For all of you who knew an remember Grandpa Mohler you are well aware of his love of children, music and dogs. I am not sure if the love of dogs ran quite as deep as the others but I do remember his gruff voice (about the only time he was ever gruff) scolding the dog with an "I'll get the switch!" Can't you just hear him now. Well, we spent ?Thanksgiving in Klamath Falls and I was reminded a few times of Grandpa.
Janine tossed Simeon a turkey bone and someone remarked, "Wouldn't Grandpa Mohler love that!"
After dinner Uncle Danny got out his guitar and broke into "Had a Little Chicken." Once again mention was made of Grandpa, this time in reference to his harmonica playing and the kids gathering around him.
Then there were the dog tricks. I remember Grandpa balancing treats on Coalies nose just like this. That dog would sit with the treat on his nose until Grandpa told him "OK". He would then snap it up into the air and catch it. I got the biggest kick out of that.
He just would have loved all these kids!
Got any Grandpa Mohler memories? Do share.
8 comments:
Good,good memories! Did anyone give Simeon or Vaughn a dill pickle or a lemon wedge? Did the Mongoose come out? How about walnut shells to turn the cats into tap dancers?
When we were at Mom's over Thanksgiving I went out to the barn, stood with my eyes closed and enjoyed a playback of kid memories. I was surprised how many came to me and how clear they were. It was great!
Hmmm ... living with Grandpa and Grandma for three summers I've got a few.
My favorite was an exchange over Grandpa being out in the backyard in his very saggy whitey 'tighteys'.
Grandma through the kitchen window: "Kenny! Kenny! Get in here, the Barton girls are out!"
Grandpa, continuing watering: "This isn't anything the Barton girls havne't seen before."
Another mor poignant story was the owlet that Grandpa hand fed and nursed back to health only to find it dead a few days later.
Many good fishing stories.
And then, everytime a fire truck or ambulance went by, "Jon, let's go take a drive." He sure was an ambulance chacer.
Sounds like an interesting man one that people "loved" to know. It's always so fun to go back to memory lane. They really aren't forgotten by those that knew them....
Remember that weasel trap? Or what was it?
And how he used to let us color all over his bald head with crayolas?
And the wind-up toys.
Most fondly I remember the time we went to visit when we were down for Jon's wedding. I was then very much struggling with eating and very thin...getting thinner again.
He told me that if I gained 10 pounds he would give me $100 bill. He was worried. He hugged me and told me how much he loved me and how precious I was to Christ. That was the side I loved too.
He followed through.
Oh the weasel trap. Got me every time even when I knew it was coming. Someone needs to make one of those so our children can experience it.
Remember when he made all three of us girls crutches so we could hobble around pretending to be crippled and hurt. Today I fee so old I think I could really use those things.
How about the times we spend waist deep in the irrigation mud?
Riding in the scoop of the tractor?
Weebles and the bug house?
I will never forget how he called two deformed kiwi that had grown together "monkey balls". Of course he did not know I was within hearing distance. He thought he was just talking to the guys. I sure laughed though.
I think Jackson would have gotten the biggest kick out of him, all the little boys actually.
I,m so glad you all have these memories. Under that sometimes crude and gruff exterior was a very soft heart. He loved well and cared deeply.
The crude and gruff exterior was part of what I loved, though. It kept me more immune from the allures of "Christian-ese."
If Grandpa could say, "Sure scared the shit out of him" when a fish I hooked pooped as it was coming up AND if that same person could so openly talk to people about Jesus AND take care of salty old sea-dog of a fisherman who was too old and too weird for anyone else to hang around him ... well ... then it just couldn't be one of the worst things in the world to say "shit" now could it?
Exactly Jon.
I wish I could have spent a few summers down there.
I remember fondly enough the trips down south where we'd only stay for a week.
MONGOOSE trap! I didn't read mom's first post. It wasn't a weasel trap.
I need to make one of those.
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