My first Christmas memory is being at Granny & Pop-Pops. I was four and the tree was eight. It reached all the way to the ceiling and I can remember Pop-Pop saying as he chopped it down "this is a big en Thommy boy- I'm gonna have to cut some of the top offa er".
This is also my first memory of riding Levi. Granny told Pop-Pop "that boys not near big enough to be ridin by himself Johnny" Pop-Pops reply "aaahhh horseshit Carrie the boys plenty big and it's time he was a learnin'."
I had to laugh when I heard Pop-Pop say "aaahhh horseshit" because at that very moment that's just what Levi did. This is also my first memory of hearing both Grannies and Pop-Pops favorite reply. I still use it today and I always remember the three of them.
Pop-Pop got Levi & Lacey saddled up then lifted me up and onto Levi. This is my first memory of not being small. For the first time I was looking down at the world instead of up. I loved it. Levi & I were already friends. One of my very first memories is helping Pop-Pop bathe & brush Levi, Lacy, Lil Sug & Ladd. By myself all I could scrub were their legs & bellies. Pop-Pop told me that I had the most important job and to scrub real good. "that's where all the sweat settles in Thommy boy". Then I remembered how Mother had taught me to scrub my face and ears and how much i didn't like doing it. I asked Pop-Pop if I could soap up Levi's face real good and scrub it. His reply "washin' a horse ain't like washin' yourself--ya don't put no soap on their face Thommy ya just wipe it down with a warm rag". My first memory of wanting to be a horse.
Off we went. Riding down past where Pop-Pops garden would be growing in a few months and then towards the forest. This is one of my first memories of being afraid. Not of riding Levi-I loved riding him and looking down at the world below me. What I didn't like was looking into the darkness as we entered the forest. "Pop-Pop I'm scared" "ain't nothing to be scared bout boy-nothin in here but you me some squirrels and that Christmas tree we promised your Granny-now keep your eyes peeled fur a nice one".
"that one Pop-Pop that's the one for Granny" Pop-Pop lifted me off Levi and I went running towards it. "this is a big en Thommy boy- I'm gonna have to cut some of the top offa er"
My first memory of watching a Christmas tree get cut down, Pop-Pop tied up the tree with a rope and then used another rope and tied that one up to Lacey. Out of the forest and back down past Pop-Pops garden with the Christmas tree dragging along behind us and then my first memory of Granny running out the back door arms opened wide lifting me off Levi and spinning me around and around while giving me Granny Kisses. "I've been worried sick bout you boys Johnny--tend to those horses and then get me my tree inside-sure does look like a big en--gonna have to cut some of the top offa er" "aaaahhh horseshit Granny"
Most of my first memories are being at Granny & Pop-Pops.
