For those Murdo Girl readers who don’t already know this…I have a book available on Amazon. The title is “We Shall See what We Shall See.”

The book is about a Beasterhop. It’s the story I told my Dad when I was a little girl. My brother Billy reminded me of it when he first read my Murdo Girl stories. 

It is currently available for $10.49. I had to go up a little because I added 2 pages, so the printing cost increased.

However: I am offering a price reduction from 3-10-17 to 3-15-17. You can purchase as many books as you would like for $9.49. You can go to Amazon and search for the book title or my name (Mary Francis McNinch). If the price doesn’t show $9.49, wait..I will be monitoring the change to make sure it shows correctly.

I love this book and I know you, and the children in your life will too. It’s sure to inspire girls and boys to use their imaginations. They might even come up with their own versions of the Beasterhop.

 

Sometimes when our eyes are closed we can see much better. 

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The table is fashioned from one of my Grandma Sanderson’s cups and saucers

(picture of two little girls)

Cousins Valerie Leckey Halla on the left, and Andrea Miller Sheehan on the right

Later on, I’ll give a history of all the photographs in the book. Some were gifts from our children and grandchildren, others are reminders I have kept from momentous occasions over the years. The bunny figurines were a gift from my very dear friend Pat Davis.

 

Below is one of my favorites from the earlier Murdo Girl stories. I still remember the night I wanted to sleep outside in my TV tray Tent.

I feel bad. Today I told Mom her teeth were yellow. She was getting on me about brushing my teeth, and I said,”Well, my teeth are whiter than yours!” I expected her to say something back, but she didn’t. Of course my teeth are whiter. Her teeth are 31 years older than mine. I couldn’t really tell her that now could I?

Then, I got the bright idea to make a tent out of a TV tray and a blanket, and sleep out in the yard. It works pretty good. You can actually use two TV trays if you have a big  enough blanket. You have to be able to stretch the blanket over the trays and pound a clothes pin in the corners, then into the ground. Don’t ever plan on sleeping two people in a one TV tray tent.

I got myself all set up, and I thought everything would be fun. It got dark kind of early. I have a flashlight, but what fun is it to lay there in your front yard under a TV tray tent all by yourself, without anybody to even talk to.

I don’t have a dog. Billy’s got a cat named Yappy, but she hides up in the attic above the garage all the time. She only comes down when she  brings her kittens to us. She’s friends with Pete Reese’s tomcat. Pete is the old man who lives next door. He has a tomcat we call Tommy. The cat got his tail partially frozen off one bad winter. I personally don’t think cats are all that much fun.

We kept one of Yappy’s kittens once and named him Tinkerbell. After he got bigger he ran off somewhere and didn’t come back for a whole year. Cats aren’t fun, but they must be smart to know how to get around like that.

You know, I’m just laying here thinking. I really don’t know Pete Reese very well. If he lets his cat’s tail get frozen off, who knows what he might do to a kid who’s laying outside under a TV tray tent.

The ground is getting hard on me. Dad never got around to planting grass, so I’m laying here on prickly weeds. What a dumb idea this was. Mom should have told me no. She’s probably still in there feeling self conscious about her yellowing teeth.

Maybe I should just go in and finish this night out in my bed. I sure hate to admit defeat. On the other hand how are you going to know if something will be fun unless you try it out? I could just say I tried it out and it wasn’t fun. It’s not like I just got scared and went in. I stayed out here quite awhile and I’m also without food and water.

Shoot, I forgot to go to the bathroom before I came out here. What if I fall asleep and have to go inside the house and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night? I’ll have to leave my TV tray tent unprotected.

I don’t have any idea how long it’s been since somebody changed the batteries in this flashlight. What if a snake crawls in here in the middle of the night and the flashlight batteries are dead? There’s nothing worse than hearing a snake that you can’t see.

I shouldn’t have asked Mom if I could make a TV tray tent and sleep in it while she was distracted about her teeth. What if she didn’t hear me right? She probably didn’t even think about the snakes and Pete Reese.

I feel sorry for Mom. What if something happens to me? She’ll spend the rest of her life blaming herself, because she started this whole chain of events when she confronted me about my teeth.

Do you know how long a person should tryout an idea like sleeping outside in a TV tray tent, without food and water, and a flashlight with unknown battery life?

I don’t think we have another flashlight so Mom can’t check on me even if she wants to. I shouldn’t be so thoughtless.

Oh no… I’m going to have to go in. I just remembered something. I forgot to brush my teeth.

********************

 

 

I have an extremely busy day ahead of me..So.. I’m posting this early hoping you will all have time to participate in a little challenge I have prepared for you.

(That’s supposed to be a wink.)

One thing is clear. With a few exceptions, Murdo Girl readers don’t appreciate South Dakota humor from 1938. Those that like it, love it! For all you others..I guess you had to be there?

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One Murdo Girl reader, Dianna KB, recently made me aware of a dire circumstance the Burke, SD water tower was recently faced with. (See newspaper article below.) On behalf of water towers everywhere, I am coordinating a March that will take place the latter part of March. Water tower lovers throughout the nation will carry signs with slogans such as: “Beware Buzzards, Water Towers are not Dead.” Another sign idea might be: “Water Water everywhere, but not a drop for vultures!”

To gin up some excitement, I am beseeching all of you to get involved by creating some awesome juice sign slogans. In addition, please help create awareness of our plight by participating in the contest outlined below. I will send all entries to the Burke, SD news outlets.

**Please refrain from saying things like, “I have thought.. about blowing.. up buzzards.”

 

Write the Caption

What do you suppose these bold turkey buzzards are saying and/or thinking? Submit your submission via Facebook, blog comment, email, or carrier pigeon. Wait..I don’t think flying a pigeon into a water tower guarded by buzzards is a good idea.

The winner of the caption contest will receive a lifetime supply of drinking water from the winner of the water tower contest, which will be announced at a later date. I’m giving you all day to do this so have fun with it. You might even want to name the vultures. This could very well be the most meaningful thing you do all day…or not..

 

BIRD DROPPINGS!

( If you think you can come up with a better caption for this photo of Queen E..knock yourself out!)

 

 

 

 

I was feeling a little overwhelmed today and something that one of my teachers told me came to mind. I wish I remembered which one. Wouldn’t he or she be impressed that I remembered it all these years later? If I had remembered it 40 years earlier, it might have made a difference. Oh, well. We all do our best with what we’ve got right?

This is how my thinking went today.

1. I need to make a list of things I need to do, then prioritize them.
2. I need to check on a friend who’s been sick.
3. I need to sort out my water tower collection. There are some I need to ask people to help me identify.
4. I need to get back to the Connie stories before everyone, including me forgets what was happening.
5. I need to quit staying up so late. I also need to quit eating so much junk, and I need to make my walking and yoga a bigger priority.
6. I need to call Gus, Bill, Heidi, Heather, Mason, Craig, and so on..
7. I need to write a thank you note to Liz for the birthday gift she sent me a couple of months ago, which reminds me, I need to get a Gift for Heidi today! Her birthday was 2/21, but we’re meeting her family for breakfast after Church tomorrow to celebrate.
8. Heather’s birthday was 7/8. I text her husband for her work address the day before her birthday so I could send her flowers. He didn’t see it until the day after her birthday, so I never did get around to sending her anything. I need to stop doing that.
9. I need to stop procrastinating so much. I need to quit being such a worry wart.

Okay that’s about enough. I could go on forever, but I don’t need to.

One of my teachers was talking to me about my homework, or practicing my saxophone, or something along those lines, and I was sitting there saying. “I know. I need to spend more time studying, or practicing. I need to spend less time running around with my friends, and eat fewer Bings, (I really didn’t have a need to quit the Bings.)

My teacher said, “Mary, if you need to do all those things, you need to remove the word need from your vocabulary.”

“What?” I asked. “I don’t get what you’re saying.”

The teacher said, “I’m saying, if you need to do or not do these things, then replace I need with, I am. say I am practicing, or I am studying, but don’t say I am going to. You can’t say I am, unless you are. When you’ve done it say I did it.”

The teacher made a good point. Mom used to quote Coach Riley, who was with the Lakers. Mom called him Riles. He said, “If you shoulda and you coulda, then you woulda.”

I think I’ve got it!

I am dusting off some water towers.

Juana Cupa Wata?

San Juan Batista, California…submitted by Lav aka Valerie Halla

 Lav sent me this one all the way from San Juan Batista, California where she lives. She says it’s right in her neighborhood. The descriptive words she used are: plain, tan, tank. There is no lettering. Well, that baby is big enough to keep the 1700 residents in water with no problem. At least there shouldn’t be a problem with low flying planes. Thanks for your contribution Lav.

Edit

De Plane! De Plane!

Burelson, TX…submitted by Laura Avant.

Wouldn’t you know it. The very next water tower I come to represents the perils water towers are often exposed to. This is an air traffic controller’s nightmare. You can see the smoke curling along the front. That airplane must have really come close to becoming water logged. Maybe Juana Cupa Wata has the right idea. I’ll put this one in the “Towers with an element of danger” category.

Somewhere in Nebraska…submitted by Eddie Jackson

At last a break from augua! This tower is probably full of coffee. I wonder if there’s a dairy farm close by. That would really top this tower off as being the cream of the crop. I don’t have the location written down where I can find it, but I’m sure Eddie will fill us in on this oasis in the desert of water.

The Juice

Located at Sunkist Growers, Inc., Ontario, CA…submitted by Gus Gustafson.

 My kids call this photographer of towers, Grandpa Gus and I am so pleased to showcase his fabulous entry. I would guess this tower is full of orange juice, which is a much welcomed deviation from the water, and coffee our other entrants boast being full of. You have to admire the moxie of this one. He’s saying you just try to “squeeze” me out. It won’t happen. Must be the vitamin C. Thanks Gus..Great picture. (Sunkist ceased operations of their facility in 2007, so look for this one to be classified as an antique soon.)

*******************************************

I am.. and then I did.. buy Heidi a birthday present. Do you think she’ll like it?

It doesn’t hold water. It holds your cookbook up, and keeps the page you’re on while you follow a recipe. Kip said she probably won’t use it because she’s a “pinch of this and a handful of that” kind of cook. I got her something else too, but I really liked this cookbook holder.

Lastly, I saw something when I was shopping today that made me think of you Pat Penticoff Bechard. I don’t know how I ever lived without one of these. (Pat said she got her first pomegranate at Sanderson’s Store.)

You are not going to believe this. I didn’t write a post today. No Connie story, no Brick House tale, no Murdo reminiscing, no poem, no rap, nothing about Fay, or Jerome. I didn’t make apple chips or Fern’s chocolate cake. I didn’t record myself singing. (Lucky for you.) I didn’t dig for old school papers, or tell other people’s stories.

Here is what happened. I had to have some work done on my house. Yes..the joys of homeownership! I had to do it though, because if left undone, this house would one day fall down around us.

Do you believe me? It is the truth. A lot of work needed to be completed. I have been dreading this day for over a year…and if you’ve ever experienced home improvements, you know how it is. If you make one room look great, then all the other rooms look shabby, so once you start, there really is no end to it.

Here’s what I did. I cleaned it…and I had to do it by myself, because Kip selfishly went to help a friend put a new sink in their kitchen. It’s funny isn’t it how selfish and selfless have a lot of the same letters in them, but are vastly different in meaning. A friend (Dianna), sent me something today that made me realize what a good Queen I am.

*And they shouldn’t be made to clean anything but their Crown!

I haven’t had to yet, but I would. Usually it just takes a little hot glue. I don’t know if it’s a Queen thing or not, but I even wear my crown when I clean, and sometimes accidents happen.

When I was feeling tired and haggard today, I started thinking about all of you and how much you mean to me. You have all come to know me so well. It’s impossible not to I guess when I write 1000 words a day about everything I know and some things I don’t know.

Everyone knows I love funny stories, Murdo, Crowns, water towers, animals, Bings, funny animal videos, Queen E, family, family memories, travel, shopping at GW, Connie like anything, did I say Crowns? I love older people too. Preferably older than me. I’m sure I have left out something.

This is how I know that you know me. Here are just a sample of the wonderful things you have seen that made you think of me. I have tons more, especially if I include all of the water tower photogaphs. I included banners and signs, recipe’s and wonderful photographs.

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So even though my hands are raw from hard labor, I know how grateful I should be. I guess you could call me a Cinderella Murdo Girl Queen.

Yeah, I like that. CMGQ..

Well, I have to go now. I stubbed my toe on the vacuum cleaner, so Kip fixed me a cup of tea.

 

 

 

 

Rerun…feeling a lot better, but couldn’t get the new story completed, today. Love you all and thanks for hanging in there with me. I often miss the Brick House gang, anyway.

It’s Monday morning at the Brick House. Next Pres Murdo Girl is in the Oblong Office diligently working on her crossword puzzle. Let’s see. What is a 19 letter (two words) for spy _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . “Easy one,” she says out loud. “Aggressive Informant, Yes! I can’t believe how smart I’m getting. I’m almost ready to go from beginner to intermediate!” 

She is also getting pretty good at hearing someone coming up the stairs to her office. She hears footsteps now and hastily shoves her puzzle into the drawer stuffed with Bing candy bars, nail polish, and a newspaper. She looks up to see DM entering.

MG: Hi DM. What do you know?

DM: What? Am I supposed to know something Next Pres?

MG: No DM. That’s Next Pres speak for..What’s in your head.

DM: Oh.”” DM  walks over and sits at MG’s desk and begins to look around the office.

Next Pres Murdo Girl: I’m waiting for you to tell me why you are here.

DM: Oh, sorry Next Pres, I think there’s something you should know. It could be a really bad thing. Or, it might not be anything. You know how things can be bad or good or nothing?

Next Pres Murdo Girl is not in the mood for this, especially since she just thought of the answer to 12 down. What is a 12  letter word for Defense Monitor?.. Exasperating!

DM: Sorry MG, I’m trying to figure out a way to tell you this without you going all ballistic. I don’t even know why I used that word..ballistic. Anyway, Lav is down in the employee lounge and I overheard her telling TC about a bomb threat.

MG: What? Are you kidding me? Go and get TC and Lav, right now! Bring them to my office!

MG is shocked and dismayed, and rightly so. That’s all the Coyote Administration needs. A bomb threat! Sheesh!

Soon, but not soon enough, (a nervous NP Murdo Girl has already wolfed down her last 2 bings), DM enters the office with TC and Lav in tow.

Lav: Man, it smells like cherry mash in here.

MG: Lav! DM here says you have been telling TC that you are aware of a bomb threat in an attempt to overthrow our Coyote Government. How did you come by this bit of delicate information?

Lav: Huh? I saw it for myself. Sherri has put them everywhere. I don’t know what’s wrong with her, except maybe she’s bored. We haven’t had any good parties here recently, the weather has been cold and there’s not that many photographic drawings for her to draw

MG: What? You mean that Sherri is the bomber? TC..Are you an eye witness to any of Sherri’s bombs?

TC: Yes Next Pres Murdo Girl, I witnessed her. She’s been hiding them in plain sight. I cried, because I’m the Town Crier and that’s what I do, but she just laughed at me.

MG: Why do you always salute me TC? You keep sticking your fingers in your cheese head and it’s messing it all up. You don’t have to salute Next Preses.

Lav: I was going to wait until after she was caught and you fired her, but I have the name of another pretty good photographic drawer.

MG: Looks at LAV in disbelief. She thinks she should have saved that last Bing for a situation like this instead of reacting to crossword puzzle worries.

MG: To everyone in the room. Is Sherri in the employee lounge?

DM, TC, and Lav look at each other and shrug their shoulders.

MG: Never mind. I’ll go look for myself. DM..Call Deputy Barney Fife. Ask him if he knows how to disarm a bomb. TC.. Go uptown and town cry in front of the Post Office. Let everybody in this town know we have someone who is hiding bombs around town and to go home and hide..someplace. Lav..Come with me!

MG and Lav walk single file to the employee lounge. The door is open a crack and MG peeks inside. Sure enough, Sherri the Photographic Drawer is sitting there with Carol. She has a duffle bag sitting by her feet. MG listens for a ticking bomb, but since she’s not exactly sure what one sounds like, she decides to play it kind of safe.

MG: Lav go over by Sherri’s chair and without her knowing it, get that duffle bag and take it outside. Don’t put it near the Jeep, if it’s here, or the Driver’s Ed car. Wait! Do you really know someone else who can draw photographs? I mean just in case Sherri has to leave suddenly.

Lav: Yeah..but she mostly draws photographs of sunrises and sunsets. Kind of good morning and goodnight photographic drawings.

MG: That’s all??

Lav: Yeah that and fence posts. The only thing I know for sure is she can’t write poetry.

MG: Feeling like her head is going to explode from the tension, and the 2 pops (cokes) she downed with the two Bings, says: Let’s just cross our fingers that Sherri will be found Innocent of all charges. Maybe she is being blackmailed.

Lav: Yeah, either that or she’s been brainwashed. She hasn’t been over to see the Water Board has she?

MG: I have outlawed water boarding in this town! Never mind Lav, go get the duffle bag, and do not let her see you. Wait, I’ll distract her. Stay here until I give you the high sign.

MG walks nonchalantly into the employee lounge and sits down at the table between Sherri and Carol. She is as nervous as a ceiling fan store owner with a comb-over..No.. more nervous..nervous as a potato chip on Super Bowl Sunday.

MG: Hi Carol and Sherri! Say Carol, I’m feeling really patriotic today. I’m thinking I need you to sing a real Patriotic song.

Carol starts to sing a rousing rendition of The Star Spangled Banner,” but all Murdo Girl hears is.. ‘THE BOMBS BURSTING IN AIR!’

Sherri: I just LUV that song.

MG’s eye starts ticking, or wait! is that the bomb ticking? No.it’s definitely her eye. She raises her hand to her eye, and Lav thinks it’s MG’s hi sign to run in and grab the duffle bag. Lav grabs the bag and runs out the door followed by Carol and MG. As they all run out the front door, DM hears the commotion and runs out the door too.

Right as they get outside, The Deputy Sheriff, Barney pulls up with his lights flashing and his siren blowing (loudly). Pico, A I, Treason, Jerry and TC pull up in the Jeep. TC has her head out the window yelling “TAKE COVER!” A I jumps out, but has to go back to the Jeep to get her sun glasses. Pico yells, “RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!” Treason is writing in a notebook, taking notes for the Murdo Coyote Newspaper no doubt. Jerry..where did Jerry go? Oh there he is on the ground with a bean bag full of beans over his head.

Sherri: What’s going on? Lav, why did you run off with my bag full of pictures?

Everybody at the same time: PICTURES?

Sherri: You all found out I was doing something wrong didn’t you? I’m really sorry and I will never draw pictures again with me in the background.

Deputy Barney Fife: (sniff) You mean you weren’t going to bomb the whole town?

Sherri goes and gets her bag and opens it. Yes indeed, the bag is full of pictures, and Sherri has photo bombed every single one of them.

 

MG: Turn off your sirens Barney. TC, Town Cry..All Clear. Has everyone calmed down now?

A I and Jerry: (Whining) Where’s our pictures? We want a picture too!!

 

Sherri: Really? Well let’s go down to the Employee Lounge and I’ll draw one for everyone. Maybe we can do a group photo bomb.

Treason: Yea! We can put it in the paper!

MG: Somebody please get me a Bing and a Coke!

The Murdo Coyote

Special Edition

The Town of Murdo calls for impearment of Next Pres. Murdo Girl

By reason of impearment. (and Anarchy among the whole Coyote Team Cabinet.)

Sheesh

MG: What is a 7 letter word for “Government is Nuts?” Oh yeah.. Anarchy.

Have you ever shopped at a Goodwill Store? If you haven’t let’s go! Even if you have let’s go, and men…There are things there for you too! I got an ice cream maker for $6.00, and some great shirts for Kip.

It took a while for me to get the hang of shopping at The GW Boutique. At first, I kept asking them if they had something I liked in a different size. After you’ve been there for about 2 hours, they start looking at you funny. You can’t return stuff either. I usually try everything on, but if I get something that doesn’t fit, I’m not out a huge amount. I cleaned out my closet the other day and took old clothes to the back door to donate, then walked around to the front to shop. I saw a lady there that almost bought her own top!

I joined some friends for a yoga class this morning. My body hurt all over before I went and I cannot tell you how much better my 65 year old joints, and muscles felt after I went through the class. I love that class. Anyway, Kip went to Tyler to shop for recliners for the RV, so I ran some errands before coming home. It’s been so warm in this part of Texas, I was in need of some cooler clothing. I needed some things I could wear to Church and a few things a step above workout clothes. I spent two hours there and I could have easily spent 2 more. I’m excited to show you my finds.

The first pic is me in the Goodwill dressing room still in my yoga clothes, but I did buy the top at Goodwill ($2.00). All the things you see in the next photos are things I didn’t buy. I didn’t need another workout jacket (pink), or denim jacket($5.00), although this one is really cute. I wanted the long skirt ($4.00), and the purse ($5.00), but didn’t get them. I may go back and get the purse. It’s good quality and in excellent condition. I will be wishing I had it when spring gets here. Do you like it? Do you think it’s “Connie like?”

This is what I came home with. I will try everything on for you.

I bought the denim vest ($5.00) last year and I have worn it many times. The shoes were brand new Stride Life ($3.00). I bought them last week, and they’re super comfortable. The skirt ($4.00 Old Navy), and T shirt ($1.99 Old Navy), I bought today. The orange choker necklace was Mom’s, total cost of the outfit..$14.00

The Shirt ($4.00 Talbots), the capris ($4.00 Gloria Vanderbilt), Keds tennis shoes ($3.00) I bought them for this outfit, but I washed them and they’re wet, but in perfect condition. Total cost of the outfit..$11.00.

I thought these workout pants would be fun ($4.00 Venus Wear). the Crown T shirt says Keep Calm and Cheer On. It has a crown on it too of course. I got it last week for (2.00) A really casual outfit for a total of $6.00.

I forgot to try these on. I wasn’t sure I would like the big parrots on them, but they are cute on.. ($4.00 Bill Bass). The peach shirt I bought last year for $3.00, but I think I’ll wear white or a deeper orange with them.

I bought the top today. It is the softest stretchy fabric, ($4.00 Ellen Tracy) I got the new slippers for ($2.00), the new belt ($2.00), and the Jeff Foxworthy book $.50)

My total expenditure for today was $37.00

Ping Golf shirts I got Kip ($4.00 each). I didn’t get him anything today. My favorite shirt is in the worsh.

I needed a raincoat for RVing.. I got this one in perfect condition for $5.00..”Are you kidding me Lil Papa? I love it!” No Charlie, Lil Papa is a goodwill shopper. I hate going anywhere else.

So Murdo Girl readers..If you want me to shop for you send me $10.00 and tell me what size and what you want. I won’t guarantee anything or pay for shipping, but I need someone else to shop for. I don’t need anything more and Kip says nothing is a good deal if you don’t need it. I won’t even blab that what you are wearing came from the GW Boutique…

Well this has surely been fun. I promised I would share my apple and zucchini chip recipes. I also promised a Connie story. I might do something different tomorrow, and a Connie story Sunday. I hope everyone is off to a super week-end!