Blind Pig & The Acorn

Old Granny Wiggins Is Dead

I came across the game Old Granny Wiggins Is Dead in the Foxfire 6 Book. The name grabbed my attention, then after I read the entry I decided it was a game I would have played when I was a kid if I had only known about it-heck I might play it now if I can find someone silly enough to play it with me.

In the Foxfire 6 Book Pearl Bates described the game like this:

You get as many players as you want sitting or standing in a circle. We usually sat outside in the grass. The the lead person says, "Old Granny Wiggins is dead." And the next person says, "How'd she die?" And I say, "She died this way," and I do something like wave my left hand up and down, and keep on waving it, and that next person has to start waving his or her hand the same way. I repeat the same sequence with every person in the circle until they are all waving the same hand. When we've come all the way around the circle and they're all waving. I start a new round and add some motion this time like waving the other hand the same way. We go all the way around the circle until everyone is waving both hands, now. Then we used to add patting one foot and go all the way around, and then add patting the other foot, and then bobbing our heads. When everyone in the circle then is waving both hands and patting both feet and bobbing their heads, I give a signal and we all fall over dead on top of each other. We'd get a big laugh out of how we'd fall. We always did pretty much the same sequence with the hands and feet and head, but I guess you could add other signals like wagging a shoulder or something if you wanted to. 

Have you ever heard of the game Old Granny Wiggins Is Dead? If not would it have been a game you would have played? 

Tipper

p.s. Go by the Edie's Cookies booth on Saturday at the Depot in Murphy (10-2) and mention the Blind Pig & the Acorn for a free cookie. BTW-Edie makes the best cookies EVER!! Go here for more info about Edie's Cookies.

*Sources Foxfire 6

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Appalachian Vocabulary Test 54

It's time for this month's Appalachian Vocabulary Test-take it and see how you do.

1. Ease around
2. Eating table
3. Epizooticks
4. Everly
5. Everwho

1. Ease around: to move quietly without disturbing. "They were talking about something awful serious out there in the yard when I got home. I figured it was none of my business so I just eased around them and came on in the house."
2. Eating table: kitchen/dinning room table. "Didn't I raise you better than to talk about such as that at the eating table! Sometimes I wonder if your brain ain't turned upside down!" 
3. Epizooticks: humorous name to describe a common illness similar to the cold. "How you?" said Mr. Dockery. The lady replied "We've all had the epizooticks but we're doing fine other than that."
4. Everly: always. "Everly time I smell fresh cut wood I think of Papaw with his overalls, turned up hat bill, twinkling eyes, and sawdust settled into every crevice of the folds of his clothes.
5. Everwho: whoever. "Everwho borrowed my gray sweater better have it back in my closet before morning!"

My thoughts about this month's test:

• I use ease around all the time-I don't think I could talk without that one.
• Eating table is very common in my neck of the woods too.
• Instead of epizooticks-I hear epizoodie used to describe a common illness such as a bad cold that makes its way through the whole family.
• I never hear the word everly. BUT I love it! Who wouldn't want to go around saying everly. I'm going to use everly from now own-especially if I'm talking about something as sweet as my Papaw Wade and his overalls.
• I couldn't talk without saying everwho either-I use it all the time.

Please leave a comment and let me know how you did on the test!

Tipper

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Playing Telephone

Have you ever played the game telephone? It's a fun game to play-especially if you're in a group of giggling girls. I remember playing the game at summer camp and at slumber parties.

One person starts the game by whispering a phrase to the person next to them. That person passes the phrase along to the next person. Each person repeats the process until it reaches the last person in the group. The last person shares the phrase with the whole group-the fun happens when everyone sees how much the original phrase changed along the way. Now that I've explained it you can see how telephone is the perfect game for a bunch of giggling girls.

Paul used a version of telephone in his classroom-well sort of. When the class was studying propaganda-word of mouth-eye witnesses or something like that. Paul would pick one student and one fellow teacher to be in on his game.

Paul would reprimand the student who was in on the game for some imaginary misdeed in front of the class-the discussion between Paul and the student would get pretty heated and end with Paul leaving to go to the Principal's office with the student. 

The fellow teacher would then enter the classroom and ask the other students what happened. Paul said it never failed-the students would totally misrepresent what happened between Paul and the student. After the students had been questioned-Paul and the student returned to class and let everyone in on the game-then I suppose they talked about eye witness accounts or whatever it was he was trying to make a point about.

Talking about the telephone game makes me think of making prank calls as a kid-you know ones like "Do you have Prince Albert in a can? Well then let him out!" or "Is your frigerator running? The you better catch it!" or "Your cows in my garden. Oh you don't have a cow well I don't have a garden either!" I was too backward to actually say any of those things to someone on the phone-but I was always willing to sit in the corner and cut up when someone else did. 

I asked the girls if they ever played telephone-when they told me how some of their lunch table telephone games ended in elementary school I wished I hadn't even asked-I could have done without knowing all that!

Ever play telephone?  

Tipper

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Can't Say I've Ever Been More Lonesome

 

Almost every Sunday afternoon we meet up down at Paul's for some pickin and grinnin. There's much music during those weekly sessions-but there's lots of other stuff too.

Things like fixing button issues with pocket knives;

most Sunday's there's sunshine-and its always in Pap's face; 

there's always silliness;

sometimes there's really cool beards;

and there's always texting-if all 4 young pickers and grinners are there-then there's 4 phones texting out their annoying beat as fast as they can go in between songs.

Along with all that-there's good conversation too.

And some Sundays I leave with a new favorite song. Or in the case of last Sunday it was a old new favorite song or something like that. Paul wrote the toe tapper Can't Say I've Ever Been More Lonesome when he was in high school. He pulled it out for us to play last week and I've had it going around in my head ever since. 

(*Before you watch the video you need to stop the music player-the music controls are along the top of this page on the far left side-just under the Blind Pig logo. Click the center round button to stop the player.) *For those of you who have trouble viewing the video-go straight to youtube to see it by clicking here.

Hope you enjoyed the song-now you'll have it running around in your head! 

Tipper

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Roosters and Violets

This post was originally published here on the Blind Pig in April of 2010. Since it mentions a game I played as I child I thought I'd re-post the piece.

 

In the gardening world folks either love wild violets with a fierce devotion or hate them and their spreading ways with a passion. Me-I love their little cheerful faces so much that I don't mind if they spread till they're a purple carpet for me to walk about on.

In fact-in Granny's yard that's exactly what they've done. Spread until it's like a real life violet vale.

When it comes to wild violets-there's a long list. Just to name a few: the birds foot, the common blue, the marsh blue, the longspur, and the list goes on. In my world-the color of the flower is enough identification for me. (if you're interested in knowing the name of each violet-go here for a great page of photos with names attached)

Around my house the most common are deep or light purple.

As you look around in the woods, you can find dainty little white ones-some have deep red/pink veins that look smudged around the edges-some have brown veins that look like they were drawn on with a fine tipped marker. The tiniest ones that grow along the creek bank are totally white with no markings at all.

Deeper in the woods you're likely to see this yellow beauty. With their longer stems and high leaves-these yellow violets always make me think of stately ladies watching over the area making sure all is in order.

No one left a comment about my fighting chickens with violets tease-so maybe no one ever played the game I did as a kid.

I can't remember who showed me how to play-maybe an older cousin-maybe an Uncle-maybe even my Mamaw. I do remember exactly where they showed me. We were on a little bank that ran near the bottom of Pap and Granny's driveway-the bank isn't there now-bulldozed away as driveways were needed for new houses.

Look at the photo above-does the violet make you think of a Rooster? See the furry comb like things in the center of the flower-see it's head?

It only takes 2 people to fight chickens with violets-each person picks their rooster. Then you link/cross them over each other and pull.

The toughest Rooster wins-when the looser looses his head in the fight. I'll leave you with 2 questions: 1. Are you a violet lover or hater? 2. Did you ever fight violet Roosters when you were a kid?

Tipper

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Appalachia Through My Eyes - May Waters

According to folklore I found in Frank C. Brown's Collection, if you wash your face in the dew on May 1st you will be pretty. Or if you let your head get wet in the first rain of May you will not have a headache all year long. 

Well I've missed out on the dew part-but I'm sure I'll be standing outside when the first rain drops arrive around my place this May. Trying for a whole year without a headache is worth getting a little wet-or a whole lot wet if it really worked.

Tipper

Appalachia Through My Eyes - A series of photographs from my life in Southern Appalachia.

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Drop The Handkerchief

Drop the Handkerchief is a game I remember playing in the gym of the old Martins Creek School. The game is very similar to Tap Hand or Duck Duck Goose.

Everyone stands or sits in a large circle. One person is picked to be 'it' and given a handkerchief. The it person walks around the outside of the circle and picks someone to drop the handkerchief behind. The people in the circle are told not to turn around to see who's going to get picked-but of course the people on the sides can see whats happening on the other side-and their faces always alert you when the handkerchief has been dropped.

Once the handkerchief is dropped, the it person takes off running with the handkerchief person running in hot pursuit-both people try to get back to the empty spot in the circle before the other does. The game continues as such-with the person left out of the circle becoming the handkerchief dropper. 

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Not many people carry around a handkerchief these days-of course the game could be played with something else just as well.

In today's 'green' world it looks like handkerchiefs would make a comeback-who knows maybe they are. I know at least one gentleman-one of Pap's best friends who still uses a handkerchief. There are probably other friends of Pap's who still use them-but I only know the one gentleman I'm thinking of does for sure. Pap sometimes carries one and sometimes doesn't.

While googling around about handkerchiefs I discovered a few interesting tidbits:

• The Art of Manliness: this site tells all the reasons men should get back into the habit of carrying a handkerchief. 
• Nordstrom: you can get 7 handkerchiefs for $12.50
• Etsy: you can find a gazillion vintage handkerchiefs.

Did you ever play Drop the Handkerchief? Do you carry a handkerchief on a regular basis or know someone who does?

Tipper

p.s. The Deer Hunter says THANK YOU for all the birthday wishes!

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Planting By The Signs May 2013

I've been dreaming about fresh tomatoes, bright yellow squash, and eating a cucumber still warm from the sunshine sprinkled with salt. Hopefully by the end of May my dreams will be closer to coming true-you know when I've actually got all those things planted! 

Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce

Our Spring garden is going strong-we have lettuce, onions, cabbage, sugar snap peas, radishes, and asparagus. Most of which we grew from Sow True Seed - they signed on to sponsor the Blind Pig garden again this year. 

Our tomato seedlings are coming right along too. I was worried we got a late start with them-but I think they'll be ready just in time. Having to change the plastic on the greenhouse may have been a blessing in disguise-as the new plastic allows a whole lot more light to get through.

I've been working with Sow True Seed on a very interesting project-hopefully I'll be sharing more of the details with you in the weeks to come.

How's your garden coming along?

Tipper

p.s. Today is The Deer Hunter's birthday. Back when we were first married one of his friends would tease me-asking me if I didn't think I should trade up in husbands. Every time I would tell him-no I've seen whats out there I think I'll keep what I've got. All these years later I still feel the same way-I've seen whats out there and I'm pretty sure I got the best husband out of the bunch.

Brian Blake sent me his original poem, the Green Man. I'd like to share it with you-and dedicate it to Deer Hunter as well for his birthday.

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The  Green  Man

For Gretchen

Spring quickens! Earth warms to the beam of Father Sun.   

Blushing, thrusting shoots toss winter’s cloak aside:            

The Green Man comes!                                                      

Leaves and vines entwining embrace the year begun.          

Soul of the world, birthed sure as the flood tide,                 

“To Life!” he cries.

Arbors bloom, pastures ripen, fast sweet waters run.           

Nymphs of creation forth to the summons stride.    

“To Love!” he calls.

A lingering kiss, enfolding, passionate, done!                      

Apples on the bough, we two, I lie beside    

My One. She’s you.                  

 

Brian P.T. Blake

Shelton, Connecticut

December 29, 2010

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Annotations 

Title.  The Green Man: Pagan god of fertility, ripe fields and plentiful herds. 

Line 1.  Father Sun:  The male creative principle, antecedent of Christian God the Father, God the Son. Cognate with Egyptian god Amun-Ra, the Great Sun, giver of life.  Pan pipes nature’s lingua verte, the Green Tongue of birds and dragons. Aries, first sign of the zodiac, is the Radiant Sun. 

Line 6. “To Life!”: Jewish wedding toast, invoking joy in the new generation now beginning.

Line 8. Nymphs: The female creative principle, celebrated in Greek and Roman art.

Line 12. “Apples on the bough, we two”: Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; W.B. Yeats, “The Song of Wandering Angus,” of a fairy goddess “with apple blossoms in her hair.” American folksong, “Don’t sit under the apple tree/ With anyone else but me.” 

Line 13. “My One”: Two in love make one, equal in the sight of God.

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Mumbly Peg

Mumbly peg (or mumble peg) is a game I've seen boys play during my lifetime-I've even seen grown men play it once or twice. Me-I've never played it.

The game is played with various rules depending on whose doing the playing. The general gist of the game is: a circle is drawn in the dirt; the players take turns trying to flip an open pocket knife off their arm or balled up fist and make it land in the circle. 

I've seen it played where you start with the knife on one knuckle and as you flip the knife and get it to stick you move to the next knuckle. The Foxfire 6 Book shares a version of the game where you keep moving the knife up-starting on your fingertips then moving to your elbows, shoulders, and eventually your head! Trying to flip the knife so that it sticks in the circle drawn on the ground. The version of mumbly peg in the Foxfire 6 Book details the game as being a point system-for example if the open pocket knife sticks straight up on the large blade you get 10 points. If the knife sticks like the one in the photo above-you only get 5 points. 

Some versions of the game end with the winner getting to keep the knife.

Have you ever played or seen mumbly peg?

Tipper

*Source Foxfire 6

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Freeze Tag

Did you ever play freeze tag? Ed Ammons sent me this short description of Freeze Tag:

How to Play Freeze Tag

This game is to be played outside. First we will choose who is to be “It” by counting taters or drawing straws, etc. Next we will establish “out of bounds.” Now we will all gather in the middle of the field. When “It” says GO, everyone scatters in different directions. It then proceeds to chase the participants with the purpose of tagging them. When you are tagged, It will say “Freeze” and you must stay in the spot where you are touched. If you step out of bounds, you are frozen. You must stay frozen until the game is over or until someone who it not frozen can come and touch you (thaw you out.) If someone steps out of bounds to unfreeze you, they are frozen too. They must be able to reach over the line to touch and unfreeze you. If IT can manage to tag and freeze all the players, It is the winner and the game is over. If another game is to be played, the first It gets to choose the next one. If It cannot freeze everyone then the games goes until it is too dark to play or everybody gets tired and quits.

Seems like I might have played freeze tag-but I'm not sure. I know we played lots of tag type games-usually the boys against the girls. I was a pretty fast runner when I was young (forget about it now!) so I usually fared well in tag/chase type games. 

If I got too tired from all the running games at school, I slipped alongside the old brick school building. We were told not to go or walk on that side of the building because it bordered the highway. But we did. All along the length of the foundation there was a small ledge-the perfecting resting place to get your breath or tell secrets when no one was looking. Just thinking about it-makes me want to get in my car, drive over there, and sit on that little ledge again. But I can only sit on the ledge in my memories, since the school burnt down years ago.

Freeze tag memories for you?

Tipper

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