When you hear people talking about growing up in a small town, you hear all the cliches, like, “People know what you’ve done, even before you do it.” It’s true. I remember being out later than I should have been on a school night, and when I got to school the next morning, a teacher confronted me. It was a long day. I felt everyone’s eyes on me. They were just waiting for me to doze off in class.

When I was a freshman in high school, I went to the prom with a guy who was a sophomore and had just started driving. He was allowed to drive the family car for the occasion, but a problem developed. We were both inexperienced daters and he didn’t have the courage to tell me he was supposed to be home with the car at a certain time. I wasn’t smart enough to know when I should ask him to take me home.

When I finally walked into my  house at 3:00 a.m., my dad, who never worried much about my activities, was fit to be tied. I was highly offended that he might think I had gone someplace I shouldn’t have. After all, in a small town, there are very few places you shouldn’t be.

Dad finally went to bed when I told him my date said we put fifty miles on his dad’s car. To make matters worse, his dad was my typing teacher. I still can’t type very well. He never helped me learn how to find the numbers without looking and I was afraid to ask.

You’re probably thinking I wasn’t brave. Well, I wasn’t, but I was adventuresome. I made it all the way to Texas didn’t I?

Living in a small town, is like being part of a big family. Everyone knows you, and you know them. The people who move into town are usually preachers or teachers, so they don’t really add any mystery to the fabric of the town.

Everyone knew everybody else’s dog, too. None of the dogs had to eat real dog food, and in Murdo, they didn’t have to stay in their own yards. When my dog, Penny, had puppies, my cousin told me the father was another cousin’s dog who had been visiting from Pennsylvania. I’m pretty sure I have this right. I know my cousin, Valerie, will correct me if I have the details wrong. Her dog’s name was Midnight. He was smart and Uncle Al taught him all kinds of tricks. Midnight deflowered Penny, left town and never looked back.

My cousins, the Millers, had Scamp. He was afraid of fireworks. One time he somehow got inside one of our motel rooms without anyone seeing him. In the middle of the night, after the firecrackers stopped and he felt safe, he came out from under the bed and scared the devil out of the poor tourists.

How did I get off onto dog stories? Mom told us about her friends, Dan and Harriet, telling her about their little puppy. Harriet adored him, but sadly, one of them backed over him in the driveway. Harriet said, “At least it didn’t hurt him.” (Meaning he died instantly, therefore, he felt no pain.) Dan said, “What do you mean it didn’t hurt him? It killed him!”

I’m a huge dog lover. Maybe it’s only funny if you hear Mom tell it, and it’s years later.

There is so much to tell about growing up in a small town. Even years later, you feel a sense of belonging somewhere, whether you’ve moved on or not. When I first left Murdo, I actually wondered what certain people were doing every day. It seemed strange that their lives went on just like before even though I wasn’t there to be a part of it all.

I love this poster… It’s so true!

I have made some good friends, through this blog, who are from small towns and they get it. We all have fun looking back.

 Yes, looking back to a time when there were no tiny homes. At least not on purpose.

When the M.E. Sanderson family lived on Horse Creek, which is about ten miles south of Murdo, SD, the kids all went to a country school. Mom, who was one of six children often talked about the Osborn kids. They were a family of thirteen offspring, and the kids all attended the same country school.

Mom was only eleven when her family moved closer to town which meant the kids would all go to town school. Mom, of course, made it sound like she was really moving up in the world. She always told the story that one of the Osborn girls said they would miss Helen and Ella, (Mom’s older sisters), but they wouldn’t miss her.

My friend, Dianna, found this picture of the Osborn family in later years. Her Aunt was an Osborn…one of the thirteen kids. It really is a small world.

I haven’t heard a lot of Horse Creek stories, but Aunt Elna, Mom’s younger sister, once told me of a Christmas memory she had. The family had returned from visiting relatives in Iowa just in time for Christmas. Little Elna was given a box and when she opened it, a puppy jumped out and scared her to death. She wanted nothing to do with her new pet, which wasn’t the expected reaction. She was only five when they moved, but she had that one vivid memory of life on Horse Creek.

Mom was never interested in housework or cooking. She left helping Grandma up to the other girls. She preferred the outdoor chores and helping with the livestock. One day she was off by herself riding one of the horses. The horse was startled by something and shied which caused Mom to fall off. Wanting some sympathy for her frightening fall, she tried her best to cry until she got home. It turned out, she wasn’t injured that severely and couldn’t keep the tears flowing, therefore, no one felt sorry for her when she told them of her harrowing experience.

This photo is of the Sanderson and the Thomas families. Mom is the one with the short dark hair. Her sister, Ella is the taller girl standing next to her and Helen is next to Ella. Jeff is in front with his hand over his heart. Grandpa is second from the left in the back row. Grandma is next to him, (big hat), and Wayne is behind Ella and Helen.

Wayne was the oldest of the Sanderson kids. When he was bitten by a rattlesnake and Grandpa cut a slit with his knife and sucked the venom out, I’m sure Mom was impressed. I know I would have been. Now they say that type of emergency treatment isn’t the right thing to do. I bet Wayne would argue that point, as he had no serious after effects.

I’ve been to Horse Creek a few times over the years. I remember the picnic we had there with the Haverberg cousins, from Michigan,and Mark and Jeff H. Sanderson. I was probably about the age Mom was when the family moved. Part of the old log cabin was still standing.

The land is now owned by Dan Height. When my cousin, Greg, told told him Mom had requested she be cremated and her ashes spread around Horse Creek, he graciously allowed us to drive a caravan of 4-wheel drives, off-road, to the site of the old log house. The day was beautiful as was the landscape. I looked at all the relatives spreading Mom’s ashes around, and I could almost hear Mom saying, “So there, Osborn kids!”

If you have in your mind that you would like to unencumber yourself from stuff, you will learn everything you need to know right here on the Murdo Girl blog. I won’t let you down. This is not an easy transition, but together we can make it happen.

Several years ago, I was involved in a training the trainer, training and I learned to teach people how to reach their goals. We are going to use the SMART goal method to get where we need to be. Even if this is not the time for you to downsize, or at least get rid of the clutter, you can use the method I am going to teach you, to successfully reach your goals, whatever they are.

1. Take a piece of paper and write your goal on it. Then turn the paper over. We’ll be looking at it later. It won’t be until tomorrow or the next day.

Here is my goal.

I am going to reduce the number of material things I own so I can live comfortably without clutter. I will surround myself with those things that only have meaning or purpose in my life. I told kip he can stay. I will wear only comfortable, good quality, and easy to care for clothing. I will not have more than enough, clothes, product, costume jewelry or serving dishes.

I will, however, keep my Beasterhop and nutcracker collections.

I will reach my initial goal by one month from the day we move into our tiny home.

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timed…SMART

I’m starting with my wardrobe.

I had to try on some stuff, but I was steadfast and brutal. Sheesh! Look at all those jackets? Can’t have all those hanging around in a tiny home.

It is important to identify obstacles you will face. It took me all day to go through my RV closet. I had already practiced by filling a plastic bag with clothes and putting them in my Jeep. I went out there twice to retrieve something. I traded those things for something else in my closet that weren’t “me.”

The obstacle??? I love, love, love, resale shops and they love me. I confess that I have some pretty great finds, but much of what I purchased doesn’t meet the criteria listed in my goal.

Here is what I did with the items I culled today.

I ordered a bag online from Thred up. You fill it with quality clothing, purses and jewelry and take it to the post office. They pay the postage. In a few weeks, you receive a check for a small percentage of the value of the items you thought were treasures. The point is…it is gone and you cannot increase your left-behind lot in numbers. You can only add to it if you are willing to give up something. I plan to do this a lot as the seasons change.

I made a list of all the things I sent. I will record other goals in my minima list book. Go get yourself one. It will be a treasure you will want to keep.

I’m on my way to Pearl the human’s. I probably won’t have to walk Pearl the dog ’cause Faith-Hope has been walking her ever since she got here last week. I’m sort of contorted about how I feel about her. She’s a real California girl. She has long, straight-ish hair, and she’s really pretty. Pearl and Grace fawn all over her and brag about her to everyone who will listen to them. I don’t mind so much except I miss Pearl the dog. We haven’t spent much time together since Grace broke her tailbone and Pearl the dog has been kinda my best friend for a long time now.

Thank the Lord, Grace is doing better. She still walks funny, but she went back to her flats with the rubber bands holding them on. She’s worn them for so many years, I guess her feet are trained to walk straight in them. Pearl said that a orthodontist could fit her in better shoes, which seems kinda weird to me, but Grace doesn’t want to listen to Pearl.

Well, I’m not there yet, but I almost am.

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“I’m not sure who to tell this too, but I’m here! Is anybody home?”

I heard Pearl yell from her front room. When I got in there, I noticed she was by herself, and she was doing something I hadn’t seen her do for a while. She was smoking air cigarettes.

“Are you still upset over the Methodist Church basement cooks and their sunrise service tea, Pearl?”

“Heavens no, Essie. I handled that days ago. They settled right down when they found out the tea didn’t have anything sinful in it. When I told them it was made from brewed tea and Tang with a couple of cinnamon sticks thrown in, they decided to serve it at all of their functions. I’ll still make a profit because they don’t know how long to brew the tea and the exact amount of Tang it takes to make it taste as delightful as I’ve convinced them only I can make it. Plus, I have given them the power of exclusivity. Sounds rather heavenly, doesn’t it?  I already talked to the Lutherans, anyway, but they weren’t interested in playing second fiddle to the Methodists.”

“Then why are you taking all the long draws on the air cigarette, Pearl?”

“Well, I’m nervous about Faith. She went south of sixteen to see her grandfather, Mr. Crandall. He bought the house Faith’s mother, Constance grew up in. I don’t think you know this, but Mr. Crandall has been seeing a woman I don’t get along with and I’m sure he’s going to convince Faith that I’ve been, well, meddling in his affairs, and I know she won’t approve.”

“Shh…here she comes. Faith…is that you, dear? Essie and I are in the front room!”

Hope came through the door, threw her purse on the floor and plopped down in a chair.

“Well, that was interesting, Grams,” she said. “Hi Ellie…get ready, you’re about to witness a showdown. “Grams over there has stirred it up again. You are too much, Grams. You are just too much!”

“Well, now, Faith…I’m ever so sorry, but I must run to Pearl’s Busy Nest. I have a busy meeting there in just a few minutes. In the meantime, I have a surprise for you! I know how much you enjoyed being a Murdo High School cheerleader. Well, being the community supporter that I am, I have planned a phenomenal event to help the PTA raise funds for new band uniforms. Anyway, change to the outfit in your room and come to the Nest as soon as you can so we can continue with this phenomenal plan of mine. Essie…there will be an outfit for you at the Nest…chop, chop, girls…I’m off!”

Hope went into her room and changed. She was laughing when she came back out.

“I can see right through those fake glasses of Gram’s and tell what she’s up to. Grandpa Crandall’s new girlfriend is the head of the PTA. They refer to her as Queenie. Grams is in a pickle, Ellie, and she is burning rubber trying to smooth it over. I just love watching her in action. I’m so glad I got back here in time for this!”

“How do I look as a twenty-three year old cheerleader, Ellie?”

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To be continued…..Pearl gives new meaning to the cheer, “Orange and Black, Fight, Fight!!”

With Beastertown all in a fluster, the shining crown was losing it’s luster.

Easter Sunday would soon be here. When would the Easter eggs appear?

The streets of Beastertown were bare. There was no bustling here nor there.

(For goodness sakes…Didn’t they read the book?)

Mayor Beasterhop strolled outside. He knew he must forgo his pride.

There was no use getting all emotional. The tiny house transfer was non-negotiable.

Mrs. Beasterhop said, “You might find this surprising, but I’m cool with downsizing!”

“I’m tired of hoeing carrots and lettuce. We need not let this move upset us.”

Mayor Beasterhop looked at his dear, Bunny. Was she serious or being funny?

He said, “What about Beastertown? The city with the shining crown?

I’ve tried to talk to every rabbit. But move?…They just won’t have it!”

Mrs. Beasterhop smiled.

“Do you fear you’ll take a spill, if you ride your bike up Beasterhop Hill?”

To be continued…

Kip watching the progress on the RV Port.

I’m still just visiting at the factory. They will be moving me onto the lot, Thursday or Friday

Backslash up in the kitchen…ceiling light and fan in living room

Paper towel holder on sale for $3…I didn’t get it!

PG: Ring, ring…hey KK, how much does it cost to put an ad in the paper?

KK: Five bucks an inch. Why? What are you selling?

PG: A ten foot ladder…(click)

KK: Hey PG…did you hear about the call old Mr. O’Leary got from the Doc? He had good news and bad news.

PG: What was the good news, KK?

KK: The doc told old Mr O’Leary he only had 24 hours to live.

PG: Begosh and begoshan, KK! What was the bad news?

KK: Behuh? That’s just what old Mr. O’ Leary asked him.

PG: Boil me a potato and tell me what the doc said, already!!

KK: He said, “The bad news is, I’ve been trying to contact you since yesterday.

PG: Hey, KK…What do you call an Irish man on a couch?

KK: Oh, I don’t know…Paddy O’Furniture?

Sad, huh? Wanna play Irish frisbee? I learned it from me da…

It’s been three weeks and one day since we moved from the small house to the RV, which is our home until the tiny house is completed. We’ve lived in the RV for as long as two months at a time, but it is a little different when you’re traveling around seeing new places, or family and friends you haven’t seen in a while. It’s different when it rains for two and one half weeks and you can’t just up and say, “Gotta go! We follow the sun.”

We absolutely do know how lucky we are that we sold the small house quickly and considering we live with three dogs and a cat, we’re grateful we have our RV to live in while we wait.

What, with our investigative activities, our social obligations, and our chores, including taking time out to walk the dogs several times a day, we have very little spare time.

We are in training for tiny home living. Here are some things I tested just yesterday.

1) I framed these beautiful photographs. They’re tiny enough for the smallest wall.

These three are my new favorite photographs taken by my friend, Dianna Kenobbie Diehm. Woops…The 3rd one isn’t  framed.

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I named this photo “Cloud Lasagna.”

I decided to add a depiction of South Dakota weather.

I spent a portion of the day cleaning all of my silver jewelry with tarnish remover. It took about 1.5 hours, including the 1.25 hours I drove around town looking for tarnish remover. I didn’t remember I don’t have much silver jewelry. I ruined two pieces that were very thinly plated, but I have two necklaces that are blindingy shiny.

Next, I decided to whiten my teeth with some charcoal stuff I saw on TV and found at Dollar General. I ruined two toothbrushes, one T shirt, and used half a bottle of 409 to get the charcoal mess in my tiny sink cleaned up. I didn’t think it through. I should have known a tiny container of charcoal shouldn’t cost twenty dollars even if it did come from a tropical region.

I like to try time saving things seen only on TV, and some of them are worth the one for $9.98 and another free plus shipping and handling. Those handlers make bug bucks. I bought two gel filled cushions. The free one ended up costing four dollars more than the first one.

The hangers that make more room in your closet do, however, work like a charm. I showed Kip and he said, “But I thought I was supposed to have room for more than three shirts, now. You just doubled what you have in the closet.”

Here’s your pretend sign, Kip. I’d give you a real one, but we don’t have any place to put it.

Those little hard boiled egg cookers seen on TV work great! I’ve been on a roll making hardboiled eggs and every kind of tiny omelet you can imagine. It makes a tiny home smell like eggs, though, so you might want to work in some other protein sources once in a while or wait a couple of days if you’re planning to have (a) company over.

Meanwhile, all of my beautiful Beasterhops are in storage. I hope I can spring them before Easter.

More tiny home tips from the tiny home tipsters will be forthcoming as soon as I save up some money.