hollerisms

I grew up in the middle of nowhere. Seriously. Just when you thought you had gone past all signs of civilization, you turned onto a gravel road and continued for another two miles. We were coun-try! My Nanny and Pa were our closest neighbors. While I have fond memories of being so close with both of them, the focus of this particular blog is my Pa, or, more specifically, things my Pa said. I've coined the word 'hollerisms' for his sayings. Pa had an interesting way of putting things. Whenever an animal found itself somewhere it wasn't supposed to be, Pa would vocalize a harsh sounding grunt/grumble that could be translated as 'Get on out of here.' It's impossible to spell, but I think 'Hitonouttahere!' would be pretty darn close. I can't make up a spelling for the other sound he made, but I have used both sounds quite often (in the classroom and at home).
Recently, another of Pa's most frequently used sayings has crossed my mind quite a bit: 'Just like a pet coon.' Pa was an avid coon hunter, so he knew all about raccoons. He also had tons of tools and cool looking stuff that intrigued and delighted us kids. Even though we knew we weren't supposed to get in Pa's stuff, we would - especially the boys. It seems like one of the boys was always pilfering through Pa's stuff. He would catch them, and say, "You're just like a pet coon!" Now, if any of you are still wondering what that means, let me set you straight. Raccoons are notorious for getting into stuff, pilfering, and just making a mess. Therefore, if you're told you're just like a pet coon, you must be getting into stuff and making a mess. JA never had the privilege of meeting my Pa, but he makes me think of him often. There have been several times in the last couple of weeks that I have laughed and told JA he was like a little pet coon. Like when he pilfered through the shelves in the kitchen and scattered baggies, a box of tea, some juice, and a couple of plastic containers all over the floor. I also compared JA to a pet coon when he decided to take the tissues out of the box and scatter them on the living room floor. I wonder if Pa found the humor in the situation like I do. Even though it's just one more mess I have to clean up, I love the fact that JA is curious and likes to explore. Well, that, and I love that it reminds me of a fond memory I have of my Pa.