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Tipper,
First let me say to Ken, AMEN! No holiday has the tenderness, love, and respect attached to it as does Mother's Day.
I thoroughly enjoyed Paul's song! Good guitar playing Paul.
You have a wonderful Mother's Day Tipper.
Bradley
I'll Be Young
Pam, Tracy, Angie, Tipper - Graduation at MHS 1988 Somewhere between adolescence and adulthood memory seems to bury many rites of passage. As Chitter and Chatter have grown up, I've rediscovered things like: the pure joy of playing in the creek, making mud pies, those hand clapping rhymes lik...
Tipper,
What a photo!!! I once worked with a guy that was a doting grandparent and he said it all about his little grand daughters. He said, "If there had been anything sweeter on this earth than little girl toddlers, our Lord would have taken it with him when he left to be with his Father!" I had to agree completely.
Notice the little wrinkle around that little wrist! Ain't she sweet!
Thanks Tipper; I needed that this morning!
Bradley
Appalachia Through My Eyes - The Least Maypole Dancer
The least Maypole dancer. Sweet uh? Let me tell you something that makes it even sweeter. The dress she's wearing-was her Grandmother's when she was a child. And that just happens to be her Grandmother putting a ring of clover in her hair. This photo definitely captures one of those good mome...
Tipper,
I love poems, your pictures, Blackberry Winter, Indian Summer, and Summer and gentle people. Didn't mean to sound like Tom T. Hall but your blog brings gentle thoughts to me now as well as of days and people that are in my memories.
Oh yes, I forgot "Little fuzzy pups!!"
Bradley
Appalachia Through My Eyes - Blackberry Winter
Yesterday morning it was 42 at my house, this morning a chilly 40. Since the blackberry's are blooming-I'm thinking and hoping this is blackberry winter. Why am I hoping-cause blackberry winter is usually the last cold snap we have-and after it I can quit worrying about my blueberries and ot...
Tipper,
Don't know anything about this subject but, just had to make a comment.
A few years ago I noticed some of the young girls where I worked had these intricate designs painted on their nails. These designs were so creative and they actually looked like minature paintings! I accused the girls of having a stencil but,they said no that they did it freehand. Some of the detail amazed me. When I asked one of the girls how in the world they did that, she just gave me this astonished look and said, "I would explain it to you but, you wouldn't understand it."
One girl (I swear) had what looked to be Van Gogh minature paintings on her nails.
Bradley
Appalachia Through My Eyes - Designer Nails
Designer nails-we have them in Appalachia too. One or two teenage girls I know, have become very proficient at painting the designs. Tipper Appalachia Through My Eyes - A series of photographs from my life in Southern Appalachia. Subscribe for free to Blind Pig And The Acorn by Email
Tipper,
I have always liked asparagus. I would probably like it anyway one could cook it. Steamed with Hollandaise sauce is best to me. Actually I enjoy just about any vegetable.
Bradley
The Best Way To Cook Asparagus
This is the first spring we've been able to harvest from our Asparagus bed. It's been 3 years since I planted the seeds Hubert gave me. I don't remember the name-but it's a purple variety-and it's very tasty. Miss Cindy bought me a few Asparagus plants last year-they were already 2 or 3 years...
Tipper,
I have used excuses and tall tales in the past like that but, right now I can't think of them. Your post reminds me of an excuse that I once heard. There's many car dealerships that are reputable and honest but, there's those that aren't. Once there was an older gentlemen in our area that bought a new car. After he had the car for a while he noticed that it would pull to the right while going down the road; He decided to take it back to the dealer.
The highly skilled and intelligent shop manager gave this excuse. He told the old man that the population was getting older and heart attacks and strokes were on the increase. To counteract this the car manufacturers had designed a fail safe trait into the allignment of all the new cars. The cars were now designed to veer to the right and away from on coming traffic in the event that someone blacked out. This would save many lives. So the old gentleman went back home.
When he returned home his son asked what happened. When the old man told him what that clod at the dealer said he became rather angry. I was there at the time and I remember what the son said. He said, "Give me those ##@@xx!!&* keys!" He went back to the dealership and guess what? They made an exception and fixed the car.
Bradley
Appalachia Through My Eyes - Onions, Bumble Bees, and Deceit
The bees have been going crazy over my onions-if you look closely at the photo you can see most of the flower heads have bees on them or near them. My Uncle asked me how I got such big onions for this time of the year-I told him that was my experimental onion bed. I'll tell you the truth-thos...
Something happened to this computer, and I forgot to tell everyone
Appalachia Through My Eyes - My Life
Bits and pieces that make up my life. You can see: my eye on the past-as I wonder what Papaw was thinking when the picture of him was taken. My eye on the present as I wonder at the beautiful daughters we're raising and try to figure out what happened to the chubby banshees they used to be. M...
Tipper,
Your collage and collection of memories are great (as usual). When a person has heart it always comes through!
That photo on the last post showing Chatter (I think) and Aunt Hazel is a winner! Did you take that one? I bet you did; I just know it! Someone once told me that no matter how talented a person might be, unless that person had a style of their own, it would be to no avail from an artistic stand point. Well, guess what, that picture had you all over it. Your own style is very recognizable. Remember Rex Harrison from the movie "My Fair Lady" when he told everyone about Audrey Hepborn, "By George, I think she's got it!" Yes, I think you also have the knack.
Appalachia Through My Eyes - My Life
Bits and pieces that make up my life. You can see: my eye on the past-as I wonder what Papaw was thinking when the picture of him was taken. My eye on the present as I wonder at the beautiful daughters we're raising and try to figure out what happened to the chubby banshees they used to be. M...
Tipper,
I loved the song! I guess Pap was right; You all did get it right!
Bradley
You Gotta Walk That Lonesome Valley
My favorite song at the moment is an old traditional song The Lonesome Valley. The Blind Pig gang has been jamming on the song for the last few months. Pap or Paul one remembered it, and decided we should try it. As is true for many old traditional songs, the verses are numerous and vary by w...
Tipper,
I loved all these dog stories but the two that really played havoc with my emotions were the two by CHERYL and KEN. My Momma used to say "You need to be aware of a person that doesn't love dogs!"
Bradley
Appalachia Through My Eyes - Man's Best Friend
It doesn't matter how many times I go outside in a day-he always meets me with a gift. Wild Bill is getting old-and I know I'm going to miss his crazy antics when he's gone. Favorite dog? Tipper Appalachia Through My Eyes - A series of photographs from my life in Southern Appalachia. Subscrib...
Tipper,
My Momma used to tell this story about a dog they had when she was a little girl. Actually this dog belonged to my favorite uncle; His name was Sonny Boy.
This may sound like the story of "Old Yeller" but, one day when my uncle was a little boy he had walked down to the old country store to get a piece of candy with Sonny Boy close behind suddenly a dog that was mad with rabies came out of nowhere. The lady that ran the old store began screaming for them to get inside. It was too late; the mad dog was between them and the door. Sonny Boy fought that mad dog until my uncle could get inside.
I'm sure you know the rest of the story. Momma, my uncle, and Granny and Papa, and all the old timers talked of Sonny Boy the rest of their lives. How that dog was loved!
Bradley
Appalachia Through My Eyes - Man's Best Friend
It doesn't matter how many times I go outside in a day-he always meets me with a gift. Wild Bill is getting old-and I know I'm going to miss his crazy antics when he's gone. Favorite dog? Tipper Appalachia Through My Eyes - A series of photographs from my life in Southern Appalachia. Subscrib...
Tipper,
The hands of a baby are one of the most wonderous things in nature. They are so small it would seem at times they could not be functional. You know the deep wrinkle that encompasses the wrist of a babys' hands, that is something that has always fascinated me.
Miss Cindy, if they gave out grades for having children, you would have gotten an A+ for the Deer Hunter. Bet I know someone else that would agree!
Bradley
Appalachia Through My Eyes - Working Man
I keep my nose on the grindstone, I work hard every day Might get a little tired on the weekend, after I draw my pay But I'll go back workin, come Monday morning I'm right back with the crew. That's my working man in the picture. He works hard all week-and often does more work for me on the w...
Tipper,
This is a good story. That part about Pap attempting to go and bring the swing set home but, each time the little girl was playing on it and he just didn't have the heart to take it from her speaks volumes about his character. HE IS MY KIND OF FOLKS.
Bradley
Appalachia Through My Eyes - Swing Sets
One blue-one yellow-both slides that have resided in my back yard for more than 10 years. Now they lay in a heap-with the seesaw and swings thrown on top. We never needed 2 swing sets to begin with, but due to the generosity of others (grandparents) Chitter and Chatter ended up with 2 swing s...
I don't remember ever hearing about ramps. After reading the post Don wrote, I also didn't know about the problem that could come from eating them. I am assuming it has to do with methane. That could be a problem. I recall when I was in School we had guy that enjoyed pinto beans but, they really gave him a problem ( and everyone else close by). If you were unfortunate enought to get behind him at class break it was just awful. He sounded like one of those big ten wheel dump trucks with a Jake-Brake slowing down for a stop light.
Bradley
Ramps
If someone ever gives you a mess of ramps-then you know you have a real friend. When I returned home from KY-there was a bag of ramps hanging on my front door-left by 2 dear friends. The following post was originally published here on the Blind Pig on May 17, 2008 Ramps have a garlicy onion t...
Tipper,
I know these words; I use them all the time (except name it). There's times I say "Name It" but only when I'm trying to cloud the mind of some person that I know that's trying to psycho-analyze me.
Night crawlers are great fish catchers!
I really enjoyed those photos; they have so many artistic elements in them (especially the first one). You captured so much depth and number of planes in such a simple photo. In fact, that photo would make a good painting.
Bradley
Appalachian Vocabulary Test 30
Time for this month's Appalachian Vocabulary Test-take it and see how you do. Name Near about Night crawler No count No how Name: to mention. "Pauline never named the work day to me. If she had of I'd a been there to help". Near about: nearly. "Near about dusk he came trotting up the ro...
When I was about eight years of age there was a little girl that lived in our neighborhood. Her mother had died a few years before and her dad married a very poor excuse for a woman. Sarah was the only step child because her dad and "personality plus" had two children of their own. Sarah was beaten very often for little or nothing. You could hear her scream.
Way back then we didn't have the laws we have now so this was never corrected. Well, years passed, they moved away and I know both parents are passed on now. I have lost track of that little blonde headed blue eyed (blue eyed as a Siamese cat) girl. I don't know what happened to her or where she is at now. However, I still think about her a lot.
By the way, my daughter profited from my memory of Sarah because everytime my daughter needed to be punished for what ever, I would think of Sarah and I never could spank my little girl and now she is too big. LOL....besides she was a blonde headed little girl with large blue eyes. I guess that is why I was never much of disciplanarian.
Like I said, I don't know what happened to that little girl but, wherever she is I hope she is FILTHY RICH. I know she is probably beautiful.
Bradley
Kids You Never Forget
Are there kids from your childhood that you can't forget? I'm not talking about the kids you were best friends with-or even semi-good friends with. I'm talking about the kids who seemed to be on the periphery of the playground. Maybe they were odd-maybe they were poor-maybe they had annoying ...
Oh yeah, I forgot to say congratulations to Granny Sue for winning!
Bradley
Spreading The Love For March
Time to Spread the Love for the month of March. I'm sending a great big THANK YOU to all the Acorns who took the time to comment during the month-your words and thoughts truly do make the Blind Pig a better place to visit. Janet, Just Jackie, Julie at Elisharose, Miss Cindy, Brenda Kay Ledfor...
Tipper - This is slightly off the subject I guess but, seeing the post about the seeds, I wonder if you or any of your readers know or have heard about this. I once saw a guy come into the gas station with a bag of dark purple objects in a small brown bag. They looked like very large, dried, purple, strawberries (heart shaped). He said, "O.k. fellas, bet you can't guess what these are?" You would not believe the ideas everyone came up with for an answer. Finally, when no one could guess what they were, he said, "These are an old variety of pop corn that an "old timer" gave me today and I'm gonna plant them to see if they will grow."
Wonder if any of your readers have seen this old variety of pop corn? I assume that popcorn was an old variety but, I really don't know but, It was definitely pop corn; He even let us shell one. Ever seen or heard of this type of pop corn?
They were about the size of large plum ( approx. 2 3/4" diameter). Large strawberry or heart shaped.
Bradley
Spreading The Love For March
Time to Spread the Love for the month of March. I'm sending a great big THANK YOU to all the Acorns who took the time to comment during the month-your words and thoughts truly do make the Blind Pig a better place to visit. Janet, Just Jackie, Julie at Elisharose, Miss Cindy, Brenda Kay Ledfor...
You know......to me , few experiences can be as thought provoking and sobering as walking among the headstones of a cemetary. It causes a person to stop and think!
Once read a poem by a person named Andrew Marvell (1621-1678). The poem came to mind when I saw the photograph of Tipper's. The poem's main idea was about how life is so short at best and how we need to make the best of our time and live our lives to the fullest while we may. The poem was kinda long but, there were two lines that I remembered.
The grave's a fine and private
place,
But none, I think, there
embrace.
A picture IS worth a thousand words, isn't it?
Bradley
Appalachia Through My Eyes - Ruby Hall
Seemed somebody ought to remember her today. Tipper Appalachia Through My Eyes - A series of photographs from my life in Southern Appalachia. Subscribe for free to Blind Pig And The Acorn by Email
The way we would eat soakey back in the day was to doctor the coffee with sugar, cream or honey if we could find it and ( here's what was the clincher )use a biscuit made by a MASTER Usually that would have been Granny, and dunk it like a doughnut. Guess the local dentist was glad we did. Cavities can be fun if you are a dentist!
Bradley
Have You Ever Eaten Soakey?
Several months ago, Vera Guthrie sent me a cook book she had published-called Vintage Vera a Collection of Old Timey Recipes. The book has recipes from Vera and her family members. As I paged through the cook book I found recipes I was familiar with-and a few I had never heard of-one being So...
Tipper - I have heard all those words used to describe things. One of my uncles was telling how things were when he was little and he said that they were bad to have a lot of mad-dogs running around back then.
One that wasn't mentioned that used to knock me out was one this old lady in our neighborhood used to say. For instance, instead of saying that someone wouldn't reveal what had happened she would say....." I don't know what happened to them that made them mad, they never did name it." "The onlyiest thing I knowed was something made them fuzz up at each other."
I love this vocabulary thing !
Bradley
Appalachian Grammar Lesson 5
Today's Appalachian Grammar Lesson centers around the words: good, bad, worst, and awful. The words are used to place great emphasis on the subject's tendencies. Examples: *Zelma was always good to help out at church. *He was bad to drink and it finally caught up with him. *She was the worst ...
My Momma's yongest sister is named Kathleen - everybody always called her Kat. She and I always loved each other so much. I would always slip off and cross the creek to see her whenever I got the chance. Momma always told me all the things you mentioned about not catching a cold.
One day when I was a little boy I couldn't stand it no longer and I went running across the creek on the foot log to see her; this time I fell in and got wet - just like the old song. It was March and the water in the creek was as cold as a frog's leg. Momma must have been right about all those warnings. A few days later I came down with Pneumonia. Kat didn't know I was that wet and I was afraid if I told her she would tell Momma. Those things you mentioned are true - I believe. You better be CAREFUL about going bare footed, getting wet etc.. You might not get Pneumonia but you just might get a cold.
Bradley
Appalachia Through My Eyes - You Might Catch Cold
Chitter couldn't stand it-as soon as the tractor pulled out of Pap's garden-she had to shed her shoes and get in it. The other girl-she was mad because I told her she couldn't do the same. I wouldn't let her go barefoot in that cold turned ground in the cool evening air because I could hear ...
Tipper,
your writings become better with each one you write. This is no accident; there is an explanation for this....TALENT! You hit one out of the park once again.
Only a calloused person would not become nostalgic when their mind wandered back to the memories of an old home place, a dear face from days gone by, the sound of a loved one's voice or friend that is no longer with us. This article does this; it gives us something to think about.
However, today there is so much to divert our thoughts. This is why a writer of your talent can be such a welcome release to make us think back to a more comforting time.
I remember an old song from years ago. The singer's name was Joe South. The name of the song was called "Don't it make you want to go home?" Some of the lines I rember were:
There's a drag strip down by the river side where my Grandma's cow used to graze.
Now the grass don't grow and the river don't flow like it did in my childhood days.
Don't it make you want to go home? God! don't it make you want to go home?
Thanks Tipper, for all you do for us! You are just what we needed!
Bradley
A Blast From The Past - I'd Like To Wander Back
This post originally published here on the Blind Pig in May of 2008. Since then, Mr. Terry Thornton has left this world, I miss his advice, wit, and most of all his writing. Wandering back in time is a common theme in Terry Thornton's writing. He lives in the hills of Mississippi and writes ab...
I have always said wasp. However, this reminds me of something that happened when my daughter was about five. Obviously she had never seen a lightning bug or firefly. It was twilight and I was in the yard while she was playing. Suddenly she came running and jumped on my lap. She was so excited and said, "Daddy, Daddy, guess what I just saw?" I said, "What did you see kitten?" "I just saw a wasp down in the garden and he had his lights on!"
Bradley
Appalachia Through My Eyes - Waspers
I say wasper do you say wasp? I was a grown woman before I knew it should be wasp instead of wasper. Tipper Appalachia Through My Eyes - A series of photographs from my life in Southern Appalachia. Subscribe for free to Blind Pig And The Acorn by Email
There used to be ( and probably still is ) a brand of coffee called Luzianne. It had chickory in it. There was a white label and a red label. My great Grand Ma always drank that brand. I don't know maybe I was a sissy but, I thought it was so bitter when it was black that it would make a hog shake its foot if it got in their trough!
We used to - when the grown-ups weren't around - would take a cup and fill it with sugar and cream and get a biscuit and make SOAKIE BREAD. Hey look, when you are a little poor boy ain't nothing wrong with that. We thought it was good ( after we had changed its original chemistry ).
Bradley
Appalachia Through My Eyes - Coffee
Are you a coffee drinker? I am-but usually only in the mornings. Pap drinks a cup of coffee with every meal. I started drinking coffee when I worked the early morning (6:30am) shift at Lake Logan. One of my older cousins said she had been sent to make so many pots of coffee when she was growi...
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