Monday, November 4, 2013

Mom's In Love With A Sexy-genarian

My mom married my dad long before she knew of Tom Selleck but I think it is more than fair to attribute the longevity of their union to facial hair, corduroy shorts, and the Detroit Tigers.  Ever since I've known her, my mom has had what ultimately amounts to a fervent, yet extremely-chaste, crush on Thomas Magnum.

Who's my real father???

Doppelganger-status might be debatable but remove your glasses and
stand back from the computer screen - the tousled locks, crinkly-twinkly
eyes, and push-broom mustache and maybe, just maybe...

It's all in the eye of the beholder, I guess!
Anyhow, can you say that your parents are Tom Selleck and Tammy Wynette?
I didn't think so.

This past Saturday marked the 60th birthday of my dear, old dad.  People kept referring to him as a "sexagenarian" - only giving credence to my long held suspicion that we might have some Armenian heritage...

Based on the husky-framed fellow in the middle, is there any
question as to where I get my solid stature and sense of style?

Sixty is a milestone birthday for anyone; for reasons I've discussed before, it was a huge marker for my dad because honestly, he gave us plenty of opportunities to wonder if he'd make it this far.  To honor the occasion, we thought way outside the box and had a birthday party in his honor.

A tradition of "tablescapes" was established long ago in our house.
Becoming infamous for my impossible, impractical place settings,
I went with a scheme of silver, gold, white and tonal turquoise.

I love using coordinating candy; this hardcore, dollar-
store shopper found the perfect tins at the 99 Cents Store!
A gold-framed portrait of my pop was set at every place.

In fact, pictures of my dad abounded on every available surface!



To team with the theme, I made a subtly-ombre (give me a break, dividing batter
into even thirds and trying to deepen the color with each step is tricky) cake using
the family recipe for triple-decker coconut cake.

As with all of my bright ideas in baking, it tasted much better than it looked!

Learning a lesson from last year, I placed long-lasting taper candles in the cake;
it takes us a long time to get through our birthday anthems and blow out the candles!

I think we caught him mid-huff...

His dolphin-shorts days are long behind him.  He may not go to Rick's.  He may not have any cool, helicopter-piloting friends named T.C.  He may not be on the payroll of Robin Masters, or drive a Ferrari, or live in Hawaii, or capture the bad guy, or...  Alright, alright, he's no Magnum P.I.  He's better!!! 

Happy Birthday Pop!  Here's hoping we can torment you for another sixty years!


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

12 comments:

  1. Boy! Are you ever lucky having a dad that resembles Magnum!!!! Your mom wasn't the only one stuck on him (Thomas). I was married, but had a huge poster on the inside of my closet door! Heh heh, lovably lifesized!! I still love Tom Selleck-and he has aged soooo handsomely through the years - a good-looker as Stone, and now much older in Blue Bloods. I'd be quite happy if I could find a sexy-genarian around that resembled TS in ANY small way!!! Happy Birthday to your Dad!!!!

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    1. Thanks RS! I only wish some of those TS looks got passed down to me!

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  2. Happy birthday to your dad! I love all of the effort that you put into making the decorations so special - especially the photos organised into the shape of '60'! It is so nice seeing how close you all are as a family and on a side note, I can really see both you and Mary in those old family snaps of your dad!!!

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    1. Thank you! It's probably Mary does look a lot like my dad - especially when she lets her mustache grow in...hahahaha!!!

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  3. The party itself was a great tribute to Pat. He looked like he was having a great time! Thanks!

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    1. Thanks Janet! He had a great time being surrounded by friends and family!

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  4. Another super duper party by Chris. He is his father's son. Patrick loved nothing better than to have our home be party central with an abundance of good food. Chris takes it to a whole new level with attention to every detail. Thanks for your devotion to your dad. He deserves it and loves you for it.

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  5. happy birthday to him! i love how you guys go all out! and i can only imagine the birthday songs.
    also, your mom in the wedding picture! she looks INCREDIBLE! that hair! that dress! amazing!

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    1. Thanks Rae!!! My mom loves my dad and their wedding day but every time she sees that picture, she makes fun of her hair and her dress! Hahahaha!!! I'm with you; I think she looks cool!

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  6. Love these photos and love your dad so much! Happy belated Pat!

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