I'm writing this inside my brand new shed!!! It's not my old familiar barn but it's not as bad as I thought it would be. Mr. and Mrs. Appleton had the shed built by a company that usually builds airplane hangars. They put it up in a rush over the weekend cuz nasty old Mrs. Johansson at Child Welfare wanted it to go up fast-fast-fast!!!
Damn Mrs. Johansson and all her "rules" about not allowing oversized 15-year-olds to sleep in buildings filled with cattle-droppings and rodents!!! I've been living in my family's barn for over half my life, since I first outgrew our house, and it's always been cozy. Convenient too, and still just a short stroll from the Appleton's house--through the orchard, over the fence, and across the pasture. I have to go there a few times a day to take care of my cows anyway, so what's the big deal if I spend the night? I'd still be sleeping there, no matter what Mrs. Johansson says, except that I don't want the Appletons to get in trouble. They've been nice and really, with Ma and Pa gone, they're the closest thing I have to family.
The shed is a perfect square, 50 feet on a side. Mr. Appleton says it has more square footage than his house, even though it's just a single empty room. The floor is poured concrete that took a day to dry, and the walls are white metal inside and out. The sliding door was made for small airplanes, and opens with a push or by an electric motor. I can walk through without ducking my head!!! The roof is 25 feet high at the walls and slopes up to 30 feet in the middle, which is high enough to be out of reach when I jump!!!
There are no windows, which suits me just fine. I've never had so much privacy, including a lock to keep people out when I want to be alone. And I have a bathroom with running water and a shower!!! My computer and TV are here but there's no real furniture yet. Mr. Appleton has a workshop and says he'll build furniture to my size, but there's no rush. My old barn didn't have much more than a pile of hay for a bed. I brought some hay from the old barn and got all the comforting animal smells that come with it.
Oh, the cows are going to be so lonely without me!!!
Illustrator Challenge
Artists can create illustrations of me or the events in my life, as long as they are appropriate for my young readers. Any previous post on this blog can be illustrated. If I like an image that goes well with a post on the blog, I may add a small thumbnail version along with credit to the artist and a link to the full-sized image. Images of me posted elsewhere should link back to the "Giant Girl Rampages" blog.
If you want to draw a picture of me, here's what you need to know:
I'm 15 years old and almost (but not quite) 18 feet tall. Mrs. Appleton says I'm very pretty and well proportioned, which I guess is a complement. I'm not super thin or anything but I think I'm in pretty good shape.
I have dirty blonde hair that's kind of wild because I trim it with Pa's old hedge trimmers. My eyes are green as the ocean, as Ma always said, but I wouldn't know because I've never seen an ocean. My skin is tanned from being out in the sun a lot but not too dark and (usually) not burned.
I wear a blouse and skirt-shorts that my mother quilted for me three years ago. They look like a big patchwork cuz she used many squares of fabric and cowhide. I've grown since then, so the skirt-shorts no longer come down to my knees, my blouse is way tight, and there's a bit of skin showing in between. I don't have any shoes (and that makes me sad to think about so I usually don't).
If you do draw my picture, send the link in a comment so I can post it to my blog. Thanks!!!
If you want to draw a picture of me, here's what you need to know:
I'm 15 years old and almost (but not quite) 18 feet tall. Mrs. Appleton says I'm very pretty and well proportioned, which I guess is a complement. I'm not super thin or anything but I think I'm in pretty good shape.
I have dirty blonde hair that's kind of wild because I trim it with Pa's old hedge trimmers. My eyes are green as the ocean, as Ma always said, but I wouldn't know because I've never seen an ocean. My skin is tanned from being out in the sun a lot but not too dark and (usually) not burned.
I wear a blouse and skirt-shorts that my mother quilted for me three years ago. They look like a big patchwork cuz she used many squares of fabric and cowhide. I've grown since then, so the skirt-shorts no longer come down to my knees, my blouse is way tight, and there's a bit of skin showing in between. I don't have any shoes (and that makes me sad to think about so I usually don't).
If you do draw my picture, send the link in a comment so I can post it to my blog. Thanks!!!
Posts
Yay!
ReplyDeleteAs long as you're going to get some furniture, what kind are you thinking of?
I think low furniture, maybe sort of Japanese style would be nice to visitors as well as Mr. Appleton who has to build some of the stuff. It could be modern and girly at the same time! I forget, do we know your favorite colors?
My mom loves decorating and design, and I think I got it from her. My husband and I are still organizing our apartment from when we moved in, but it really is pretty fun, even if it isn't a lot of space or money to go with.
Have you ever thought of learning how to make furniture or sew so that you would have the freedom to make things your own size?
I don't know anything about furniture. Ma and Pa had old furniture in their house--not antique valuable furniture, just furniture that had been in the house forever!!!
ReplyDeleteI tried to thread a needle once. It was hard enough for Ma, with her little fingers, but impossible for me!!!
I meant with tools your own size. =) Eventually, you might be able to get some custom stuff like that. Right now it seems you're at the mercy of the government's resources, but you should try not to think that way. You have a huge amount of influence over your own life and it's direction! So it isn't out of line to dream about things that seem impossible if you want them.
ReplyDelete