It was Halloween and Grandpa was 19 years old in 1976 in Rochester MI. He wore his mummy/robber costume into a liquor store in Troy Michigan. It was a dumb thing to do. Grandpa Hill’s Grand Children beg for stories of when Grandpa Hill does something stupid or gets in trouble.
(more…)Tag: kids
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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!
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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 HillArt: David Richman,
Music: Michael Steele,
Grandchildren in Audience: Caleb, Corbin and Walter.
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Turtle Soup
This story is about Grandpa Hill and his grandfather, Grandpa Bonse. “Donny Boy” got turtle soup for his birthday and learned to consider carefully what he really wanted in his life. In this case he was very excited to get a special meal that he was sure was the best ever. Grandpa Bonse had to make his regular visit to the garbage dump near North Port MI. Then he had Donny Boy look in a barrel of turtles, then they enjoyed a great lunch. Grandpa Bonse enjoyed teaching Donny Boy this way. Grandpa Hill (Donny Boy) enjoyed learning this way. He felt loved.
Gorf the frog and Marshmallow the raccoon discuss the eating of frogs and turtles. What you think about your food plays a big part in whether you will like it or not. Grandpa did some thinking about his highly desired soup and then it wasn’t quite so desired. Marshmallow mostly thinks about eating more not what it is that he is eating. Gorf handles the whole story pretty well. Gorf does get tense with all the talk about eating things like frogs. Marshmallow reminds Gorf again that he won’t be consuming frogs any time soon.
Credits:
Produced by David Richman,
Executively Produced by Grandpa HillMusic: Michael Steele,
Art: David Richman,
Grandchildren in Audience: Annette & Breandan
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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 fun. A box of simple toys gave hours of enjoyment. At night Grandpa and his brothers could see through the floors.
Two foods brought each vacation to a close. Popcorn made by Grandpa Bonse and Chubs from town for the adults. Gorf the frog is impressed with Grandpa’s fun and initiates a game of tree tag. Marshmallow plays too but has his priorities, food first! Grandpa encourages his children his grandchildren and all children set down cell phones, shut off televisions and enjoy each other and enjoy their childhood as they learn to think laugh and live.
Credits:
Produced by David Richman,
Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill,Music: Michael Steele
Grandchildren Audience: Kyla, Lawrence, Eddie.
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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. Grandpa still considered Brandy to be very stubborn and failed to see the steady progress of gentling that was occurring with Brandy. The plan was to sell Brandy and if possible all of his tack.
On that fateful morning when a potential buyer came to his house Grandpa saddled up Brandy for the little girl that was going to be riding him in the future. Grandpa was shocked and surprised by Brandy’s behavior. The sale went through. Grandpa had $600 from the sale of Brandy plus tack. Now, he wanted a car! The experience with Brandy demanded that he learn a lot, and do a lot. Getting bucked and thrown wasn’t comfortable. Owning a horse and starting from scratch without knowledge, skill, or contacts, required thinking. As he remembers it he laughed a lot as he tried and tried and tried again.
Credits:
Produced by David Richman, Executively Produced by Grandpa Hill
Voice of Gorf: Grandpa, Voice of Marshmallow: David,
Art: David Richman,
Music: Michael Steele,
Grandchildren: Joseph, Catherine, and Lizzy
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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 the straps.
Now Grandpa is getting really good at riding, though Brandy tries his best to eject Grandpa from the saddle, but Grandpa just won’t quit. Grandpa and Brandy have many more adventures, until that fateful day when Grandpa sells Brandy.
Credits:
Produced by David Richman,
Executively Produced by Grandpa HillArt: David Richman
Music: Michael Steele
Grandchildren: Joseph, Catherine, and Lizzy
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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 less how to ride them. As a result Grandpa learns how to get bucked, and (eventually) how to stay on.
Brandy is a difficult horse but he brings a lot of lessons. Lessons of perseverance and responsibility. Although Grandpa didn’t like getting thrown in the dirt, he still kept his duties as the owner of a horse. It was his horse, so he had to feed, water and bath it.
By the end of the story Grandpa Hill was living his dream, as real a cow boy he would ever be, but it would be foolish to think this fence leaping horse has been broken. Tune in next time to hear of Brandy’s affection for clover, and how Grandpa used geometry to solve the problem of the Bucking Brandy.
Credits:
Produced by David Richman
Executively Produced by Grandpa HillGorf: Grandpa, Marshmallow: David
Art: David Richman
Music: Michael Steele
Grandchildren: Joseph, Catherine, and Lizzy
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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.
There was a heated discussion, between the parents of a young family, while in an overheated car, on a hot day, in a hot congested snarl of traffic. Brian’s excellent navigation skills got the family out of a jam. It was smooth sailing from there. From a pending disaster in downtown Chicago the family vacation trip was rescued by Brian’s keen interest in maps.
At the end, Gorf and Marshmallow are lost too, and discuss the importance of studying maps, and to be helpful in your own situation.
This story on how the Hill family dealt with the tension. It is for Grandpa Hill’s 8 children, his 22 grandchildren, and all children. Grandpa’s goal is to help the listeners get out of their own tense situations and figure out ways to make it easier to think more, laugh more, and live abundantly.
Credits:
Produced by David Richman
Executively Produced by Grandpa HillMusic: Michael Steele,
Art: David Richman,
Grandchildren: Joseph, Catherine, and Lizzy