Tuesdays With Pappo: Mr. Backup Plan Doesn't Have A Backup Plan

 Tuesdays With Pappo

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MR. BACKUP PLAN DOESN'T HAVE A BACKUP PLAN

I grew up hearing Pappo constantly asking us kids, "What's your backup plan?". It was as much a common saying by him as "You Can't Hurt Steel" as he tightened his gut, or "You Can't Fix Stupid" with a sly grin on his face.

But lately, life has gotten hard for my 97-1/2 year old Pappo.

"Steel" has taken a few unexpected falls.....

His memory is failing him for the first time which is making him feel "not-as-bright" as he once was....

And as for the "Back-up Plan"...well.....he doesn't have one.

My sister and I have placed a Life Alert around his wrist.....moved his cell charging cord to the "safe" side of the bed....and hired a sweet lady named Teresa to help him a few hours each day with the things he doesn't have a backup plan for.

But as the years, weeks, minutes tick by on the life of Pappo, he is discovering that the "Backup Plan" he has always preached to us about is.....

......do as much good in this life as you can

......make sure you know where you'll go once your last breath is breathed

......and its okay not to be strong as steel or remember every detail of your life. It's simply okay.

Just never stop smiling.....even when the roads gets tough.

Tuesdays With Pappo: "Can" to "Can't"

Tuesdays With Pappo

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“CAN” to “CAN'T”

Tuesdays With Pappo included a walk down Memory Lane this week as we chatted over his Braums #1 burger combo and my Kids Meal chicken tenders. It’s really the first time I remember us talking about how his parents moved from Oklahoma to New Mexico to Alabama (his Mom was born in 1899 and his Dad in 1896). Quite interesting actually.....

But during that conversation, my sweet Pappo made this comment: “My Dad worked as a welder from “Can to Can’t’”. Hum. Interesting. I did my usual head-tilt and asked what that meant....”Can to Can’t”. He smiled that crooked little smile of his as he enjoyed throwing out a phrase no one else knew the answer to.....and said, “It means he worked from the time he “Can” see the sun to the time he “Can’t”.

Clever.

We laughed and then moved on to our weekly contest of how many ladies we thought would be sitting out on the porch of his Independent Living Center when we drove up in a few moments. (You may remember Pappo likes to buy each of them a Sonic shake when we return from our weekly lunch.) They know if they sit out there, we will count them and then make a quick trip to the local Sonic drive-thru and return with chocolate shakes for each of them. He said 4....I said 5....

He won.

Awww....how sweet it is to lose to my Pappo.

“The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.” Proverbs 20:7

Tuesdays With Pappo: "Words That Melt My Heart....."I'm So Glad You're Back!"

9-18-2025

Tuesdays With Pappo

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It has been a long two weeks since I saw Pappo. After a week of traveling, I was finally home and on the 90-minute drive to Pappos.

As I walked into his apartment (he always leaves his door open), I saw him in his favorite chair with his FBI Interrogation spotlights on reading his beloved Dallas Morning News.

I snuck in....grabbed the first picture without being seen......

And then he looked up....saw me....and with a big ol' smile said, "Oh Softie, I am SO glad you're back! I've missed you!! Can we get my hair cut today?"

I laughed.....he laughed....and off we went to his barber Marsha in Cleburne before hitting our favorite bench at Braums for lunch.

As he sat down in the antique barber chair, Marsha reminded him he was her "favorite customer" even with his minimal hair and burr haircut.

Our favorite table was not taken when we arrived at Braums, so we gave each other a quick "Hi-5" and ordered his #1 with Diet Coke and my Kids Meal Chicken Tenders and Dr. Pepper before we got down to "business".

He told me he felt his walker repair business was going away....that he would have to find something else to occupy his time. You must know.....Pappo is not a man whose happy not having a project. One of the things I love the most about him.

So we talked about his options. I suggested since he likes to write and he likes to read, why not write his life story. I would help him with it if he wanted. He wrote that suggestion down on a napkin and reminded me that he may or may not take my suggestion. I nodded.

And as we headed back to his apartment, he suggested we count how many ladies were sitting on the front porch so we could stop by Sonic and get them each a malt. We counted 3. And so, three beautiful ladies received three strawberry malts this week from Pappo.

We walked into the lobby of his Independent Living Center to the sound of country & western music....his favorite...and there in the lobby was my sister Debbie waiting for us. She grabbed Pappo's hand and spun him around a few times. A first for him....I've never seen this man dance....and a first for my sister dancing with her father.

And my heart...oh my heart is so very full right now.......of Gratefulness....of Joy.....of Thanksgiving....as I have been given a hand-wrapped gift of time with my Pappo.

What a Gift. 

Tuesdays With Pappo: "Wheelie Good Repairman"

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PAPPO IS A "WHEELIE GOOD REPAIRMAN"...

This visit with Pappo included all the usual things....

* A #1 hamburger at Braums Ice Cream store....

* Sonic malts for all the ladies on the porch....

* Restocking the FREE card stock he has outside his front door..

And.....

The need for a "Logo Cartoon" for his Thank You cards to his walker customers.

Enter.....Aritificial Intelligence (AI)

As we sat in "our" booth at Braums, Dad gave me all the "wants" he had for an AI generated cartoon of himself repairing all his neighbor's walkers at the Independent Living Center he lives in. And here's what we came up with.....or rather, what AI came up with.

Complete with pens and paper in his pocket protector, sweat flowing from his brow, tools in hand and scowl on face....we came up with the perfect self-portrait of Pappo.

It was almost like AI knew him personally!!

Tuesdays With Pappo: "I Named You...."

 TUESDAYS WITH PAPPO

"He Named Me......"

A hundred years ago (actually only 65 but....whatever...), my Dad was away on company training in Detroit, MI when I decided to arrive in this world.

When he arrived back home, my Mom picked him up at Love Field Airport with a brand smackin' new baby in her arms. Dad got off the plane, cradled his new chunky baby.....kissed her on the cheek and said, "She is so soft (most likely due to the flab)....I'm going to call her......Softie."

And so he did. I have been Pappo's "Softie" for 65 years and I often wonder, "Does he know my real name?" It doesn't matter...I will forever be Softie to Pappo.

Yesterday, while having our weekly lunch together, he looked off into the distance and told me the story once again. "I named you Softie" he said....and I think I just might have seen a glimmer of a tear in his eye as he recalled that day.

These moments....this time with Pappo....I don't take this gifted time for granted. He is 97.....his days are limited more than most....and ya, sometimes he says crazy things....but then there are those days that he says, "I named you, Softie".....and it makes my smile.

GROWING SEEDS: I AM.....Your Good Shepherd"

 

Tuesdays With Pappo: "ALEXA, AI and WEBBED TOES"

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ALEXA, AI and WEBBED TOES

This week......at our Braums Favorite Booth, Pappo and I accomplished the following life issues:

1) Remodeling his apartment (okay...okay...LIZ remodeled his apartment on the backside of the kids menu. Dad looked less than happy to change out his recliners and conglomeration of desks for a sectional sofa in cream with a round coffee table and drapes to soften the window). This will probably (0kay..NEVER) happen.

2) Shared I was bringing him an Alexa to turn on and off his lights for him. His response? Whose Alexa and can she do the dishes?

3) Looked through every single carton of ice cream in the ice cream store for his beloved Cherry Chocolate Chip. Never found it.....

4) And last, but not least, we talked webbed toes. Yes...Pappo has webbed toes on both feet.....as does his son.....as does his youngest daughter Liz. But it dawned on me while sitting eating my Braums Kids Chicken Tender Meal that I had never seen Pappo's toes. So once we returned to his apartment, I started pulling off his socks and comparing. WOW. We had the very same toes webbed and at the exact same length. I actually took a picture of our feet together to prove it, but I'm pretty sure you don't want to see that.....trust me....you DO NOT want to see this.

And the greatest thing that happened this week? I heard my Dad laugh a nice long full laugh....a "showed-his-teeth-kind-of-laugh".

Best day ever......

Tuesdays With Pappo - Property For Sale

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PAPPO: (Phone rings.....its a developer wanting to buy his house in Garland thats not for sale). "Helllllo?"

DEVELOPER: "Mr. Calloway, this is Mr. So&So with We-Want-Your-House. We were hoping you might be interested in selling us your home at ____ in Garland, TX."

PAPPO: "Noooooo.....I've lived in that house for 30 years (truth is, he's lived there 61 years...but whose counting?). I'm not at all interested in selling it."

DEVELOPER: "We're prepared to give you a good price. Can we come talk to you about it?"

PAPPO: "Nah.....not interested. HOWEVER, I do have 2 lots in Richardson I would consider selling."

DEVELOPER: (Voice excited....) "Oh really.....what are they like?"

PAPPO: "They're beautiful lots.....trees....privacy and I'll make you a good price on them."

DEVELOPER: "Oh yes....we'd definitely be interested! Can you tell me where in Richardson they are?"

PAPPO: "Sure. They are located just off Greenville Ave."

DEVELOPER: (Voice even more excited to hear that) "Can you give me the address please? We'd love to go see them!"

PAPPO: "You bet. Just look for the Restland Cemetary sign and you're there. My two lots are under a beautiful tree!!"

DEVELOPER: Click.....

I've never been more proud of my Pappo....EVER.

Tuesdays With Pappo: "A Different Kind of Thursday"

 A Different Kind of Thursday

When I walked into his room on Thursday, he wasn’t in his usual spot. Instead of his well-worn leather chair, he was sitting in the roll-around desk chair, turned toward the door like he’d been waiting. It was a small change, but it felt big to me. And I have to admit—it was good to see him somewhere new.

“We’re shaking things up today,” I said with a smile.

Instead of our usual booth at Braum’s, we took a short drive down the road to Mr. Jim’s Pizza. It wasn’t the smoothest outing, however. We wrestled with flies, tried to cut the pizza with a spoon (thankfully, Dad’s pocket knife saved the day as they had no knives in the restaurant), and laughed at the craziness of it all. But as we settled in and he sipped his Diet Coke, the conversation turned reflective—like it so often does with him.

He spoke of his longing to move back to Garland—his home for 63 years. A place where life had been easy and good.  A place where home felt, well.....like home.

Then he asked a question that caught me off guard:

“What would you like most for me, at this time in my life, Softie?”

I didn’t have to think. “I want more than anything for you, Pappo, at the age of 97, to look “forward” instead of “backward.”

He did the old JC-head-tilt and looked at me, curious.

“You’re in the home stretch now,” I continued gently. “And more than anything, what your Softie wants is for you to face the rest of your story with Hope. Hope for a bright future!  Like a man on a long, hard road trip, you’re close to turning that final corner. And just ahead? Home.”

Not Garland. But Heaven.

“Think about it,” I said. “No more walkers. No more hearing aids. No more glasses. And best of all—you’ll see Jesus— with His arms wide open, ready to give you that bear hug He promised. That’s what’s waiting for you, Pappo—eternity...real life, the kind that never ends."

He looked down, silent. Then gave that Pappo-slight-head-tilt of his—his quiet way of saying everything, without saying a word:

“I hope so, Softie,” he whispered. “I hope so.”

I grabbed his strong hand, just as I have for 65 of my own years, and gave it a squeeze.....

“I KNOW so, Pappo, I know so.”

TUESDAYS WITH PAPPO: "On Sunday"

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Tuesdays With Pappo.....on SUNDAY!!!

Tuesdays With Pappo: Happy Pappo Day!!

 Happy Pappo Day!

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My father has lived a lot of life in his 97 years....

He grew up the eldest of 5 kids.....poor.....and with a heart and mind of an entrepreneur.

He was in the Army before it was called the "Army".....been a pilot and owned his own plane.....worked in Saudi Arabia in the oil fields.....retired from a company after many years and then started his own company.....

He has lived a LOT of life in his short 97 years......

And today, as his youngest child of three, I want to THANK HIM for his sacrifice....for the long hours working the night shift to pay for my private school....for teaching me the things he knew I needed to learn to have a successful life.....and grounding my foundation by teaching me about Jesus.

He is a good man......difficult at times....contrary at times.....and yes, stubborn at times.....but those pale in comparison to the sacrifice and stability he gave his family. I will never stop thanking God for giving me Jim Calloway (JC) as my Dad.

Happy Pappo Day, Pappo!!!

Tuesdays With Pappo: A Different Kind Of Thursday

 A Different Kind of Thursday

#tuesdayswithpappo

When I walked into his room on Thursday, he wasn’t in his usual spot. Instead of his well-worn leather chair, he was sitting in the roll-around desk chair, turned toward the door like he’d been waiting. It was a small change, but it felt big to me. And I have to admit—it was good to see him somewhere new.

“We’re shaking things up today,” I said with a smile.

Instead of our usual booth at Braum’s, we took a short drive down the road to Mr. Jim’s Pizza. It wasn’t the smoothest outing, however. We wrestled with flies, tried to cut the pizza with a spoon (thankfully, Dad’s pocketknife saved the day as they had no knives in the restaurant), and laughed at the craziness of it all. But as we settled in and he sipped his Diet Coke, the conversation turned reflective—like it so often does with him.

He spoke of his longing to move back to Garland—his home for 63 years. A place where life had been easy and good. A place where home felt, well.....like home.

Then he asked a question that caught me off guard:

“What would you like most for me, at this time in my life, Softie?”

I didn’t have to think. “I want more than anything for you, Pappo, at the age of 97, to look “forward” instead of “backward.”

He did the old JC-head-tilt and looked at me, curious.

“You’re in the home stretch now,” I continued gently. “And more than anything, what your Softie wants is for you to face the rest of your story with Hope. Hope for a bright future! Like a man on a long, hard road trip, you’re close to turning that final corner. And just ahead? Home.”

Not Garland. But Heaven.

“Think about it,” I said. “No more walkers. No more hearing aids. No more glasses. And best of all—you’ll see Jesus— with His arms wide open, ready to give you that bear hug He promised. Remember that moment? When you first believed? When you decided to follow Him? That’s what’s waiting for you, Pappo—eternity...real life, the kind that never ends."

He looked down, silent. Then gave that Pappo-slight-head-tilt of his—his quiet way of saying everything, without saying a word:

“I hope so, Softie,” he whispered. “I hope so.”

I grabbed his strong hand, just as I have for 65 of my own years, and gave it a squeeze.....

“I KNOW so, Pappo", I know so.

Tuesdays With Pappo: Granddaughter Day With Pappo

 Tuesdays With Pappo

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Granddaughter Day with Pappo

What a blast it was to have a co-pilot on my trip to visit Pappo this week!  My youngest granddaughter, Brie—a senior at GCU—is home from college, and together we buckled up and headed west for a special day with Pappo.

We didn’t stop talking the entire ride to Keene, catching up and sharing laughs the whole way.

Brie had heard all the legendary stories—about the 97-year-old man who kisses ladies on the head, leaves sweet notes for waitresses on napkins, and of course, the many handcuff tales—but this week, she got to experience them for herself.

Before we left Braum’s after lunch, we took our traditional weekly photo. And with a grin, Brie said, “It’s his turn to get kissed on the head!” So there you have it—Pappo got double the love this week! A “2-for-1,” as he proudly called it.

Friends, I could fill a book with all the blessings I’ve been given—all the moments, both big and small, that fill my heart with gratitude. Even in life’s tough seasons, I hold tight to the reminder from 1 Thessalonians 5:18: 

“Be thankful in all circumstances.”

But this week... this week was truly the best.