Quoting benita:

Late Spring And Summer was special up at Grannies. Pop Paw, had a white mule that I loved. Her name was Betsy. She wouldn't let anyone ride her, cept for me. All my Cousins and my Brother were so jealous. I thought I was pretty special.

Pop Paw would harness her up, to plow the garden. Then he would lift me up onto his shoulders. I would wrap my little six year old arms around his forehead, and a plowing we would go. He let me tell Betsy what to do. Hee Betsy, Hee. Haw Betsy, Haw. Hee was right and Haw was left. I often get right and left mixed up these days, but back then, I had it down.
When we got thru and took her back to the barn, I would get to give her a treat. Some oats and usually an apple, I had stashed away. She loved apples. She didn't like boys, and would kick or bite them if they got close. If they came around when I was with her, she would get between me and them. Protecting me from them.

Eventually I would head back to the house. Course my cousins were waiting. Hair pulling, kicking, biting would ensue. Grannie would holler at them and they would head for the woods. Often with a bloody nose, scratch and bite marks. Pop Paw loved it, that I could take up for myself so well.

He was a huge man. He had to duck when he walked thru the door. Most men were about 5'5" or 5'7" back then. They built doorways for people of that height. Pop Paw was 6"5" with piercing blue eyes. He had a huge Handlebar moustache, with long white hair. When he walked into the room, people stopped talking, and would always be very respectful. He wouldn't hurt a fly, but he didn't let on that he was so gentle. You had to be around him a while, to figure that out.

I had six Uncle's and five Aunt's on my Dad's side. All the men were well over six foot. My shortest Aunt was 5'10" tall. Everybody called her Runt. Grannie was a five foot tall, fire cracker. It was a hoot to see her and Pop Paw, standing beside each other.

Grannie said, come ch...

Late Spring And Summer was special up at Grannies. Pop Paw, had a white mule that I loved. Her name was Betsy. She wouldn't let anyone ride her, cept for me. All my Cousins and my Brother were so jealous. I thought I was pretty special.

Pop Paw would harness her up, to plow the garden. Then he would lift me up onto his shoulders. I would wrap my little six year old arms around his forehead, and a plowing we would go. He let me tell Betsy what to do. Hee Betsy, Hee. Haw Betsy, Haw. Hee was right and Haw was left. I often get right and left mixed up these days, but back then, I had it down.
When we got thru and took her back to the barn, I would get to give her a treat. Some oats and usually an apple, I had stashed away. She loved apples. She didn't like boys, and would kick or bite them if they got close. If they came around when I was with her, she would get between me and them. Protecting me from them.

Eventually I would head back to the house. Course my cousins were waiting. Hair pulling, kicking, biting would ensue. Grannie would holler at them and they would head for the woods. Often with a bloody nose, scratch and bite marks. Pop Paw loved it, that I could take up for myself so well.

He was a huge man. He had to duck when he walked thru the door. Most men were about 5'5" or 5'7" back then. They built doorways for people of that height. Pop Paw was 6"5" with piercing blue eyes. He had a huge Handlebar moustache, with long white hair. When he walked into the room, people stopped talking, and would always be very respectful. He wouldn't hurt a fly, but he didn't let on that he was so gentle. You had to be around him a while, to figure that out.

I had six Uncle's and five Aunt's on my Dad's side. All the men were well over six foot. My shortest Aunt was 5'10" tall. Everybody called her Runt. Grannie was a five foot tall, fire cracker. It was a hoot to see her and Pop Paw, standing beside each other.

Grannie said, come ch...