Murdo Girl…Tiny tipster in training
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.
Murdo Girl…Ellie learns to think it through
I’m on my way over to Pearl the human’s to take Pearl the dog out back to do her business. We’re not going over to The Busy Nest, today. It’s just going to be Pearl the human there… all by her lonesome. Grace had an extremely unfortunate accident yesterday and will be bedridden for a while.
If it hadn’t been so tragic, it would have been kinda funny.
You see, Pearl convinced Grace that she looked trashy in her black flats, because of the rubber bands she had to stretch around her feet to hold them on. Grace just loves flats, but her feet just weren’t made for them. Pearl says Grace’s arch is too high, which makes her foot bow up. When her foot bows up, it’s too short for the shoe which makes the shoe fall off. I know what you’re thinking, because I thought it too. Why doesn’t she buy a smaller shoe? Well, because when she steps down, her weight makes her foot straighten some and that makes the shoe fit a little better. It’s on the uplift that Grace needs the rubber bands.
Anyway, Grace and Pearl were gonna go to Pierre and shop for a serviceable, yet fashionable shoe for Grace, but they couldn’t get away when the stores in Pierre were open, so they had to resort to ordering from the catalog. They weren’t for sure what size Grace wears since her flats never fit her so they had to guess.
They didn’t think it through.
Grace didn’t have those shoes on for more than half an hour when they came untied and one of the fashionable but not so serviceable ribbons got twisted around the leg of the folding chair Grace was sitting on at The Nest. When Grace got up and tried to take a step, the shoe and the chair came with her. Grace made all kinds if moves to try to stay upright and I think the big surprise to all of us was that when she finally stopped reaching and twisting, she actually did land back in the chair. Too bad she wasn’t able to stay in it. She slid right out and onto the floor like a wet noodle. Somewhere along the line she broke her tailbone…and guess what? Both of her shoes fell off. Right now, she’s resting uncomfortably in her bedroom, and Pearl the dog and I have to take care of her. Guess who will be answering all the Dear Grace letters until dear Grace has a less painful day.
It’s the least I can do.
Well I’m not there yet, but I almost am.
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“Hi Grace…Hi Pearl the dog. I’m here, are you?
“Ruff, ruff!”
“Elllllllie?! Hurry, Ellie. I need my donut pillow. Oh my, my, my, my… I’m suffering so, so, so much!”
“Ruff, ruff!”
I tried my best to get Grace situated on her donut before I took Pearl ouside. The poor dog must have been, so, so, so uncomfortable, too. We both hated to go back upstairs to those rooms above Sanderson’s store. It was gonna be a long, long, long, day.
Then I got a great idea. I figured as long as I had to stay with Grace all day, I might as well get the most out of it.
The first thing I did was call Mack’s cafe and order us some big ol’ cinnamon rolls for breakfast.
Mack’s Cafe
“Hello,” I said in a tired sounding voice. “This is Ellie and I’m calling for poor Grace who is laid up over here. I’m sure you heard she took a nasty fall and she is in exCRUNCHiating pain. She is moaning so loud I can hardly understand her, but I believe she is asking for two or… maybe three of your mouth watering cinnamon rolls. The problem is, I don’t have any money and I can’t leave Grace long enough to try to find someone to give me the cash OR come to Mack’s to buy those deLUSHis rolls. Hello! Are you still there?”
Well, they brought us over four huge rolls. On the house. Poor Grace could only eat about a half of one.
Fern’s Cafe
That idea worked so well, I decided to get Grace a juicy cheeseburger and fries from Fern’s Cafe. I told them Grace would surely love some of Fern’s deLUSHis chocolate cake with that fudge frosting. They brought over enough burgers and fries, and chocolate cake to feed four people. Too bad Grace wasn’t hungry because it sure was good.I ate hers and mine. Pearl the dog didn’t want any.
I didn’t think it through.
By the time Pearl the human got home, I was sound asleep right there in bed beside Grace. I only woke up because I kept hearing, “Ruff, Ruff,” and, “Hurry, Pearl! Oh, my, my, my, my…I am suffering so, so, so, much!”
“Settle down now, Grace,” Pearl said. “I brought us all BBQ sandwiches, french fries and chocolate malts from the Frosty Freeze. Where are you going, Essie? Let’s eat while it’s hot!! You must be starving!”
“Ruff, ruff…feed me, please.”
Murdo Girl…A birthday bouquet for Sue
Have I told you that we painted, today? Sue wanted to cause it’s her birthday.
“What next?” You might say. (Read really fast, it sounds better that way.)
Not the wall in the hall or the nails on our fingers, it seems long ago, now…but the memory lingers.
I began with a canvas and puddles of paint, not one ounce of talent and void of restraint.
I forged ahead and dalooped my tulips, piled colors on colors and sipped on mint juleps. Not really, but it rhymes. I try to do that when writing poetry, sometimes.
When I finished my flowers I dried them real dry with the heat of a hair dryer turned way up on high.
I wasn’t alone there, no I was invited, along with eight others who were really excited, a cute little dog and a lady to teach us how to paint like Van Gogh and create masterpieces.
I’ve never seen anything like it before. When Sue said, “Let’s do this.” I asked, “What for?”
“It’s my birthday,” she said. “We will do as I please. My friends will bring crackers and dips with cream cheese. Did you bring me a card or forget it, again? Never mind, let’s have fun! And then…
“We’ll sing happy birthday, and Fran made a cake. We’ll each paint a flowery and leafy keepsake.”
“We will add words of wisdom… hold our canvas up proudly. We’ll stand shoulder to shoulder. Please try not to crowd me…take a bunch of cool pictures before saying goodbye. It’s my best birthday ever!” Sue said with a sigh.
Sue went from friend to friend and admired their artwork. When she got to me, she gave me a smirk…
She looked at my flowers then smiled, casually, and thanked me for bringing the tasty spiced tea.
My flowers looked wilted and the leaves looked disgraced, but they’ll hang on my wall in a prominant place.
Happy birthday sweet Sue…let’s do this again.
I can hear all our friends say a hearty, AMEN!
Write AMEN, Lady J!
Murdo Girl…Tiny tippers
Remember not too long ago when Kip and I were making plans to pilot a new show for HGTV. Sherri Miller suggested we call it “Tiny Tippers”, which was a good idea. Since we aren’t going to buy a new tiny home every week, the premise will be for us to give helpful tips on the ins and outs of getting a tiny home from conception to completion. The new word for tips, is actually hacks, but “Tiny Hackers,” reminds me too much of the cold I just recovered from.
Anyway, we will eventually complete our pilot, but we’re at a standstill right now, so we came up with something to keep us busy and still be able to use the ingenious name, “Tiny Tippers.” Here’s how we came up with the alternate usage.
We currently live in an RV Park right on Main Street in Gun Barrel City. We have to walk our dogs several times a day which gives us…shall we say, “opportunities” to notice what people are doing. Unless we know them, we really don’t care what they’re doing so we only spy on…not really spy…what is a good word that means something like spy, but not offensive? Anyway, we only detect and make note of what people we know are doing.
Today, for instance, we happened to be walking over by East Texas Medical Center. We saw a lady who looked like Helen P. hop out of her car and jump into a man’s car. Kip yelled, “Hey! What are you doing?”
Helen turned around and said, “We’re going to get a hot dog, and then we’re going to come back here and walk.”
While Kip had Helen distracted, I took the dogs and walked over to the other side of the car so I could identify the man Helen was apparently rendezvousing with in the parking lot… in broad daylight, no less.
Well, it was Gary P, Helen P’s husband, which is beside the point entirely. It could have been someone we didn’t know, in which case, we wouldn’t have paid any attention to him unless, of course, Helen wanted to introduce us.
Tip: No matter what you suspect, always drill down until you get to the truth.
Later, we saw Don R running into ETMC. He was carrying a suspicious looking bag. We were quite a distance away and the dogs were getting too tired to move fast. Hence, we weren’t able to get Don R’s attention, so we went on to complete our walk. When we came back through the ETMC parking lot, Kip said, “Hey look! There is Don R’s car and it’s parked all crooked. What do you suppose that means?”
I had an idea!!
“Don’t you remember how fast he was running to get into the building with his little bag? The way he was hanging on to it, I’m sure it was probably full of money. Maybe Gary and Helen P are blackmailing him and he was rushing into the gym where they were going to walk after they had their hot dog.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Kip said. “There is Mary Ann R ‘s car parked next to her husband, Don R’s car. Man, they are taking up three parking spaces, and they’re good ones too!”
At that point, we had to go back to the RV because the dogs wanted water.
We are left with one unanswered question. Why the heck do all these husbands and wives take separate cars to the ETMC gym? Look at all the time they have caused the “Tiny Tippers” to waste!
Later, we left to meet our Tuesday night dinner group in Athens. We both rode over in Kip’s truck. On the way there, we agreed to keep the events of the day to ourselves. We don’t think it’s necessary to “tip” people off. We will only talk about any given incident if there is dirt involved, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, if we don’t get some dirt soon, we’re going have to go out there and meet some people who aren’t so stoic. There is no money in spying on stoic people.
We went to a Chinese food restaurant tonight. You will not believe what I found when I opened up my fortune cookie.
It really inspired me.
Below, is the little girl who once swam at the swimming dam east of Murdo, SD. Pink Sandy taught me how to swim. His grandson, Wayne Esmay, shared this picture with me today.
I’ve grownup so much. I was the only kid in this picture who was still wearing a life belt. I no longer wear one, and I don’t hold my nose when I go under anymore, either.
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We can’t afford any cards yet, but if you require “Tiny Tippers’ ” services you can contact us at the ##### RV Park, space ### in Gun Barrel City. We’re in the RV with the busted up door. It’s been that way since the other night when we accidentally got locked out and the police had to come and show us how to break the door in. (Our dogs bite and the door is well barricaded.)
Tiny Tippers…If we don’t find dirt, no one gets hurt…We’re not bored, we’re just broke.
**Kip sat by Barbara S tonight and I sat next to Sara H. We got nothing. I probably could have gotten something on Bear J who sat across from us, but I passed on it because he’s going to help me back-up the dirt on my computer on Monday.**
Tomorrow is another day. I’m going to a painting place with some friends where we will eat and paint. I can’t paint, so I’ll try to overeavesdrop some dirt or at least a light dusting.
Murdo Girl…Beastertown, USA
Several months ago, I began writing a sequel to the children’s book I published last year right before Easter. We Shall See what We Shall See is a story about having faith in things you cannot see. The inspiration for the book was a memory of a story I told my dad when I was a little girl. It was about a character I made up. I called him The Beasterhop.
Since Beastertown, USA is far from being ready to publish, I decided to share some of what I have written with you. I’m hoping you will want to share the stories about the townspeople with the little ones in your life. This is just the beginning of Beastertown, USA.
Welcome to Beastertown
We are the shining crown
Of rabbit cities everywhere. None other can quite compare.
We treat others with respect and go beyond what they expect.
When it rains, we see the sun, and rainbows surround everyone.
Promises are never broken, and unkind words are never spoken.
When you speak, we will hear. There’s nothing in our town to fear.
What is right, is never wrong. In Beastertown we get along.
We try hard to break bad habits, but remember… we’re all rabbits.
Perfection is not expected. Most mistakes can be corrected.
We might say, “For Heaven’s sake, learn from the mistakes you make.”
Come and see us everyone. We promise you’ll have lots of fun.
The Beasterhop has much to do, and many families to answer to.
He’s the Mayor of our growing town..The city with the shining crown.
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Golden Rule School
In Beastertown bunnies go to school and learn about the Golden Rule.
Before you say what you’ll regret, to someone who won’t soon forget, ask what would happen if you put.. the same shoe on the other foot.
Think about how you would feel.. if others said what was not real, but made -up stories that did not flatter. Would you say, “It doesn’t matter?”
Could you be a friend to one, who caused harm to… anyone, because they told tales out of school and didn’t follow the golden rule?
The Beasterhop comes here every day, and listens to what the children say.
They all know how much he cares. Yes… no one else quite compares
to the Beasterhop
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Murdo Girl…I left my crown
This song was requested by Carol the singer. She wants two songs. I did my best. Sing it, gang.
I just love Liverachi…The words are below
I left my crown in 1880 town
Low on a knoll, it calls to me.
To be there dancing with the bears, while Kevin Costner stares
Road trip gang… oh please help me.
My crown waits there…in 1880 town
High on the water tower that looms above
Who needs little cable cars that climb halfway to the stars
The morning brain fog won’t clear… even there, so we don’t care.
When we return to you…My 1880 town
My golden crown will shine on us….and the queen’s tour bus
(A few pictures from the Road Trip Gang’s summer of 17 road trip.)
The loveliness of Mabank… seems so far away
The glory that was Wyoming… is of another day
I’ve been without my usual spark… and lost inside this RV park
I’m about to move to tiny town…I need my crown.
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If I can’t find my shiny crown…in 1880 town
I surely will despair…I’ll no longer have a pair
Because I think I left my head there tooooooo….
(The gang…)
With neither head nor crown… what will she dooooo???
Tiny Town without a crown?
She’ll Boohoo, boohoo, boohoo and then she’ll sue…
The End
Murdo Girl…Help abounds
I really, really need a help yourself, self-help course. I have thought about it long enough and it is now time to help myself to things… other than candy and cookies and giving voice to strange thoughts. I have been the ring leader, in fact, the inspiration of the idea that the Whiteboard House can reinvent itself. Clever of me, wasn’t it? What else could be done to re-purpose an old grade school building full of small desks and smaller cartons of milk? I am no pioneer. I am a starter rather than a finisher, but this time, I am going to hang in there until I have seen this awesome juice plan fizzle out completely.
My mantra:
Ask not what you can do to help yourself. Ask what you can do to self-help everybody else in your life. It’s called focusing on something you can’t change…other people. Remember…if you are pointing your finger at someone else, there are three more fingers pointing at the people behind you. That’s a lot of people to set straight. Let us take action, now!!!
The first of several meetings planned to help us see the good in trashing other people. MG is sharing and chairing.
MG: Thank you so much for attending this groundbreaking meeting of the partial minds. We don’t want to give this our all, my friends. That would be a grievous mistake. We have nothing to gain, so please give it all the seriousness it deserves. I’m a blank slate, so I will open the meeting up for discussion. Lav, you look like you might be having a congruent thought. How does that feel?
Lav: It’s such a challenge, MG. How do I decide who to talk crap about first? BTW…it’s not much fun unloading my opinions when the objects of my denigrating remarks spoken in a soft, syrupy, lilting voice, are sitting there looking at me.
MG: Zackly! Who would you like to ask to leave, Lav?
Lav: Huh?
MG: No one word answers, please.
Lav: Do I look stupid, MG? If I asked you to leave, then I would be the only one here. Where is everybody? I am helpless and helping myself is not an option. Why do you think I come to Murdo and hang out with you? If I wanted change in my life, I would stay home.
There is a ringing sound occurring in MG’s ears. That is a hard call to answer, but thankfully, that won’t be necessary. The gang is here.
Carol: If you don’t mind, MG, we would like to start off this groundbreaking meeting of the partial minds with a medley of one appropriate tune. I will start.
My Way
Carol the singer
And now, the end is near
And so you face the final curtain
Next Pres MG, I’ll say it clear
I’ll state your case, of which I’m certain
And so you face the final curtain
Next Pres MG, I’ll say it clear
I’ll state your case, of which I’m certain
you’ve been a Queen south of sixteen
You’ve traveled one big deadened highway
But more, much more than this…
You’ve traveled one big deadened highway
But more, much more than this…
Grab the mic, Presho Girl…
Regrets, you’ve had a few
But your mistakes were pretty many.
You did what you wanted to
And we saw it through without a penny.
We had some parties…fit for Queens and we never once wore Mom jeans. (Plus, we funded them all with beans,)
sing it sister, TC
You planned our chartered course
And each mis-step along the byway
And more, much more than this
You did it your way…
And each mis-step along the byway
And more, much more than this
You did it your way…
Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more cheese than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out…yuck
When I bit off more cheese than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out…yuck
(MG blurts out)
You faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way!!
And did it my way!!
Oh, sorry…who is next? Aggressive Informant?
I can’t sing. I’m wearing sunglasses.
Jerry and Treason try a duet…
You’ve loved, you’ve laughed and cried
You’ve had your fill your share of losing
You’ve had your fill your share of losing
And now, as tears subside
We find it all so amusing
We find it all so amusing
Hahahaha
Pico and Dm come dancing in. They have to dance the two step because they are both recovering from knee replacement surgery, therefore, out of four feet, only two can dance.
And now,…
To think you did all that
And may we say – not in a shy way
Oh no, not you
You stepped on some toes and did it your way…
And may we say – not in a shy way
Oh no, not you
You stepped on some toes and did it your way…
Lav and MG bring it to a painful end.
For what is a Queen ? What has she got
If not herself, then she has naught.
To say the things she truly feels
And not the words of thoughtless heels
The record shows we took the bows
And did it our way…
If not herself, then she has naught.
To say the things she truly feels
And not the words of thoughtless heels
The record shows we took the bows
And did it our way…
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Yes, it was myyy..yua waaaay..
Murdo Girl…The Brick House..Anarchy
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…
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Murdo Girl…Rolling out Mo’Q and Ch’kip
I want you to know that I take my job as the self-appointed tiny home queen of Mabank, TX very seriously. It’s mucho work, but the pilot we are taping will surely win us that coveted slot on HGTV soon to be vacated by Chip and Jo.
Ch’kip and Mo’Q are destined to be the next HGTV sensations. We will make it happen or I don’t have a big crown on my head. What time is their show on, anyway? I hope it’s over by nine. 
I’ve started to emulate Jo on “Fixer Upper.” Our tiny home is not a fixer upper, but Ch’kip is. We will have to study and shop and be very creative. I will have people make things for me like Jo does.
We won’t do one thing I’ve noticed the Gaines do. They tell people it’s going to cost them $150,235.24, which is always right at the top of the budget. Then a few days later, they say, “Uh oh, we ran into wood rot so you’ll have to cough up another three grand.” The people can’t complain, because they’re on TV. We’ll just dry it out with a fan and burn a candle to get rid of the musty smell.
We’re in the process of readying our tiny Camelot for the viewing, unveiling, or whatever you call it. I worked all day on my sketches, so I hope you’ll appreciate them…a lot.
Back of house
Facing street
Here, I fooled around with some different ideas…We were going to use re-purposed pantyhose to make the rug, but the hose wouldn’t take the dye, so we just bought the rug at Target. I might take it back and try weaving a rug from colorful tights. Now that winter is almost over, I can probably get some on sale. I can re-purpose the rug next fall by taking it apart and wearing the tights.
To give it that 70’s look, I brought out an ashtray.
This is a bathroom. It doesn’t really look much like ours, but I was trying to decide on a stack-able washer and dryer. This set is on sale through tomorrow. This isn’t where it goes.
Full disclosure, here. None of these pictures are of our tiny house. This is a model home we spotted that looks a little bit like our house will when it’s built. The outside is pretty similar except the steps to the deck are on the short side which will be the front of the house. That 2 x 4 has to go. Ch’kip might be able to whittle something out of it…possibly a set of venetian blinds.
We don’t have anything on the walls yet, but we have thirty minutes before the showing, right Ch’kip?
