Father's Day Gift

[Belinda Barfield]

My dad has no hobbies other than his vegetable garden and fishing. He has some issues with balance and heat tolerance so my mom doesn't "let" him go fishing all that often. He is retired. He loves his recliner and just bought a new one recently - so that is out as an option. Tell me if I am way off track with my gift idea. He recently had three more skin cancers removed. He won't wear sunscreen because he thinks it is too expensive. So, I decided to give him several bottles of sunscreen because I love him and want to try to prevent the growth of new skin cancers. As a dad, what would you think if you received this gift? I gave him a scroll saw several years ago for Christmas and he has never used it.

[Marty Paulus]

I would take him fishing as well so he can use the sun screen. Just the sunscreen just doesn't seem like a Fathers Day gift but I completely understand the thought!

[Belinda Barfield]

Thanks for the input Mary. I agree, just the sunscreen doesn't seem like a gift. I can't get home to take him fishing this weekend, and it is too hot anyway, but I could promise to take him this fall when it is cooler.

[Don Jarvie]

Buy him the sunscreen and include plans for a father/daughter fishing trip in the fall.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Belinda,

Give him the suncreen.....look him right in eye ....and say "Daddy I love you. Please wear this as I want to go fishing with you later when it's cooler and for many more years to come."

[Bruce Page]

How about getting him one of these with its own sunscreen?
Seriously, I like Ken’s suggestion.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Buy him the sunscreen and include plans for a father/daughter fishing trip in the fall.

Yeah - a chartered trip - if he doesn't like big-water boats [I don't - the whole throwin' up thing wasn't worth even limiting on 30+ pound yellowfins, and I tried for quite a few years], you can get some nice charters in small boats in the cricks thereabouts - go getcha abuncha reds.

EDIT - Oh - Belinda - you said "vegetable" garden. If he happens to like occasional flowers, there is an area daylilly operation that breeds their own - has hundreds of varieties on acres of land. They used to be on Burnside, but moved a couple years ago - somewhere in the general area, but out of town a bit. I forget their name - but I can get it if you want it. I guarantee someone in the house knows their name, because I've carried home from Savannah a couple dozen of their plants over the years. PM if you need info. Some seriously wonderful stuff. Daylillies are pretty doggone low maintenance, from what I've been told - my turf ends at the shop door.

[Lee Koepke]

I like the fishing charter idea. It would be nice if you could get it booked and add that to the gift bag. Is your birthday in the fall? Double present for him!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Belinda,

Give him the suncreen.....look him right in eye ....and say "Daddy I love you. Please wear this as I want to go fishing with you later when it's cooler and for many more years to come."


+1 for Ken's idea! It is one thing to be concerned about his health, and I am sure he appreciates it, but in all honesty, the bigger draw is to want to spend time with him! As a Dad - that trumps all!

[Belinda Barfield]

Thanks for the ideas.

Big water fishing charter is out, although I love doing that. Daddy has some balance issues and inner ear problems so big water plus big boat equals big sick. He's a cane pole on the creek bank kind of guy. We can't get to his favorite place because the wooden bridge we crossed to get to it finally rotted and collapsed. I'll probably take him to the river.

Kent, I'm familiar with the daylily folks. They moved the business to a location somewhere on the other side of Pooler I believe. Flowers and all things "yard" are mama's domain. There is a huge plant farm/nursery ten or so miles from their house.

Daddy's birthday is in August and he will be 70 this year. My parent's anniversary is the week prior and it will be their 50th. Too bad it's so doggone hot here in August.

[Roger Myers]

Belinda,
Make the dad/daughter fishing trip
gift a little special gift on father's day by dressing it up just a bit...include the sunscreen but also include a picture of you and your dad...perhaps a favorite picture of the two of you....perfect would be a picture of him taking you fishing when you were younger...but any picture of the two of you would make it real special in my opinion. The real gift for dad is the care and thought you put into the gift...not the tangible items or value of the gift. My Christmas gifts from my little girl (now 25) are always handmade, and all are hanging or displayed in my shop...
Roger

[Greg Portland]

Your dad probably has plenty of stuff laying around his house. A trip, meal, or some other kind of outing is (IMO) the best option and it will be used. Cooking a nice meal, going to the local gardens, etc. might all be good options.

[Michael Mills]

If he doesn’t have one, a nice straw hat maybe useful to go with the sunscreen. You should be able to get a good quality one in the range of $35-50. I don’t always use sunscreen but I almost always grab my hat.

[Dennis Peacock]

Belinda,
I believe that you know what I would say since you can read stuff on my Facebook page. ;)
I agree with Steve, Fitz has a great suggestion and I would do the same.

For me, I'm going to travel to Alabama and spend it with my dad. If this is possibly going to be his last Father's Day....I want him to remember that I was there to celebrate it with him. I'm sure going to miss him when he passes away. I love him dearly.

I still hate cancer.!!!!

[Belinda Barfield]

I still hate cancer.!!!!

+10. Me too.

[Gary Hodgin]

Sunscreen sounds great with promise of fishing trip down the road. You might also consider getting him a nice big brimmed straw hat if he doesn't have one. I started some heart medication last fall that makes me very sensitive to the sun and turns my skin a non-reversible blue if I get too much. I don't want to look like a smurf so I bought a nice 6" brim hat. Keeps the sun off my face and neck nicely.

[Rob Cunningham]

I like the sunscreen and hat idea, with the promise of a spending time together in the near future.

[David Cefai]

Ken Fitzgerald's suggestion will work very well. When I came out of hospital after a heart attack my daughter handed me a packet of nicotine patches.
I pulled out my wallet to refund her and she looked me in the eye and said."Dad, that's an investment in having you around a lot longer."

It still brings a prickle to my eye when I remember that.

[Belinda Barfield]

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I spoke with my mom on Friday to let her know the sunscreen would be delivered, and to discuss the plan for a fall fishing trip. Daddy was diagnosed last week with rheumatoid arthritis and is now on some pretty heavy duty medication once a week so we're going to plan around that. I reminded of her a fishing trip/reunion that I barely remember. Our family met at the river with cast iron skillets and side dishes. We fished all day and late in the afternoon we cooked most of what we caught over an open fire. I couldn't have been over 4 or 5 but I remember it well. The fall fishing expedition is now turning in a mini reunion of sorts so I think that turned out to be a pretty good plan.

Happy Father's Day!