Something special for dads this year
Kelley Hobart | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 years, 7 months AGO
They say a dad is someone who will catch you before you fall, and he usually does by picking you up, brushing you off, and letting you try again.
Like many people these days, I had two dads growing up. My biological dad and my adopted dad. Unfortunately, my biological dad was not much of a role model for our family. He left my mom with 7 kids ranging from 11 months old (That was me and my twin sister) to 9 years old with not even a glance in our direction. No child support was ever paid and we had to be on every kind of assistance that we could qualify for. Needless to say I grew up with a bucket full of dreams and not much as far as worldly possessions. A few years after our biological dad left us my mom met "Daddy Roy" as I called him. His wife had died from cancer and his other children were already grown up. He was a godsend to us. He took care of us by working out in the woods loading logging trucks with trees from the northern Californian coast. He would work 12-14 hour days for almost 30 years while helping to raise my four brothers and two sisters. He would get up at 3:30 a.m. every morning with his lunchbox and thermos and he'd leave the house with a smile on his face. He taught me to appreciate the simple things in life. Namely, his little dog who sat on the tree loader with him, a good cup of coffee, his truck and my mom. He wasn't an adventurous man. He was happy to stay home with a very set routine until he developed lung cancer which ended up taking his life. I miss my Daddy Roy! He wasn't a big guy, maybe 5-foot-4 but he was a real man and a good role model for all of us kids. I am so thankful for great fathers like him!
If you are looking for a special gift for you dad this father's day we have some great ideas to help you say thanks for all he's done. We have a great selection of Alpaca socks in various styles to keep his feet warm in winter and comfortable in the summer. If you are a crafter, we have some great new patterns and ideas to help you create a special hand knit or crochet gift that is unique and useful. This past winter I knit a hat for a man that is a trucker and comes by our store frequently. He loved it! One of our employees crocheted hats for all the men in her life for Christmas and they are all wanting more. We hope you can swing by our store and share a story or two about your dad and let us help you pick out something special for him this year.
In case you have not heard about us, Alpaca Direct is a direct merchant of high quality yarn, apparel, gifts and socks. We stock a full line of fiber art accessories, including hundreds of needles and thousands of yarns. Our unique selection of products also includes Peruvian alpaca sweaters, hand-loomed lace scarves, performance alpaca socks, cuddly alpaca teddy bears & unique international jewelry.
Our building is handicap accessible, with ample parking and is easy to find. We are located on Hayden Avenue, just two blocks west of Highway 95 at 1016 W. Hayden Ave. in Hayden.
Our Alpaca fiber experts are on call 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Visit us at 1016 W. Hayden Ave. or online at www.AlpacaDirect.com for your local destination for luxury yarn, apparel and gifts. "Like" us on Facebook and Yelp for exclusive coupons, product spotlights and news!
Kelley Hobart is the owner of Alpaca Direct in Hayden.
ARTICLES BY KELLEY HOBART
Give the gift of warmth
As the old saying goes, "Cold feet, warm heart," but when your feet get cold, it's hard to feel jolly this time of year. For most of my life, I’ve struggled with staying warm when the weather turns cold. I remember always wearing jackets growing up and still being constantly cold until about 11 years ago when I discovered Alpaca. This was life changing for me. Finally… I was warm! I was determined to introduce the wonders of alpaca fiber to others and we had just started raising alpacas for my daughter’s 4H project. I wanted everyone to experience the warmth of alpaca apparel, but it had to be high quality and reasonably priced. My husband suggested we launch a website and a few months later “AlpacaDirect.com” was born.
Knitting for those who serve our country
At Alpaca Direct, we are always looking for ways to give back to our community. I can not think of anyone more deserving than those who keep our country safe so we can enjoy our freedom.
Elderly people give us joy and wisdom
Last Saturday we loaded up our Alpaca socks, scarves, yarn and teddy bears from our store in Hayden to attend the Home and Garden show featured at the Garden Plaza independent living retirement center in Post Falls. Our host Beverly was very gracious to allow us to be part of this very special event. They have quite a facility for our elderly community members! The best way to describe it is a town within a town. It's much like the Hilton in that you have a top notch place to live with all the amenities (Post office, gym, spa, hair salon, restaurants, activities) which are located inside of the living center area. I noticed how the guests were part of a close knit community since they live within walking distance of their neighbors and do not have to bother going outside or driving. Spending the day with these folks brought back fond memories of times earlier in my life where I spent a large part of my time with the elderly.