You are always reminding us of how things really used to be. As I watch your videos my mind goes back to those good old days. Awesome job as always Donnie. 👍👍👍

My Maternal Mamaw has been gone 47 years.Stayed with her before I started school and in the summertime when Mom and Dad were at work. Cousins always there to play,no indoor plumbing, but lots of love.Miss you still Mamaw. Thanks Donnie For the Visit to Your Mamaws,I felt right at home 🙂.

That's a wonderful story of family and growing up. I never like to talk about myself too much typically as most people don't care it seems or appreciate it but I enjoyed similar years as this at my family's farm in Franklin County, Georgia. We lived in the city as my dad had "a city job" as the farm family would say in those days and every July and late November for Thanksgiving we would drive the back roads and miles in a 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Aire to Georgia to spend a week there on the farm with the family. An unpainted clapboard farmhouse with a big surround porch with a dog trot up the middle settin on 600 acres of woods and farm lands. No running water just a handpunp in the kitchen, no electricity, only candles and oil lamps. Chickens runnin in the yard, a pig pen behind the barn with a hog and a cpl sows, 2 milk cows, a bull, a horse and 2 mules used for plowing the fields. Outhouse about 50 yds behind the main house was a "double holer" with yep........a big catolog or a Atlanta phone directory for toilet paper. Lighning bugs all over the place at night and we spend half the night catching them. The grown men and older boys would go squirrel hunting and rabbit hunting in November as Uncle Rep had a pack of rabbit beagles. Neighbor man 2 miles away would come about dark with his coon dogs and off they would go coon hunting all night . Being the youngest at that time I cried and I begged to go but most times had to stay home with the women however, one time they let me go.......and when they ran a possum up the tree my daddy had me climb up that tree and pull em out which I was scared to death to do but finally did it anyway......that possum grinning at me but I snatched em by the tail and me and him both fell out of the tree. Later on same night they decided on taking me "snipe hunting" giving me a burlap sack and an ol Never Ready flash light which burned good when you didn't need it but as soon as something important happend the light would go out so you would go to slappin on your leg and it flicker a lil. Anyway they left me in the woods and all of em went back to the house and after about an hour with no snipe and no family I figured I'd been taken for a fool but sure enough my daddy and older brother were hiding about 50 yards away so when I started trying to figure my way out callin "hey ya'll" he jumped out and scared me to death...........i sceamed like a girl and started ballin so much they could hear me from the yard of the house. Made the women mighty mad they did that to me my mama especially. My daddy was in hot water that night. Would'nt take a million dollars for theose times. As you said always plenty of food on the stove (wood stove) and bowls full on the table a breakfast and dinner. You just had a sandwich at night.........dinner was at noon and that was the big meal of the day except Thanksgiving which was 3 o'clock usually. This all lasted till I was in my late teens when folks started passing away, etc. and like all familes life began to change. Dad passed away in 1980 and myself knocking 70 now, when I look at my father's old single bbl Fulton 12ga shotgun all those memories come home again. God has blessed us with memories we can carry into eternity and it's a rare boy or girl that gets a raising like that anymore. They will never understand................

What wonderful memories Donnie. You may not have had lots of money but you where rich.

Finally I’ve found someone else that calls them “waspers”! This term was engrained in me by my grandparents there in the Appalachians (Bonny Blue VA). I spotted a few of these angry creatures (waspers) when me and my wife first started dating and referenced them as “waspers” to which she replied “what the hell are you saying?” LOL. They’ve always been waspers in my world, and still are to this day!

Loved this one Donnie! My mamaw babysit me too. I remember stories about the screaming woman on Shock Theater-it scared one of my cousins to death and they teased her about it for years. Nothing hurts like a wasper! My granny always told me about bloody bones. We have so many things in common-from the hound dogs to soup beans and fried taters. I wish I could go back to being at mamaw's with my cousins too.

We used to love to stay at our maw maw's house in the winter...the old upstairs was so drafty the snow would blow in but us boys didn't care maw maw would pile her quilts on is so thick you could barely move but we was warm as little rabbits.in that old feather bed...good memories 🙏..thank for knocking the dust off and putting some good thoughts back in this ol world.

Your story brings back sweet memories. My maternal Grandparents lived in Scott Co. VA. Grandpa built their home, piped in water from a spring up on the mountain. I remember when he put in the bathroom. Gramma always had soup beans like yours, and cornbread. She lived 98 years, I sure do miss her! I remember running also. Fast as I could, leaping in the air, seemed like I could almost fly! Thanks so much, Donnie.

You’re a great artist, both in storytelling and drawing.

Love your memories; this reminds me of my Grandma. Nothing like being chased by a mama hen, or grandma having your favorite breakfast (eggs, sausage and home fries, biscuits and chocolate gravy) when you woke up in the morning...

This brought a tear to my eye. Miss my Mamaw too.

So heartwarming. The way life was always meant to be.💚

I absolutely love to hear you talk, Donnie! I love the tales you tell and I love to hear about your childhood! Your precious Mammy radiated light and love.. that’s evident, even from that photo. You have amazing artistic skill, too! Love the beautiful photo of your Mammy’s house. It’s obvious that it was drawn in love and maybe even a few tears, reminiscing. Thank you for all that you share with us. I pray our Good Lord truly blesses you!💕 much love, from Union County,

Enjoy your stories. Brings back memories.

Really in joy your stories. They remind me of the stories my uncle use to tell me when I was young. I couldn't wait to go to his house and sit on his old front porch and listen to his stories. Please keep the stories coming.

Love listening to your short stories. Things seem so nice and simple compared to how things are now.

Loved this story Donnie, I can’t get enough of your stories and your soothing voice , I find myself reminiscing of my own childhood,with simple good folk around me ,good straight country food ,gathering blackberries down the creek,mushrooms in paddocks ,gathering pop bottles ,I was mainly out doors around the old orchards where my daddy worked and the Aussie bush and spending time with my Ga and Pa , I miss those days,but grateful to have experienced a more old fashioned way of life ,thanks for your stories

A beautiful loving tribute. I think your Mamaw would be proud and pleased. I wasn't born or raised in Appalachia, but I know and love that small town feel. I think people from these places are more real and have more heart than those in the big cities. .

Oh wow. I absolutely LOVE your stories. We stayed outside all day too. Mom had to practically drag us in the house. We had snow all winter too. Oh what fun. I watched American Bandstand my favorite was Red Skeleton. That was a beautiful drawing of her house. Tell us some more stories❤️

Beautiful story, you are a fortunate man. I bet you had an awesome boyhood! :) Thanks for sharing your stories my friend!

Yes! My grandma knew all about the witch back in the holler where she was. And thankfully so did we. The shrill screaming we'd hear sometimes sent chills to the bone. I never knew till she was long gone it was owls or a bobcat. I love your channel ❤. My 3xgrt grandfather crossed those mnts on both sides of my family out of Carolinas. And settled hard wilderness in TN.

I love your stories, Donnie, they bring back so many memories for me! Your Mammy sounds a lot like my Nanny!💖

So thankful for sweet memories, and for you, Donnie. Listening to you is like visiting with a close friend. I am confident that if your family and mine had lived closer to each other, we would have been great buddies. You and my late husband would have hit it off! Thank you Donnie! By the way, lol my name is Debbie. Appalachia born and bred 🤗

I love your stories and I know there true because my childhood going to the farm to see Grandpa and Grandma pretty much like yours. We had the same model Outhouse wasps and spiders too. On holidays in the winter all us men folk (10) or so, would go hunten for quail and squirrel, always gettin several of them "tree rats" I loved go down to the grain bens made out woodin logs had my BB gun shootin mice rats. Donnie, just a couple of my childhood stories at the farm, I sure miss my Grand Ma and Pa. keep these stories coming, my name is Ralph but they called Butch I was the ornery one of all my cousins (12) of them

Kids now a days don’t have a clue of what “ fun “ really means… I grew up on our family farm here in Texas. No running water at all…

Donnie, that was an absolutely wonderful story! I would give anything to relive those wonderful times at MamMaw's house! I'll never forget the old coal stoves and all that delicious food! I tend to think we'll get to visit MamMaw's House in Heaven. Thank you so much for the great video!

My mother would have absolutely loved these stories. She had a talent for story telling as you do. I could listen for hours to her stories of growing up in the 1940's.

Oh, I just love hearing about your family, and I shed a tear or two when you showed that photo of your mamaw. Thank you for sharing such wonderful stories.

Thanks, Donnie. Took me back to Warsaw, Missouri and times more simple.

I remember living with Aunts and Uncles, Great Grandparents in Ohio and life was pretty simple like that. Everyone knew each other and looked out for one another. Great childhood memories for sure. Then we moved to the city. Hated it things were so different. Thank you and you have a great day

I love your story time, Donnie. You have a pleasing voice that could have calmed down all of those children I envisioned on that back porch. Your videos are to be treasured, as we used to treasure our books. 💙

I always look for your new videos enjoy watching and listening to you thank you for sharing this 😊♥️✝️

Thank you Donnie 😊 love how your grandmother looked after you, very familiar to ourselves. My Nan cooked rewena bread (potato sourdough) and I too love fried potatoes with beef dripping, her cooking I miss so much. Having lots of cousins around growing up, life time bonds. Enjoy your storytelling so much.

Wow the memories flooding back with your story. We grew up in the cotton fields in the bootheel of Missouri or the Ozark hills depending on which grandparents we were with. But seems like we were neighbors with our memories being so similar. I sure miss those days and my cousins. Have a great day Donnie.

Yeah buddy I watched Shock theater every Saturday night… Dr shock and Ding Bat… nurse good body… I think it was channel 12 Chattanooga Tennessee… good memories… thanks buddy…

Although I had a wonderful childhood in the Midwest and am blessed to have amazing parents that taught me right, a part of me relishes the thought of having been raised in those mountains, in those olden days. I happily settle for my Mom and Daddy's stories and the stories of their folks and yours. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you, Donnie! Reminds me of my grandpa and grandma's farm! We used to explore in the woods and back fields and see cattle in the distance. They had a smokehouse, an outhouse, a big barn, pigs, chickens, and two mean mules named Sam and Jake who used to chase us if they could. Those mules ended up at Branson's Silver Dollar City, pulling the stagecoach. Bet they didn't like that.

I felt like I was right there with you all. Great memories, I loved hearing how much you loved them dogs. ❤️ Thank you 🇨🇦❤️

It’s like a stroll down memory lane for me. My grandma didn’t have an indoor bathroom until I was 12. Talking about story time brings back so many memories. Thank you Donnie.

I didn't have a grandpa to tell me stories. I love listening to your stories. It fills an empty space.

Darrell raley brings back fond memories of my child good spending time at grandma's you have cheered me up again God bless you and your family

love your stories. Such a great story teller. I could listen to you all day ,thank you

You are right about the memories that come back thanks to your stories...I grew up in Long Beach, California....all of the family grew up on farms before my generation. So grandma and grandpa lived next door, very convenient! But my favorite photo of back when is a shot of grandma (very tall lady), mom (fairly short) and myself (about 3 feet tall) all plucking chickens outside...not quite the usual city boy job...

I absolutely love your stories. It reminds me of how simple things were and should be. Lots of my family lives around the Appalachia areas, Kentucky, Virginia, etc., and they're all very mellow just like this. Sweet, and just genuine kind and good-hearted people always ready to crack a good story, fix a supper for unexpected visitors, and lend a helping hand. It reminds me of these stories. I absolutely love these, it's extremely comforting and fills me with indescribable joy. I love the way you tell stories and I love your videos. Thank you for putting out content!

I love listening to your stories of your childhood. They always bring back a flood of memories from my childhood, spending my summers with 3 of my cousins at grandma's house. Before grandpa passed away he would wait till after supper and him and us kids would go outside and he would play his fiddle for us. Such beautiful memories 💖

I absolutely loved this video. It brought tears to my eyes listening to you tell the stories of your beloved mamaw. I regret not spending more time with mine before they passed on. Anyways, Thank you for a lovely video. Look forward to more stories about times gone by.

I called my grandmother 'mamaw', too. Sure do miss her.

Thank you Mr. Laws for the wonderful story. As you knew it would, it dug up some memories of time at Grandma and Grandpa Priest's farmhouse. Thank you for sharing your Mammy and helping us recall precious memories of our grandparents. You're a fantastic story teller and I appreciate you.

I love hearing your stories. The way you talk always makes me think of my Appalachia granny and a lady I worked with that was from Greasy Creek, Ky. Good memories.

Thank you for sharing your Mammy with us. I called my Grandmother "Mother" I stayed most Saturday nights with her and can still taste that fried bologna sammidge I got every time I stayed. Good times! I miss Her..

What a wonder life! Things were so much better back in the old days !

Thanks for the memories. I grew up in rural Texas in the 1950s. Our grandparents lived less than a mile down the road. For a few years we operated a family grocery store and gas station. One afternoon "The Sons of the Pioneers" stopped under a tree on our property and started singing.

I’ve recently watched some old videos that were remastered with AI to increase the resolution and the frame rate as well as colorizing them. I would love to see your videos given the same treatment. At the same time though seeing old black and white pictures of you running around, and with your friends reminded me of my old childhood photos! My grandmother’s house is gone now too. It burned down 30 or 40 years ago, and they hadn’t lived in it for a while. While I didn’t spend all of my youth in Appalachia, I sure did enjoyed the time I did, and of course visiting relatives.

Love your stories.takes me back

Mr. Laws I don't know how I missed this one. I have to say it reminded me of my childhood on my Grandparents farm in Rineyville, KY. Down to getting my grandmother a pound of bologna and a loaf of Bunny bread at the little country store. I surely miss those days! Thank you for the heartwarming story that took me back.

I really appreciate your stories of the past. They remind me so much of the years of my youth. I think you and I grew up in the same era. I was born in '52.

Great stories Donnie. The thing I remember most about my Grandmother was her cooking. Just simple home grown vegetables, but man we’re they good.

Thanks so much Mr.Laws👍 everyone choose Jesus Christ today 👍

Sure enjoyed that, brings back a lot of memories. None of us had TVs until I was in high school, but both sets of grand parents had out houses. The one in the country was over a deep hole & I was afraid of falling in. The one in town didn't have a hole and the chickens took care of things. She had a big old rooster and I was always afraid it was going to peck my butt. I had a great aunt with a outhouse with black widow spiders in it. Like you, we only used them when we had to. Yeah, those mama hens & roosters can get after you, but my country Grandma had a bunch of guineas, and those mamas would fly into you face if you got between them and their babies. We had a finger mashing Ford too. Thanks so much for posting this story.

Creature of the Black Lagoon! Loved that movie!!

Grandma's are the best cooks!! I loved both of mines cooking, vegetables right out of their big gardens and berry's too 😃. We never started at ours without our parents unless there was another baby being born but we did spend quite a bit of time at each of their houses. Spending fun times with our cousins was awesome. I have two cousins who were born the same year as me, we were the three musketeers always running around together. I miss those carefree days 💖

This is lovely. Remembering a wonderful women , loving her kids and grandchildren. Always with food and a joyful heart.

Thanks for the memories. I too have wonderful memories of my Grandmaw. She passed in 1988, at 100 years old. Thank you again, for the memories.

done took me home donny thank you! still cryin. grew up in newport tennessee.

That'en there make a grown man cry...Thank ya sir!!!!

I am 61 and grew up in ct very poor these people lived the same way I did. Love these story’s. I even used a car hood to slide on.I use to sit with my grandmother and listen to her stories. I used to walk the woods in the night and there was a abandoned cabin way in the the woods we used to play in.

I recently became a grandma and hope one day my granddaughter has endearing stories to tell about us. And I had 2 grandmas and a grandpa that resemble this story. They had 10 kids on one side and 9 on the other. And every Sunday grandma took us to church while grandpa made a big chicken dinner for the whole family.

This was my story word for word. I couldn't wait to be at my my mamma's. What I would do to go back to those days😊❤

Thank you,Donnie. I remember spending time with my granny. Playing outside, getting chased by chickens, outhouses, but most of all, how good granny's cooking tast. God bless.

I Love the memories and I hold them very close to my heart. Life is good but never the same once these folks pass on. Thanks Donnie for memories of precious days gone by. Your friend, Louise

Awe shucks Donnie, I love your Mamaw and all the fun you kids had. I always remember helping my Grandad in his vegetable garden or watering the lawn with the hose. Then when it got to raining hard us kids would all run into the wooden garage with the tin roof and watch the dust flying up from the dirt driveway. Those were the best times of my life as a kid growing up. Thanks for sharing your stories with us my friend.

Hello Donnie, Great story of times gone by here in the south. I’m from Alabama but things you talk about sounds just like the way I grew up we and my brothers and sisters. It’s said that those times seem to be gone a very simple and slow moving times. I remember staying outside all day creating you on fun playing in the woods. I could go own about what we did in common. I think everyone from Kentucky to Alabama only got three channels if you where lucky. Great story. Very good drawing of you Grandma’s house love the older people god bless them.

Honestly, I've always thought, when I get to Heaven, Granny's little house and especially her cozy little back bedroom will be waiting for me! My memories take me there when I need to get away, back to my sweet Cherokee Granny, with her smell of Garrett Snuff and Jergen's soap! 💙❤️💚💛♥️🧡💜💙 I STILL miss her every day, even after 40 years! I love your channel! Thanks for all you do!

You really took me back to some wonderful memories with my grandmother. She was the best. I used to ride my bike to her house and pick flowers to give her along the way. She made the best deviled eggs on the planet. She always fussed with my hair and would c!ip it back. She would go on about how could I stand it in my face like that lol. I sought her out more than my other siblings. I couldn't pass by her house without stopping to say hello. I loved how she would brush her long gray hair and put it into braids around the top of her head. She was fiercely independent until she passed away. I thought her driveway was braving the steepest hill with my skateboard. I still remember her house and the love she gave. It's desecrated now but the memories haven't faded. Lol I could go on about my grandmother all day into the night and the next. Thanks for the fond pieces of the past. ❤️

Just found you channel and so happy I did. You have brought back a lot of memories. I'll have to tell my sisters. Thank you so much. Tennessee born and raised and proud of having been raised the same way.

Thank You for this. My GrandMother has been gone for 38 years now. I lost her when i was six. I know shes still with me and, always will be in my heart. I enjoy your stories and appreciate you. God Bless.

Thank You the memory is the best! I miss my Memaw too!

Lord yes I remember staying at my mawmaws sleeping in a feather bed so many quilts you couldn't move and the big breakfast dinner and suppers playing in the creek chasing the chickens gathering eggs working in the garden ,helping can and her telling ghost stories with the windows open and those long sheers blowing from the night breeze man I wish I could go back just for 24 hours with her she passed in 1985

I have such fond memories of spending weeks in the summer with my grandma and grandpa and all the cousins in Franklin County Virginia, moonshine capital of the world. Little secret: it still is. My grandpa built that house in the 30s after they got married and it was originally a log cabin. They eventually put siding around the log cabin. And the house and that property are still in my family and we still gather there for family reunions. That’s one of the fondest memoriesI’ll ever have

Brought tears to my eyes as I had thoughts and memories flood over me of my Mamaw's house in Englewood Tn. Thank you so much for bringing those memories back. In this day and age, with all that is going on it is hard to remember the simple times were the best times.

I am dying laughing! That window story was my childhood, and the fact I was compelled to look at the window as well, just seems hilarious. Great Stories!

All my grandparents have long since passed, but the memories remain. Presious Memories 🌹💜🙏 Thanks for sharing yours... Blessings from Georgia 🙏

I always loved to visit my grandmother in Pennsylvania. She lived in a small town, Bedford, PA. We called her 'Nana'. She always cooked on a wood/coal stove. She would have nothing to do with anything else. When we visited, I loved to strike the match to light the stove. She used wood in the Summer and coal in the Winter. In the Winter, the kitchen was the warmest room in the house. Love your stories. Keep 'em comin'. 😊

Thank you Donnie. This was so beautiful. It made me reminisce on summer days at my Memaw’s house! 🙏🏻❤️

You described everything just perfectly. Those outhouses, Shock Theater, American Bandstand, Beans on the stove, and Fun with your cousins. Best childhood. Loved this video

Loved your memories. !! I grew up living in Piedmont Alabama on a 150 acre farm that I enjoyed so much My great granddaddy was full blood Indian (I never knew that until I was married , back then they wouldn't tell that to no one ) I'm proud of it though !! My Grandma had lots of chickens and we always went barefoot oh !! Those times we stepped in chicken do can still remember how cold it felt going between our toes or the fresh kind that felt warm My brother would get mad at them and go wash his feet off in their own drinking water !! Oh the things we remember some good and some bad ! 🐦

My grandmother was born in Virginia. My mother passed to us many stories similar to yours, thank you so much.

I grew up in a similar fashion, but we called our Grandma, Nana. Nana's house was at the top of a long, winding wooded hill, and her house backed up to the woods. Across the street was a horse farm. We'd climb under the barbed wire fence and chip off pieces from the salt block in the summertime, and then the valley was our playground. There was a covered bridge at the bottom of the hill, and we'd dig out a spot in the creek underneath, and then damn it up for our swimmin' hole. In the evenings after dinner, we'd stay up late and play cards on her screened in back porch and listen to all the night critters. Ahhh those were the days.

Thank you for telling us your stories! I was raised in a small town in northern Missouri, far away from Appalachia. The distance may be great but the culture and times are so similar! Simple times and lots of love!

Your story’s are a good reflection on life.It makes me think of days gone by when I was a young and my grandma would say to us kids, go over yawnder and play.Life was much simpler then.Keep those story’s coming,I enjoy them very much!!

I enjoyed it so much tears are running down my face as I write this. Bygone days of my youth.

Thank you Danny for bringing back the good old days for me I do miss them so you do a wonderful job with your geckos keep them coming.God bless you and yours 🙏💞🙏🙏💞

oh how I miss my mamaw. what i wouldn't give for another holiday with the whole family gathering at her house . both my grandma's was wonderful women . and my great grandmother was even better. so much love. thank u so much for your stories ❤

About a year ago you posted a video about mountain views and it prompted a vacation for our little family. We experienced the mountains up through Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, etc. But we fell in love with Tennessee! We are now land owners and starting our transition from Florida. Thank you for kindling our small town fire and reminding us about what's important 😊 FAMILY!

Mr Donnie you hit the nail on the head. Sounded just like my childhood growing up. I just lost my last Grandparent early this year, she was 94 yrs young. My sister and I were the only two cousins that lived out of state so when we visited we had a grand ole time. Just like yourself we played in the woods fished in the pond and we did have a old country store we were allowed to walk to. A.P. Hollingsworth Store. I still can here that old screen door opening and those creeky floors as we walked around looking for goodies. And the old Horse Apple tree they couldn't keep me away from. The best sour apples I've ever eat. Those are definitely the memories I'll never forget!

I miss my Mamaw…….and both my Papaws and my Granny. I am so glad I had them during my childhood in East TN.

My family lived in town so it was a real treat to go to my Grandparents farm, like you I was running all over the place, I loved the freedom, loved playing in the barn and jumping in the hay. My Grandparents also had a lot of grand children there to play with and some kids I thought were my cousins that would get dropped off for the summer. They always had a house full. Good Memories, Thank You.

I just got back to northeast Ohio. I walk to Lake Erie in 10 minutes. I ride motorcycles and drive sometimes to my friends place in Robbinsville NC. 640 MILES. I love Appalachia. Your voice and stories reminds me of my grandparents. Granpa born 1909. He showed me more than anyone ever did. The simple important things I still use today. I was his favorite grandkid i believe. Man I miss them and I'm 53 now

Our daddy showed us how to do that when we was kids we didn't need no slide or nothing like that all we needed was a cardboard box! And we used to play on the a Barrels and see who could stay on the barrels while rolling them down the hill! I miss those days! If only we could go back home! Thank you for this story Donnie and it really touched my heart and made me cry. Thank you so much! You and Jared King are the only Appalachian tellers I listen to. Y'all got that certain something of storytelling that no other person has! God bless you and your family!

This reminds me of growing up, and listening to my granddaddy tell stories of growing up. Thank you for sharing.