Pretty soon she puts a sudden stop to our miniature meal. Then she has to wash the dishes and I dry them. Then the dolls have to have a change of clothes. I help with that the best I can, then she has another idea. "Will you sing me a song"?. I say "I don't know if I can but I'll try". Then I try to sing a few lines of Peter Cottontail and she enjoys that no end. "Sing it again" she'll say. I sing it about 4 or 5 times what I know of it then she has another idea hatched out. She'll crawl on my lap and say "Now tell me a story". So I tell her the story about Red Riding Hood as much as I know of it and her face is lit up with delight. When we get through she'll say "now tell me another one". Well I try and think of another one and maybe another till she has a new idea to try out. Then we do that. All this time I almost forget that I am sick, she does not give a person time to think about his aches while she is awake. Pretty soon its time for John, our 8 year old to come from school. She senses the time too because her glances go toward the window every little but.

Pretty soon he walks in and I am thinking now I might take a nap and he will take over and entertain Mary. Instead, he comes in with an idea already hatched on the way from school. "Dad, will you make me a sling shot if I get you the stuff that it takes?" OK, I say since I promised him weeks ago that I would. The games in the room are now getting more boisterous, since there are now 2 active parties participating. Pretty soon it is supper time and study time and prayers are said. Off to bed they go and in ten minutes they're fast asleep. I notice she has her drawing of animals on her pillow and John has his sling shot on his pillow beside him.

I often wondered how little children can put in 11 hours of sleep from night to night so soundly. Now I realize it. There are no worries, just pleasant memories to dream about. I would not trade this day for any day that I can think of. I really had a day of play and I will have another one tomorrow and many more after that, because I realized anew today what 2 precious children God has sent me to take care of and I thank him again for their health and vigor. Why don't you other fathers try a play day sometime soon?