Danielle and Math

I took all the college-prep math classes in high school. I had the advantage of having a father who wanted to help when I got stumped on a problem. (I think this fact is one thing I probably took for granted like so many other unusual, amazing gifts of my childhood.) The problems that were especially difficult kept Dad up late but he almost always was able to show me how he solved them in the morning. I remember as a senior taking Senior Math, kind of a pre-calculus class. It was during that course that Dad told me that I'd reached a type and level of math that was beyond him. I remember how proud I was. I always admired my Dad's intellect and was in awe of his abilities. I wasn't proud that I had somehow "beaten" Dad. I was proud because not only could I manage the math in that course, I could manage it alone, without a bit of help from Dad. For once, I was proud of my accomplishment. (It has always been a lot easier for me to be self-critical.) As a parent of three now, I can imagine that Dad was proud too.

A Note from Amy Smith Money

8.4.12

Dear Diane,

    

 It was good to see you last week, even given the grim circumstances. I will forever regret not speaking at the remembrance. I could not hold back the tears every time I thought of standing up. I did want to reach out to you to share what I wasn't able to speak.

     

As a little girl I remember hiking back to the Lost River to fish with my father and sister. Dad had obtained permission for us to fish on your property. He waved and exchanged pleasantries with Mike as we passed by the house. The next several minutes were my dad marveling over "The Bird Place". He was impressed by the garden and orchard, the neatly kept animals, and most of all the home built by hand with native timber. It wasn't until I was an adult that I understood why my dad was so amazed that day.

     
I came to know and appreciate "The Bird Place" while I lived there. I understand the hard work it took to transform wilderness into a homestead, and also the careful planning, attention to detail, devotion and love that made the homestead a success.
    
 I always enjoyed talking with you and Mike (especially some of those flying squirrel stories!!). I always learned something from those exchanges also; you gave me things to ponder on.
      
The Celebration of Life for Mike was such a nice service. I heard many words used to describe him: intelligent, funny, sensitive, liberal, hard-working, competitive, generous, challenging, extra-terrestrial, etc. All are accurate; however, the guy I knew couldn't be summed up by any amount of adjectives. I think he was one-of-a-kind.  I am grateful to have been acquainted with Mike, and yourself as well.
     
I am so sorry for your loss. Until our paths cross again, be well.
                                                          
                                                                                                                  Sincerely, Amy

Music Dad Liked

Mom went through her and Dad's music and picked some songs that she knew Dad liked. I compiled them on a CD for the Celebration of Life. It was playing as people arrived. Here's the list:

1. ABBA: I Have a Dream
2. Lesley Gore: It's My Party
3. James Taylor: You've Got a Friend
4. John Lennon: Give Peace a Chance
5. Moody Blues: Tuesday Afternoon
6. Patsy Cline: Crazy
7. Tanya Tucker: Half the Moon
8. Moody Blues: Nights in White Satin
9. Simon & Garfunkel: The Sound of Silence
10. Simon & Garfunkel: Bridge Over Troubled Water
11. ABBA: Voulez-vous
12. The Teddy Bears: To Know Him Is to Love Him
13. The Beatles: When I'm 64
14. Everly Brothers: Wake Up Little Suzy
15. Righteous Brothers: Soul and Heart's Inspiration
16. Ruby & the Romantics: Our Day Will Come
17. The Crystals: Uptown
18. Paul Anka: Diana
19. Frank Sinatra: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
20. Everly Brothers: All I Have To Do Is Dream
21. The Drifters: Save the Last Dance for Me

I remember Dad listening to these when I was a kid: Beethoven's Symphonies, Moody Blues, Simon & Garfunkel, Man of La Mancha soundtrack, Neil Diamond, the Carpenters, the Oakridge Boys, Kenny Rogers. What other music did he like?

What Laura Said at the Celebration

Read by Marty Bird

To everyone here who has gathered to celebrate the life of Michael Bird, may we carry a memory in our heart for the beautiful life he lived, for the happiness he brought to those around him and for the love he gave to his family and friends. He was a very special person who may be gone from this earth but he will live on forever in our hearts. We love you Mike Bird. Here is a poem Laura found for Dad:

You can shed tears that he is gone
Or you can smile because he lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that he'll come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all he's left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see him
Or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember him only that he is gone
Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
Or you can do what he'd want:

Smile, Open Your Eyes, Love, Laugh, and Go On.

Grape Nuts

Eating my yogurt, blueberries and GoLean Crunch this morning made me think of Dad and GrapeNut cereal. Dad discovered it in the 80s (when it first came out?). We didn't buy a lot of different kinds of cold cereal (when Miki and Marty were home, none at all that I remember and when Eric and I were in high school--Wheaties, maybe Rice Crispies, sometimes Cheerios). GrapeNuts was pricey. So what did Dad do? He figured out how to make them himself....a crunchier version that only he would eat but they tasted very much like the real deal. He made a yummy noise that I'll never forget.

Book Learning

Anything we need to know, we can learn it from a book. Reading, careful study, a little practice, and we’re throwing knives expertly, overhauling engines, speaking Esperanto like natives.
― Richard Bach, The Bridge Across Forever: A True Love Story

I think my dad believed this wholeheartedly and passed this belief on to us. Maybe that's naive but why would I believe anything else with Dad as a model? He learned so much from books--how to build a house, how to garden, build terraces, cook, work on our cars, raise and butcher animals for food, and on and on (living like a pioneer maybe mostly from the Foxfire series). It's too bad that we lived in an area where there wasn't a good library and the Internet wasn't around yet. I've long believed that if you know how to read, you can do anything if you want it badly enough and are willing to work. Thanks, Dad.

What have you learned how to do from a book?

The Red Crayon

Leah and her mother, Danielle, stood together at the Celebration of Life to tell a story about Opa. Leah and her older sister, Naomi, like this memory very much. (Click on the image to enlarge it.)