the pressley girls standing with guitar and fiddle.

1. You never know what kind of stories you’ll hear at a Pressley Girls performance. You’d think after all this time I wouldn’t be surprised by what comes out of the girls’ mouths at shows, but they still manage to astonish me on a regular basis. At a recent show Chitter cautioned the crowd about Luna Moths attacking at midnight. She told a riveting story about her and Ruby’s narrow escape from a recent attack. I wish I had recorded her. I believe I could have sold the story or at least went viral on Youtube.

list of notes on paper

2. Sometimes I write stuff down in my blog notes and then I can’t for the life of me remember why I wrote it or even what I was talking about. I keep a running list of items I’d like to share with you in my 5 Things posts and for this month I had written down “Any Count?” I haven’t the faintest idea what I was going to say about any count, but there it is in my own messy handwriting.

Asking if something is any count is another way of asking if something is good or worthy.

two hoes

3. Folklore tells us if 2 people’s hoes hit, they’ll work in the same field together next year. I always make sure to hit hoes with everyone in the garden 😁

photo of IIIrd Tyme Out Video

4. I first fell in love with Russell Moore’s voice back when he was with Doyle Lawson. I’ve liked pretty much every thing he’s done with IIIrd Tyme Out too. He has such a stout voice. Paul says people like Russell Moore can barely open their mouths and get more volume than he can with a microphone. Lately I’ve been enjoying their version of “Drifting Too Far from the Shore.” You can go here to hear it.

man posing for photo

5. On the 31st of May Crandall Moffitt died. He was born on January 10, 1935.

Mr. Moffitt was my 7th and 8th grade teacher. Along with teaching two grades at once, he was also Principal of the school. Mr. Moffitt’s daughter, Suzann was a grade ahead of me so we grew up going to school together and because of Martins Creek’s small student population we were often in the same classroom, even though we were in different grades.

Suzann has been in a few of my vocabulary test videos over the years and is a huge supporter of the Blind Pig and The Acorn.

Mr. Moffitt was my all time favorite teacher. I still remember things he taught me as he stood at the chalkboard. Suzann became a teacher too, only at the college level.

Back when I was first married I had her for a class at the local community college. She’s as good a teacher as her Daddy.

I remember one day he came by the college to give her something. When he saw me in the classroom he came in to say hello. Just as class was starting he looked at me and winked and then told Suzann he thought he’d take a seat and stay. She laughingly said “No you won’t, now get.”

Of course I’ve always known he was my favorite teacher, but at his funeral service I discovered he was lots of people’s favorite teacher. Even the pastor who conducted the service said his life had been influenced by Mr. Moffitt.

I had him pigeon-holed into being my middle school teacher and Principal, but it turns out Mr. Moffit did a whole lot more than that.

He taught at two other schools in the county before coming to Martins Creek, coached several sports teams, and drove a bus. In other words, he dedicated his life to helping guide the children in my area to a better life. Although he was known to paddle, I never not once remember Mr. Moffitt loosing his cool or raising his voice. He was firm, but he was beyond fair and he was forever encouraging students to try harder because “Why he knew they could do it. All they had to do was try.”

Tipper

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11 Comments

  1. Hi Tipper,I Thank for sharing your memorys of Mr.Moffitt.I have memorys of two teachers,I do belive half us 8th grade girls were in love with our social studies teacher Mr. James, it was his first year of teaching.One day during a test he cought me pasting a note to my friend Donna,he decided to read it to the class”bewhere of boys whos eyes are brown,they will kiss you once and turn you down,bewhere of boys whos eyes are green they will kiss you once and never be seen,bewhere of boys whos eyes are blue they will kiss you once and ask for two.”He blushed and said my eyes are hasel. I’m sure he wished he had not read it out loud!! Our music teacher ask us one day to name as many instraments as we could,I raised my hand and said POT GUT and everyone laughed, I found out later at home that was dads name for the mandolin.Ha Ha! God Bless.Belva-Jean

  2. Tipper, my 5th grade teacher Mr. Truman was also our principal and he was my favorite of all. Next time Tipper use a recorder , then you will have it recorded and won’t have to remember. That way you miss what your girls will say. Cause when its gone, it’s gone. Your girls are so beautiful. God Bless !

  3. Tipper,
    I really liked all my teachers at Andrews, I’d come home and tell Mama what they had said. She would listen but Daddy cared less. I guess he had enough to think about.

    Chitter can be hilarious at times, I know cause I’ve been in the audience, and know this for a fact. I bet Chatter just stands there thinking what will she say next? …Ken

  4. That is a beautiful picture of Chitter and Chatter. So neat to hear a story you knew nothing about. lol I agree with Northeast MS on “No Account,” as that is the way I always heard it used and actually the way I use it too. Never heard of peoples two hoes touching probably because I was they only one using the hoe in my vegetable or flower garden. Your favorite teacher was a wonderful model. I had one in high school and I hope everyone had at least one favorite teacher that inspired and encouraged them. They certainly make a difference in a young person’s life.

  5. Lost one of my favorite teachers this past year, he was a military man, and was still active in the Guard at the time, He was a God fearing man but also, He was a man’s man, he meant what he said and said what he meant and didn’t shudder when he said it, but had the gentleness to teach kids, we need more like him in every area of this old messed up world.

  6. We all remember that favorite teacher! We remember their wise words and their kindness. My dear teacher has become my challenge question. Many later teachers have been lost in my memory to the years. I had many great teachers! Love those happy smiles on those beautiful faces. I am proud of myself, as I am using my phone with big fingers, and no major errors. Even on vacation I check in on The Blind Pig.

  7. In Northeast Mississippi vernacular, “no count” is “no account”, meaning a person/ thing etc. is of no account; i/e/, pretty low quality

  8. Them kids. How can they keep surprising us? Reckon it must be because we are partly the same and partly different.

    Yep, I know about ‘any count’ and ‘no count’. “Them peaches any count?” “No, they’re no count, too hard yet.”

    Never heard the one about the hoes hitting. Won’t work here, only one hoe and one user.

    I agree with Miss Cindy. The world needs more Mr. Moffitt’s no matter what they do. Being consistent is a huge life value but it gets overlooked because it is not flashy or fast. It is build in small increments over a long period of time. It is so good to find that someone you think well of on closer acquaintance are even better. But on the other hand, it is such a disappointment to find the opposite.

  9. Is that horse any count?

    My corn didn’t make, it isn’t any count at all.

    I hope those two don’t spark, he isn’t any count.

    Maybe? Mayr something like this?

  10. Mr. Clyde Collins was my Georgia history teacher at UCHS in 1956. My favorite. He is now 97 or 98 y/o and is my neighbor. Miz Roma Sue, his wife, is just a couple of years behind him.

  11. The world needs more Mr Moffitt’s to teach the children!
    I would expect nothing less than a wild story from Chitter. She had a real gift for telling tales!

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