Usually settin in the old kitchen with the Home Comfort Wood cookstove just a jumpin in the dead of winter. Almost any evening would work, it was most always Saturdays that was preferred. Settin in straight backed chairs and in kinda a semi-circle-the fiddler, guitar, mandolin and banjer. Sometimes more than one guitar would be in the circle. No electric instruments were used--heck nobody had ever heard of'm. Pap was always the fiddler and knew a kajillion songs-more of less. Most of the winter a big kettle of soup would be settin on the old Home Comfort and as you'd take out a bowl or two, more vegs or meat would be added. It wasn't unusual to see bowls of soup settin on the table coolin whilst the musicans would play. "Down Yonder, Devils Dream, Leather Britches, Old Joe Clark, Black Mountain Rag-in D minor, The "Special", Jiggs, Hornpipes, Waltzes" and a host of other old songs. Mountain songs were also included as well as a bunch of old Gospel songs. Mom almost always had some of those famous homemade dounts on hand. Homemade light bread, fresh butter and even sometimes homemade apple pie! As I set here thinkin I don't ever remember NOT havein Iced T! And I'm gettin old too. Pap was not a drinker and didn't allow anybody on the farm that partook of the "devils drink". Pap had bought his fiddle from Sears way back when he was a just a kid. Gave $6. for it brand new. It's still a good soundin instrument. I bought my own banjer in 85, used, from Elderly Instruments in E. Lansing , MI. Gave $475 for it. It was absolutely like new, had never been played nor even "set up". A doctor had bought it new in 80 and set it in his closet. It sure don't look new now!!!! It's an Ode model C, bluegrass-5 stringer. I've played some fine banjers of other peoples and have yet to hear one sound this good. Me smart? Nope---just Blessed! Well anyhow, I never got to pick this banjer with pap as he died in 83. I did pick with'm with the old Kay I'd owned first. Lil Bro Frank picked with'm when he came home from the Air Force. He had a Gibson Mastertone banjer but never got to pick much. He was killed in Sept of 72. The days of the old music partys are almost over, I guess. Bluegrass Jams are kinda scattered around the countryside during the summer and once in awhile in the winter-in somebody's shop. How about a roasted hog-? Roasted by a woodfire, outside in an old fuel oil tank? Tell you something else that ain't too bad either. Chick, turk and even an old Canadian goose. Cow ain't bad either. I've got the cooker! Anybody got the hog, cow, chik or turk? Hey, I know! Maybe Countryside Magazine will furnish the cow!!!!!! LOL. Time to start thinkin about your heat source for winter. I'll post some tips for the save operation of that heating appliance--later on. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), August 07, 2000

Answers

Thanks Hoot! I love these stories. Have you ever thunk of writing a book????

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), August 07, 2000.

It ain't entirely dead yet, Hoot ... My family, Uncle Freddy and the gang, get together whenever they can (which isn't as much as they used to, I'm afraid) and you couldn't stop them from playing if you hit them with a firehose!! I sure do love to hear them play and am hoping to pick up the skill myself someday. Psalm 150.4

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), August 08, 2000.

Hoot; Once again you made me smile and remenence(sp?) about my childhood and my Dad. I remember that "bread" was corn bread and sliced bread was white bread and "sweet" iced tea was a daily drink. I was a young man in the Army when I had my first piece of chicken that we didn't raise ourselves (thought something was wrong with it!LOL). We used to gather together with friends and family sit around while the folks played and sang (mostly Southern Gospel). It seems so close at times but so far away.

Please keep on posting your tales, it warms my heart and makes me feel closer to the memory of my Dad.

Jim T.

-- Jim Tanner (tanner_jim@hotmail.com), August 08, 2000.

Hoot:

I agree 100% with others. You need to collect your memories in the form of a book for the education of future generations of Gibsons. Perhaps do a chapter and then put it on the forum for comments or questions you could use to revise it. When you get it where you want it give a copy to each of your surviving relatives. A local print shop can print and bind it you for.

One strong memory I have of my Mom was when she was doing something in the kitchen she would hum to herself. Never caught a tune. Just throught it was something like a cat purring.

I am currently trying to do a genealogy of the Sarabok/Sharabok/Scharabok family. I sure wish we had documented the recollections of those older generations who are now dead.

-- Ken S. (scharabo@aol.com), August 08, 2000.

Perhaps we all oughta chip in an raise enough $$ to get Hoot registered as an Historical Treasure!!!

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), August 10, 2000.