If I Ever Saw a Purple Cow...

 I've been sharing these stories with my students for more than a decade.  Uncle Stan has been my go-to guy for a long time.

I never saw a purple cow
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one!
  --1895 Gelett Burgess

Uncle Stan used to sleep on our couch.  I didn't know why and, quite frankly, it never really mattered (except for the year he REFUSED to sleep somewhere else [besides the couch] on Christmas)  (You don't mess with me and my Christmas... know what I'm sayin'?).

I was as tall as my Uncle Stan when I was seven... Okay, that may be stretching it just a bit, but he was no Abe Lincoln.  He did, however, ALWAYS have a beard akin to Abe Lincoln.  I wonder if I'm the only one who finds this oddly coincidental?

He drove us to Sonic for slushes in the car only meant for two grown ups...which meant me and Julie had to squeeze behind the front seats and stand all the way there and all the way back.  (It was awesome)

He made his own fishing lures in our basement and his own beef jerky in our oven.

His mom taught me how to make popcorn balls.

He cooked dinner with my dad.

They used to smile and laugh...

and..

he

made

Purple

Cows.

One frosty glass.
One huge scoop of vanilla ice cream.
One Straw & One spoon (the bigger the better)
and GRAPE juice.

I still make them every single year on my birthday.

They're delicious and silly and fun.

My Uncle Stan

was
       silly
and
     fun
and

I'll miss him.

Love,
me