Life With H.A.S.

Our Dad often signed business memos with his initials H.A.S., hence the title of this post. His handwriting was beautiful and somewhat embellished. In fact, a handwriting expert might predict a strong, decisive personality and that would sum up Dad perfectly. He was very intelligent and our family “Go To” for problem solving. We often said that he knew a little bit about a lot of things. He was also what we would describe as “quirky.”

As in many households of his generation, Dad was the one and only authority, which meant that his quirks were a part of our everyday life, and we learned early on that our best course of action was to simply comply; Mom included.

Cleanliness is a Priority

Let’s start with Mom. It was an absolute must, as decreed by Dad, that in spite of the fact that five rambunctious children lived in it, the house must at all times be spotless, in case unexpected company dropped by, and that of course fell to her.

So, Mom vacuumed every day, and although Middle and Little don’t remember it, I’m pretty sure that on top of all of the regular cleaning chores, she also cleaned the toilets every day. There were three males in the house…need I say more?

And don’t get us started on the carpets. They were mostly that good old standard, shag.😁 Once they had been vacuumed, any flat or compressed areas needed either a fork or iron treatment to bring them back to life, and Dad was there to make sure it was done properly.

Finally, just to end the week on an even cleaner note, Saturday mornings were reserved for an all out attack on designated chores. We all have fond memories of Dad insisting we get out of bed and help. If they weren’t done to his satisfaction, we kept at it until they passed muster.

Clothes Make the Man

Fastidious would be a good word to describe Dad’s approach to his clothing and appearance. A sharp, spotless wardrobe was a must for this budding executive, and Mom was also responsible for this department. It is hard to imagine today, but not only did she iron his shirts to his exacting standards, she also ironed his hankies, and took his suits to the dry cleaners. Meanwhile, Dad was busy shining his brogues to a high gloss with his special shoeshine kit.

Mr. Green Grass

As an outer display of Dad’s passion for neat and tidy, our house had the best front lawn in the entire neighborhood because well, Dad was meticulous. The lawn had to be cut in a cross hatch pattern, which meant you had to cut the grass once in a diagonal direction and then again in the other diagonal direction, always staying in the rut of the previous pass. After that the front side walk and driveway had to be edged. And of course, Dad had a regular fertilizing and watering schedule.

It will come as no surprise then, to learn that we were only allowed to play in the back yard, but even then we had to be very careful not to damage any of the plants, as they had also been meticulously tended to. The “bedding out flowers”would be planted an equal distance apart in a perfectly straight line, and woe betide the poor soul who crushed or damaged any of them.

The Joy of Christmas

Continuing with the neat and tidy theme, Christmas held a special place in the grand scheme of things, particularly with respect to our Christmas tree. Dad and only Dad would first arrange the lights and then the decorative bulbs, followed by the star. Then and only then, were we each given handfuls of icicles to place on the tree. Make no mistake, they too had to be placed “just so” at his direction.

Carving the turkey was another task that only he could complete, which was fine with all of us. Who wanted to do that job anyway?

The Jag

Dad’s dream car was a Jag. It symbolized all that he had worked for, and was a prized possession. Every week, whether it was necessary or not, he would carefully wash it with his special mitt and towels, so as not to scratch or dull the paint, followed by a thorough vacuuming. Needless to say, no food, drink or dirty shoes were allowed in the car. In fact, we were reluctant to even get in it, lest we inadvertently leave a mark or scratch.

And Finally…..

It’s obvious that routine and high standards were very important to Dad and after reading the above, you might have the unintended impression that he carried it to the extreme. At the time, we thought exactly that, but looking back, we can see it in a more humorous light and appreciate all that he did for us. He was an excellent provider, a mentor and a ” walking, talking encyclopedia.” Our childhood may have been strict, but as adults we understand it for what it was; a tough love but one that made us who we are today. For that we are very thankful, and as Dad would often remark at the end of a discussion, “Enough said.”

We will be doing a new blog post every Monday so stay tuned for our next one entitled “Opening Up The Past”