BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO ROBERT "PAPA DUKE" TODAY

Today would have been my dad's birthday (1914 - 2000), so I want to pay special tribute to him. For those of you who have read any of my books (The Dachshund Escapades), you already know a lot about him since much of Sarge's stories are based on actual happenings and events with my beloved family--notably Papa Duke, one of the main characters in all my books.  

                                                                               

Dad grew up during the Depression, and had a pretty hard life, having to be on his own from age 12. At that age, with nowhere else to go, he rode the trains along with other hobos, trying to find work and food in that difficult time. How he made it, I really don't know!  He never talked about that period of his life that much, and I'm sure it was a painful time. Eventually getting a job as a cook in a small restaurant in Albemarle, NC, The Goody Shop, it seems that his career as a chef was born! Clark and I visited Albemarle a couple of years ago, and we ate in that restaurant, which was still going strong. Dad parlayed the knowledge he picked up along the way into a successful career, as he joined the Army in his youth and cooked many a fine meal for appreciative soldiers all over the US and several foreign countries. I'm not certain if he was a cook when he served in WWII in the Philippines and Guadalcanal, but he did do some cooking at that time. He eventually served in the military for over 22 years, retiring when we lived in Miami, Florida. We moved to North Carolina where both of my parents were born, and they opened a restaurant, Duke's, which they ran for several years.

He had a great sense of humor and a robust laugh, probably born of the difficult times he endured as a young man who almost starved to death more than once. Tragedy + time = comedy, and I'm sure that was what happened with him. His famous funny stories are featured in my books, and I tried to recreate them just like he told them to all of us and many friends. We didn't care how many times he told them, because we always loved them. Our two daughters, his only grandchildren, loved his stories just as much as my brother and I always had. Some of the best ones, enshrined in my books, are:

The Purple Heart Story, A Fishing Story, and Papa and the Garden Fence, all related by Sarge the doxie, of course, in I Am Sarge, Book 1. Other stories of Dad's in the series are Alligators and Haystacks in I Am Dachshund, Book 2.

Dad and me in Raleigh, NC, in the late 1990s

Dad with his catch of fish at the Tanana River in Alaska,
where we lived for 3 1/2 years in Ft. Greely

With his granddaughters on the Blue Ridge Parkway in
the mid 1980s

His official portrait in his dress blue uniform

Mom and Dad's wedding portrait, painted
by an artist from a photograph. They
eloped in 1944

Mom and Dad the first year they were married-- I
think this was taken in Charlotte, NC, where they met

Happy birthday, Dad. We miss you and always will--but we will see you again in heaven when our time comes to enter heaven's gates. 

MmmmHmmm!

All of us doxie lovers pretty much agree that the above meme nails it when it comes to our beloved breed. Oh, we know they're stubborn to a fault, try to steal our food, beds, couches, chairs--but what they give in return is priceless: unconditional love.

Papa Duke, one of the beloved characters in THE DACHSHUND ESCAPADES series books (who also happened to be my dad), so aptly states our feelings about dogs:

"A dawg loves you no matter what. You can be ugly, old, even dumb--but a dawg don't care. All he wants is your love and some food now and then. I think dawgs represent the unconditional love God has for us--maybe that's why He created them, to show that to us."

So there you have it--dogs aren't man's best friends by accident! 

Dachshunds . . . you gotta love 'em, because they love us. It's that simple.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAPA DUKE! (1914 - 2000)

Today marks the birthday of my late dad, known to readers as Papa Duke in THE DACHSHUND ESCAPADES books. He left us on October 21, 2000, and life hasn't been the same since!

We miss your robust laugh, your guitar music, your harmonica tunes, and funny stories that livened up every family gathering; we miss watching your big, muscular hands working in your beloved garden and preparing delicious food; and, we miss your generous heart that loved us all unconditionally. Despite your rough childhood, you loved life and you loved your family.

Dogs adored you, and to me, that's the best character reference of all.

Happy birthday, Dad! We know heaven is much sweeter because you're there, but we surely miss you down here. We will see you again one day.

PAPA DUKE

Our daughter Holly posted the pic and the comment below on Facebook today:

"Can't believe it's been 13 years today since my Papa Duke passed away. I loved him so much my heart could burst! He was one-of-a-kind. So thankful I was blessed to have this sweet, strong, hilarious, story-telling, musically-talented, superb chef, and best teddy bear ever as my grandpa. This is the first anniversary of his passing that my grandma is with him."

Yes, he's the same Papa Duke as the one in THE DACHSHUND ESCAPADES books, and much of the things I wrote about, he actually said and actually did.  He was the kind of person whom all dogs loved immediately, so to me, that's proof positive of the wonderful man he was.  

Dogs just know.

MY FAVORITE MEMORIES OF DAD

Today marks eleven years since my father, Robert "Papa" Duke, passed away at the age of 86.  I've written about him several times on this blog--about his life, on his birthday, on Veteran's Day--but today I just want to share some of my fond and blessed memories of how he touched my life.

1.  His robust laugh - I just cannot describe that joyful and full-bodied laugh of his and do it justice.  It was contagious, and we all ended up laughing along with him whenever he was sharing one of his funny stories or demonstrating how something had happened.

2. His delicious food - To Dad, "food = love."  He was an excellent cook-cum-chef, using that gift as a career.  Our family often joked that since Dad had cooked in the U.S. Army, he often cooked enough at home to feed an Army--and we tried to eat as much as an army would!

I've been in the thinking stages of a book planned around family recipes; I haven't decided yet if it will be merely a cookbook, because some of those delicious recipes used in my books have stories behind them:
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
Chocolate Mint Brownies
Pork Chop Suey
Cranberry Banana Jam
Hungarian Beef Stew
Mexican Enchilada Casserole
Crunch Cake
Chicken and Dumplings
Farmer's Breakfast
Frosted Cinnamon Rolls
Lobster Newberg
Blackberry Cobbler

3. His music - As a young man, he started out with the acoustic guitar, teaching himself to play.  Later in life, Dad played the electric guitar by ear, and I'm thankful to have a recording he made just a couple of years before he died.  On it, he played some of his old favorites, even singing along on some of those and making comments here and there as only he could do:  T FOR TEXAS, GOODY GOODY, and the like.  He enjoyed music of the old timers, like Hank Williams, Eddie Arnold, and later Patsy Cline, Les Paul, Chet Atkins (his idol).  It is cherished.

4. His zest for life - Oh, how Dad loved the outdoors.  Our family went camping when I was young, across campgrounds in Europe, meeting friendly people of all nationalities.  What an education!  We even camped in the summertime in Alaska, but in a camper instead of a tent--it got pretty cold there, even on summer nights.

He had a huge garden, and under his large and capable hands with TWO green thumbs, it thrived and produced record crops of fruits and vegetables every year.  He loved fresh vegetables, even making his homemade salsa that needed a fire extinguisher while eating it!  His home-canned green beans were wonderful, and he and my mom spent many weeks canning and freezing their bounty.  He even took fresh veggies to "elderly" shut-ins well into his eighties!  

5. His love for dogs - As I was growing up, we usually had some kind of "dawg" around, and we did own several dachshunds.  We actually got our first doxie when we lived in Germany--a red female whom we named Elia.  All dogs loved Dad, because he played with and fed them endlessly!  He even got one of our dachshunds named Samantha, whom we called Sam,  to talk.  She could say "I'm hongry" the way Dad pronounced it, "wanna go out," along with a couple of other words.  Dad was thrilled to get Sam to "speak" for visitors.

6.  His delightful sense of humor - I simply had to include this one as a separate point, because he could make anybody laugh!  His zany stories and escapades, some of which are highlighted in THE DACHSHUND ESCAPADES books, are all true:  the fence story, the fishing story, the alligator story, to name a few.  He not only told his stories, but he would get up and demonstrate them, showing his audience how a dog loped along (I still can't do it justice myself), how a mosquito flew erratically when he was released from a freezer he had inadvertently flown into, or how an alligator opened his mouth by Dad's using his arms as jaws.  You'd just have to see these to understand why we all laughed so much around him :).

7. His faith - Dad came to know the Lord rather late in life, in his fifties.  But he became a different person once he accepted Christ.  He opened his already-big heart to others, reached out to help people, and simply lived out his faith in such a way that the dramatic change that took place in his life was a joy to witness.

Dad, we all love and miss you, but we know by your own words before leaving us that you are with our heavenly Father now.  This world is poorer without you, but you've left behind a treasure trove of wonderful memories for us.  You would have adored those great grandchildren you never met as well as the doxies we now have, Duke and Shadow.

When our family all gets together, you are there with us as we speak fondly of you and your legacy of love you left behind as your gift to us.

SHADOW (A.K.A. SARGE) THE DACHSHUND DISCUSSES HIS NEW BOOK

We are pleased to welcome back to this blog our premier guest,  Shadow, the dachshund "author."  His latest book, I AM DACHSHUND, where he also sports his pen name Sarge, was just released a few weeks ago, and we're looking forward to what he's going to share with us about that. 

Well, how does it feel to have TWO books under your belt now?

SHADOW THE DOXIE:  Thank you, although I've never actually worn a belt--I have a collar, though--does that count? (chuckles)

MDH:  Just a figure of speech, my boy.  I understand that I AM DACHSHUND has been the buzz in the dog lovers' community these days. 

SHADOW THE DOXIE:  People are actually stopping me on the sidewalk as I take my afternoon exercise!  They're wanting to know where they can purchase this book, will I autograph it, and how many Papa Duke stories are in this one.

MDH:  Well then, why don't you share that information right here with out readers?  I am sure there are dog lovers out there who are wondering the same thing! 

SHADOW THE DOXIE:  I AM DACHSHUND is available all over the web:  Amazon, Target, Christianbook, Family Audio Library, OakTara Publishing--to name a few.  Bookstores these days have limited shelf space, although they will gladly order my book if you don't see it on their shelves.  I'm not quite as famous as those well-known authors who have their books featured in bookstore windows, I'm afraid.  The premier doxie site on the web, http://www.dachshunddelights.com/, is featuring I AM DACHSHUND as their Book of the Month for July.  Hurry on over there and check out everything dachshund, then read their very flattering review.

MDH:  Give it time.  It takes awhile to get the word out, you know.  Tell us a little about this new book. 

SHADOW THE DOXIE:  I have some new and very entertaining stories from Papa Duke--in fact, one of them is not even about Papa getting into one of his famous "fixes" (that's Southern for "difficulties").  Also, my new doxie friend Duke is introduced, but I've had to teach him a thing or two about the world out there.  I also gain a new human sister as well.  That's all I'm sharing--buy the book, people!

MDH:  We have a few readers' questions for you today.  Ronald from Raleigh, NC, asks:  "Is there as much food mentioned in this book as in the first one?  I began starving every time I picked up that book!"

SHADOW THE DOXIE:  Oh yes!  In my family, food is practically one of the family members, so I write about a New Year's open house party, birthday cookouts, and I also visit Sellars and Renata in Georgia with Grandma and Papa.  Sellars and Papa take me to a VFW cookout and I sample my first barbequed ribs.  Oh my . . . falling-off-the-bone tender meat . . . tangy sauce . . . (licking his lips)

MDH:  Hmmm . . . are you okay?

SHADOW THE DOXIE:  Huh?  What?  Er, sorry!  I was just zoning out thinking about those paw-lickin' good ribs I had that day.  Perhaps we'd better change the subject.  Now I'm getting hungry myself!

MDH:  Gladly.  Jeannine in Lynchburg, VA, asks if you have to wear anything in I AM DACHSHUND like your hat and coat that Holly made for you in the first book.  You weren't too thrilled with them, although everyone else admired your "look."

SHADOW THE DOXIE:  Ahhhh.  Now that tidbit is reserved for those who read this book!  Can't give away that sort of thing this time. 

MDH:  What sorts of things are you doing to promote this book?

SHADOW THE DOXIE:  I put in as many appearances and I can at dog events, such as those rescue organization wiener roasts--sounds painful, but they are roasting HOT DOGS, not dachshunds.  I'm hoping for another shot at a commercial--remember, recently I starred in a dog food commercial in the UK.  It has been successful.  My agent has contacted Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer, to see if he and I can come up with something mutually beneficial to both of us.  Perhaps Cesar would feature me as an example to other dogs and their owners.  I'm not a problem dog, you know!  Oh, I like to bark now and then, but none of that bad stuff that some dogs seem bent on doing.

MDH:  What a grand idea.  Let us know if that happens, because millions tune in to The Dog Whisperer.  What great exposure for you!

SHADOW THE DOXIE:  Oh, that's still tentative.  Haven't heard anything back yet.

MDH:  We wish you the best with I AM DACHSHUND.  Oh, before I forget:  is there another book in the works?

SHADOW THE DOXIE:  Yes, in fact.  I'm working on Book 3, entitled DACHSHUNDS FOREVER.  My lil' buddy is coming right along, so I might allow him a chance to say a few words in it.  This book is a WIP right now.

MDH:  Folks, pick up a copy of I AM DACHSHUND and see if you also get hungry as you read--I hear there's some good Southern food to be read about!  Signing off for today, and we thank you for joining us.

TRIBUTE TO SGT. ROBERT "PAPA" DUKE

"Dad loved to garden, and well into his seventies, he shared his bounty with 'the elderly' and shut-ins.  He definitely had a green thumb, with fruits and vegetables thriving under his hand, trying to outgrow each other."


In honor of this Father's Day, I wish to share about my late father, Sgt. Robert Duke, an amazing man and such an extraordinary part of my life. 

Dad went home to be with the Lord in October 2000 at age 86.  A main character in both of Shadow's books, it was such a blessing when writing about him, pulling most details from reality.  His storytelling kept us all laughing, and I enjoyed sharing them.  Dad also loved to cook, and he was good at it, having taught himself.  His chop suey, made from scratch and with tender pork strips, was to die for.  He also made a mouth-watering chocolate pound cake, firm and moist.  It needed no frosting to jazz it up, either!

Dad loved to garden, and well into his seventies, he shared his bounty with "the elderly" and shut-ins.  He definitely had a green thumb, with fruits and vegetables thriving under his hand, trying to outgrow each other:  cabbage, squash, green beans, green peppers, onions, potatoes, watermelons, okra, blackberries, grapes, tomatoes, hot peppers, pears, peaches, apples.

I will share some of his recipes in my upcoming book, DACHSHUNDS FOREVER:  DUKE AND ME.  The problem will be choosing which ones to include!  There's his country-style steak with gravy, lobster newburg, chicken and dumplings, fried chicken, cinnamon rolls, hot biscuits, yeast rolls, homemade salsa requiring a fire extinguisher after eating . . . maybe I should simply write a cookbook and entitle it PAPA DUKE'S RECIPES.

6 or 7 years

He grew up in hard times during the Great Depression, on his own from age twelve.  At age ten or eleven, he rescued his baby sister, Sarah, from a house fire.  She was four years old at the time, and he suffered burns on his hands and arms.  Sarah died several days later, a fact he seldom spoke about in later years.  His family lived in poverty with his mother raising her children haphazardly; he never knew his father.

In spite of it all, as an adult he brought joy and laughter to those around him.  Our daughters inherited their musical abilities from him, as he played the guitar by ear.  Our youngest, Bethany, has one of his electric guitars and also taught herself to play it.  I suppose some of his humor came from the pain he felt as a child; after all, tragedy + time = comedy, which is often the case.  He loved his two granddaughters, but passed away two months before Holly, the oldest, was married.  He would dearly love his three great grandchildren as well. 

Children and animals were drawn to him, and I've heard that dogs are great judges of character!  If that is the case, then he truly was a wonderful human being.  "Papa Duke" never met the doxie in my books, since he came along well after Dad passed away, but we had dachshunds when I was growing up, and it was always a mutual admiration society with Dad and our "dawgs."  Dad is lovingly describedin his books, because I KNOW this doxie would have loved him that much.

Dad had little formal education, completing his high school courses after joining the U.S. Army as a young man.  He always said that Army life was good to him, and he had many friends of all ranks.  He met his old friend, "Pappy" Sellars, who was from Georgia, on a tour of duty in Alaska.  I was 13 at the time, and my brother Steve and I loved Pappy and his wife Renate (spelled Renata in Shadow's books) like they were family.  Dad loved to cook, Sellars loved to eat, so there was an automatic attachment!  Sellars passed away a couple of years ago, also in his 80s. 

All in all, Dad managed to overcome the earlier pain of his childhood, making a home for our family, and until poor health in his last few years prevented it, he stayed very active in church and community.  I miss his robust laugh, his flair for storytelling, and his huge hands at work, either chopping vegetables at lightning speed or rolling out pastry dough with finesse. 

Happy Father's Day, Dad.