Grandpa Hill's True Stories

Tag: grandpa

  • When Grandpa Was a BEE Target – Children’s Story

    When Grandpa Was a BEE Target – Children’s Story

    In 1974 Grandpa was 16 years old and was cleaning the outside steps that went up through the woods to the front door of Mr. Griemel’s house.  There was to be a party that night and the steps would be clean of dirt and debris. As he sprayed the water to clean the railroad ties and stones he discovered an in-the-ground nest of yellow jackets.  It was easy work to spray the bees and flood the nest.  Soon Grandpa discovered something he will never forget.  Yellow jackets always have an alternate exit to their hives. 

    Soon there was a stream of angry bees after Grandpa.  He had become a BEE Target.   The hose was dropped and he was running at top speed towards his car.  A glance over his shoulder revealed a long string of bees in hot pursuit.   He had enjoyed getting rid of the pests.  He was now in fright and flight and could be easily overcome by dozens of charging bees. 

    Grandpa tells his true stories for your benefit to help you think laugh and live, and maybe avoid his mistakes.   This is the 80th episode.  Some are more serious faith and family and health stories.  This is a “fun” one of when Grandpa became a bee target and lived to tell the story. 

    Please share one of Grandpa Hill’s True Stories today!

    • Producer: Grandpa Hill with David Richman.
    • Intro Laugh and Call to Sit Down: Walter and Corbin.
    • Grand children in the audience: David, Annette, Kyla, Breandan, Lawrence, Edmund, Levi, and Emma.
    • Cover Art: Amy Steele.
    • Music: Michael Steele
  • When Grandpa Whined to Grandma – Children’s Story

    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 a story about shopping at the big mall in Burnsville MN.  In no mood for a story, especially about shopping, Grandpa listened to the story and he changed.  He stopped his whining!  Whining  wasn’t working and it never should work for anybody, not for little insistent children and not for Moms and Dads and definitely not for Grandpa Hill. 

    Gorf and Marshmallow help Grandpa Hill discuss whining  with some of his grandchildren.  Grandpa Hill appreciates that help as he promotes Thinking, Laughing a lot, and Living life fully.  It so much better for the, children the children’s children and for all children if whining never works!

    Please share your stories with your childrend and grandchildren. Please share this story with someone in the world today. Thank you, Grandpa Hill.

    • Produced: Grandpa Hill, with David Richman.
    • Puppets: Gorf, Grandpa Hill; Marshmallow David Richman.
    • Laugh and Call to take a seat: Walter and Corbin.
    • Grandchildren in Audience: David, Kyla, Lawrence, Edmund, Levi, Emma.
    • Music: Michael Steele.
  • Grandpa Drinks With A Bat – Children’s Story

    Grandpa Drinks With A Bat – Children’s Story

    Grandpa Hill has done many unusual things and many of them happened on his annual back packing trip with the Hill and Richman Family.  For the past 30 years he has gone backpacking with his family and the Richman family.  On this trip Grandpa came eye to eye with a bat.   Grandpa was alone.  They both wanted the same watering hole. They sipped and they parted their ways. 

    Think laugh and live, and, share share, share, these stories.   Thank you for sharing and thank you for listening.  Grandpa Hill of Grandpa Hill’s True Stories.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Grandchildren in the audience: Breandan

    Music: Michael Steele

    Art: Amy Steele

  • Mary’s Super Sight and Quick Thinking – Faith and Family

    Mary’s Super Sight and Quick Thinking – Faith and Family

    Welcome to another one of Grandpa Hill’s True Stories.  Don and Mary are going up North to Michigan Tech in 1977.  They would secure a place up at the college for Don to stay, with Bruce for his last year prior to getting married.    Late at night as they travel along interstate I-75 near the intersection with M-72 Mary sees a light in the distance and slams on the brakes.  The car shakes hard as the old brakes struggle to slow it down! 

    Then it appeared,  there was a wreck.  There were injuries.  Soon Grandpa was off down the hill to rescue one of the drivers that had been in the collision.

    Don is so grateful for Mary’s super sighting of a tiny light, late at night on the freeway, and her quick and accurate reaction that had saved the day, and probably the lives of several people.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Grandchildren in the audience: Breandan

    Music: Michael Steele

    Art: Amy Steele

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

    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 this true story Rebecca is the four year old, the gear is a bamboo pole, the catch….. well you will have to listen to the story! 

    Grandpa assures the audience that this trip like every fishing trip or family adventure gave him and his children precious memories that have lasted a life time.  This one fishing with a four year old was exceptional fun and excitement.  Grandpa Hills Children Stories and Health Stories are listened to in dozens of countries, dozens of States in the USA, and dozens of communities in Pennsylvania.  Please spread these stories far and wide, it will probably help make the world a better place.  You will probably never know exactly how but one thing affects another and then surprise you are telling your own stories, and, learning from Grandpa Hill’s true stories.  Think.  Do what you can.  Then laugh and live.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Grandchildren in the audience: Breandan

    Music: Michael Steele

    Art: Amy Steele

  • Grandpa Sees an Angel – Faith and Family Story

    Grandpa Sees an Angel – Faith and Family Story

    In 1988 Grandpa Hill (Don) and his family were at a parish mission in Burnsville Minnesota.  Just before the priest called on Don to come up front for a demonstration about faith and trust, an angel came and sat down next to Grandpa.

    Grandpa really doesn’t know what angels are.  He calls what he saw an angel because it seemed friendly, calm, and all energy.   Whatever it was that evening he first sensed it’s approach, saw it for a second or two and then responded to the priest.  As Don left the pew to ‘volunteer’ for the demonstration in front of what seemed like over a thousand people, the angel was gone!

    Don describes the faith moment, his demonstration of the concept of trust, and, how interesting it was for one time in his life to sense and see some sort of being that he truly thinks was an angel, sitting with him.  Either Don had the wildest imagination in the world, or he really saw something, or both!

    In any case, please know that Grandpa Hill’s Stories are True Stories, as true as he can remember them.  This encounter with this ‘angel’ truly happened to him.  It was definitely a faith moment, and, has always been an inspiration to him when he is being reluctant or hesitant to do what he really thinks God would like him to do.

    Please enjoy and please share this story and this podcast.  It really means a lot to Grandpa Hill to share and teach to entertain and to make it easier for others to think laugh and live regardless of the troubles of the day or times we live in. Use the stories to remember and share your own stories of when you grew up or you learned something true. What you do matters, it matters to the whole world.

    As of today April 21, 2023, Grandpa Hill’s True Stories have been listened to in 28 countries, 173 cities in 36 of the United States of America.  That’s way over 33,000 minutes helping you and your children to think, laugh, and live.  Listen, listen, listen. Share Share Share. Thank you!

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Music: David Richman
    Art: Amy Steele
    Grandchildren in the audience: Annette, and Breandan.

  • How Grandpa and Grandma Met Each Other – Faith & Family Story

    How Grandpa and Grandma Met Each Other – Faith & Family Story

    On St. Patrick’s Day,  1975,  Mary Lee Mack met Donald Paul Hill in the library of the high school in Rochester Michigan.  That was the day that Don’s girl friend realized she was his girlfriend. 

    Don had been so anticipating having Mary as his girlfriend and so anxious about being rejected that he struggled to tell Mary of his intentions.  “Everything had to be just right,” was the excuse Don had for not asking Mary to go out with him on a date.  

    Listen and learn what $1 and a green carnation had to do with the start of Grandma’s and Grandpa’s togetherness, as they have learned to think, laugh a lot, and live life well. 

    Although this story is not how Don recommends that couples should start their relationships.  It  is, as best as Don can remember, the truth about how it all started 48 years ago on St. Patrick’s 1975. 

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Music: David Richman
    Art: Amy Steele
    In the audience: Grandma Hill

  • The Great Michigan Bike Trip Part 3

    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 day.” The road was clear… until it wasn’t.  

    There is a tractor trailer truck in the opposing lane, going 70 or 80 mph. The gust from the speeding truck makes the bikes wobbly and some of them fall down. The bikers are a little scraped up, but even worse Bill’s bike is busted. It’s 3 miles to Marion Michigan, the next closest town. They’d have to walk.

    In Marion, after a catastrophic attempt to fix the bike, Grandpa Hill and his friends don’t have much to do, but they sure are hungry. There was not a crumb left of their lunch. The bikers run into a little trouble with the Police Chief and Fire Chief.  In their opinions the group of bikers were too friendly with the police chief’s daughter.  They had their ways of expressing their disapproval. Nonetheless, the girls did tell them about the park where they set up camp. Its raining, and the bikers find refuge playing cards in the town hall.

    Day 5 Grandpa and Bill hitch hike to Cadillac Michigan to get a new bike wheel, and they come back to accusations of breaking into the laundry-mat, and the bikers agree to leave town the next day. With Bill’s bike fixed they leave Marion Michigan behind.  Just before they go they witness an exciting chariot race.

    Grandpa and his friends met a lot of challenges in Marion.  They didn’t give up.  With rapidly emptying pockets, frequently empty stomachs, and a broken bike they kept on going.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced and Recorded by Grandpa Hill

    Art: David Richman,
    Music: Michael Steele,
    Grandchildren in Audience: Caleb, Corbin and Walter.

  • Sparky the Dog & Devil’s Night

    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 Night in Rochester Michigan.  A prank was played on a most unfortunate family and their dog. The next morning when the fog was still thick, Grandpa discovered there at the end of the driveway the Devil’s Night Dog, a young black and white Smooth Fox Terrier. The sweetest and barkiest dog there ever was… maybe. Nonetheless, the situation needed to be remedied.  

    Grandpa’s family knew the drill.  They needed to find the owner and let them know what had happened to their terrier.  They tried and failed.  What happened next was a few years of fun love and happy times with Sparky. One day Sparky took off for his normal morning run.  He was normally back at the house within an hour.  That day Sparky was brought home dead.  He was killed by a neighbor’s dog. Gorf and Marshmallow help the young listener to think through Sparky’s death and how it may have shaped Grandpa Hill’s life and what lessons may have been learned.

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Gorf: Grandpa
    Marshmallow: David Richman
    Music: Michael Steele
    Art: David Richman
    Grandchildren in the audience: Kyla, Lawrence, Eddy, and Levi

  • The Money Tree

    The Money Tree

    “Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees” Grandpa Hill (Don)’s Dad said… as it turns out money does sometimes grow on trees. Donald was a teenager in the 1970’s, and his Dad was explaining the folly of a purchase.  Don replied oh yes it does grow on trees! “Look right there!”  Right out side the living room window there was a money tree.  Grandpa’s Mom used to pick what looked to be silver dollars off the tree and exchange them for dollars.

    This seems unbelievable to the grandchildren listening to this story from long ago.  So, Grandpa takes them down the street to Ken and Cindy’s house in Latrobe Pennsylvania and right there in the garden is a Money Tree, for real!

    Gorf and Marshmallow discuss how to make money with the Money Tree, and, food, and doing the right thing when talking to your parents or are considering harvesting someone else’s crop.  We hope you enjoy this simple Grandpa Hill True Story, keep listening, sharing, and exploring the dozens of other episodes!

    Credits:

    Produced by David Richman,
    Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill

    Gorf: Grandpa
    Marshmallow: David Richman
    Music: Michael Steele
    Art: David Richman
    Grandchildren in the audience: Kyla, Breandan, Lawrence, Eddy, and Levi