Grandpa Hill's True Stories

It is almost June, and with it comes "dumb deer" season. What do you do when there is a deer in your head lights? A dog? A turkey hen and ten little chicks?

In this Slightly Wiser Story, Grandpa Hill tells the story of 3 encounters with animals on the road that have shaped how he approaches braking for animals. Before swerving or breaking Grandpa Hill first checks his mirrors and accesses the situation. Then, he takes acti...

Grandpa used to be a cadet in the United States Air Force Academy. While at the Academy his life took a totally different direction due in large part to circus peanuts and how Grandpa dealt immaturely with his immature room mate's disgust with Grandpa having eaten some of his circus peanuts.

At the time it was a disaster. His room mate that could have been his best witness had become an enemy. Grandpa was found guilty of an honor...

Way back in 1967, Grandpa was a 9 year old boy in Rochester Michigan. That winter Grandpa went sailing. He made the sail for his red Radio Flyer, and it was better than his brother Eugene’s. The sailing was fast on that windy day on the icy yard. Grandpa’s speed, his fun, and the use of Mom’s new pillowcases got his mother very "excited."

Semloh, a wise frog that knows many things, including Grandpa, explains what happene...

Merry Christmas!

Did you know Grandpa Hill saw the real Santa Claus? (Or at least, he thought he did.) Grandpa Hill tells the true story of one cold Christmas night in his family's old house, way back in 1961.

At the end of the story Grandpa Hill shares two of his favorite Christmas movies.

Executive Producer: Grandpa Hill

Producer: David Richman

Music: Michael Steele

Art: David Richman

Grandchildren in the audience:

Sarah, David...

In 1989 the Don and Mary Hill family start trusting God more and more.  In the process of trusting they learn to be content.

Convinced that they should be homeschooling, and open to more children they jumped right in. In a short period of time their homeschooling, a tubal reversal,  a move over 900 miles, the birth of the 5th child, 6th child, 7th child and 8th child. And the misscarriage of three children. While that was going on...

In 1991, Grandpa, Don, was a development engineer by day and homeschooling and homesteading Dad at night.  Some persistent and relatively large creature was eating the animal feed intended for the ducks and rabbits. 

As the battle with the creature continued, Don came to realize that it was a RAT that he was dealing with.   A very big and very smart RAT.  Don outsmarted that RAT, or so he thought he had, by storing the grain in th...

When Grandpa was a seven year old boy in 1964  he visited his Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Bob in Cheboygan Michigan. 

Upstairs in a hot room a fan was spinning trying to cool the room and boys were playing and the fan was interesting.

As Don was considering putting his fingers into the fan, perhaps to slow or stop it, his cousin John held up his finger that wasn’t!  A few months earlier part of his pinky finger was lost by putting i...

In 1974 Grandpa Hill, Don Hill, was clearing stump logs around Karl Greimel’s Estate.  He was 16 years old and the blade on Mr. Greimel’ssaw was 16 inches long.  When the blade entered his leg he knew he was in trouble. As he drove himself to the hospital his left leg was warm and wet as his boot filled with blood.  At the hospital Don collapsed.  He came to and was soon being stitched half way up.  There was an interruption in the...

Grandpa Hill was recently in the Latrobe  O’Reilly Auto Parts Store. An incident occurred.  It turned out to be a timely end to his search for sanding discs for his son John.  Then just a few weeks later it happened again but differently and better.  This time he was sent there by his son Michael to get studs a nut and a stud installer and to secure a price match. 

Well, Grandpa Hill got a new hat out of the deal, $10 off in a pri...

Grandpa Hill, Don starts out fearful of the virus and puts on his mask, and, distances himself some from family and even has some of his friends die from COVID.   At the time Don thought he probably would survive the illness just fine but didn’t look forward to finding out.   Then strange things started to happen the people that promoted early safe and effective treatment were ridiculed and removed from the internet.  Finally, when...

Grandpa Learns to Fish at Keystone Lake - Faith and Family Story.

Grandpa goes to Keystone Lake in Pennsylvania.  He is repeatedly out fished 10 to 1 by people standing or sitting right next to him at the lake.   Inspired by his grandson Breandan, and his wife, Mary Lee, he is inquisitive and talkative and eager to learn how to fish.  He meets Adam who was out-fishing him 20 fish to Grandpa’s  1 fish. 

Adam teaches Grandpa how to ...

It was Halloween and Grandpa was 19 years old in 1976 in Rochester Michigan.  He wore his mummy/robber costume into a liquor store in Troy Michigan.  It was a dumb thing to do. Grandpa Hill’s Grandchildren beg for stories of when he does something stupid or gets in trouble.

Gorf and Marshmallow discuss how Grandpa Hill learned tohave empathy.   Marshmallow reveals why Grandpa Hill bothers to tell such embarrassing stories about him...

Grandpa Hill and Grandma Hill homeschooled their eight children from 1989 to 2016.  Grandpa had been disappointed, he had wished for a surge in homeschooling coming out of the whole Covid 19 scene.  It never seemed to have happened.  Then he met Melissa at the Y.  Her story motivated Grandpa Hill to check out the recent data on homeschooling. He was pleasantly surprised! 

If Grandpa meets Melissa again he will be giving her inform...

In 1974 Grandpa was 16 years old and was cleaning the outside steps that went up through the woods to the front door of Mr. Griemel’s house.  There was to be a party that night and the steps would be clean of dirt and debris.

As he sprayed the water to clean the railroad ties and stones he discovered an in-the-ground nest of yellow jackets.  It was easy work to spray the bees and flood the nest.  Soon Grandpa discovered something ...

When Grandpa Whined to Grandma – Children’s Story

In 1989 in December Grandpa was all alone in his little room above the Saltsburg Supply Company.  Itwas cold!  Way too cold for Pennsylvania in December!  He had made a huge mistake, he was lonely, and he was cold!  He called Grandma in Savage Minnesota to whine about his troubles.

Grandma decided to fix everything by telling Grandpa a story about shopping at the big mall in Burnsvi...

In the fall of 1975 Grandpa (Don) climbed into a T33 Trainer Jet for what he thought would be a short 5 minute ride.  His “ride” turned out to be a scare, a thrill, and much more than just a ride.   Don was eighteen years old. He had never been in a small plane before.   Now he was climbing into the cockpit of a military training jet. They were off!

Just a few minutes later he had the stick in his hand and the right pedal under hi...

Grandpa Drinks With a Bat – Children’s Story

Grandpa Hill has done many unusual things and many of them happened on his annual Hill and Richman Family back packing trip. For the past 30 years he has gone backpacking with his family and the Richman family.  On this trip Grandpa comes eye to eye with a bat.  Grandpa was alone.  They both wanted the same watering hole.

Think laugh and live, and, share share, share, these stories you ...

In 1989 Grandpa (Don) and Grandma (Mary), lived in Savage Minnesota with their four children.  Three of them attended St. John the Baptist Catholic School.   Don while teaching catechism is informed by his student, Sarah, that things have changed since he was a boy in catechism. Her claim: Today’s children need to decide for themselves what is right and wrong for them.

Don was surprised.  He learned that Sarah was right about what ...