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Murdo Girl…Moving right along
We had some good family times while we lived on the lake. Scott proposed to Heather on the 4th of July one year. It was a big surprise to everyone including Heather. In the picture below, Scott looks a hundred times calmer than he did before she said yes. My friend, Mary, and her daughter, Katie were there. Mary was in the bathroom changing into her swimming suit and missed the whole thing.
We had a birthday party for Sadie when she turned fifteen. We don’t do this for all of our dogs, but she was very special to our whole family. She was Kip’s Mom’s dog and the only one who was with her when she passed away. I couldn’t believe how good she was during her photo shoot for the invitations. Olivia got to blow out the candles and Kip got to open the presents which were mostly bones. We had nine family members there to help Sadie celebrate.
I’m going to stick in a few more camping pictures here.
I could only find one of the inside of the little travel trailer. Heather is on the left and Nikki is sleeping. I didn’t do a very good job taking the picture…sorry Heather. The one on the lower right is of Mason and Kip on that fateful day of the fateful night at Dangerfield State Park. Below are pictures of the lake house, Craig skiing, and Billy and I on the boat. I ran across tons of pictures I took of people skiing, but you can’t tell who it is in most of them. Billy loved our lake house. He liked to sit out on the back deck and smoke his cigars.
We decided to sell the lake house because we didn’t feel like we were really “getting away.” So we sold everything and moved to the country.
Murdo Girl…The evolution of McNinch camping
Thirty-five or so years ago, Kip suggested we take our sleeping bags up on Casper Mountain and sleep outside under the stars. It was fun until it rained and we had to roll up sleeping bags heavy with rainwater, put them in the trunk, and drive back home. We didn’t even get a chance to eat the fried chicken we brought with us.
A year or so later, we remembered that experience and bought a tent. We took the kids and went to Dangerfield State Park. We had been there on a day trip and had a lot of fun. They have a little pond and paddleboats to play with.
The camping trip was fun, too. In fact, we had only planned to stay two nights, but we decided since it was a long weekend, we would stay another night.
Big mistake…This time, it began to pour down rain around midnight. I was sleeping on one side of the tent, Kip was on the other side, and the boys were in the middle. Our dog, Baby Jane, was lying at our feet next to the tent opening which was zipped shut.
Craig had enjoyed a nerd milkshake at Dairy Queen along with his hamburger for dinner. Apparently his stomach didn’t like the combination. He said, “Mom, I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Kip!” I shouted, “Hurry up and unzip the door, and move Baby Jane.” He came out of a deep sleep and began to follow my instructions and then decided he wanted more information before going out into the pouring down rain in the middle of the night. The wind was blowing pretty hard as well.
Kip turned and asked, “Now why am I unzipping this and going outside?” Just then Craig got sick before Baby Jane had a chance to move out of the way. We spent the remainder of the night taking turns going outside with Craig…and the rain didn’t stop. By the time it was finally light enough for us to go to the campground’s bathrooms and clean up, Craig was feeling better and the rain had stopped. We even went out for breakfast though we made him sit closest to the door. I doubt he’s had a nerd shake since.
We tent camped a few more times before Kip started looking for a small used camper. He not only found a cute little camper, we bought a ski boat, skis, tubes and knee boards. There are a lot of lakes around Dallas and we had several summers of fun with that little camper.
We were so into boating and skiing that we decided we wanted to live by a lake so we sold our house and moved to a lake house about an hour’s drive from Dallas. Kip and I commuted for several years. He made that drive longer than I did.
We sold the little camper to a little couple. When they came to our house to pay us and get the title, our little Westie, Sadie, took everything out of the ladies purse which was sitting on the floor by the table where we were completing the transaction. She had hidden things like the ladie’s wallet all over the house without us seeing her. Kip and I were mortified as we hunted everything down.
You would think that living on the lake would be better than camping, right?
To be continued
Murdo Girl…The old ball and chain
After spending much of the last couple of days going through old pictures, I probably look like our granddaughter Skyler did when her dad held a flower up to her nose…cross-eyed.
Going way back… I found this picture of Kip with the ball and chain the girls at the bank where he worked made him wear a few days before our wedding.
If you’ve been following the blog, you’ll probably remember in the young Murdo Girl stories, my parents insisted I make a trip to New York to visit my Aunt Barbara and Uncle Chuck, and their kids, Abby and Paul. Western Airlines had been on strike for several weeks and I thought their planes would be rusty and I would crash and die before I got to start high school. I had to miss the first week of my freshman year and that seemed like the end of the world to me. This is the postcard I sent home from New York. Marlene was my best friend and Berferd was my dog.
It’s too bad we don’t write letters anymore. Even postcards would be fun to get.
I love these pictures of Olivia and Charlie playing in the rain…
I wrote a Christmas play for Kip, Olivia, Mason Jr. and me one year…imagine that! Kip was a reindeer. Looks like one of his antlers is broken. The pictures of Gus playing Santa and Olivia and Seamus staring at each other are Christmas photographs, too.
Well, I would like to say this has been fun. And it has been for me. I could go on forever and I just might.
Murdo Girl…Lo and behold
This is not going to be a rhyming post. My rhymer is worn out. Besides, I have been going through every one of my printed pictures. Remember those? These photographs are not in the cloud. They’re all over my cottage floor. I’m trying to cull them out a little so when I want one to use in the blog, I’ll know where to find it in hours rather than days. So often, I can see the picture in my mind, but can’t find it in the cloud, on the computer, a memory stick or some other means of storage. I use them all.
I found a few that I hadn’t seen in a while…
Usually, Kip only wore his dress socks with shorts when he came home from work and changed out of his suit. Even then, the kids would ask him not to wear brown socks with his shorts. Maybe he forgot to pack his white socks when we were on this short vacation. The girl on the right, is Kip’s sister, Karlyce. I’m sure Heidi and Heather refused to be in the picture since Dad had his dress socks on.
These next pictures are rare photographs of Yram’s twin sister, Ecnatsnoc Sicnarf, Nat for short. She is not a crack up reporter. She used to be a pretty sly gumshoe, but sadly, she isn’t able to sneak around undetected anymore. Maybe after the baby is born.
***This was actually a costume I wore for Halloween shortly before we moved from Denver to Dallas. Unbeknownst to me, some tricksters in Denver sent these pictures to Dallas and told them they were recent photographs of their new underwriter. My new Dallas coworkers knew I had been wearing a costume of course, but a couple of them asked me how the baby was doing.
Our office manager in Denver had two babies close together and she wore this dress over and over again. We were all pretty sick of it.
I had someone who babysat for her occasionally get the dress. I came to the office party as Debbie who is blond, and wears glasses. She is much prettier than Nat.
The yellowed newspaper clipping, below, is one Mom sent to me after we moved to Texas. She wanted me to be prepared for roaches. This lady’s mother, who by the way is from Florida, called them palmetto bugs which sounds better than roaches don’t you think?
You won’t believe the things I have run across…well, maybe you will because you know me and what my mom was like. I’m having fun sorting, but I don’t know how many of these treasures I’ll be able to part with.
Murdo Girl…Her card business (or not)
I missed the birthday of a very special friend. (I sent a lame text message when the day was at its end.)
Happy Birthday Card
How can I rectify this terrible fauxpas? I can’t sing happy birthday. The words stick in my craw.
I have no good ideas. I hope this card suffices. I’ll send it in a day or two from one of my devices.
I love, love, love your new red-netted throne. You can hold court in it and Bow can eat his bone.
Get Well Card
I have a special friend who had an operation. I fear that her recovery won’t be like a vacation
Hello dearest Pat, You’ll soon be good as new. Your shoulder was repaired with a plate and screw or two.
Once you’ve healed a little, you’ll get some therapy. They say those boring exercises really are the key.
All your friends and family are sorry that you fell. They know that you will persevere and they all wish you well.
Tonight I’ll say a prayer and ask God to comfort you. He’ll give you the strength to do what you must do.
I love you many bunches…
A BIG BIRTHDAY CARD
Last week my niece, Erin, calmly celebrated a birthday that I must admit, left me devastated.
She’s the baby of our family, but I hope she doesn’t mind… sharing with her Aunt MG the age of thirty-nine.
A special birthday greeting was privately shared with Erin the day before her big day… Happy Birthday sweet Erin.
Murdo Girl…The outlaws
The four men called themselves “The Outlaws.”
One of them is missing in the photograph herein.
He was a card-carrying member of “The Outlaws.”
His name was Robert and he lived in Michigan.
By all accounts he liked it there in Michigan.
The guy on the left went by Al.
He lived in Pennsylvania, SD, and Califor-ni-aye
He married a girl from Murdo. (She was quite a gal.)
When Al joined “The Outlaws,” it caused her no dismay.
Yes by all accounts it caused her no dismay.
Jerry is the name of the man on the right.
He was the youngest of all “The Outlaw” guys.
When Jerry spoke, he was always quite polite
Yes Jerry was “The Outlaw” who was easiest on the eyes.
By all accounts he was easy on the eyes.
Bill is “The Outlaw” in the middle.
Of the four “Outlaws” he was the most notorious.
He could quote Shakespeare or riddle you a riddle
He was good natured and his kids were glorious.
Yes, by all accounts Bill’s kids were glorious.
There is a reason why they called themselves “The Outlaws”
They all married daughters of M.E.
Mr. Sanderson said they were son-in-laws not outlaws.
He said, “It’s all the same to me.”
“I gave them my daughters which should have set me free.”
He didn’t want to be set free if you ask me.
By all accounts he never was set free.
Murdo Girl…A storybook life
I’m Empress the dancing pig. I thought I’d found a dancing gig.
But when it never did pan out, my owner kicked my pig can out.
She took me to the GW store…My price tag fell onto the floor.
I fear no one will know my worth? My tutu barely fits my girth.
A real strange nice person wanted me. She said her heart was filled with glee!
Cause no one knew how much I cost. Another chance for me, was lost.
Couldn’t they just take a guess? Then I could be a great success!!
The stranger said not to worry, for tomorrow she would hurry.
She said, “I’ll come and buy you honey, shine your crown, and give you money.
I’ll fill your empty hole inside. You’ll wear that purple crown with pride!”
She said she’d take me off this shelf and teach me to self-help myself.
Well… that glorious life was not to be. Another person purchased me.
She didn’t give me a chance… to show her how this pig can dance.
She took me to an uptown store. Where I will be forever more.
She gave me a close inspection. She wanted me for her collection.
It seems I’m worth thousands more, than the price she paid at the Goodwill Store.
Though now I’m with the big deal pigs, I rather miss my dancing gigs.
Why am I worth so much dough? The me inside still feels hollow.
I was in this store a week or more, when I found a boy pig I adore.
My name is Emperor and I’m a boar. I don’t belong in this uptown store.
I will learn to dance the jig and we’ll find us a dancing gig.
I’m really not the marrying kind, but I fear they’ll make me fried pig rind.
The Emperor and Empress…, soon became a great success.
They danced the jig in every town and raised three piglets who built houses.
Murdo Girl…You don’t know what you don’t know.
She walked into the school room. She looked out of place.
“Don’t sit by me,” I whispered. “Find some other space.”
She was totally disheveled from her head down to her feet.
There was not one thing about her that resembled clean or neat.
She looked my way and I knew at once that she could see me staring.
I guess it might have looked to her like I was rudely glaring.
She had no pride or money one who saw her would assume.
Thankfully, she chose a desk on the far side of the room.
She said, “Excuse me teacher. “I know I look a mess.
I had no time to bathe or put on a nice clean dress.
Late into the night, we heard someone knocking at our door.
A little neighbor asked us to watch, Joe, her Labrador.
A fire was burning in her house and the fire truck was coming.
When the siren started blaring, she knew Joe would take off running.
Mamma held onto Joe and I followed the little waif.
She went to watch the fire and I had to keep her safe.
The house burned to the ground as if it was made of paper-mache.
The family and Joe went to their Grandma’s house to stay.
We just moved to town and it’s my first day at this school.
Though I was late today, I almost never break a rule.
Thank you for your gift of time. I wanted to explain.
Though to worry about my dirty dress will make me appear vain.”
When she sat down at her desk, she looked calmer than before.
I turned my eyes away and began staring at the floor.
I could almost hear the stern voice of my otherwise sweet mother.
“Whatever you surmise, you must never judge another.”
That girl and I are friends, now. The awkward day… we never mention.
I learned my lesson well without further intervention.
Murdo Girl…I was on his mind.
It sounds like the name of a Willie Nelson love song doesn’t it?
It is a love song…but not like Willie’s. His is called, “You were always on my mind.”
We attended the Good Friday service at our church last night and my eyes kept going to the words on the screen that gave the theme of the story our preacher told so beautifully.
“For when he was on the cross, I was on his mind.”
Those very simple words say so much. I asked some friends if there was a song using those words and they didn’t know, so when I got home, I checked YouTube and found this song. It is so beautiful, I thought you might enjoy listening to it this Easter weekend.
Have a blessed Easter…
Those 70ish Girls 