That little fuget apple tree that Mama planted just after we moved into the cabin had grown to a good size, but had not yet produced any apples. Finally, after we moved into the new house. Mama noticed the blossoms on the tree. There weren’t many, but to Mama it was like a dream come true. She watched those blossoms. Every day, she watched those blossoms. Like the good Lord knows when each little sparrow falls, Mama knew when the fuget tree lost a blossom.
All summer and on into the fall Mama guarded that tree and it’s precious yield of three nice big apples. Harvest time was almost here, and those apples were the most beautiful forbidden fruit any of us had laid our eyes on. Mama had told us firmly and repeatedly, “Now I don’t want a’one of you to pull the apples off that tree. I don’t want you to shake those apples off or knock’em off! I want’em to get ripe.”
Well, I couldn’t stand the thought of having to wait to taste those delicious fugets that she had been talking about for years now. So one day when she wasn’t home, I slipped out there to that apple tree and ever so painstakingly I tied every one of those apple to the limbs with a white string, making sure that they wouldn’t fall off. And then I ate big chunks out of them, all three of them.
When Mama came home, it seemed that was the first thing she noticed. “What happened to my apples?!? she screamed as she turned around and looked directly at me. And when she placed her hands on her hips and gave me that look, I knew I was in a heap of trouble.
Oh, how I wished at that moment that I had not been standing right there by her when she discovered the big bites I had taken out of every one of her apples. I had been very careful not to be disobedient and I had tied them on the tree to be extra sure. “Mama, you said not to pull them off, or shake them off, or knock them off. I, I never—”
“What?” she yelled.
“I never done a-one of those. They’re right there on the tree yet!”
She couldn’t whip me because she knew I had done what she said. That little tree continued to grow, and for all the years that we lived in the new house, it produced the best tasting apples and jelly.
—Letters to Lori – The Family History and Stories of Opal Corn Myers written by Barbara League
Today’s Thankful November giveaway is a copy of Letters to Lori The Family History and Stories of Opal Corn Myers written by Barbara League. To be entered in the giveaway leave a comment on this post. Giveaway ends December 7, 2025. You can hear me reading the book here.
Letters to Lori – The Family History and Stories of Opal Corn Myers written by Barbara League is one of my favorite books. It’s right up there with Dorie Woman of the Mountains written by Florence Cope Bush.
I think of Opal often. Her story truly inspired me to be a better person. The apple story is funny. I can’t believe she ate the apples, and I’m sure she regretted hurting her mother. The creativity and determination Opal used to eat those apples served her well the rest of her life as she helped her people in any way she could.
I’ve had many blessings during this year that’s about to come to a close. One of them was getting to meet Barbara League.
After spending the day with Barbara, I can see why Opal loved her and entrusted her with writing her life story. You can pick up a copy of the book here.
Last night’s video: Matt Only Eats Salami & We Found a Beautiful Christmas Tree.
Tipper
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
The book sounds really great, I would enjoy a copy.
Haven’t we all as children been so eager to have or to know something that we just couldn’t help ourselves! I remember a very middle of the night early Christmas day when I was 4 or 5 years old, sneaking down the dark stairs to see if Santa had come. Well I wasn’t satisfied to know he had been there and proceeded to unwrap several packages—some not meant for me! Fortunately, I was found out before too much unwrapping happened and shooed back up the stairs and told not to leave my bed until I was called in the morning!
I would love to read this book. It sounds precious! 🙂
Love my book, the different times of her life and Miss Tipper your readings were great. Felt like I was there with Corie all the way through. Hope Miss Louzine is feeling better soon. She is such a dear lady. I miss her appearances on you videos and will continue my prayers for her. I’m a fan of salami, mainly summer sausage. Liked Matt’s story, for sure. I enjoyed y’all’s trip to the Christmas tree place and I love to go to Aldi to look and buy. It takes me forever to get through the store just looking at all the merchandise. And Tractor Supply, wish I could get there more often. Have a good, almost week, or what is left of it. I did some Christmas shopping today. Wish I could walk better, I’d certainly hit more than one store. Spent way too much there. Oh well, you only live once. Love to all, and God bless all, today, tomorrow and always.
Haha! She sure was a smart girl! Oh, I can just picture her mama’s face though!!!!
How wonderful you got to meet the author, Tipper! 🙂
I think I would have run when I saw my mother put her hands on her hips.. That is never a good thing. I enjoyed the post and you reading the book. She was an amazing lady.
I’ve never heard of fuget apples, so I will have to do some research. What a temptation to a young child, but Mama handled it well.
I think it’s Fugate apples!
This story just tickles me to death! I can see little Ira having a curious and determined spirit just like Opal!
Well. I guess that youngun found a loophole!
Ha,ha reminded of how much I miss Opal’s story.. She certainly was one of a kind!
Hehe I don’t think I could have whooped her either….goin to all that trouble to make sure the apples didn’t come off the tree and all. Kids really are the best entertainment!
We had several varieties of apple trees growing up. Grandma had several others. The first to get ripe were called June apples. I never could wait for them to get ripe and had stomach aches every year from eating too many of them while they were still green. Once they were ripe they were very sweet – but – they were sour when green.
I love this story, so funny! I started listening to the book and have really enjoyed it so far.
What a wonderful story. Sounds like something a young, very honest child would do. I would love a chance to read more Opal stories. Blessings to you all, especially dear sweet Granny.
enjoy the blind pig and the acorn. Prayers for your family and for granny. you have a beautiful family
That’s the cutest story. She did what she was told and didn’t lie about it even though it was still not right. Such is life. So sweet.
Oh, Tipper – What a great story ! I can just see her biting those apples, but being careful they stayed on the tree.
We used to have this big ole apple tree in the edge of yard, down by the garden. It had wonderful apples that made great “fruit” as my mother called it. She canned them every year, mighty good on a hot biscuit in the cold of winter.
My Mother used to always tell the story, when her and Aunt Bertie would be a’workin up the apples,
my oldest sister would slip away and lay under the apple tree and read. I can just hear my Mother’s laughter, she said, ” that’s how she got out ofa’ helpin us work up them apples”.
thank you for sharing your life with us ,
Oh my word ! That is so funny !!! 🙂
I will buy this delightful book if I don’t win a copy. We can all justify the wrongs we do, and what parent, relative or teacher can foresee all the workings of a determined (or tempted) child’s mind?
I would really enjoy reading this book God bless!
We only had one apple tree, not that big and mama just about forbid us to go near it because she needed the apples for applesauce, dried apples and jelly. Tipper, if my name comes up for winning this book, please let someone else have it as I have already won this year and would like to give others a chance.
I loved this story…..and would love a copy of Opal’s book!! We had a Golden Delicious Apple tree when I was young. I would ride my bicycle as close to it as possible, grabbing an apple as I flew by!! Good memories!!
Such a wonderful book!
Love that story!!
That was so sweet!! I can just see mama guarding that apple tree. Yes, “forbidden fruit”, but how could a mama get really aggravated when her baby wanted several bites of those juicy apples ?
Opal is a person we all should strive to be like. She gave of herself whenever she was needed. In my farm house up in NH we had three apple Rees (golden, red, and Macintosh) which we were blessed to have. The man we bought the farm from explained the amount of work that went into having good apples. It’s the prunning and feeding of the trees that’s important. Also the spraying against the numerous pests that would attack the trees each year. As with everything worth having a lot of time and attention is needed. Just as our relationship with Jesus. Have a blessed day.
I loved her in that story this morning. My granddaughter and great granddaughter came to mind immediately. Both of them would’ve done the same thing, finding a loophole in the particulars!
Apples were another woman’s downfall!
We’ve got a heap of snow this morning here in Colorado. It snowed for the first time on Monday. That’s the latest first snow I can remember from living here for 36 years.
I’m thinking this must have been a Fugate Apple tree. It is a heritage apple. Tom Brown is a good place to start looking for Heritage Apples. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/heritage-appalachian-apples
Great apple story! “I only eat salami” priceless!
As always praying for Granny.
Oh what a funny story from Opal! Tipper, I enjoyed your family trip to town to pick out your Christmas tree. It looks to be a good one!
I know she was just a kid but she should have only taken a bite out of just one of the apples so that maybe a critter would have been blamed. Perhaps the punishment would have stung a little bit less. Lol!
I loved listening to you read the book to us! I would love a copy of those letters. ❤
That was the funniest story. If I had been busted for the same thing, I would have told the biggest lie when I saw Mom putting her hands on her hips. Even worse would have been hearing her say, you just wait till I tell your daddy. That could have caused a little girl to run away from home.
I love the story of the apples, don’t think I could have gotten away with that trick.
The Weather Channel is predicting snow here starting around 4 Friday morning!
Ed-Yay!! I would love that 🙂
As long as you keep it up your way, I hope you get a snow up to your “ying- yang”
Just send me some snow ice cream.
I wasn’t hoping for snow. Just wanted to tell Tipper what the weatherman says. I have worse things than snow that keep me inside.
I enjoyed the apple story. I would love a copy of the book. I love reading your blog every morning.
Every time you post an excerpt from this book, I know I just have to read it!
This is a great story, I can picture this scene unfolding. I like how she wrote it, especially that first paragraph. And those bites taken, sounds like something I would have done as a child. Like Randy I thought of Eve and the forbidden fruit too. My aunt, mom’s sister, had planted a small bed of tulips encircled by one of those little white landscape fencings at my grandmother’s farm house. One day my mom left me with Grandma to go somewhere with her sister. While they were gone I was outside playing with the gang of cats and kittens that lived on Grandma’s back porch. I ended up picking all but one of those tulips, perhaps because the kittens were frolicking in there and knocking them over. When they got back my aunt had noticed immediately. She was not happy at all and asked me why I had picked her tulips. My four year old little self told her the cats made me do it. I don’t think I got in trouble but I figured out I had done something wrong. Thankfully, as the years went by it was a funny story for the four of us to remember.
This book would be a treasure to have! For some reason, I have never been able to sit and listen to a reading, and when trying to move around can’t hear it that well with my one good ear! I have always preferred sitting down with a good book in my hand. Opal sounds like a pistol! Love this story.
Your stories always bring back such good memories.
And if there had been “enough” (whatever that was) apples the temptation would have been way less. Don’t recognize the name “fuget” apple. Wish I did. Apples are a very interesting tree. When you look into them they shape up as a divine gift. We would soon be a lot poorer if there were no apples in the world.
The forbidden fruit!
I enjoy our apple trees. This year my 4 year old granddaughter loved climbing the ladder to get the ones way up high!
I’m so glad you got to meet Barbara League. I wished we could all have met Opal.
She had a such a heart not to tear into that child. I thought uh oh when the apples got tied . Story is a treasure.
What a story! I’m glad the tree produced. My parents had dwarf peach trees. I couldn’t wait for them to produce. Wow those peaches were good!
I feel like I watch my apples carefully every year too…from blossoms to tiny apples growing and ripening on the tree. I dream of apple pie and applesauce and apple butter till they are ready to be picked. I don’t have to guard them from my children or grandchildren…I am constantly on guard for sneaky squirrels that like to take a bite and leave the rest!
Great blog! How is it December? Goodbye to Thankful November!
What a story and what a letdown for mother! I’m sure she was used to it by then, but disappointment and heartache are some things one never gets used to and especially when your child brings it on you, it’s hard to take. She knew EXACTLY what she was doing when she got up in that tree fiddling around and it was a mission of which she had no business. I’m a “different” kind of mom cause I’d have made sure that kid had trouble sitting all day. I recall once I SAT in mommy’s umbrella to be like Mary Poppins. I remember her asking why I did it, but to explain Mary Poppins did it would’ve only made her more mad so I guess I shrugged my shoulders and took a whipping. Looking back on it, I certainly deserved that one…now about kids-you better watch em and watch em some more! Lol
Love stories from the past like Opal’s. Love apples. Did you know there is now an apple from Washington called OPAL? They are very delicious. Good to eat and good to cook, and also known to hold their color longer after sliced or bitten into. Bet Opal would have liked biting into one of these, especially one with her name on it.
I love the apple story! That was some spunky little kid!
I can’t wait to see your Christmas tree and hear what the little boys think about it.
Have a great day!
Sending prayers for Granny❣️
Wow! I can’t imagine Her biting all 3 apples! I would love a copy of this book I’m sure there’s lots of interesting stories .
My Mama always told us a self whipping was the best whipping you ever got. I’m sure She felt worse than if She’d gotten a whipping!
That’s a funny story to me and pretty creative how she plotted and planned a way to keep those apples from falling off the tree as she took a bite!
The apple tree story is very interesting. I can just see that mom being upset kind of like my own mother when she would tell us kids not to do something one or more of us kids would do it anyway.
Picking fruit from a tree you had planted is a wonderful, patience demanding and rewarding experience.
What a wonderful woman Opal was and what a great daughter she had. Just had a “WOW” moment right the thinking of her. Truly the frui does not fall far from the tree. God bless.
I remember Pear preserves, Mama made them really good ,it was a special pear, really old fashioned, we didn’t have any fruit trees, but they could be found at some old abandoned home places, today’s post tskes me back to a time when things was much better, be careful around them apple trees, God bless you and have a great day
I remember laughing so much at that story in the book when you read it. Such a wonderful book..
this apple story is priceless….as was Matt’s “I never eat salami”….I am tickled to death you got to meat Barbara, I know you wish you had met Opal but the next best thing was to meet and spend time with Barbara….yes you have on a whole had a very blessed year Tipper (still praying for Granny, she sure put out an effort to look good for everyone on Thanksgiving didn’t she–so precious)
Reminds me of Eve and the forbidden fruit. I expect Mama wanted to “wear her out.” The only apple tree we ever had was called a horse apple tree. It had small green apples on it that were only used for cooking, drying and jelly.