Grandpa Hill's True Stories

Think, Laugh, and Live

Children Stories

A Podcast for my Children, my Grandchildren, and All Children

Grandpa Hill’s Stories are told by Grandpa Hill, usually with a live audience of one or more of his twenty two grand children. He tells the story from memory of what truly happened to him.
Marshmallow and his friend Gorf often review the story from their perspectives as a raccoon and a frog. They hope that by them talking about the story it will help the listeners, young and old, to talk to each other about their thoughts and experiences. Lessons are learned, as we laugh (or cry) and listen to Grandpa Hill’s stories.

  • When Grandpa Whined to Grandma – Children’s Story

    In 1989 in December Grandpa was all alone in his little room above the Saltsburg Supply Company.  It was cold!  Way too cold for Pennsylvania in December!  He had made a huge mistake, he was lonely, and he was cold.  He called Grandma to whine about his troubles. Grandma decided to fix everything by telling…

  • Grandpa Flies a Jet Plane – Children’s Story

    In the fall of 1975 Grandpa (Don) climbed into a T33 Trainer Jet for what he thought would be a short 5 minute ride.  His “ride” turned out to be a scare, a thrill, and much more than just a ride.   Don was eighteen years old, had never been in a small plane before.   Now…

  • When Grandpa Lies to the Policeman – Slightly Wiser Story

  • A Superior Minnesota Vacation

    This episode of Grandpa Hill’s True Stories took place in May of 1989 along the Western shore of Lake Superior.   Grandma and Grandpa (Mary and Don) take their four children on a long Memorial Day camping vacation.   The story is of five precious memories that make up the five chapters:  Mittens in May; Short Sheets…

  • Fishing With A Four Year Old – Children’s Stories

    Grandpa Hill shares another true personal story of fishing with a four year old.  Grandpa claims to have always caught something on every fishing trip, even this one.  Caleb his grandson challenges Grandpa when he seems to contradict himself,  ‘Sometimes never even getting a bite, yet always catching something.  Come on!  Which is it?’ In…

  • A Boy and His Dog Jack – Children’s Story

    Andrew really wanted to be in 4H and show a dog.  Rebecca his sister had a dog, and, she was in the show.  He had two huge obstacles to overcome.  First he was too young to enter the show at the Indiana County Fair.  Second he did not have a dog! Determined, he got the…

  • Lots of Bumble Bees

    In the summer of 1968 Grandpa Hill (Donald) was playing with Mike Martin his cousin.  They were along Hamlin Road in Rochester Michigan playing tricks on his brother Eugene.   Donald and Mike decide to hide from Eugene after they had secretly dropped leaves and twigs from high up in the tree nearly hitting Eugene as…

  • Grandpa Gets a “U” in 2nd Grade

    A counselor was recently asking Donald  (Grandpa Hill) some probing question about his childhood. She was trying to understand Grandpa and help him understand himself and feel better about the world he lived in. Donald, as Grandpa Hill recalls his answers to the lady that was trying to help him and shares his answer with…

  • Great Michigan Bicycle Trip – PART 4

    This last episode of Grandpa Hill’s adventure trip is told by Grandpa Hill. It truly happened to him. There and back, the trip was nearly 500 miles.  This last episode starts on Day 6 and is full of adventure and fun. The day starts with spirits high, leaving MARION. Eggs are stolen from a hen…

  • The Great Michigan Bike Trip Part 3

    Part 3: Day 4, Day 5, Day 6. Stuck in Marion Michigan. Grandpa Hill and his friends leave Wilson State Park, where their neighbors had taken them after their highly unlikely and very fortuitous chance meeting the day before. They headed out of the park on what would come to be known as the “disaster…

  • The Great Michigan Bike Trip – Part 2

    Comment below! And share with your friends! On The Great Michigan Bicycle Trip PART 2, Day 2 and 3,  Grandpa Hill has  a much better time than day one of this 500 mile adventure across Michigan by four teenage boys.  In Day 1 the Lapeer County sheriff deputy was called to question him and he…

  • The Great Michigan Bike Trip

    COMMENT BELOW – Share what you thought of this episode! Grandpa Hill was 16 years old and drawn to adventure.  The adventure in this story is a 500 mile long bicycle trip in the early 1970’s.   Four boys leave Rochester Michigan on their 10 speed bicycles.  Not one of the boys had ever been even…

  • Sparky the Dog & Devil’s Night

    This story isn’t really about Devil’s night, a night of tricks and pranks. It is a story about an unfortunate—or rather fortunate—course of events that led to Sparky becoming the dog of Grandpa Hill’s family, way back when he was a just a boy of 11 years old.   It was 1967 on a foggy Devil’s…

  • Grandpa’s First Boat

    Once upon a time there were two little boys in the back of their father’s aluminum flat bottomed fishing boat,  two big boys took turns at the front, but the two little boys got bigger.  As the four boys grew, one moved away, and, the little boys were crowded and heavy in the back of…

  • Grandpa Mangles His Bike

    In the spring of 1973, Rochester Michigan, Grandpa Hill found freedom, fun, and adventure on his light and fast 10 speed bicycle.  He had saved up for this bike and it met all of his needs and then some.   Grandpa had plans of pedaling his bike on many long rides packed with adventure.  In this…

  • One Day Truck Driving Career

    Grandpa Hill needed to earn money for college in 1976.  He got a job working in a chemical factory.  It was a stinky job with many hazards.  He got a chance to be promoted to be a truck driver.  He was to go at lunch renew the license he did not have and then finish…

  • Food and Vacation Fun at Grandma Bonse’s

    Every year Grandpa went, with his family, to visit his Grandma and Grandpa Bonse in Northport Michigan.  He remembers the great food especially his grandma’s raisin bread.  Yum!  Grandpa had adventures every year!   A pine forest deep and dark and quiet, and the steep grassy hills behind the barn, set the “stage” for his vacation…

  • My First Car

    In My First Car, Grandpa wants his own car. He is 16, it is 1973 and he doesn’t want to wait until he is 18. He has money from jobs and the recent sale of Brandy (his pony).   Great Grandpa and Grandma Hill (his parents) do not want to repeat what happened to Grandpa’s…

  • Brandy Pony is Sold

    Grandpa Hill, decided in 1973 in the summer to sell his Brandy.  He had received Brandy for his 13th birthday. As horse and rider Grandpa and Brandy had been through a lot together.  Grandpa had learned to be responsible, to be a caregiver, and he learned how to ride well enough to stay on Brandy.…

  • Brandy Pony’s Geometry (Part 2)

    Grandpa Use Geometry to master his troublesome pony. Brandy has been holding his breath while Grandpa puts on the saddle. As result of 2 pi R Brandy gains three inches of looseness on Grandpa, so Grandpa goes flying when Brandy stops for clovers. The solution: Grandpa waits for Brandy to relax, then he cinches up…

  • Brandy Pony (Part 1)

    Grandpa gets a pony for his Birthday, Brandy. Brandy, as it turns out, is a thoroughly stubborn animal who fights Grandpa every step of the way. Hours of watching and reading westerns couldn’t prepare him for this bucking bronco. It doesn’t help matters that Grandpa knows neither head or hoof about caring for horses, much…

  • Driver’s Test

    Grandpa tells the story of his first and only driver’s test, with his family’s old stick shift 1970 (and 1/2) Ford Torino. On this driver’s test the officer giving the test asked Grandpa a very important question, “Do you know how fast you are going?”

  • Navigator Brian

    Brian the Navigator, Grandpa Hill’s True Story about one of his son’s amazing ability to know where he was and which way to go at the age of five. This story recounts what really happened to Grandpa Hill and his family in the summer of 1985.

  • How to Lose Teeth Fast

    Losing My Two Front Teeth is a story for Grandpa Hill’s 8 children, 22 grand children, and all children.   Four of his grandchildren are ready for bed, listening to Grandpa Hill recall the fun time when he had his teeth and played in the clean sheets that his mother had washed and hung to dry.Losing…

  • Lost With The Kitties

    In this Grandpa Hill Slightly Wiser True Story, Grandpa loses a child at the Columbus Ohio City Zoo.  Grandpa Hill had a system to make it easy for a lost child to find him.  He wears a yellow shirt. The yellow shirt system failed and Brian, the lost child, had an adventure while lost with…

  • First Time Trout Fishing

    In Trout Fishing for The First Time Grandpa Hill spends his last day of his first vacation away from home trout fishing.  Way back in the 1970’s Grandpa Hill fished at a pond in Northport Michigan.  The pond was completely full of brook trout!  More trout than Grandpa had ever seen all in one place…

  • Lots of Bunnies

    Hide in seek is a very fun game, which everyone loves to play. Hide the bunny is also a very fun game, except when it is not. In Lots of Bunnies Grandpa Hill tells the true story, as best he can recall, how a bunny died because it could not breathe.  A few days later…

  • Sledding in the Summer?

    Can Grandpa really go sledding in the summer? According to his true story he sure can. Listen as he relates what fun he had with his family sledding on the hills at his Grandma and Grandpa’s place near Northport Michigan in the early 1960’s, IN THE SUMMER! Gorf doesn’t want to go sledding until he…

  • I Want To Go Camping! (Part 2)

    When I Finally Go Camping! Grandpa tells the rest of the story of a time he really wanted to go camping. In Part 2, Grandpa now has enough platelets, and finally goes camping with his brother in Canada; where they meet several mosquitoes, a skunk, and not enough fish. Gorf is worried that Grandpa quits…

  • I Want to Go Camping! (Part 1)

    Grandpa tells the story of a time he really wanted to go camping.  A disastrous turn in his health threatens the trip.  Grandpa’s platelets were mysteriously and quite completely gone!  Listen to his intense efforts to to get those tiny little cells called platelets back up to normal safe levels. Marshmallow, the raccoon and Gorf,…