How will you remember him?

As its dementia awareness week I thought I would try to put into words how I will remember my dad. For those who have read this blog before apologies if there is any repetition. He is the man who taught me to lay bricks, yes I can build a wall thanks to him. He took me to work from a young age and before I started high school I helped float a bakery floor and learned the importance of pegging out levels of a site. He also taught me I can do what ever I want. Yes, I had him under my thumb, like any daughter should! But if I wanted to do something he let me, or rather was probably convinced by his better half. It did me no harm. So long as I worked hard and earned my cash, how I spent, for spent read wasted it, was my business. If you can't go to school you can't play out. Both parents taught me this. But dad in particular came home with some gruesome injuries, screwdrivers in eye, missing finger tips, which is why when aged ten I sliced my thumb in two ( I still have scars) he ran it under the tap, put a plaster on it and sent me back to school. it's nowt! He never looked at me like I was a girl. He spent hours showing how to perfect dovetail joints, yet never complained when I needed a dressing area. I soon got over that. But I can still do an awesome dovetail joint. On holiday as I was the youngest I had to go on top of pool pyramids, but he was the first to make sure I came up for air, even on a five tier one. I was never allowed to be soft. He drove me to uni one term, as I blasted The Smiths.. Girlfriend in a Coma.... Out of the stereo... Oh yes, he upgraded the eight track. What the bloody hell???? As he hit a row of traffic cones. He almost fainted as my husband asked for my hand in marriage, then went to bed and never answered. That will go down in history. And a note to all bikers, don't rock up in full leather and ask a dad for his permission. He renovated my houses, looked after my kids, hand carved rocking horses, built housing estates, bakeries, supermarkets, and had a marriage most would kill for, and two great kids, four grand kids and more friends than you can shake a stick at. But most of all he is my dad and made me what I am today! Objectionable, strong with a wicked sense of humour.