The other evening we were down at Granny’s out in the yard. She said she had something she wanted to show The Deer Hunter. We looked at each other and smiled because we knew that something likely included some sort of work 🙂
A few weeks ago Granny had some trees in the front of her house taken down because they were leaning right towards the kitchen.
The bank now has large trees along the entire face of it, but when I was a girl it was open and bare. In fact, Paul often built roads over the incline for his “little men” toys to drive on.
Another memory that comes to mind when I think of the bare bank is the time I tried to run away.
I have no memory of what made me mad, but I decided I was going to run away from home. I packed a suitcase of sorts and announced my departure. Instead of heading down the road I started right up that red clay bank. I was having a hard time. Between crying because I was leaving home and trying to drag the suitcase behind me I was going at a slow pace.
I can still see Pap leaned in the doorway with a big grin on his face telling me I’d be sorry if I left them because I sure would miss them all. His eyes were twinkling as they always did when laughed.
He said “I hate to see you go but you better go on and get to where you’re going before dark.” I finally set down on the ground and started bawling.
Pap said “Now Tipper come on back down here and we’ll make every thing alright.” I went trudging back to the house and Pap’s loving arms. And as always he did make every thing alright. By the time I went to bed that night I had forgotten all about running away.
As The Deer Hunter and I rounded the house corner Granny was already pointing with her hoe to the heart shaped tree stump in the photo at the top of this post.
She said “Do you think you could use your chainsaw and cut me and Tipper a slab off of that stump? It’s be awful pretty since it’s heart shaped. We could even put some varnish on it.”
The Deer Hunter told her it might come apart but the next time he had his chainsaw out he’d see what he could do.
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
I too have a runaway story, but I didn’t get too far. Love the heart shape stump. Just wandered onto your you tube months back. Especially love your cooking vlogs. I am from Hawaii and we in Hawaii love our aina which means land. My mother in law and family are from Austin Texas. Thanks for sharing.
When I was about eight years old I decided to run away from home. I felt that my two older sisters were taking advantage of me because they said I needed to start taking my turn doing the dishes. We were a family of eight and those dishes piled up in a huge ugly mess on the sink.
I began my journey by choosing to walk up the alley. I was forbidden to walk in the alley because Mother was afraid that I would get hit by the ambulance that occasionally used it to cut down on time to the impending rescue. In retrospect, it never made sense to me but neither did the warning that the boogey man lived down by the river. Well I was sure that my sisters would be terrified to see me walking defiantly up the “forbidden road” and when I casually glanced over my shoulder, I was sure I had them in my hand. There they were, crossing yard and walking toward the alley. I knew they were going to come running any minute and they scoop me up and tell me that they sorry and that I just too young be doing dishes. I walked a little faster feeling so satisfied with myself and then…. they caught up to me and as they surrounded me I awaited their words of endearment. Instead, they grabbed my arms and marched me back to the house, stood me in front of the sink with a thousand dishes and said, “you may run away if you want, but first you need to do the dishes”.
I am writing on behalf of my dear Daddy, Kenneth Roper. This blog was so special to him and the highlight of his days for so many years.
The last few years have been quite difficult for him. His health conditions and need for extra assistance took him away from the area, things and people he found most comforting.
The God of all comfort, peace, healing and eternal glory took my Daddy home this morning. My sister and I are doing our best to honor him with a service in the beautiful area he loved and called home all of his life.
We will share arrangements with his Blind Pig family and friends as soon as information is available.
Jennifer-thank you for letting us all know! Ken was a true friend to my family and to all of the Blind Pig readers!! Please do share the arrangements with us when you have them. I’ll be praying for you and Laura!
Thank you, we sure need and appreciate every prayer. I’ll keep you posted. As of now it seems we may be trying to push the service out to the weekend after Father’s Day.
I remember when my son was about 5 yrs old, he got mad at me about something & packed his little red suitcase with nothing but his favorite toys. I said, ok if that is what you want to do, but supper is about ready. I watched as he crossed 2 of my neighbor’s yards & wasn’t going to let him get much further. He then stopped & stood there a minute & I saw him headed back to the house. He knocked on the door & said, “Ok, I’m gonna give you one more chance.” I had to hold laughter in! I sure wish I could live those days again as he has been gone 12 years now. Nothing is as hurtful as losing a child! I have leaned on God & he has been good to me. My prayers are continuous for Miss Cindy & all of your family.
Cheryl-thank you for sharing that memory of your son it made me smile 🙂 I’m so sorry you lost him!!
Cheryl, I too enjoyed the story of your little boy. We lost our daughter and you are correct, you never get over losing a child, my wife never had any true peace after our daughter’s death. It has also been 12 years. It is hard for me to say which is worse, my daughter or my wife’s death, she was my mate, partner, best friend and reason for living. We kept my daughter’s home and I still will cry at times when I’m riding my mower cutting her grass. She was and will always be her Daddy’s little girl.
Randy, thanks so much for your comment & I am so very sorry about your daughter & your wife. I’m glad you could relate to me because so many folks can’t and I hope they never have to go through what you & I and many other people have gone through. And, still going through to this date. Our only comfort is that we will see them again in their best form. I have had people tell me that I should get over my son’s death by now. My reply is always, “The only way I can get over it is if my son walked through my front door & I could hug him.” I know you probably feel the same way about your precious wife & daughter. We must be patient the best we can until we have that great reunion in heaven. It is hard to do sometimes though, isn’t it? I always read yours & others comments, and I feel you are a good man. My very best regards from your friend in Mississippi. Please feel free to email me directly at missysgotpickles@gmail.com if you ever need an ear to listen.
Enjoyed your story today because it reminded me of the time I was going to run away. I barely remember but I did pack my baby doll and it was a tiny little suitcase Santa had brought me one year for Christmas. Mama told me to be really careful and they would miss me. I got as far as the end of the driveway and turned around and ran back into mama’s arms. I love Granny wanting to keep the heart shaped piece of tree trunk. Isn’t it amazing what we can find if we just look hard enough? Even sweeter she wants to share it with you. I just love that. Prayers for Miss Cindy and all of the family.
What a sweet story! I could just picture you, Tipper, in my mind running down the road carrying your little suitcase. I think most all of us at one time or the other have threatened our parents with running away when we were children. Thank goodness, the road always leads back home!
Granny doesn’t miss a thing around her. I bet the Deer Hunter will try to make her wish come true & I bet it won’t take him long to do it. She is a treasure & her heart is just bursting with love.
Many prayers for your family & for Miss Cindy today! Hugs!
Good morning Tipper, what a lovely story!❤️
Sweet story of how Pap called out to you as you were trying to run away. What a sweet dad to tell you if you came back he’d help to make whatever it was right. That’s a true love of a father. The heart shaped tree stump is beautiful and brought back a loving memory for you too. I hope Deer Hunter can work his chainsaw magic to get you and Granny a slab of it. Granny is right thinking to put some varnish on it to preserve it would be a nice keepsake.
I am enthralled that there seems to be a bullseye in the center along with its shape.
and that no matter how you slice it, the shape remains the same as it grew from a seedling …
I sure hope the Deer Hunter can saw you and Granny a piece of that tree to do something creative with. Granny could crochet some roses and turn hers into a wreath. You could use yours to paint something pretty on.
I love your runaway story. It reminds me of a time when my youngest daughter ran away. We could plainly see her ‘hiding’ on the bank of the pond as darkness neared. Begging her to come home didn’t work but we knew what would. She could hear me tell her daddy we should lock the doors on the house and spend the night driving around looking for her. She was home within minutes.
I prayed for God to please bless Miss Cindy again today.
Slabs are cut along the length of the tree. Sections cut across the grain like Granny is wanting are called cookies.
If you seal the end grain and allow them to dry slowly they are far less likely to split. I use wax to seal freshly cut green wood. There are commercially available products for sealing end grain. One that comes to mind is Anchorseal. Plain old wax is cheaper and serves my purposes well.
A heart shaped cookie! I like it!
Aww, that is so sweet! Shows just how much Granny loves and trusts her working man/son in law.
It would make a great hot plate to set a coffee pot on. The hole in the heart makes me think of people who have finished their journey here on earth and leaving a hole in my heart. It is a lovely keepsake.
Enjoyed reading your run away story today. Pap knew you would t go far!
Tipper, one of your greatest treasures is right next door❤️
Tipper, thinking about you as a little child crying, with a suitcase bigger than you, trying to climb a big bank to run away made me sad, but happy your daddy told you come back and he would make it all right. Then before bed, you had already forgotten what upset you made ME smile. Sometimes, even now, when I think the world is coming apart, I can wait a few days, and it’s made alright. I think adults are just big kids for the most part. The heart shaped wood is very attractive and I think a shellacked heart is a dandy idea for 1) Granny, 2) Tipper and Deer Hunter, 3) Chatter and Austin, 4) Chitter and 5) Miss Cindy. I know it’s 5, but I think big. Lol. I think we all need a shellacked heart. Lol. I awoke to a foggy airish morning. Will the real summer please stand up soon???
I prefer lacquer over shellac on my heart!
Lovely.
Thank you.
Granny is so creative! For some reason, 2 Corinthians 4:7 comes to mind. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. ”
Granny is surely a treasure and a Godly woman. A wonderful Mother (and Father) are true gifts from God!
It is amazing what others see in things that might not mean anything to us. My mother and mother in law after my daddy and father in law died would often want me to do something for them. Truthfully, at times it would aggravate me, now that both have passed on, it would be a great joy to have them both back and want me to do something for them again.Your running away story made me think of a story Robert Ruark wrote about himself running away in the book “The Old Man And The Boy” and how his granddaddy helped him to run away and even drove him out of town and set him out at a place where he knew he would be safe. His grandaddy left him for a little while and waited until dark and then came back and picked him up. Like you, he was very happy to go back home. Having parents or a mother and father in law like Pap and Granny and Miss Cindy is one of God and life’s greatest blessings. I have been blessed to have had both and the icing on the cake was the joy of being with the rest of the family members.
Your mamma is so sweet! I am confident that the Deer Hunter can complete this task. Love your runaway story.
God bless granny! God bless Tipper and her family, God bless Ms Cindy with healing and health in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, God bless you friends of Appalachia!
So glad Granny noticed that tree.
Nature’s designs are amazing!!!
Awww….wonder if there are many children that haven’t at some point, wanted to run away and what ir how that idea gets germinated in our minds. I recall keeping a couple items near & dear to my heart in a small suitcase, just in case I felt that I couldn’t take ‘it’ any longer.
LOL…You know, I can just see you throwing a wild thought of running away. You seemed to be the applie of Pap’s eye. It is amazing what you can see when a tree is cut like that and I don’t blame her for wanting to have a piece of that. Varnish, yes, I would too. May Son-in-Law cut me a passel of ‘coaster’ from a tree he was chopping, varnished them and I still us them. A piece of history and seeing what God has made. It seems to have gotten Granny’s attention and she wants to preserve. One of the girls might like it in the future and have another way of remembering Granny. Prayers as always for Ms Cindy and your guys.