A Place Just For Dad We many not shower him with praise Nor mention his name in song, And sometimes it seems that we forget The joy he spreads as he goes along, But it doesn't mean that we don't know The wonderful role that he has had. And away down deep in every heart There's a place that is just for Dad... ~ Author Unknown Forget the Old Spice, the stand by tie or the new BBQ grilling tool set. Cook up a quick, simple and delicious meal for the man who always masters the grill. Make it a family day honoring Dad and let him take a day off from all the grilling to do a little chilling. Brush …

Earlier this week, I mentioned an item about my son, who has asked me, several times, to read to him, "A Father's Prayer." Gen. Douglas McArthur penned the prayer years ago, though I'm not sure of the history of the item or the circumstances. Rather than snap a photo of the actual clipping that hangs on my office wall, I found this YouTube version out in the wild, wild world of cyberspace. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

My father was in the U.S. Air Force, and belonged to a skydiving club. He'd gone on dozens of jumps during his stint, and once or twice I remember overhearing him tell a friend, that he'd like to do one more. Now, skydiving was never an activity I'd ever had a burning desire to undertake. But I figured if my dad wanted to emulate George W. Bush (who skydives to this day), I couldn't exactly let him go alone. So, a few years ago, I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane with my 70-year-old father. The thing that surprised me most was how quiet it is, as you're floating down to the ground. And…

Looking for Father's Day gift ideas? Well here's a new one — how about giving dad some Internet fame?You know he's the world's greatest, but until now spreading the word has been limited to how many people might see a coffee mug, a barbecue apron, maybe a t-shirt.But this is the 21st century. Imagine his surprise Fathers Day morning (Sunday, June 17) when you hand him a laptop, smartphone or tablet and show him the glowing article you've written about him on Patch.It's fun, free and easy to do too — just follow the instructions at this "Blog on Patch" link and you'll be ready to start in no …

I was expecting to hear The Voice. You know, the big, booming one that comes down from on high that says, "Behold! This Is Your [Son] [Daughter]" or something like that, when the dramatic moment finally arrives. It didn't come. Matter of fact, the only voice I heard the night my son was born was mine, asking disbelievingly, "That's him??" Timothy Charles Darnell was born on Dec. 24, 2002. (Take it from me, no one is having kids the day before Christmas; Piedmont Hospital's maternity ward was almost empty. Dec. 26 to New Year's Eve, however, was a whole different story...) Anyway, there I was…