He's #1

 I like that I can buy my dad a Van Otis Chocolate Trout for Father’s Day and don’t have to sit for six hours hoping to catch a real one.

I love the imagery of dad and daughter dipping a line while enjoying the serenity of a pond, surrounded by the music of spring peepers. However, my need for immediate gratification, fear of slimy things, and aversion to heat, humidity, and mosquitoes destroyed my angler aspirations.

I’m grateful that my sister filled the shoes (waders) of Dad’s fishing buddy. Dressed in her pink L.L. Bean fly fishing vest and carrying her matching tackle box, she’s spent many hours with our father in his favorite habitat.

This Father’s Day, I won’t be expressing my love by sitting in a canoe, smelling of bug dope. My dad will know how much he means to me when he opens a box of hazelnut truffles, Bacca Z Wine cordials, or a Number One Dad Pop. These pops come in delicious dark, milk, and white chocolate.

Check out the full line of Van Otis’s seasonal and holiday chocolates at www.vanotischocolates.com.

Spummer?

This beautiful spring weather has been lovely but confusing. For example, this morning when I barked a third get-out-of-bed warning, my daughter lifted an eyelid and said, “We have to go to school?” She is very bright – academically.

The cause for confusion is that our weekends have been filled with traditional summer activities. We’ve had so many BBQs that we’ll be craving a turkey dinner or any departure from potato salad by mid-June.

The kids have been in the swimming pool almost daily since the second week of May. My son even made a daring late-April attempt by jumping into the icy water. Before the father of my future grandchildren could ruin my chances for future grandchildren, he defied gravity and flew back out of the pool. Upon catching his breath, he announced the water was very cold - another academic wiz.

Those crafty confectioners at Van Otis are also anxious for summer. Check out their spring and summer line, including the artsy daisy pops and molded chocolates for motorcycle enthusiasts.