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 his foot and was making a turn up in the sky over Pikes Peak Colorado at a few hundred miles per hour. Wow!  The whole event gave Don a new perspective on his life and, and, a high respect for the pilots of our world.  As the “pilot” for his own family, Grandpa knows everything he does or doesn’t do makes a difference for his future, that of his wife, their eight children and their 23 grandchildren.  It even makes a difference to people he doesn’t even know. Enjoy the story.  Please share this story far and wide.  Think, about the story, tell your own stories, act on the truth the best that you can, then laugh a lot, and live!

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 will be glad you did.   Thank you for sharing and thank you for listening.  Grandpa Hill of Grandpa Hill’s True Stories.

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 the school was teaching.  St. John’s was now using “values clarification” texts for teaching morals and virtues.   Students would indeed be taught in catechism, and in the school that virtues and morals are relative, and subjective.  The training would be all about clarifying your values and deciding what’s right for you.   No right nor wrong way to believe. Don objects!   By accident Don and Mary learn there is such a thing as homeschooling.   They also learn that they too were practicing “values clarification”, ‘doing what was right for them, which really wasn’t right at all.' Grandpa saw the fruits of homeschooling in 1989 and wanted them so much for his own family that Don and Mary decide to homeschool their children.  Don and Mary decide to teach Godly character traits and values to their children.   The family stops watching the TV.  Mary gets a tubal reversal.   Together they make the sacrifices and changes needed as they put their trust in God.   The family grows to eight children.  Two of the eight children become religious sisters.  Six of them are happily married.  From those six marriages there are twenty three grandchildren!  All of the children and grandchildren have kept their Catholic faith. Grandma and Grandpa Hill are so glad they made those decisions of 1989, homeschooling, the tubal reversal and turning off the TV! As promised this is the link to a recommended article by William Kilpatrick https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/education/catholic-contributions/how-not-to-teach-morality.html

Welcome to 65th of Grandpa Hill’s True Stories.  Don and Mary are going up North to Michigan Tech in 1977.  They were off to secure a place up at the college for Don to stay at with Bruce for Don's last year prior to getting married.    Late at night as they travel along interstate I-75 near the intersection with M-72, Mary sees a light in the distance and slams on the brakes.  The car shakes hard as the old brakes struggle to slow it down!  Then it appeared,  there was a wreck.  There were injuries.  Soon Grandpa was off down the hill to rescue one of the drivers that had been in the collision. Don is so grateful for Mary’s super sighting of a tiny light, late at night on the freeway. Her quick and accurate reaction had saved the day, and probably the lives, of several people.

When Grandpa Lies to the Policeman, Is the 64th  Episode of Grandpa Hill’s True Stories.  This is what truly happened to him and Grandma in Latrobe Pennsylvania in June of 2010.  After Mass and a party on the grounds of St. Vincent's in Latrobe Pennsylvania, Don and Mary were driving home.  That’s when it happened Don ran a red light, right in front of the police station!  Soon after that more traffic violations occurred and Grandpa ended up lying to the police officer about what had happened.  It was the strangest lie ever and the children and grandchildren in the audience get to weigh-in regarding Grandpa’s honesty. Please share these stories, they are as true as Grandpa can remember them.  Please tell your own true stories to your children, grandchildren, and all children.  It’s surprising how much listening goes on when you share your mistakes and what and how you have learned from them.  Remember to think about your situations, act as you are able, and then laugh, and live. Thanks for listening and sharing Grandpa Hill's True Stories! Check on all episodes at grandpahill-stories.org

This episode of Grandpa Hill’s True Stories took place in May of 1989 along the Western shore of Lake Superior.   Grandma and Grandpa (Mary and Don) take their four children on a long Memorial Day camping vacation.   The story is of five precious memories that make up the five chapters:  Mittens in May; Short Sheets at Gooseberry Falls; Cascade River Trout; Bears Bears, Bears; and Grandma and the Ostrich.  This story is being told to four little excited children about when their aunts and uncles were the four little excited children.  The story was told to them shortly after their little sister, Emma, our 23rd grandchild was born.  As you think laugh and live your life, maybe you will remember a story and tell it to your loved ones or share it with someone that hungers for or just enjoys the simple and beautiful family life. Please share Grandpa Hill’s True Stories far and wide.  It is a good gift you have discovered.  Pass it on!

Grandpa Hill shares another true personal story of fishing with a four year old.  Grandpa claims to have always caught something on every fishing trip, even this one.  Caleb his grandson challenges Grandpa when he seems to contradict himself,  ‘Sometimes never even getting a bite, yet always catching something.  Come on!  Which is it?’ In this true story Rebecca is the four year old, the gear is a bamboo pole, the catch….. well you will have to listen to the story!  Grandpa assures the audience that this trip like every fishing trip or family adventure gave him and his children precious memories that have lasted a life time.  This one "Fishing With A Four Year Old" was exceptional fun and excitement to live and to remember.  Grandpa Hills Children Stories and Health Stories are listened to in dozens of countries, dozens of States in the USA, and dozens of communities in Pennsylvania.  The website is grandpahill-stories.org. Please spread these stories far and wide, it will probably help make the world a better place.  You will probably never know exactly how, but one thing affects another and then another and then another and then surprise you are telling your own stories, and, learning from Grandpa Hill’s true stories and the world is better. Think. Do what you can.  Then laugh and live.

Andrew really wanted to be in 4H and show a dog.  Rebecca his sister had a dog, and, she was in the show.  He had two huge obstacles to overcome.  First he was too young to enter the show at the Indiana County Fair.  Second he did not have a dog! Determined, he got the best dog he could get from his sister Amy.  His name was Jack, the last of the Jack’s.    Andrew’s persistence, was endearing.  He won over a lot of the 4H leaders and organizers.   In a class of his own, Andrew and his dog Jack, were registered, and, entered the show.  They won blue ribbons!  For Andrew’s Dad, Rebecca, and Andrew it was one of the best days at the Indiana County Fair that ever was.

In the winter of 1968 Grandpa Don and his friend Bill Lecuru in Rochester Michigan built a fort of sticks and newspaper in the woods near Bill’s house.  Grandpa was 14 and the fort was not warm enough for the two boys to stay warm so a very small fire was needed, inside of the fort.  Like a teepee.  Don was not thinking about how strong the draft would be.  Shortly after they were starting to get heat off the fire sparks went up and lit the newspaper on the inside of the fort.  Within a couple of seconds it was clear that they had to get out of the fort, through the fire.  A few seconds after the boys scramble out the entire fort is a roaring blaze. Gorf and Marshmallow discuss how serious, and dangerous and dumb and stupid it was to have a fire inside of a small fort constructed of sticks and paper.  They review how there are lots of ways we can learn to do things right.  One way is to make mistakes and learn not to repeat the mistake in the future.  Another way is to listen to other peoples stories, and learn from their success and their mistakes. Grandpa Hill hope’s you listen and share Grandpa Hill’s True Stories with your friends and family. Then sit back, think about the story, talk about it, share your own stories, then laugh, and live!

Grandpa Hill knows lots of people that just talk way too much!  Two special women to him really talk a lot. At one time, Don was quite sure they both talked too much.  Mary Lee, Don’s  wife, and his oldest daughter Patricia are the two ‘talkers’ that taught him a lesson and the value of sharing stories with and taking the time to get to know and share with people about yourself.    This story is about learning that lesson, learning to be patient and learning the importance of sharing your story as you get to know others, be friendly, and perhaps make a friend.  Just today when Mary Lee and I went for our daily walk, she met Tiffany in the park.  The two of them talked for about 30 minutes.  Her story was sad and she looked desperate.  Her tears seemed genuine.  Telling her story seemed to lift some of the burden she was bearing.  Mary Lee assured her of God’s Love for her and not to give up.  Please pray for Tiffany.  We will. Please, Think, Laugh, and Live and share Grandpa Hill’s True Stories!

Grandpa left his body in 2003. He was 46 years old living in Iselin PA.  While on the operating table sedated as a surgery was being performed, he got the privilege of watching the Doctor examine the tumor he had just removed. As Grandpa Hill tells this story to his grandchildren, they have just as much trouble trying to understand Grandpa’s story as Grandpa did 20 years ago when he first realized he had left his body.  Grandpa believes that this was a bit of first hand evidence that he is more than just his body and his brain. He always believed he had a soul but didn’t really know what it was. This out-of-body, experience was proof to him that he was more than flesh and bones. Please enjoy the story, think about it, and go about laughing and living your life.   Share this story and of course tell your own stories to your children, your grandchildren, and all children.   Shalom.

In 1988 Grandpa Hill (Don) and his family were at a parish mission in Burnsville Minnesota.  Just before the priest called on Don to come up front for a demonstration about faith and trust, an angel came and sat down next to Grandpa. Grandpa really doesn’t know what angels are.  He calls what he saw an angel because it seemed friendly, calm, and all energy.   Whatever it was that evening he first sensed it’s approach, saw it for a second or two and then responded to the priest.  As Don left the pew to ‘volunteer’ for the demonstration in front of what seemed like over a thousand people, the angel was gone! Don describes the faith moment, his demonstration of the concept of trust, and, how interesting it was for one time in his life to sense and see some sort of being that he truly thinks was an angel, sitting with him.  Either Don had the wildest imagination in the world, or he really saw something, or both! In any case, please know that Grandpa Hill’s Stories are True Stories, as true as he can remember them.  This encounter with this ‘angel’ truly happened to him.  It was definitely a faith moment, and, has always been an inspiration to him when he is being reluctant or hesitant to do what he really thinks God would like him to do. Please enjoy and please share this story and this podcast.  It really means a lot to Grandpa Hill to share and teach to entertain and to make it easier for others to think laugh and live regardless of the troubles of the day or times we live in. Use the stories to remember and share your own stories of when you grew up or you learned something true. What you do matters, it matters to the whole world. As of today April 21, 2023, Grandpa Hill’s True Stories have been listened to in 28 countries, 173 cities in 36 of the United States of America.  That’s way over 33,000 minutes helping you and your children to think, laugh, and live.  Listen, listen, listen. Share Share Share. Thank you!

In this episode Grandpa Hill tells how he finally got real road rash!   When he was a small boy with bare skin sliding in the gravel (listen to Pebbles and Blood, Episode 1) he thought he had road rash.  This time he really had road rash!.... and some broken bones,  and the healing balm of raw honey applied to his wounds by his wife Mary Lee.  This story is both a health (and safety) story as well as a slightly wiser story.  Don had baking to do and batteries to buy.  In his haste he ended up hitting the pavement at forty five miles per hour, breaking his shoulder blade, rib, and collar bone, and ripping up his skin.  Don is so grateful for his helmet,  he probably would be dead without it.  Don learned by experience and later in riding class to always check out his motorcycle no matter how short the ride was going to be.  He failed to do a check the day of the wreck.  He failed in his haste to put up his kickstand! When Mary got home, and saw the terrible road rash wound on his left shoulder.  ‘Hospital protocol be dammed’ she proceeded to thoroughly clean the wound and then applied raw honey and in six days completely healed his shoulder wound. Grandpa Hill would like all motorcyclists to be purposeful in their rides, take appropriate caution and have a fun time.  If something goes wrong and you do get road rash consider raw honey.  It worked for Grandpa Hill and it may work for you to.  Shalom.

In January of 2015 on a cold morning in Iselin Pennsylvania Grandpa Hill (Don) decides to tease and surprise his wife Mary Lee.   After she gets startled and chilled she retaliates.    Don felt he deserved to receive the kick that Mary wanted to give him.  Presenting himself for the kick, he cautioned Mary that it would hurt her more than him.  This turns out was a major understatement.  Don got the kick of his life!  Mary got a lot of pain.  She had kicked a wrench in Don’s pocket! There was explaining, comforting, apologies, and forgiveness to be given and received.  Since the Kick-the-Wrench incident, Grandpa has been much more careful and kind in the teasing and startling of Grandma. No similar incidents have occurred since 2015, at least not any that Grandpa can remember. The grandchildren in the audience Joe, Catherine, and Lizzie and their parents briefly discuss the moral of the story.  Please share Grandpa Hill’s True Stories, widely.  I think they help us in the effort to Think about our situations,  act as we are able, then Laugh a lot, and Live life abundantly.  Grandpa Hill, of Grandpa Hill's True Stories. Also check out the website where all the stories are there for your pleasure grandpahill-stories.org.

Grandpa Learns to Maneuver His 401K – A Slightly Wiser Story The “God Send” in this story is Paul Hamacher.  He is the CEO of Spire Stocks http://www.spirestocks.com/.  Grandpa  tells his story and how just as he was retiring he meets Paul and they hit it off well.  Next thing you know and Grandpa is maneuvering his 401K.  Getting out of the market when it is going down, and, into the market when it is going up.  It sounds simple and it is! Years ago when Grandpa first started 401K’s they were more difficult to access and change.  As they became easier to change the investments, he didn’t keep up with the times and did nothing with his 401K and Roth IRA accounts.  Grandpa started out a do-nothing investor in the 80’s and 90’s and remained a do nothing investor until October of 2022. In 2022, Grandpa and Grandma got a tour of the Borremeo Center by Sister Maria Karol. On the tour they swap stories.  Sr. Maria Karol, tells of her family, her dad and her vocation story.  Grandpa shares "Grandpa Hill’s True Stories" told live to Sister Maria Karol, the stories  are about himself, and his family and his love of math. The next thing you know Grandpa is meeting Sister Maria Karol’s Dad, Paul Hamacher. Soon after that Grandpa and his son Michael soon learn the value of and how to maneuver their retirement savings using Spire Stocks Market Sentiment Indicator as a guide. To help others get started in the process of maneuvering their 401Ks, Paul has extended an offer of discount subscriptions to Spire Stocks.  Those discounted subscriptions are offered to anyone that tells Paul (Spire Stocks) that Grandpa Hill sent them.  Just go to http://www.spirestocks.com/, sign up for a free one week membership and then notify spire stocks at notification@spirestocks.com/.  Spire Stocks will get in touch with you and perhaps you too will learn and decide like I did to maneuver your retirement savings in the stock market using Spire Stocks.  Maybe you will start long before you retire,  I wish I had.

On St. Patrick’s Day,  1975,  Mary Lee Mack met Donald Paul Hill in the library of the high school in Rochester Michigan. That was the day that Don’s girl friend realized she was his girlfriend. Don had been so anticipating having Mary as his girlfriend and so anxious about being rejected that he struggled to tell Mary of his intentions. “Everything had to be just right,” was the excuse Don had for not asking Mary to go out with him on a date. Listen and learn what $1 and a green carnation had to do with the start of Grandma’s and Grandpa’s togetherness, as they have learned to think, laugh a lot, and live life well. Although this story is not how Don recommends that couples should start their relationships. It  is, as best as Don can remember, the truth about how it all started 48 years ago on St. Patrick’s 1975.

Grandpa is taking his daughter Amy across the fields of western Wisconsin in 1990.  The two of them had come out of the woods away from the rest of the group. The Romo’s children, and their mom, Mrs Teresa Romo and Don and his four children had spent the late morning hours foraging for medicinal herbs and wild foods. They had experienced seeing baby raccoons in an old tree stump. They had gotten a few mosquito bites and now the push was to get back to the farm house. Little did they know that off of the beaten path there would be an old fence line and there would be bees! Bumblebees! As they were crossing the last fence line, Amy disturbs a modest nest of bumblebees. She gets stung and immediately starts to swell. Donald knows that their visit with the Romo’s would now get cut short with a trip to the emergency room. Amy has many allergies and bee stings is one of them. When they get to the farm house her hand is quite swollen. As Don and Mary Lee start to fuss,  there is no alarm from Teresa. She pulls out a wild grape leaf from her bag we had filled that morning. She places it in shallow water in a frying pan on the stove. The leaf becomes soft and thick. Teresa proceeds to wrap Amy’s badly swollen hand in the grape leaf and we proceeded to fix lunch. Before Amy sits down to her lunch, the swelling is completely gone. What Benadryl couldn’t do in an hour, the grape leaf had done in just minutes.  Grandpa learned the healing powers of a grape leaf. He also learned a lesson about knowledge, being curious, and the importance of sharing what you know with others. Gorf and Marshmallow also marvel at the power of a grape leaf and how smart, resourceful and wise, Mrs Romo is.  Semloh takes the opportunity to teach Gorf and Marshmallow a relevant lesson about knowledge and learning. How did Mrs. Romo know of the power of a grape leaf and the value of dozens of other plants that grew in her own “back yard”? Please share often, follow, and listen often to Grandpa Hill’s True Stories as you and your children learn to think and then laugh and live life fully.

In the summer of 1968 Grandpa Hill (Donald) was playing with Mike Martin his cousin. They were along Hamlin Road in Rochester Michigan playing tricks on his brother Eugene. Donald and Mike decide to hide from Eugene after they had secretly dropped leaves and twigs from high up in the tree nearly hitting Eugene as he pedaled buy. Those trees are gone now. The old fence line where Donald and Mike had hid is gone now. Hamlin Rd no longer cuts through farm land. Rather there are large houses and a nearby industrial park. What isn’t gone is the memory of the revenge of lots and lots of  Bumble Bee’s. Donald and Mike had hid from Eugene  on top of the bumble bee nest! Grandpa learned a lesson that day. He remembered it well. Until he didn’t! But that,  is another story. Please subscribe or follow and share this story then listen to one of the 50 other episodes.  Think Laugh and Live listening to Grandpa Hill’s True Stories.

It was the fall of 1985, Grandma and Grandpa Hill had just got a new house in Savage Minnesota. There was an ongoing disagreement about money and furniture.  We both wanted living room furniture. Mary Lee wanted to sit comfortably in the living room with friends and family. Don wanted to sit comfortably but had no money to buy furniture. Buying a couch at that time was out of the question.  Even so Mary Lee, went and got a couch and much more. Mervin and Janette, Mary Lee’s parents were generous and bought the furniture.  Mary Lee negotiated a low price. Don’s happiness and gratitude, was hampered by his stubbornness and pride. Don has recorded this episode as a memorial to the love and generosity shown by Mervin and Janette Mack. By the way, Mary Lee saved the day again! She turned the furniture buy into a dent and scratch sale! She still advises buyers to just ask for that lower price. “Frequently you will get it”.

A counselor was recently asking Donald  (Grandpa Hill) some probing question about his childhood. She was trying to understand Grandpa and help him understand himself and feel better about the world he lived in. Donald, as Grandpa Hill recall’s his answers to the lady that was trying to help him and shares his answer with his children, and grand children. In the fall of 1964 Donald was in the second grade at Hamlin Elementary School in Rochester MI. There was a struggle going on. Donald had, in his mind, invented numerical bases for counting, and used them fluently to do his math work.  He was interested in second grade level books but not to read them. How and why things worked were mysteriously interesting to him especially the abacus. So varied and unusual were his interests that Donald was oblivious to his classmates, and at times did not “hear” nor heed his teacher Mrs Crocket. The disruptions had to stop. An intervention was necessary! The intervention started with a startling and terrible report card with a couple of  “U” s for his unsatisfactory performance and behavior. This was followed by a parent teacher conference where Grandpa suspects the details of the intervention were worked out. On that fateful day, in the fall of 1964, Mrs Crocket and Donald’s mom intervened. The event included a speech therapist, a math researcher (tutor) and an opportunity for independent work. If Donald made the right decision his life would be changed for the better, forever! Semloh a new character to Grandpa Hill’s true stories joins Gorf and Marshmallow to help explain Grandpa’s problem.  Semloh observes thinks and explains the details as best he can. He is a wise observant and understanding character that help’s Donald think and helps Gorf, Marshmallow, Grandpa’s children, Grandpa’s grandchildren, and all children to understand how to be very much like others while being happily quite different.