Hey there, Beautiful,

Okay, so I'm terribly late in getting to this, but better late than never, yes? The larger stories will take some time for me to get to, but ...

The first half of the story was pure love for me. Put it in MN instead of KS and you've got my husband and his dad (although switch the parade out for a simple homecoming, obviously, but you know what I mean). I like the simple observation of it; not too much dialogue or having to talk about it. It just is. The act of putting the hat away or losing it isn't the big thing; it's about their relationships to each other as parent and child. Nicely done!

I liked the focus on each kid in the back half. Little days, little moments. I liked that Sammy saw it as "Grandpa's" hat, not Great-Grandpa's, showing how much it means to the kids as their dad's, not just their grandfather's. It was a nice, full circle kind of thing. I think my favorite was Gordon's, if only because I love the idea that, rather than only make the promise to play and forget, Jeff actually wrote himself a Post It to make sure he did. I haven't been reading up for that long, but I've noticed an awful lot of "Jeff's so lost in his work that he forgets everything/is neglectful"; it was refreshing to see you giving him a more thoughtful role. Yay!

I don't know if you're someone who goes back to correct things if they come up, but if you feel like it, in the first chapter, you have a repeated "the" that could use white out. "She was bouncing the the baby gently on her knee" You know, if you should want to.

Anyhoos, this was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for tonight. Thank you. It was just perfect!

Six

This was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. You've captured the mood wonderfully. I love how Jeff has a memory of the hat with each memember of his family, including the newest ones. Very sweet, very nostalgic. Loved it!

This is a wonderful, warm piece of fiction. Each vignette is so well written, I couldn't point to any one as my favorite; I enjoyed them all. If writer's block is what causes you to pen stories like this one, I hope it happens to you again. Thank you for sharing it with us.

This will go onto my Favorite Stories list.

Very nice.

I've really enjoyed reading this. I especially liked the glimpses into the past and how Alan suddenly got asked to play horse with his own kids like how he and Gordon had asked Jeff to play with them when they were little.

V-e-r-r-r-y nice. Nothing to do with IR, or with romance, or one of the boys being injured, and a really nice timeline of "the hat." Well done!

I have to say, though, on a personal level, I was very touched by the salute Grant gave Jeff. Y'see, my father was a Navy Chief, and resented the fact that not only did I join the Army, I became an officer. Every OCS graduate is entitled to at least one salute from any former armed services member, and my father refused.

Loved this chapter. It was hard to find which part I enjoyed the most but I think the scene with the family at the zoo and little Gordon in his father's study and what happened later were excellent.

Nice little story weaved around such a simple thing as a hat.

Who would have thought you could write such a sweet story about a hat? Always thinking outside the box, you are :) Again, congrats on another great tidbit :)

The hat, as a device with which to string together these wonderful vignettes, is inspired. Thanks for bringing a genuine lump to my throat. Well done.

C.

A lovely reminiscence, and promise of even more to come. Bravo! As always, your eye for scenes and feel for dialogue delight and inspire! )

This fic is absolutely beautiful, Tikatu.

The memories of the hat from Jeff at a young age, all the way through his boys growing up, was wonderfully told.

Growing up with six other siblings, brought back a lot of memories from my childhood. Now, I know why my father’s back always hurt him. I too, remember giving my younger brother a buck or two. LOL.

I loved the ending with Alan and his daughter. Even though he is pegged as the ‘whinny’ one, he definitely has his sensitive side.

Great Job.

SE5

Nice story, with all the episodes cleverly linked. I hope this has had the desired effect on your Muse!

Wonderful how you wove in the different memories with each of the boys and their grandfather's hat. It brought back some memories I have of my dad and the hat he always wore when we went camping and the like. Thank you for reminding me that even though a loved one might be gone we will always find a treasured memory at the least expected time in an unusual way.

What a nice little story. Just goes to show how a simple thing like a hat can evoke such happy memories.

I look forward to the next update.

I had to review this. It is simply wonderful. I haven't enjoyed a fic this much in ages. Tikatu ... take a bow.

mcj

Some would say I have a bit of a bias opinion towards your writing Teek, but this is probably you're very best chapter, I think. I like the way the hat is weaved from one son to the next from one decade to the next. Samani is a lovely name. Kudos to you!