It was a wonderful Easter in Beasterhop Land, and Mr. Beasterhop and I want to thank everyone who spoke an encouraging word, read my words, spread the word, expressed loving words, sang and danced the words, and otherwise promoted my desire to get the Beasterhop story out to as many young readers as possible.

The story was inspired by a favorite childhood memory, and it was a labor of love to write about the character I made up when I was just a little girl. Many times throughout the years my family talked about the Beasterhop, and how I had imagined him. He was a rabbit that rode on a bicycle, and now he has come to life in a big way.

I decided to write the story in the same rhyming cadence as the Mother Goose nursery rhymes I loved so much. The Beasterhop has a family, and works very hard to feed all of the bunny mouths, but he also tries to teach his children the things they need to know to grow up happy and healthy.

The child in the story talks to the father about things that concern all children. Together, they watch the Beasterhop model what a good parent child relationship might look like, and learn ways to communicate their own feelings to each other.

There will be more Beasterhop stories as the the characters all grow and learn from each other. Through their stories children and parents will also see how important it is for families to play together, as well as look out for one another.

A special thank you to my brother, Billy Francis for suggesting I write the story. I also want to thank Pat Davis for reading it first, and loving it. She supplied all the bunnies I took pictures of to illustrate the Beasterhop family. Thank you to Bradyn Burelsmith for drawing the very likeness of the Beasterhop I imagined as a youngster.

Some very special friends and family members topped it all off by planning and executing the Book Signing. I’m really grateful to all of you. Thanks to my husband Kip, who was as excited as I was to see the finished product.

My hope is that my grandchildren, as well as yours, one day read the Beasterhop stories to their children and the books become as worn as my old Mother Goose book.

If you haven’t purchased a book, or want to tell others about it, you can find it on amazon under my name or the name of the book, “We Shall See what We Shall See,” by Mary Francis McNinch.

We Shall See what We Shall See

Just close your eyes and it will be.

We never have to be without the love of God within. My love for you fills up my heart much more than ten times ten.

I had a full day today, and although I do know what happens next, I don’t have the brain juice to write a good story. So I thought I would play a game of let’s pretend, but first I would like to introduce you to a few of my new sponsors.

Have you spent thousands of dollars on new dentures, or sat there while tiny lazar beams whitened your teeth to the tune of $70 or $80.00? Or maybe you have bought the white strips and tooth trays filled with gunk. It doesn’t take long to sink a fortune into the quest for beautiful teeth. Think about it for a minute. The only thing you need perfect teeth for is …Pictures!..you can eat soft food and pay less than $20.00 for these amazing plastic veneers and be done with it. According to the picture on the box, the transformation is absolutely stunning. These are seen on TV. What more do you need to know? (I get $.50 for every box I sell…2 million boxes, equals 1 million dollars. Now that will make me smile 🙂

Now can you think of one person that doesn’t need a Glowbowl? It’s a motion activated night-light for your toilet. It comes in four colors. I’m sure they are all beautiful, but I wouldn’t recommend red. It might cause your guests to become needlessly alarmed. I sort of like the blue color pictured on the box. As you can plainly see, this remarkable invention has been selling for $9.88 and has been reduced to $9.88. Hmm, hold off on making these fly off the shelves for a while. I need to check my portion of the Glowbowl proceeds. In the meantime use your flashlight. This is also endorsed by TV everywhere, but so were those sunglasses that make you go blind.

Well, just like when you’re watching TV, the commercials take up most of the time. I do have a little “let’s pretend” story for you.

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I’m going to make up a story about this old building

I remember sitting in this old school house. I could look out the last window in the back and see the changes in the seasons. Since it doubled as our country church, I spent 6 days a week here. On Saturdays I did my homework, so I was being truthful when I told everyone I was here every day of the week.

In this little building out in the middle of someone’s pasture, I learned about life everywhere else. I learned how to count as high as I would ever need to, and I learned to count my blessings.

I learned how people survived hardship and how some did not survive success. I learned the happiest people are those who truly care about others. I learned how to pray for strength, courage, and wisdom. I learned how to be humble, grateful, and compassionate.

I learned that nothing is forever, and life would be better if I learned to embrace change. I figured out that we all come from a long line of dead people, and we should be proud of our heritage.

This old building shaped my life. I wouldn’t be who I am if I hadn’t come here when it was too cold, or too hot. I learned everything from how to tie my shoes by watching my classmates, to what love is and isn’t from reading 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7.

Remember this is a “Let’s pretend” story. I kind of wish it were true. Learning and living are two different things, but so are saying and doing. I think I might have leaned something from what I just wrote.

 

 

They say

I know what they say…I spread myself too thin

They say I should finish what I labored to begin

When I start another, they say I won’t complete it

The ones that always say this, hardly ever read it

They say they aren’t just speaking of all the things I’m writing

What about the water towers, and the Angels I keep sighting

They say I have too many crowns to sit on my thick head

You only wear one at a time? That’s not what Queen E. said

They say the rabbits in my house keep on multiplying

Now it’s new clothes for them they say I keep on buying

Speaking of old things, of which we were not

They say this is another thing of which I am besot

They say I should stop buying things..they want me to confess

I spend far too much money at the Goodwill store no less

They say they’re grateful I’ve dropped one thing from my life

I forgot until they said this, I never mention Barney Fife.

They say they’ve noticed all the dolls I have been collecting

They say they know I sneak them in when no one is suspecting

They say I’ve lost the battle, and the war they too will win

But Mom always said… You can’t be too rich or too thin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continue reading →

I have a lot of writing projects going on right now, so please forgive me if I put a bunny picture in the middle of a blog about water towers, or write a poem that doesn’t rhyme. Angels fit in anywhere, so it’s okay if one finds it’s way to a blog about The Brick House. I have the second Angel story almost ready, but I’m waiting for a photograph.

It was both heartwarming and gratifying for the family of Pete Swinson and me to read all the touching comments and to know so many of you shared the Swinson family’s Angel experience with your friends. The “Only time will tell” story touched many hearts. I know it made me look back over my life and see that I’ve always had an Angel watching over me. That gives me a feeling of calmness or serenity.

Since my Angel story isn’t ready, I will share a few new water towers that have been added to my collection. I really have so many to thank for helping me out. It’s fun to see them coming in from all over, and know that Murdo Girl readers are seeing water towers in a whole new light.

Wasser Halter

New Ulm, Minnesota…submitted by Karen Lindquist

Wasser Halter means water holder in German, so I thought it would be a clever name for this tower which looms above three layers of atmosphere. There’s not much else to say about it other than it resides in New Ulm, Minnesota. Their city slogan is “Germans have more fun.” I guess that’s a good thing if you like bratwurst and sauerkraut. I looked for some interesting and telling pictures. This is a photograph of a putting green at the country club. It kind of makes it’s own statement doesn’t it?

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Onepoint22u

Vermillion, SD…submitted by Rob Edwards

This winter eye catcher was built in 2004. It came with a price tag of 1.2 million smackeroos..hence the name. My research uncovered a little bit of a scandal. It seems the city fathers and mothers wanted to have the Vermillion logo painted on it, and the college people wanted the college logo. Since it sits beside the college stadium, the city mothers and fathers said that was enough recognition for the University. They further argued that the water was for everyone. Not just the college. Then someone spoke up and said it was going to cost another 10 grand to paint the logo, so they decided to have the school pay to have their logo on one side and the city would paint their logo on the other side. It was close to press time and I had to stop delving into this towers shaded past. I can only see one side in the picture, which is in fact, the City of Vermillion Logo. Anybody know what it is? (photo below) It looks like a riverboat to me.

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Plum Proud

Submitted by…Karen, Kim, and Tammy ..I call them the Lindquist girls

This piece is already one of my favorites in the collection, and no matter how many or how high the offers to sell get, I will never part with it. That would be like disrespecting the memory of Mrs. Parks, who read all of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books to us when I was in the 3rd grade. I even wrote about it in my, “maybe to be published” tell all about growing up in Murdo. Laura and her family lived in Walnut Grove on the Banks of Plum Creek. It even says it on the Water Tower. Of course, the girls didn’t capture the base of it, so we really don’t know what it sits on. I wonder if that will effect the value? Oh well, it will always have sentimental value to me. Thank you girls for thinking of your old babysitter on your recent girls trip. Did you see the dugout? Any pics of that? Guess they left.

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Kim, Karen, Tammy and Mrs. Park’s third grade class. I’m sure their little heads are full of stories from “The Little House on the Prairie.”

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“Get ready, get set for your ears to flop, cause we’re gonna do the Beasterhop hop”

I was challenged the other day to “Step up my rap style.” I decided the Beasterhop needs a song. This is what I came up with, but if anyone has a better idea, I’m open for suggestions. Please send me a dancing recording of your kids or grand-kids. I didn’t have time to choreograph any dance moves. Anyone who sends me a video, will get a Beasterhop book and I’ll put their song and/ or dance on the blog.

Thanks for making this fun. The Beasterhop is gaining popularity. If you’ve read the book, you know he’s a very good listener.

Have fun with it!!

The Beasterhop Hop…Rap and Song (Same Words)

Get ready, get set for your ears to flop

Cause we’re gonna do the Beasterhop hop.

The Beasterhop rides on his new bicycle

When you see him, your heart will tickle

Make your ears flop… Do the Beastethop hop

Make your ears flop…Do the Beasterhop hop

For the Beasterhop we’ll give it up.

I know he’s real cause I made him up.

He works in his garden all day long

While you and I dance and sing his song

Make your ears flop…Do the Beasterhop hop

Make your ears flop…Do the Beasterhop hop

Close your eyes, you’ll see much better

Grab your friends and dance together

Some might think that we look funny

Hopping and singing with a friendly bunny

Make your ears flop…Do the Beasterhop hop

Make your ears flop…Do the Beasterhop hop

If you dance and sing, it’ll make you happy

your ears will flop or even flappy

smile real big,  and you’ll smile inside.

Let the beasterhop take us for a ride

Make your ears flop…do the Beasterhop hop

Make your ears flop…do the Beasterhop hop

Make your ears flop…do the Beasterhop hop

Make your ears flop…do the Beasterhop hop

Me Rapping

The Rap Music – (For you to use to make a recording)

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The Singing Music

Me Singing..just listen til you get the general idea.

Song Music for you to record the song

 

We Shall See what We Shall See…The Beasterhop story is available on amazon

 

 

 

Do you believe in Angels? There is a saying, “To those who believe, no explanation is necessary. To those who do not believe, no explanation is possible.”

Please know that I’m not trying to persuade anybody to believe one way or the other, but today, Tuesday and Thursday, I would like to share three very heartwarming stories..and they’re all true.

THE GRANDFATHER CLOCK

Back in the 70’s Sherri Miller’s Mom and Dad bought a grandfather clock at an auction in Presho, SD where they lived. As it turned out, the clock belonged to someone who lived just a couple of blocks from them, so they ended up hand carrying it down the street to their house, where it still resides.

The clock soon became Mr. Swinson’s pride and joy and he seldom let anyone else touch it. His beautiful clock had to be wound each week before the weights were all the way to the bottom. If they do get to the bottom, the clock can lock up and fixing it requires a clock repair expert. Sherri said that throughout the years, it has only locked up on them once. They had to take the non-working parts out, wrap them very carefully and haul them to Bridgwater, which is about 135 miles from Presho. A couple of weeks later, they had to drive back and pick them up. They never wanted to do that again, so Mr. Swinson was very careful to wind the clock on time each week.

The Grandfather clock has three weights..one in the middle, that controls the time, and two on each side that control the chimes. When Sherri’s Dad started slowing down, he finally decided to let her take over the task of winding the clock. When he became really sick last November and had to go to the hospital, winding the clock was not on Sherri’s mind. When she got back to Presho a few weeks later, the weights on the grandfather clock had reached the bottom and everything on the clock had stopped. She had to get back to Pierre, (SD), so she wasn’t able to do anything with it on that trip.

In late December, she decided to try winding it to see what happened. The clock timing actually started to work, which meant the middle weight was moving down like it should. After that, Sherri was careful to rewind the clock part weekly. The two weights on the outside however, did not move, which meant the clock did not chime on the quarter, half, or on the hour. Fearing he would get upset, Sherri decided not to share this with her Dad.

Several weeks after Mr. Swinson came home, Sherri was helping him to the bedroom and he stopped at the clock and asked, “Is the clock not working?” Sherri responded that it was and it was keeping perfect time. He didn’t say anything more about it until a few days before his passing, when he asked her again if the clock was working. He said he couldn’t hear it chime. This time she told him what had happened. Sherri said he remained calm and said, “If I were able and if I could get to it, I know I could fix it.” Sherri told him she knew he could too, but he couldn’t get to it and they were not going to worry about it now. No more was said.

Sherri and her sisters had tried to fix the chimes several times over the previous three months, but to no avail. Then a few days after her Dad died, the clock needed winding. After she wound it, the clock made a little chime. She was shocked, but thought maybe she had touched something when she pulled the weight up, that caused the sound. That happened around 7:35, so Sherri and her sister sat there watching it, and waited for 7:45 to get there. Sure enough, they heard a small chime. They waited for it to come to the hour of eight o’clock. They were so excited when they heard the “minute before” chime and then the count..8 dongs..one for each hour. Sherri and her sister listened to each chime of the grandfather clock in amazement. The clock has been working perfectly ever since.

The sisters were convinced the first thing their Dad did when he left, was to get over to that clock and fix it. It was his way of answering the request Sherri had asked of her Dad shortly after he died. She asked him to please find a way to let her know he was okay. Each time she hears the chimes, she knows her Mom and her Dad are together, and everything is as it should be.

Remember the song most of us learned when we were kids?

My grandfather’s clock was too tall for the shelf
So it stood ninety years on the floor
It was taller by half than the old man himself
But it weighed not a pennyweight more

Ninety years without slumbering
Tic toc tic toc
His life’s seconds numbering
Tic toc tic toc
It stopped, short, never to go again
When the old man died.

The man in the song must not have had a very special and loving daughter, who believes her Dad is now in heaven catching up with her Mom. Don’t you think he must have said this to his wife? “Sorry I’m a little late honey, but I had to fix the clock for Sherri. She asked me to give her a sign that all is well.

Sherri believes she now has two guardian Angels.

I believe our Angels will do almost anything to get our attention.