October 5, 2017
The other morning Granny asked The Deer Hunter if he heard someone shooting way up in the middle of the night. He didn’t hear it nor did Paul or I so I’m thinking Granny heard something she thought was a gunshot. Or then again, maybe we all slept through it leaving Granny to wonder about the shot.
Anyway, my mind latched onto the way Granny described the time she heard the gunshot: way up in the middle of the night.
I’ve said those very same words to describe the exact time one of the girls called out to me because they were sick at night or to describe the time of night that I heard an unusual noise.
Not to long ago my unusual noise was a towering pine tree out on the ridge that finally succumbed to the beetle damage and fell during the night. I kept thinking someone was doing something with a piece of tin I guess it was the tree settling and sliding down the steep side of the ridge. By morning I had forgotten about the noise until The Deer Hunter asked me “Did you hear that tree fall way up in the middle of the night?” See he says it too.
What exact time is way up in the middle of the night?
Even though I describe the time of night that way, it’s still hard for me to say exactly when it is. For sure past midnight but before dawn is the best description I guess.
The phrase is so very typical of our lovely Appalachian language. Instead of saying during the night we feel the need to offer the information in a very descriptive detailed manner so that the listener knows exactly what we mean.
—October 5, 2017
Seven years later we still say way up in the middle of the night to describe that period of time.
Normally I sleep through the night without waking, but if I’ve got something on my mind I find myself worrying and fretting about it way up in the night.
As I’ve continued to pray for the storm victims I’ve thought about how their troubles have to seem insurmountable. Way up in the middle of the night I’m sure many of them are worrying about how they’ll ever get their life and livelihood back. Please continue to pray for them and for all those giving aid.
Last night’s video: A First for Our Trip to Town.
Tipper
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I’ve never heard that phrase before but I’m going to start using it. So descriptive and full of character. I’m a lighter sleeper so I often hear noises that wake me way up in the middle of the night.
I think I used to say, “sometime during the night…” Now if I’m awakened I look at the clock and calculate how much longer till breakfast. I take my hearing aids out at night so now I hear very little unless its super loud. Even during the day with them in my wife will ask, “What was that noise?” My response is usually, “What noise” I didn’t hear anything.”
Now I ask you, how else would you describe ‘way up in the middle of the night’???…my thoughts exactly….much like, way over yonder, or any other old phrase that we grew up using. I love all of them but have not thought about the one you have described today. Prayers for Granny always and God’s Blessing on the rest of you guys. I also loved your shopping video.
Prayers for sure for all affected so greatly by Helene and those in Florida by the double impacts of Helene and Milton.
We still use that phrase.
Tipper, I was thinking on one we have used all our life and wondered if you had heard it, or anyone else here, and where the phrase comes from? “Stay until the last cat’s hung”.? The meaning, for us anyway, is to stay until something is finished, or completed, not to give up.
Continuing to pray for all those still in the aftermath of the storms. We did hear from our family and friends in Florida and though the second hurricane brought about more damage they are all ok. My heart breaks for all those affected by these storms. It seems more than a body, or mind, can take. Praying for all those helping in the recovery process too.
Thank you for all y’all do!
Debbie-I’ve never heard that one 🙂
Good morning! I was born/raised in Little Rock, thankfully my husb/myself live way out in the country/woods, in northern AR – the Ozark mountains. My late grandmother “Nanny” used to say way up in the night. She lived to be 101, wasn’t in poor health til 99.
I’m ready to can my coleslaw later this morning, so excited, I have only to pack my jars and make my brine. We love slaw with a tangy dressing! Thanks for sharing something new.
Tonight’s bean night, pintos with ham hock, collards from garden, cornbread and fried potatoes and I saved out some coleslaw for tonight. Have a blessed day.
I meant to add this to my comment, if I heard a gunshot during the night, my first thought would be someone is spotlighting deer.
I don’ t think I have ever said way up in the middle of the night but often say middle of the night. I once could sleep all night long without waking up, but not anymore. It is like I have an alarm clock set for 2 o’clock. And then I will take cat naps or lay awake for the rest of the night and have all kinds of thoughts running through my head. Many of these thoughts are about the past. I have lived here for 70 years and for many years, you heard nothing after a couple of 2nd shift neighbors came home at midnight, except for some trains going through Honea Path, SC 13 miles away. Now I hear cars running on these rural roads at all hours of the night, makes me wonder what they are up to, I wouldn’t think they all would be coming home from work at the middle of the night hours. We now have many “newbies “ from other parts of the country living around my neck of the woods and many things sure have changed. The last time my friend coon hunted on my property, one of these new from up north neighbors called the law and said his dogs were disturbing them. Nothing was done to the coon hunter, he was not breaking any laws, in fact the patrolman set in his car listening to his dogs run and told him his dogs sure were sounding good. He was not even hunting on the two acres POSTED property of the one that called.