My Dad's Birthday (born February 17, 1937) (Delmer Thomas Green)

 My Dad would have been 89 today. Earlier today, my terrier (my girl Ellie) and I took spring flowers in hues of blues and purples (his favorite colors) to his grave at Holly Hill Memorial Park. They were playing instrumental piano and guitar music thru the Bell Tower there today, which is near my Dad's grave. He would LOVE that, as my Dad was a very talented pianist and organist. 

One of my favorite memories about my Dad dates from the 1990s, when we were both antique hunting and had a booth in a local antique mall. We had gone to the Metrolina antique and flea market event one weekend, and while we were there, my Dad noticed a baby grand piano from the Rockefeller estate that one of the antique dealers had on display there. My Dad asked the man if he could play it, and the man seemed delighted, and said, "Please do." So my Dad started playing. The first song was a Gershwin standard. A crowd started gathering, just to listen to my Dad play, and the dealer asked him to please keep playing, so he did. It was amazing! Both to see how much my Dad enjoyed playing, and how much people enjoyed listening. 

My Dad loved the Golden Age of Hollywood. He bought videos and dvds of the movies, and would tell me what he had heard about the stars in them. He bought cassette tapes of old radio shows, and would tell about when they were on when he was growing up. He also told about the beginnings of tv shows, like his favorite: The Burns and Allen Show. 

My Dad would LOVE his birthday being on Mardi Gras this year! He and a long-term friend of his, Gloria Leonard, who he met in the early 1950s, would have been sharing champagne cocktails to celebrate. Either that, or a Scotch and soda. When my Dad would grill when Gloria came over to dinner with us (his specialty was barbecued chicken), he'd always asked her if she wanted her drink sweetened.

A few happy memories on the occasion of my Dad's birthday that I thought I'd share!

Laissez les bons temps rouler!