Oh, the things our parents taught us...

My father loved to fix things...as I like to call it "tinker with things". You would find him quite often out in the garage, or the backyard...wherever, really...with a hammer in his hand. If you asked him what he was doing he would say..."I'm going to fix...(whatever it was)", but he always had a hammer with him. Now, this I came to understand after many years of watching him, was his last ditch effort at trying to fix the item...he beat it with a hammer. Funny, yes...did it work?...no.

Actually, the only time I ever saw it work was on a car that my husband and I had (early in our marriage) that had a tendency for the thermostat to become stuck and would over heat. We had stopped at a gas station with him on a trip and he went in and asked if they had a hammer. My husband and I burst into laughter at the scene as out he came with the "prize" tool. He proceeded then to "pound" the engine (who knows where...) and low and behold the thermostat began to work. I tell you I've never laughed so hard in my life and my Dad never looked so proud.

Fast forward to today...as I have been having trouble with one of my window blinds (it's stuck, really and won't stay up...frustrates the fire out of me). After working for several minutes and trying different things, I headed straight for the garage to get...what else but...a hammer. And as I hopped back up onto the chair I stopped dead in my tracks and busted out laughing...

Oh, the things our parents taught us...