memories for my family

This afternoon I was telling my granddaughter about some of the phrases my mother used regularly. I thought I’d just share these for the fun of it…

Every spring when the teenagers came out in their hotrods or in convertible with the tops down and the temperatures not yet warm enough for that “foolish” behavior, Mom would comment, “Well, you can tell it’s spring because all the bloomin’ idiots are out.”

Another one she imbued into my memory was when someone did or said something she thought foolish or acted as if they knew more than they actually did, she’d remark that the person in question, “wouldn’t know beans if their head was in the bag.”

And then there was the remark made when someone talked too much about what they did. My mother was not fond of braggarts and would comment, “Them that do, do. Them that don’t, talk about it.”

And last of all, my mother’s domain was the kitchen. (Wonder where I get that!) She rarely if ever cursed, but had a trivet that she hung proudly in her kitchen. It read, “This is my kitchen and I’ll do as I damn well please.”

When I was young I was used to being around musicians. My maternal grandfather raised a family of music lovers. He himself was a songwriter and poet and even had several of his songs recorded. None made it to the charts, but all were lovely. They may not have been big hits over the air waves, but they were in our home.

My mother could strum a tune on the guitar or play the piano as did her sister Diane. My Aunt Sallie was a gifted pianist. Aunt Ruthie played her beautiful guitar inlaid with mother of pearl. Well, that is until my brother borrowed it and it burned up when his car caught fire.

I recall gathering on occasion when I was very young, my mother would be on guitar or piano, my brother on guitar, my sisters singing and my dad playing his fiddle. One of the songs I recall my mother playing on piano and singing often when I was not much more than a toddler was called “This Ole House”. I looked it up online to find the lyrics. I can still remember the tune…

This ole house once knew his children
This ole house once knew his wife
This ole house was home and comfort
As they fought the storms of life
This old house once rang with laughter
This old house heard many shouts
Now he trembles in the darkness
When the lightnin' walks about

CHORUS:
Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer
Ain't a-gonna need this house no more
Ain't got time to fix the shingles
Ain't got time to fix the floor
Ain't got time to oil the hinges
Nor to mend the windowpane
Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer
He's a-gettin' ready to meet the saints

This ole house is a-gettin' shaky
This ole house is a-gettin' old
This ole house lets in the rain
This ole house lets in the cold
On his knees I'm gettin' chilly
But he feel no fear nor pain
'Cause he see an angel peekin'
Through a broken windowpane
CHORUS

This ole house is afraid of thunder
This ole house is afraid of storms
This ole house just groans and trembles
When the night wind flings its arms
This ole house is gettin' feeble
This old house is needin' paint
Just like him it's tuckered out
But he's a-gettin' ready to meet the saints
CHORUS

This ole house dog lies a-sleepin'
He don't know I'm gonna leave
Else he'd wake up by the fireplace
And he'd sit there and howl and grieve
But my huntin' days are over
Ain't gonna hunt the coon no more
Gabriel done brought in my chariot
When the wind blew down the door
CHORUS