Pap was one of the hardest working people I’ve ever known. We all agreed he didn’t work hard just because he had to, but because he truly loved to work.
I don’t claim to be no where near as hard of a worker as Pap, but I do understand why he liked it.
It is so rewarding to see a hard job before you and know you have the power to tackle it head on till it’s completed. And once it’s done you have the great joy of looking at what you’ve accomplished.
Even small chores offer a sense of achievement once they’ve been done.
On Sunday evenings at our pickin and grinnin sessions down at Paul’s we were all bad for talking instead of playing music. Someone would bring up a subject and before you knew it we’d been talking about it for ten or fifteen minutes. Pap would always get us back on track by saying “Now times getting away from us we’ve got to get something done.” I think he looked at the pickin and grinnin sessions as work—albeit enjoyable work.
I find myself doing the exact same thing when we make music together today and the tunes get waylaid by conversation. Sometimes I even tease that I’m filling in for Pap when I remind them we need to sing and play instead of talk our practice time away.
Although Pap would literally go looking for work that needed to be done when he was at home there was one chore around the house he just would not do.
I have no doubt whatsoever that if the weeds grew up to waist high around Pap’s house he wouldn’t have minded a bit, and would have chosen to tramp down trails to where he needed to go and leave the rest.
I never remember him mowing the yard. When I was real young Granny or my older brother Steve mowed it. Once Paul got old enough that was his job.
Pap didn’t tell Granny nor the boys to mow the yard, they just took it upon themselves to do it. He literally wouldn’t have cared one bit if no one mowed it.
Maybe it was because he came from the days of swept yards or that he never minded walking through the weeds and brambles.
Whatever the reason, Pap certainly never cared enough to mow his yard nor to even ask one of us to do it. One time he told The Deer Hunter “I’m not ever going to be a slave to no yard.” And that was one of many statements he held to until his death.
Last night’s video: Mountain Ambiance – Relaxing Creek & Forest Sounds (ASMR).
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Well around here I mow the yard. I have pushed it with a push mower and that’s no fun. Well we got a riding mower , I have to day much better, easier, faster. I had used it and everyone around here has a zero turn mower. I said I can’t use one of them, I just can’t. Till one day ours tore up and my husband borrowed his mom’s. He told me , get on it and I said no and he said I said get on it. You can do it. He made me. He said start slow, so I did and 3 or 4 rounds I was mowing and done the whole yard. I said , I’m having me one of these. A few days later I went and bought my own zero turn mower. And Since then I have bought me another one. I wouldn’t have any other kind.But not much weed eating gets done though.
My Dad loved to work. That was his hobby. He read a lot but never had what I call hand hobbies. Whether he was working on one of our vehicles, or changing oil in the mower(he did mow and enjoyed it!), gardening, helping with canning, doing dishes or hanging clothes on the line for me, he was rarely still. When his heart no longer allowed him to physical labor, he mourned very quietly. I trust when he got home to heaven, the was a chain saw and a splitting maul waiting for him.
My “Poppy” never had to mow either…..no one did…..They parked in the shade of the big ole oak trees in front of the porch and we kids ran amuck over all the acorns…..I have never appreciated huge expanses of green grass. When I did have a yard….I carted 100 wheelbarrows of mulch from the ditch behind our house and put it as far out from the big ole oak in the front. I edged it with rocks and enjoyed watching the henbit take over the rest of the front to the curb. “I’m not a slave to grass either!.” But heaven help me when I get my flower bed going!
I’m with Pap–mowing the yard is so far down on the list as to be non-existent if I had my way. Alas, I live in the town limits and have to be mowed less than 8 inches high. If I had my druthers, my yard would be all natural and no grass to mow at all. I know SO many people who are just slaves to their lawn and I just don’t get it.
Well one has to give Pap respect for being a man of his word, because he actually lived what he believed and said.
Every time I see that photo I see how Pap, Chitter and Chatter favor each other.
When I was a young girl we couldn’t afford a lawn mower so we staked the horse out in the yard. He did a good job. 🙂
Advancing age and having too much grass to mow were factors in our decision to sell out, downsize, and move from SC back to Florida. we were spending a lot of money on blades, belts and batteries for our riding mower and tractor, not to mention fuel and oil. But our big yard was a showcase when we got done. One day my wife was on the mower and tried to make a swath under the grandkids’ swings by pushing the swing seats aside with the front of the mower. But one of the seats caught on the front of the mower, and, before she realized it, the mower was lifted into a vertical position and she was flat on her back, still in the operator’s seat! Thankfully, it didn’t topple and pin her. Lesson learned.
It always makes me smile and warms my heart with those sweet precious memories when someone mentions swept yards. Not a sprig of grass was around my grandparents’ home out at the farm in NE MS. My grandmother made sure it was swept clean. I was raised up north in a wonderful little town where everyone had a grass lawn and no riding lawn mowers:) My brother provided the power for a push mower. I must say my grandparents and parents were hard-working God believing people. I have a zero-turn mower and I mow two acres. Actually, I find it awesome to do, looking at butterflies that flutter by and enjoying that wonderful aroma of pines drifting through the air. As I near the finish line at the back of the yard, I always stop and just drink in the fantastic view I get to see. It is one of my special quiet times praising the Lord. My yard is the highest point. There is a small 100+ year old cemetery behind me and going down the hill is a farmer’s field that could be growing corn or soybeans, and rolling on down is a huge old barn and farmhouse. In the spring, I see the planting and in the fall the big tractors working the fields. Beyond it I see a mountain, called Roundtop, green now but skiers will use it’s trails when the snow comes. I surely don’t take anything for granted and I’m so thankful that the Lord takes care of all who will trust in Him.
It’s a very peaceful time for me while mowing my yard because I can think about solving the worlds problems amongst other things.
When finished mowing, weed whacking and piddling, I do feel a sense of accomplishment. Most of all, I look forward to eating a pineapple outshine popsicle!
Thank you, Tipper, for sharing this “Pap Story.” You – he – gave me quite a bit to think about in how we live the one precious life we have been given. Here’s to hard work, to music, to conversation, and here’s to those who come along side us to help and encourage us, to those who see us – and love us – as we are.
My mower broke just as I finished the first mowing this year. Before I could get it going again my neck was broken. My neighbor has mown it twice and the deer help a lot. It’s been more than a month since the last mowing and I will be just as happy with it if it doesn’t get mown again this year. My wife keeps saying, “The yard is starting to look mighty bad.” She is afraid the snakes will invade.
Pap was so wise. I would have loved to be his friend! Prayers for all! Take care and God bless ❣️
Mowing grass is one thing we don’t have to worry about here at our house. We have so many trees that grass doesn’t grow. We do have to weedeat a few spots but it’s only maybe a 10 min job. There’s a little bit of grass in the backyard but the dog keeps it tramped down pretty good as that’s his territory. I miss having grass on rainy days when it gets muddy and everything gets tracked in the house!
The whole time I was reading this reminded me of why I have loved living in the woods, where God’s yard tends to be perfectly groomed without mowers, trimmers, hedge trimmers and the like. One cannot slave over perfection.
I remember my parents owning one of those push mowers that did not have a motor, yet I don’t remember either of them using it any more than a few times each year. Maybe mowing wasn’t necessary because the grass was worn down by eight little bare feet that spent all day long playing outdoors. When spring arrives, I love being out on the lawnmower and admiring God’s beautiful creation all around me. By the time July comes around, I’m dreading the hours I have to spend riding that ugly orange machine.
I like to keep my yard mowed. There are several reasons for that but mainly two. Number one is fire. A forest fire can’t burn your house down if it can’t get to it. Keeping your weeds and grass cut low insures that in case of a fire it has no fuel and soon burns out.
Second is it keeps the varmints in abeyance. I have an abundance of squealing hawks around here as well as larger birds of prey. A snake crawling across open ground doesn’t stand much of a chance if a hawk spots him. Rats and mice meet the same fate. I’ve never seen a bird carrying a mouse although I have seen snakes dangling down from a bird’s talons. These vermin are not totally stupid. They hear that distinctive squealing sound and head for the treeline.
Other than that and a few minor reasons I would be happy to let my yard go back to nature.
Personally, I wish more people had Pap’s attitude about mowing. It’s practically a religion with too many who almost worship their expanses of “lawn” because they’d never have something as common as a “yard.” And their pride and joy isn’t for walking & playing on, but for looking at- for the benefit of those like-minded people who ooh and awe over the beauty of it as they drive by. We’ve got about 7 acres and a good bit of it is wooded, but there’s still probably 3 acres that get mowed. It’s a job that I hate with a white-hot passion and in my 40s I began paying someone to do it. The same man does it to this day, over 20 years later. Since we’ve retired, we don’t have him come as often, letting the grass grow up far more than my mother would have been happy with. She was very yard-proud, though too down-to-earth to ever call her piece of land a “lawn.” I am interested to see what grows when we let it go & would maybe consider not mowing at all except for pathways to the garden, to our daughter’s next door, and to the grandkids’ trampoline and tree swing. But I bet in no time at all the City would cite us with the threat of fines because Chattanooga has ordinances for EVERYTHING. I’m not saying my philosophy is better than those who love their meticulously maintained and manicured lawns, but I just can’t understand their point of view at all. I’m a life-long lover of weeds and wildflowers and I don’t see that ever changing.
Pap is going up in my high estimation of him daily by what you share with us! I like the proclamation “I ain’t never gonna be a slave to the yard!” Often I wonder why we all knock ourselves out mowing to keep up with the Joneses. I love the idea of wading through weeds to get to the house. Of course, there’s be trails and paths worn down, but I do know of a lazy hippie guy in BECKLEY who claims he doesn’t mow anymore, but why am I not at all surprised? Lol Hippies are cool but can be far out and fried out. He’s one of the fried tater or onion crowd for sure. Anyway, I decided just recently not to mow until next year. Who cares for I do not and my give a darn got up and ran out my door not looking back… God bless us all and might I add PAP was a real looker! (Don’t think I’m a man chaser or man crazy, but my eyes ain’t blind just yet.)
I’m with Pap on this one. I’ve planted near every inch of my yard with either clover, flowers or vegetables. Grass is one of those things that belongs in a pasture where the livestock keep it mowed. I know not everyone agrees with me and that’s fine. But those grassy yards that take up a lot of time for their owners just so they can look like a magazine cover is not for me.
I agree with Pap’s philosophy and not mowing grass. I was about 15 years old and living near the town when I even saw a lawnmower. We’d just tromp the weeds down or use a swing sickle if we wanted to clear an area. Sometimes they would just let the animals do the job, much preferring to sit around and gab or to sing.
I think we all let things go that are not so important to do much more important things. I am a much better housekeeper now than I was when my kids were little. I actually do enjoy cleaning and having a neat house—but back then, it was way more important to take my children on a walk and a picnic. I would pull them out the road in their little red wagon, and we would stop at this tiny creek to eat lunch and throw rocks. It was so simple and yet it made them so happy. They cared not that the furniture may have needed dusting. They cared that mommy was reading them books and playing wiffle ball. I remember laying out in the yard on a big quilt with my kiddos and watching leaves falling and twirling to the ground or clouds drifting by while we decided they looked like dinosaurs and angel wings. There were many afternoons of taking walks, riding bikes, and just playing together. I don’t regret for a minute that I left a little dust on the furniture to enjoy fun times I can never get back and memories that will last forever. I am so lucky because now I get a second chance when my grandchildren come to visit. We play and bake and make messes—and it’s all ok. I have plenty of days when they aren’t here, to clean it up—and I have such sweet memories to keep me smiling while I am doing it.
It seems like many men and women of Pap and Granny’s generation were hard workers. My parents and my father in law and mother in law worked until until they were physically unable to work anymore. My father in law often worked 80 hour weeks and a few times more hours in a cotton mill and still would come home and work more at home. I heard him say he once worked 102 hours and would sometimes only sleep 2- 3 hours a day. He lived for Saturday nights when he and some other men would get together and play music and then he would go to church on Sunday and teach a boy’s Sunday School class. The men took turns of going to each other’s home. Their wife’s would be in one room while the men were in another room. They met to play music, not to get drunk or party, they would only drink cokes or coffee. He did mow his grass but it would probably get pretty high at times and when he was young made himself a push lawn mower. I have always like to cut grass, now I cut 4 yards for a total of around 6 acres and like to look back when I finish and think how good they look. I am no longer able to do the trim work, my son helps me with it. Three of these yards are for family members, I do it for love and not money, I do not get paid and also furnish the lawn mower and gas. There is a good feeling of accomplishment after doing a hard job, I like to look back after cutting these yards and think about how much better they look.
I know my comment is way to long but before I came into the picture, my father in law was into beagle field trails and had owned 25 beagles at one time with 20 of them having won ribbons in the trails. He told me he would sometimes come home late at night from work so tired he could not sleep and would just go down in the pasture behind his house, turn all of his dogs out, sit on a stump and listen to them run a rabbit. I don’t think he meant all 25. At one time in the past you could do this without your neighbors complaining, one of his neighbors told him he would go out on his porch and listen to his dogs run. He enjoyed hearing the dogs running too.
Now I’m wondering why Pap didn’t want to mow the yard.
When my brother and me were in elementary school Dad engaged our services to assist him with our lawn maintenance. Living in the south, the grass grew quickly during the summer months, so it was a weekly chore to help him with weeding, edging (there were no weed eaters back then) and raking up grass clippings. Dad would would clip the hedges and other shrubbery. When the oak tree leaves fell, the rake was just as worn out as we were. We had a long concrete driveway and sweeping it once a week was also our job. My mom quickly realized the advantage of engaging her two oldest offspring with household chores. We dusted, cleaned bathrooms, vacuumed, washed and hand dried the dishes following a meal. A younger sister came along much later. She was able to duck the same level of “fun stuff” my brother and me had been assigned to participate in. The hard work didn’t hurt us. It kept us active and we loved being outdoors.
God bless you Tipper, God bless you and your family in Jesus name, God bless Granny, God bless Katie, God bless all you love and care about in Jesus name
Lots of days I wish I had that philosophy. My yard has looked worse this year than it ever has. No one to blame but myself.
I remember taking a sharp hoe and barely cutting the grass off of the ground around the house, we didn’t have a lawn mower then sweep it, that was just another job that had to be done. My mama would plant flowers and I remember the hollyhocks, four o’clocks, cypress vines etc. everything was hard work but we didn’t know anything else. It sure makes you realize what a blessing it is to have a good lawnmower.
We, when you think about it, are all slaves to something. Your dad chose wisely to be a slave to Christ. His music and life are a testament to that! Being led by the Lord, he left a legacy on earth and stored treasures in heaven. I look forward to meeting him someday.