Homage to Stella’s Dad

Today is the 69th birthday of Stella’s Dad.  Several Great Whatsiters know him (Parrish, Lane, Adriana, Dave and lurker Bacon) and can appreciate what a delight he is.

Stella was home for the holidays and captured this excellent moment on camera.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrHNZTYoG5A[/youtube]

The charm of Stella’s Dad is that unlike most parents and people, he has unconditional interest in, and acceptance of, other people.  He may not understand anything about your life…but he’d like to.

Stella’s Dad is major proponent of classic Dad humor.  Growing up, an opportunity for a corny pun was never missed. (W(h)ining grapes etc.) And, after 24 years, it’s apparently still amusing to make fun of Stella’s vegetarianism.

Stella’s Dad would take humor a step further with excellent imitations of a chicken laying an egg involving full vocal and physical expression.

Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day or Mardi Gras is coming up.  And in small town England, this heralded an evening of making and flipping pancakes…another excellent opportunity for hilarity, with trompe l’oeil antics that suggested the pancakes were stuck to the ceiling!!!

Stella’s Dad went to classic English boarding schools in the 1940s and 50s that were harsh and loveless and led to rebellion. He ran away, swallowed buttons and badges to get out of going back, but eventually became one of the class clowns and athletic achievers.  Growing up, Stella loved the bedtime stories where her Dad recounted putting dog poop in the exhaust pipe of Mr. Brown, dangerous school science lab experiments, and nighttime escapades.

Stella’s Dad had an enviable jazz vinyl collection in the 1950s until his little sister sold them to her friends.

Stella’s Dad’s Mum died of breast cancer at 58 when Stella was 4.  It was the most painful thing that ever happened to Stella’s Dad.

Stella’s Dad loves animals and especially likes to turn the ears of cats inside out and watch them pop back.  He also likes to beagle.  Yes, it’s a verb.

Stella’s Dad quite enjoys the sights and sounds of America…the fat people, the lack of alcohol in Utah, the road trips, the amazing landscapes!

Stella’s Dad is universally adored. She has walked into dozens of pubs within a 15 mile radius of her home town with her Dad who is always been greeted with a chorus of welcomes, most commonly “hello me old fruitcake!”

Stella’s Dad uses a range of excellent expletives such as bugger, hells bells, blimey o’riley, and frequently observes that it’s a right Fred Karno.

Stella’s Dad has plenty of faults, but it’s hard not to love someone who is so much fun and has such fundamental respect for others.

Hopefully, I’ll get to enjoy him for several more years to come.

In the meantime, toodle pip!  If I don’t see you through the week, I’ll see you through the window.

9 responses to “Homage to Stella’s Dad”

  1. lane says:

    “lovely lovely eh ere um this american lifestyle er . . . um lovely! . . .lovely!”

  2. Marleyfan says:

    What a tribute to dear old dad.

  3. Tim says:

    I love Dad humor and humorous Dads. Yours seems quite the delight. Thanks for sharing tales of him, and a happy birthday to the old fruitcake.

    I can’t make out, however, what stunt he’s pulling in the photo. Please enlighten.

  4. Stella says:

    He’s wearing joke spectacles made out of a drinking straw – one end is in a glass of wine and the other is in his mouth. unfortunately i didn’t start filming fast enough at the beginning and you can’t really see the wine.

    yes, that’s me shrieking “suck!”

  5. LP says:

    Stella’s dad also makes excellent bacon sandwiches, lives in a tiny house where he has to duck to pass through the doorways, plays a mean game of squash, and once patted Stella’s girlfriend on the derriere in a friendly father-in-lawly moment.

    He is a national — nay, international! — treasure.

  6. J-man says:

    A delightful dad! I have one of those too. I wonder whose jokes are worse? And I love that “to beagle” is a verb!

  7. LP says:

    I would also like to point out that this week’s TGW was a delight from start to finish. Lane’s Obama painting, Dave’s photo essay from Iceland, Brooke’s ode to SF, a Trixie playlist and Stella’s beagling dad: Excellent, all the way through. I love thee, TGW.

  8. Jane says:

    Stella’s dad sounds amazing. Happy birthday to him!

  9. lane says:

    that pat on the bum.

    what a cheeky monkey!