Me and Harold sung at churches all around us when we were small. One time at Hewitt’s, just before you get to the entrance of the quarry, Harley Grant was the Sunday School Superintendent at the time and they were running a revival. After some singers had their turn, the house was packed and ole Harley stood up and ask “are the Roper boys in the house?” Well, me and Harold got up on the stage and let her fly. We sang “My Lord Keeps a Record and I Have but One Goal.” This brought the house down, we got a standing ovation and it made us feel good. We were only about 6 or 7 and 9 or 10 back then, but we had feelings, and the applause was appreciated.
Another time we were at Alarka and the roads were crooked, coming thru the gorge. Me and Mama had got into it over something and I raised up and said “That’s ok but the next time I’ll not puke with you,” daddy just hollered.
—Ken Roper
I always enjoyed hearing Ken’s stories about growing up in the mountains. He was a colorful character and a wonderful storyteller.
The older I get the more I like stories like the one Ken shared about singing with his brother and riding car sick through the gorge with his family. Those stories, the very bits and pieces of every day, are what makes up the whole of our lives. And if you’re blessed to be born into a family of love like Ken was those stories don’t just follow you the rest of your life, they sustain you when the waves of this ole world toss high.
Last night’s video: Sharing My Handmade Quilts from the Mountains of Appalachia.
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I would often get carsick as a kid riding in the backseat. Roads could be straight as as arrow. Never depended on time of day. Main factor, clothcovers on the seats that were dusty. Or so I thot. When I was in my 30s, suddenly felt carsick one day around noon. The seats were vinyl. I switched places with a front seat passenger and felt fine after that.
Good video. Thanks for sharing all that you do, we appreciate it. Prayers for Granny and you guys.
My wife changed wet diapers for our daughter and other kids when we served in the nursery at church. If there was anything else in there she called me. I have a letter from our daughter when she was past twenty telling me she remembered many times her mom gagged and yelled for me when she opened a diaper to find a surprise inside. I changed them so I wouldn’t have to clean up another mess that my wife made. I was the kid that had to ride in the back of the truck when we went on a curvy road so I wouldn’t throw up in the cab. I once puked in a Greyhound bus on a ride through the Smokies.
I enjoy reading stories by Ken. My sister and I used to sing in our little church when we were little. I know I am not a great singer, so I think folks just really enjoy when children get up and do their best, even if they sing like me. Lol. I loved all of your quilts. Thanks so much for sharing them.
Happy Friday! Enjoyed the stories from Ken. Thank you for sharing them with us!
I always enjoyed reading Ken’s stories! They would bring a smile to my face, as they made me remember stories my Mother had told me of her growing up years in Goose Hollow with many heart touching scenes like Ken told and also could make you holler with laughter.
My goodness, Tipper, Granny was really busy with all the cooking, putting up food, crocheting and still had time to make all those quilts. Beautiful!!! Oh, that quilt that makes into a pillow is called a “Quillow.” I made six of those for my Aunts for Christmas many years ago. First you fold the Quillow length wise each side in toward the middle, and then when you fold the whole length into thirds, it will fold right into the pillow. I’m pretty sure google has the pattern and directions on how to fold it.
Randy, at first I laughed and thought must be more than 50 years since I heard reference to the weather as being cold as a well diggers rear end:) Studying on it a little longer, maybe it wasn’t that long ago:)
Dee, I have heard that expression all of my life soon to be 70 years but I changed a word that was sometimes said. I have also heard two other ones concerning cold weather, one having to do with a brass monkey and the other one with a witch. But since Tipper is running a clean show and I shouldn’t talk like that anyway, I will say no more. By the way it is around 70 degrees today and sunshine, my rock is drying out and getting warm after all of the rain from yesterday, but more rain tonight and tomorrow.
Another great story from Ken! I know he is missed by family and friends as well. I agree if you have good memories of your past, they surely can get you through the rough patches that come along in this ole life. Talk about getting carsick, gee I had my share of that and now I inherited my daddy and brother’s vertigo, and it is not fun. Can come on in the blink of an eye. I am better with it than use to be but still have episodes of it.
Tipper, thank you for sharing your quilts. I loved every one of them and loved hearing the stories about them. What a treasure! I couldn’t pick a favorite if I had to. Your collection is priceless!!
Happy Friday, Tipper !
I just got through listening to the wonderful Wilson Brothers, singing a beautiful gospel song. So good, just uplifted my spirits this morning.
I loved Ken’s story about singing with his brother too. Nothing like remembering the stories in our lives that bring back such wonderful memories of childhood and family.
You are so right, when the cares of this world get too hard to bear, it’s the love of family and those memories that sustain us and help us through get through the hard times.
Harley Grant was one of those old time Singing School teachers.
Every tribe needs its storytellers.
Well, after that quote from Ken’s father, I guess we know where he got a lot of his personality from! I loved Ken’s comments and love seeing them come through again from time to time. And, Randy, I look for your comments first because they bring back good memories and help us deal with the sad ones, too. Thank you Tipper for keeping us all remembering and being sure to share and cherish today also as it will all too soon be a memory. Love and prayers to Granny and the Little Mamas and all of you.
To this day I AM the one who gets car sick riding around curves unless I’m driving or on the back of a motor cycle. I also cannot fly without a barf bag or even enjoy a night on a ship at sea dancing and listening to music. I remember daddy’s brand new red Ford Torino and getting sick in his new car. He scolded me as I sat with my head next to the ground “you’re like a dang dog-I can’t take you anywhere you don’t get sick!” (I’m sure those aren’t his exact cursing mean words.) I remember in the Army being in Ecuador and I had daily missions involving water and hygiene concerns so I had to ride a Blackhawk. Those pilots ENJOYED swaying and following the curves of the river and so I threw up every single time while they laughed like hyenas. Thank God there was a hole to puke out right in the middle of the floor! I had my kids and BAM you guessed it-I threw up right then and there! To be from WV and cursed with motion sickness is something I will never understand. Oh well, I’m shorter here in this life every day and I get excited about heaven. I had a vision of it once. Everyone is about 30, supremely healthy and fit not to mention happy and we wear the finest linen gowns about halfway from knees to ankles (gals and ganders alike) embroidered and sewn with gold thread like something not even a king could get a hold of on this earth! Believe it or don’t-got no reason to lie about it! Folks are lined up there by the literal thousands under a light that is not the sun and there’s a high glistening onyx glasslike mountain where GOD and Jesus sit covered by clouds!
Being car sick is some terrible nasty stuff….Mama would put a plain piece of notebook paper up our shirts right next to our skin on our chest and tell us to hold it tight against us. She declared it would keep us from getting car sick. I can’t remember being bad loopy with paper stuck up my shirt. It was probably because we believed it would work cause Mama said it would and she seemed to know things. Funny how our minds work.
Thanks for these sweet reminders of our own childhood. Like one other reader commented, I too go back and live in those older days and relive them over and over.
Happy trails,
Carolyn
I love all of your quilts. Each one is so special in it’s own way. I make quilts for me and my family. I send most of them to the long-armer to be quilted. I have never seen one like the one with the little stuffed pillows, topped with a crocheted flower. I think I am going to try and make one like that. Thanks for sharing them.
Loved “when the waves of the world toss high”. Sometimes, I just like to remember things like laying in the grass in our yard and trying to find shapes in the clouds. Or watching my dad cut a triangle out of a watermelon to see how ripe it was to take it tou a family reunion.
I remember my mom hanging sheets on a line. I also remember how wonderful the sheets smelled afterwards.
Those kinds of memories always make a bad day better. Thank you for triggering the simple memories of life.
Amen!
Linda, I guess I am different from most people, many times these memories make my days worse and cut at me like a knife. Many of you know I struggle with depression and when I think of these memories of the past often made with my wife or other family members that have now passed on it makes the depression worse. I am grateful for all of the good memories made with family, friends, and coworkers but they sometimes hurt me.
There is not a day or night that goes by without me thinking about my memories of the past. My family was poor and we had to do without many of our “wants” but there was never a shortage of my parents love. I also have a lifetime of good memories of the love and joy I had with my wife’s entire family. I often find myself wishing I could go back and relive them again. I too have enjoyed reading Ken’s comments and stories. Seems like I remember Tipper mentioning putting them together when Ken passed away, I wish she could.
After the cold weather of last week I add this to my weather rock’s forecast, if frost or ice on it, it will be cold as a well diggers rear end.