Those 70ish Girls

It got a little crazy here today..figuratively and literally. When you’re losing it, the Brick House is the best place to go right?

I thought we’d do a little reminiscing about all the places MG took us last year. Let’s see..was it 1978 or 2016? I guess it doesn’t matter. It was a whole lot of fun for this Murdo Girl.

Lav’s next. Yeah..she has to sing on the blog. She doesn’t know it yet, but I know she’ll do it. I’m not sure, but I think she can carry a tune.

I promise, this will be the last time for me this year..whatever year it is.

I gotta get some older pics in here

I gotta have a pic of the Brick House. I heard they had a great party there New Years Eve. “Put on your good dress Queenies..Put that crown hat on your head.”

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We arrived home from Galveston just as darkness was creeping over the land. We packed up what we needed for the night, grabbed the dogs, (put a towel over the cat’s head so she wouldn’t freak out on the way to the house), locked up our rolling house, and settled back into the house that stays in one place. Then we took a deep breath just as you are now. Everything else can wait until tomorrow to be transferred.

We’re almost home girls

I said “Watch me Now” Lav!!

I was determined to wrap-up the rap everybody is holding my feet to the fire to perform, so I figured out a way. We are going to suffer through this rap if it’s the last thing I do as the self-appointed Murdo Girl. (That may be overstating the worst case scenario for me, so forget the “last thing I do as MG” part.) The only problem was, I didn’t bring any of my crowns in. I had packed every single one of them for the trip. You would think I would have had one laying around here somewhere, but I didn’t. I was happy to see my new T shirt in the mail. It has a crown on it so I forged ahead.

They call me Mellow Yellow..That’s my song

As you view this exceptional display of talent, try to remember this whole thing got started because I can’t sing. Val was trying to help me participate in the karaoke NYE/birthday party at the Jamaica RV park in Galveston. I did perform the rap along with 3 friends, but there was a recording snafu, and at a karaoke party, there are no rap do-overs. So here you go. I have performed.

THANK YOU

“Watch me Now”

Written by Valerie Halla and rapped by sometime rapper and full-time   Murdo Girl

This is Val/Lav..If you ever need a rap song, she writes them. She likes to hang out with the stars.

I hope all of you reading this post are enjoying this first day of a brand new year. 2016 was a year I will continue to relive as long as this, now 65-year-old brain will let me… and the best thing is, I won’t have to embellish one bit. It was magical because of all of you.

You might be wondering about the title of this post. When we got back to the RV last night, we turned on the TV to check out what was happening in New York. We watched the ball drop at 11:00 p.m. at the NYE/birthday party, but didn’t catch much of Mariah Carey’s performance. It sounds like she experienced a lip syncing snafu. Her comment as she walked off the stage was, “It doesn’t get any better than this.” I don’t think she meant it.

My experience, and later remarks, were heartfelt to say the least. The Moody Queens..let’s see, how can I say this? Well, let’s just say “Watch me Now” was right up there with the performance of the night. After a little bit of a rocky start, we finished on a “high note.” Everybody was watching except the cameraman.

I only stomped my feet and pouted for a little while. You have no idea how badly I wanted to show all of you the fun and funny rap song Cousin Val wrote for me. My team of volunteered singers were such good sports, and Ron Spahlinger, the real talent of the night, did his best to support our efforts. Thank you to Ron, his wife Barbara, Linda Goode and Bev Hartenbach. Bev and Linda each sang beautifully later in the evening.

All is not lost my friends. I sang again later too. I performed my old standby, “I’ve got Heartaches by the Number.” (An old Ray Price tune.) Two people recorded it for me and as soon as I get it downloaded, I will ready it for your enjoyment. You WILL enjoy it, or at least say you did okay?

Meanwhile, here are a few pictures of our glorious, fabulous, and fun New Years Eve and my 65th birthday celebration.

It’s all good and best of all, I’m now eligible for medicare. I hope you are having a great day with family and friends. We are going to enjoy a long walk on the beach followed by dinner with our camping family.

READY OR NOT, HERE I COME

WAIT!! I’M NOT READY

WATCH ME NOW…

NOW WE’RE HAVING FUN…WE CAN GET DOWN WITH THE GROOVE IF SOMEBODY HELPS US GET BACK UP!!

THANKS GIRLS, FRIENDS AT HOME, AND BACK HOME, FOR THE BEST TIME EVER AND FOR HELPING ME “MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT.”

THANKS KIP FOR GIVING ME THE GOODLIFE

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Heartaches by the number, sung by Murdo Girl. There was a lot of background noise. Apparently some weren’t impressed. They talked amongst each other and took the opportunity to visit the restroom.

This is a reminiscing rerun. They’re different from the other kind.

All those years ago when the south of 16 kids and I fashioned that first crown out of tinfoil, we had no idea what it would lead to. A crown by definition should be made out of precious metals and adorned with jewels. I doubt many would consider tinfoil a precious metal..not even the heavy-duty kind. We didn’t think about gluing jewels onto the adornment.

Crowns symbolize victory, immortality, or the highest part of something. That’s pretty heavy stuff for a 7 yr old, even if she does have a red Kitty Reynold’s gown. It’s hard to believe there was a 10 yr crown drought between the queen of the neighborhood queen, and the Murdo homecoming parade queen…And..let’s see 64 minus 17 is…47. Yikes! I waited 47 years to wear another tinfoil crown minus jewels.

 My mother was Miss Highway 16 almost 78 years ago. She wasn’t Queen of the whole highway, just the Murdo part. She wasn’t a self-proclaimed Queen like I am. She was chosen to reign. She got to go to the Corn Palace in Mitchell even though she didn’t have a crown. She wore a felt hat. She was 18 and beautiful. I think she would be proud of me for trying to keep the dream alive.

I am humbled by the fact that I chose to speak for crown wearers everywhere. Oh I know there is a certain amount of crown envy out there, but you won’t hear me complaining. It was kind of fun signing that autograph when I was in Murdo last summer.

So what does this mean? Give me a minute. I’m getting there.

I can’t think of a thing.

Cousin Val, (sometimes she’s Val and sometimes she’s Lav), represented Queen Elizabeth in the All School Reunion parade last summer. If you saw her, you must have been hard pressed to connect Val with Queen E. I thought she would wear a grey wig…or a powdered one like George Washington, but she just put blonde highlights in her hair.

She was supposed to look sort of matronly like Queen Elizabeth. Here is a side by side comparison.

Not exactly twinsies, but you can’t blame Lav for not wanting to look 90. All she aspired to anyway was to ride in a red convertible.

It’s not really about us. It’s about the future. Who’s going to fill our shoes, or our crowns?

Are there other 7 yr olds out there who are sitting on a folding chair in a horse-drawn red wagon? If some little girl is trying to emulate Murdo Girl, she needs to know it doesn’t happen overnight. Look at me? I only just now figured out it took me 47 years.

Are there other Lavs out there? I guess you could say Lav zumbad her way to crowning glory. She’s gone through some hard times too. Her $62.00 crown broke. It takes guts to continue to wear a broken crown.

That isn’t what I meant by the highest part of something Lav.

 I think Lav’s ladder is leaning against the wrong wall anyway. When she gets to the top, she will realize she’s on a ladder to nowhere. (I just love metaphors don’t you?) If Lav thinks the real Queen E is going anywhere soon, it’s just wistful thinking.

Someone please tell Queen E the Coyote colors are no longer orange and black! She thinks she’s in the band.

Far be it from me to be a wet blanket on a little girl’s fantasy. I just offer these few words of advice.

1.Never ever be embarrassed to wear your crown in public.

2.Only remove your crown if the tinfoil needs replaced or in Lav’s case, you need to hot glue a broken piece.

3.Lav doesn’t do this, but it could be the reason her crown broke. I always take my crown off at night.

3. Do not go out in public without makeup on unless you have a crown like this!

4. Listen closely to this one. YOUR PETS DO NOT HAVE TO WEAR A CROWN! Just because you are royalty doesn’t mean your fur babies want to be.

On the other hand, some animals love to wear a tiara.

Yes, even you might be a Queen or a King someday…Dream on honey 🙂

That’s it for now. I am procrastinating. I have to pack for Galveston and prepare for my birthday rap debut. If I don’t get it right and record it, I’ll never hear the end of it!

 

Twas the night before Christmas and all through Brick House

There was only one stirring in the cold, old school house

Outside the snow was piled belly- high to a mule

And the heat wasn’t working cause they ran out of fuel

Lav put on her coat and without even a peep

Let herself out to go hot-wire the Jeep.

She would go and get firewood. A fire should help some

Though she didn’t know it, her idea was real dumb

She put pedal to metal like you would in a race

Too bad in the Brick House there is no fireplace

“We ALL have pneumonia!” The Town Crier cried

“Donate some fuel or we’ll die!” TC lied

Even though her idea was surely no winner

You can hate the sin, but still love the sinner

MG, at the truck stop warming up in the shower

knew the Brick House would soon be without power

They couldn’t pay the electricity bill..

With a heavy heart, she walked back up the hill

Jerry’s job isn’t as easy as it looks

You can cook the beans, but you can’t cook the books

No beans for electricity, no beans for the fuel

On the Eve of Christmas, the world sure seemed cruel

Pico went to Beckwith’s to sell her gold locket

To Brick House the dollars. The change she will pocket

DM, the defense monitor, was very perplexed

without power or fuel, what would be next?

His job was to keep the Brick House from danger

What they all needed was a real game changer

The Aggressive Informant, also known as A I

Was really depressed cause she couldn’t spy.

She had to keep Air force -1 on the ground

Maybe she should get herself a Blood Hound

Treason thought she’d put an ad in the Coyote

So maybe this story could end on a high note

The ad says, “Come to the Brick House Party this New Years Eve”

It will be 2016 when you get here… 2017 when you leave

Bring a donation, food, drink and a coat

Will you help Next Pres, or will it be all she wrote

When the party is over, there will be people to thank

Then Carol can sing all the way to the bank

It appears our Sherri will be drawing photos all night!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

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It’s Murdo Girl’s BIRTHDAY, so please don’t be late.

She wants you to come so we can all celebrate!

I told her not to take any wooden crowns!!