The 30 - Topic #6

30 Memories of my Papaw

10 years ago today, we lost my Papaw to lung cancer.

Can't believe it's been that long ago already.

1. He taught me how to play Solitaire (which he pronounced Solitary) and would watch while I played and catch cards I missed (not without a little grunt though)

2. He drove with one wrist on the steering wheel and he loved curves!

3. My mom used to freak out because he let us ride on the wheel-well in the bed of the truck

4. He had lots of little funny sayings....when you said "Why?" He'd say "Cause wheat's better than rye, that's why" or if you said "What?" he'd say "Chicken butt." Then he'd laughed his gruff but giddy laugh.

5. One time I called their house and the answering machine picked up. It was Papaw's voice on the machine and it said: "You've reached 937-02225..." Their phone number was 935-0225 (only two 2's and a 5 instead of a 7)

6. He loved to argue - whether he was really right or not (even though he'd never admit to being wrong)

7. There were several occasions, especially when coaching a base during a softball game it seemed, that for whatever reason he decided he needed to re-tuck his shirt. So he'd be standing there, next to third base and he'd unbuckle his belt, whip open his pants and commence to shoving his shirt back down in his pants. Luckily on these occasions, he was fairly discreet (as discreet as you can be tucking your shirt into your open pants in public) and it never seemed to bother any by-standers at the games....not that he would have cared if it did though.

8. He used to push my cousin and I so high on the swing set that I thought we'd go all the way around the bar - we actually did touch a tree with our toes when he pushed us! Of course we would just holler for him to push us even higher....and he sure tried.

9. He was a sucker when it came to the ice cream man and his grand kids.

10. If you spent the night or just got over there early enough to see him before he got ready for the day, you got to see his hair all messed up. Papaw had about 14 hairs that he combed over the top of his head, but before he had slicked them down, they would just kind of stand any which a way they wanted. He would say, "I just can't do anything with my hair today."

11. He called my Mamaw "Sal" - short for Sally Ann I believe....not sure why exactly. Her name is Juanita. I should ask her about that.

12. He used to embarrass me by asking if I had my pantyhose on. I'm not sure how this started, but he would ask me whether I was wearing a dress or not and even into my teenage years, although by then it was just a little inside joke from my younger years.

13. He used to love to "count your ribs" and see if you had an "apple" on your knee (tickling us instead)....I do it to my nieces and nephew now.

14. He was stubborn and bull-headed, but had a heart of gold.

15. His nickname was "Chief" and he coached several softball teams under the same name.

16. He was a Chevy man.....and it turned me into a Chevy girl. 3 out of 4 of my cars have been Chevy's.

17. Every day after my 6th grade year, Papaw picked up me and my two cousins from school. He took us to McDonald's just about every single day....and even put up with us when we would get out of the car while in the drive-thru and go inside to get our condiments. (Who knows why? We were 6th graders!)

18. Picture this is you will....Papaw fashioned his own "learning device" for softball. He had a softball attached to a rope (through a hole drilled in the middle of the softball) and the rope was attached to a thick round stick. He would hold out the stick and the ball would dangle down and you were supposed to hit it. Then he'd proceed to correct your swing and adjust your grip, etc...all without ever having to chase a ball down (because it was attached to the stick in his hand). I never did play softball while Papaw was alive....mainly because I was intimidated by his invention and the fact that he seemed to yell a lot when it was around, but mostly because I wasn't any good at softball!

19. His index finger on one hand looked like the tip had been chopped off or something....it was kind of stubby....not sure what happened or if that was just how it grew naturally.

20. "Yellow?".....that's how he answered the phone.

21. If someone called and asked for someone that didn't live there (obviously a wrong number), Papaw would say tell the caller that the person was out and to call back later.

22. If Papaw was home, you could usually find him one of two places: either at the kitchen table (at the chair in front of the window) - with some sort of dessert in front of him -or- sitting on the floor in the living room leaning against the couch watching TV - with some sort of dessert in front of him.

23. Instead of Boulevard, he pronounced it Boulevoid

24. His birthday was on Valentine's Day

25. My dad and his brothers still tell stories about how when they were growing up, Papaw didn't tell you to do something twice....they make sound effects and imitate him taking off his belt to give a whoopin' if they didn't listen the first time.

26. Papaw was a very simple man. He loved his family, he loved softball and he loved sweets!

27. I believe, and you'll never convince me otherwise, that Papaw was able to whisper into the ears of my nieces and nephew before they were born and sent them down here with a little bit of Papaw's spit-fire personality. Sometimes I can just picture him up in Heaven laughing at those kids!

28. He always wore his glasses case in his front shirt pocket and all of his shirts had a front pocket.

29. He didn't have a favorite out of the grand-kids....he treated us all like we were his favorite.

30. I miss my Papaw and it's hard to think we've been without him this long. I'm glad I can still remember so many little things about him.