Author: LindaGail Walker

After my dad passed away on April 25th of this year, I was challenged by a friend to find some ways to keep his memory alive and find a positive outlet to share my stories, laugh and be creative. So, this is my lifestyle/travel/parenting/education/rambling blog. I have been blessed with a wonderful family that I can count on and losing my daddy was extremely difficult because there wasn’t much he thought I couldn’t do. There aren’t many who have so much faith and confidence in us that we start to believe it ourselves. In my first post, I want to explain the name of my blog- Ramblings from a Rancher’s Daughter. My dad was a rancher before it was “cool” and much of our family life revolved around us all working and playing together. It didn’t seem unusual to me until I have seen other situations where this isn’t the case. My mom, my dad, my brother, Randy, and I were blessed for many years as well as were our children by having a family that enjoyed working and playing together. As Parkinson’s slowly took my dad away from us, it was a true testament to the love that has continued through my boys and Randy’s children as well. It is hard to see your parents hurt.. It is also hard to see your children hurt.. However as much we want to, we can’t always shield them from pain. It is the strength of character that we build from these experiences that make us who we are. When my dad got sick, all of his grandchildren had to do some “not so cool” stuff. No complaint was heard, no frustration when plans went awry, no self pity as things weren’t always fair to them and their moments got hijacked. They wanted not just to help “Dude” but also they knew they were helping their grandmother, “Gram” and their parents. This experience that often tell families apart has in fact, made us stronger because Parkinson’s has a lot of “not so cool” stuff but it goes back to the saying in my mom’s kitchen.. Blessings multiplied and troubles divided. So… Ramblings from a Rancher’s Daughter (see- it will eventually come together) is just that. Ramblings about things of interest to me that I hope might interest others. My dad was always up for a good adventure, whether near or far, and I’ve definitely inherited that gene from him. I’m hoping to use this blog to help myself as I cope with this hole in my heart as well as provide some entertainment and memories for posterity. My boys were lucky that they were able to hear and live many of the Dude stories first hand. In fact, my brother and I often think we should have written a book about them but not sure people would believe it all. My nieces and nephews didn’t always get to see that fun-loving side of him as his illness crept in but we have all worked to keep his memory alive. My poor nephew has had to live through my boys giving him “body squashes” just like Dude did to my boys. He always loved the element of surprise! Dude’s legacy lives on through us but I miss him. I love you Daddy. You’ve left some really big boots to fill.

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken. — Oscar Wilde. After my dad passed away on April 25th of this year, I was challenged by a friend to find some ways to keep his memory alive and find a positive outlet to share my stories, laugh and be creative. So, this is my lifestyle/travel/parenting/education/rambling blog….

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Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right. You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the…

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