I’m nearing the end of the book about Aunt Arie in my Friday reading series. Once you learn a bit about Aunt Arie you can clearly see why she was one of the most popular people ever featured by Foxfire. She might even be at the top of the list.
Aunt Arie was so kind, strong, and wise that her personality just leaps off the page as you read. I sure wish I could have known her.
At the end of each reading I share my thoughts about the text and point out connections to Appalachia. I make notes about the readings and every week I end up with sayings from Aunt Arie that I want to highlight.
Here’s a few of them.
- Guess work’s as good as any if it hits.
- Fierce words need mending.
- Love many and trust few and always paddle your own canoe.
- Ain’t no use to grieve after spilt milk.
- Ever bit of money has wings and will fly away.
- God does all things well.
- Right down to the shot.
- I love it better’n a cat loves sweet milk.
- You just have to do what you can.
- It cut no squares in my mind.
- Come in a lash of making me mad.
- To cap the stack.
- You can’t hurt with your thoughts if you don’t think them too loud.
- Life’s uncertain death’s sure.
- Someday I won’t have to walk in the mud.
- Some wouldn’t have no sense if they met it in the road.
- Smart as crickets and just as spry as a basket of chips.
- Always be kind to people.
- Experience is the school we all remember.
- You can’t twist the truth, it’ll be there today, tomorrow, and forever.
- To have a friend be a friend.
There’s much wisdom, hope, humor, and strength in the sayings I’ve shared.
Hard to pick a favorite, but a few that are really powerful to me:
- Guess works as good as any if it hits. Sometimes in this ole world we just have to take a leap of faith on this or that—the small and the big things in life. And sometimes our leap works out just fine.
- You can’t hurt with your thoughts if you don’t think them too loud. So true! All of us have random mean thoughts that go through our minds, but oh if we were just able to keep them inside and not let them out to hurt others.
- Some wouldn’t have no sense if they met it in the road. Yep!
- Experience is the school we always remember. The older I get the more I realize experience is the best teacher.
- Someday I won’t have to walk in the mud. What a testimony of faith and hope! I’ve been blessed with an easy life compared to most, but my heart breaks for those battling through the “mud” of this world. I pray they know beyond a shadow of a doubt they can have that same promise of someday living in a place with no mud.
I hope you enjoyed Aunt Arie’s sayings!
Last night’s video: Matt Had His First Tomato Sandwich of the Summer.
Tipper
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Sure have enjoyed all your readings Miss Tipper. You always choose great stories. And Aunt Arie is one right on the top of
best choices. Thanks for being aware so many are looking for these kind of stories and we all appreciate your reading them for us. God bless you Miss Tipper. Have enjoyed the canning videos too. Wish I had me some of that black berry jelly. Yummmmy. I’d love to sample your good old kraut with all the fixings too. Later my friend and prayers going for all those in need. I know God is watching out for you all. Matt praying for you daddy too.
I just love this book!
This a real treat Tipper ! Randy i agree with your statement on tomato sandwich like Christmas.
“Wouldn’t have any sense if they met it in the road,” made my day. Norman, I am sorry you are having all this trouble. Medicaid can be complicated and differ slightly from state to state. You might try going back to your dental office and talking with them again. “Generally,” Medicaid will pay for extractions in adults for pain or infections. It will not pay anything considered a routine extraction. If the dental office did not code the preauthorization request to Medicaid for pain or infection, that could have been a reason it was denied. Ask them to resubmit your request again for pain and infection. I know it is hard to find a Medicaid dentist as well. Prayers for you.
Thank you, Tipper, for reading all those wonderful stories from Aunt Arie, I love listening to them. Norman you are in my prayers. Prayers go out for Papa Tony. Thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayers. AMEN
That aunt Arie was certainly an ambassador of the Appalachian way of life as it used to be and still is to some. I’ve been a lot of places and met all kinds of people but the best and toughest and hardheadedest and good people are all right here in these hills. The only ones maybe as tough are Cajuns. You can take that to the bank. I loved the picture of her too-well worn like leather, a lovely smile, a pretty shirt she likely made herself and how about those coffee can flower pots that everybody used to have-some painted-some not. After moving here to my farm in the country I don’t reckon I could ever live in town again. Here’s to Appalachia and her people! The military used to give more top secret clearance to hillbillies than any others. That’s a fact. Have a great day yall. It’s cool and sunny here and I’m going to have tomatoes any day myself (to mater sammiches.) I got a few green beans and a few banana peppers last night. Chickens ain’t laid an egg just yet. Me and the rooster are getting stuff straightened out. I got a ROO broom and I will lift his fluffy tail up off the ground every now and then. He’s gotta know who’s who here… so far he’s just sneaking…
Good morning! The only saying I have heard is ‘Ain’t no use to grieve after spilt milk.’ They’re all great sayings and I think we could all learn a lot from Aunt Arie, especially this generation. Have a great day everyone!
The cover picture shows well the condition she describes in the book. Look at her left hand and wrist. It is curled in and toward her body. In my culture we call it drawing or drawn hand(s). It probably was some kind of injury to her brain at birth or at a young age since she says she has had it throughout her memory.
I have enjoyed your reading of Aunt Arie. Tipper, you truly bring her to life. I am so happy that Matt got his first tomato sandwich, yum. As always, Praying for Papaw Tony.
Hi Tipper and Acorns. I loved Matts Sandwich video. I can’t have many tomatoes anymore, but I make sure I get a monthly tomato sandwich thru tomato season. I’ll miss this book when you finish. I have wanted to hear your own story in book form. I hope you consider a diary of sorts for future generations. Folkways of Wilson Holler would be a treasure to read. I keep everyone here and up Wilson Holler in my prayers. Please continue to keep Ed and me in your prayers. I love y’all.
I am happy for Matt getting him a home grown tomato sandwich. I have been eating tomato sandwiches for about 3 weeks made with my own homegrown tomatoes. I only planted 5 plants. I can not water and take care of them like I need to, the 95-100 degree dry weather we have been having for the last two weeks is really taking a toll on them, I am enjoying them while I can. A good homegrown tomato sandwich made using Dukes mayonnaise is about as good as getting a present at Christmas.
My Daddy had this to say about uppity-too big for their britches people..”no bird ever flew so high that he didn’t have to land at sometime.”
My grand daughter has requested tomato sandwiches for her birthday party!
All the sayings have so much meaning, one of which is surely going to be repeated by me. Love many, trust few, and always paddle your own canoe is a great piece of advice that young people would do well to consider as they navigate their friendships and social circles.
Yay, Matt eating his first tomato sandwich! I’m just like him as I get so excited to make me that first fresh tomato sandwich. I think I told you I picked my first tomato three weeks ago. Our son was up from down south and he was so excited to enjoy a fresh ripe tomato just picked off my potted plant on the patio. The next week I picked another one:) That was early here in SC PA but oh how delicious!! My tommy toes are coming in now too and I also eat them as yard treats plus taking some in for a salad:)
I must say too I like a lot of Aunt Arie’s sayings. Praying for you Norman and Papaw Tony.
Aunt Arie is just precious. I never thought to look up a photo of how she looked. I am enjoying her book SO much and look forward to the new reading every Friday! I would have loved to have met her. Thanks for compiling all these wonderful sayings together.
We had the Foxfire books when I was little, and we loved them so much. I think we should all take to heart the wisdom of Aunt Arie, she was very wise!
“Guesswork’s as good as any if it hits…” sounds like “Sometimes you’re good and sometimes you’re lucky, and sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.” The only trouble is, if you were “right for the wrong reason,” you can’t be said to “know” whatever it was you played your hunch on. So you’re still going to wander around in the dark, until the next time when your guess won’t hit. Sooner or later, perhaps you’ll figure it out, but you don’t want your guesses coming back to bite you, now do you? 😉
She had some wise and very clever sayings.
Fierce words need mending. That one I heard from a Sunday School teacher many times – not always to me – some of the other fellows got it also. I’ve used it occasionally – not as much in recent years.
loved all the sayings! payers for you and all the folks needing prayer in the BPATA.
The world would be a better place if there were more “Aunt Arie’s” in it.
I bought a used copy of this book on EBay because of you. I haven’t read read much of it yet. I like the saying “ some wouldn’t have no sense if they met it in the road.” In today’s world I often think plain old horse sense or common sense is in short supply for many.
A very WISE woman. Everyone one of those sayings is true, true, true.
I hope everyone is doing well. Have a Tremendous Thursday.
Tipper, Aunt Arie was truly a woman of substance along with Dorie and Opal.
Yes, experience is the school we all remember!
I’m sure every will enjoy your next Friday night reading.
Prayers for Matt’s dad.
I enjoyed today’s post, I love seeing the extras, God bless you very much, Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus, please bless Papa Tony with deliverance from sickness and disease, in Jesus name, heal his body, make him well, give him deliverance Lord , I pray today in Jesus name Amen, Please Pray for me as I’m having some difficulties getting my teeth pulled, I received a letter from Medicaid, they’re not going to pay for pulling all my teeth, I talked with the dentist office about it, they said it was throwing up a red flag, whatever that means, they suggested I go to a hospital and get my teeth pulled, God help me in Jesus name!!
I’m praying for you Norman!
Some sayings I have heard. Very wise woman. I start my day with your email.
Thank you!