diff --git a/debug.go b/debug.go
index b782955..189ef31 100644
--- a/debug.go
+++ b/debug.go
@@ -49,11 +49,11 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) dumpWidget(s string) {
 	var s1 string
 	var pId int
 	// tk.verifyRect()
-	if tk.node.Parent == nil {
+	if tk.parent == nil {
 		log.Logf(WARN, "showWidgetPlacement() parent == nil wId=%d cuiName=%s", tk.WidgetId(), tk.cuiName)
 		pId = 0
 	} else {
-		pId = tk.node.Parent.WidgetId
+		pId = tk.parent.WidgetId()
 	}
 	s1 = fmt.Sprintf("(wId,pId)=(%4d,%4d) ", tk.WidgetId(), pId)
 	sizeW, sizeH := tk.Size()
diff --git a/node.go b/node.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..42ed93e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node.go
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+// Copyright 2017-2025 WIT.COM Inc. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by the GPL 3.0
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"go.wit.com/widget"
+)
+
+func (tk *guiWidget) WidgetType() widget.WidgetType {
+	if tk.node == nil {
+		return widget.Label
+	}
+	return tk.node.WidgetType
+}
+
+func (tk *guiWidget) WidgetId() int {
+	return tk.node.WidgetId
+}
+
+func (tk *guiWidget) GetLabel() string {
+	return tk.node.GetLabel()
+}
+
+func (tk *guiWidget) IsEnabled() bool {
+	return tk.node.IsEnabled()
+}
+
+func (tk *guiWidget) Checked() bool {
+	return tk.node.State.Checked
+}
+
+func (tk *guiWidget) Hidden() bool {
+	if tk.node == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	if tk.parent == nil {
+		return tk.node.Hidden()
+	}
+	if tk.parent.WidgetId() == 0 {
+		return tk.node.Hidden()
+	}
+	if tk.parent.Hidden() {
+		return true
+	}
+	return tk.node.Hidden()
+}
+
+func (tk *guiWidget) Direction() widget.Orientation {
+	return tk.node.State.Direction
+}
+
+func (tk *guiWidget) GridW() int {
+	return tk.node.State.AtW
+}
+
+func (tk *guiWidget) GridH() int {
+	return tk.node.State.AtH
+}
diff --git a/place.go b/place.go
index b77a505..11038a1 100644
--- a/place.go
+++ b/place.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func (w *guiWidget) placeBox(startW int, startH int) {
 		// re-get the Size (they should not have changed, but maybe they can?)
 		// TODO: figure this out or report that they did
 		sizeW, sizeH = child.Size()
-		if w.node.State.Direction == widget.Vertical {
+		if w.Direction() == widget.Vertical {
 			log.Log(INFO, "BOX IS VERTICAL  ", w.String(), "newWH()", newW, newH, "child()", sizeW, sizeH, child.String())
 			// expand based on the child height
 			newH += sizeH
diff --git a/plugin.go b/plugin.go
index baf1d87..8899bd2 100644
--- a/plugin.go
+++ b/plugin.go
@@ -154,8 +154,8 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) GetText() string {
 		// return gocui.view name?
 		return tk.cuiName
 	}
-	if tk.node.State.Label != "" {
-		return tk.node.State.Label
+	if tk.GetLabel() != "" {
+		return tk.GetLabel()
 	}
 	return ""
 }
diff --git a/treeWidget.go b/treeWidget.go
index 0477470..5b231bb 100644
--- a/treeWidget.go
+++ b/treeWidget.go
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ func initWidget(n *tree.Node) *guiWidget {
 	w = new(guiWidget)
 
 	w.node = n
-	w.cuiName = strconv.Itoa(w.node.WidgetId) + " TK"
-	// w.node.WidgetType = n.WidgetType
+	w.cuiName = strconv.Itoa(w.WidgetId()) + " TK"
+	// w.WidgetType() = n.WidgetType
 	w.labelN = n.State.Label
 	if w.labelN == "" {
 		// remove this debugging hack once things are stable and fixed
@@ -39,11 +39,11 @@ func initWidget(n *tree.Node) *guiWidget {
 
 	p := n.Parent
 	if p == nil {
-		log.Log(ERROR, "parent == nil", w.String(), n.WidgetId, w.node.WidgetType)
+		log.Log(ERROR, "parent == nil", w.String(), n.WidgetId, w.WidgetType())
 		return w
 	}
 	if p.TK == nil {
-		log.Log(ERROR, "parent.TK == nil", w.String(), n.WidgetId, w.node.WidgetType)
+		log.Log(ERROR, "parent.TK == nil", w.String(), n.WidgetId, w.WidgetType())
 		return w
 	}
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func setupCtrlDownWidget() {
 
 func (w *guiWidget) deleteView() {
 	// make sure the view isn't really there
-	// log.Log(GOCUI, "deleteView()", w.cuiName, w.node.WidgetType, w.node.WidgetId)
+	// log.Log(GOCUI, "deleteView()", w.cuiName, w.WidgetType(), w.WidgetId())
 	me.baseGui.DeleteView(w.cuiName)
 	w.v = nil
 }
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) String() string {
 	if curval != "" {
 		return curval
 	}
-	curval = strings.TrimSpace(tk.node.GetLabel())
+	curval = strings.TrimSpace(tk.GetLabel())
 	if curval != "" {
 		return curval
 	}
@@ -152,46 +152,3 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) findWidgetByView(v *gocui.View) *guiWidget {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
-
-func (tk *guiWidget) WidgetType() widget.WidgetType {
-	if tk.node == nil {
-		return widget.Label
-	}
-	return tk.node.WidgetType
-}
-
-func (tk *guiWidget) WidgetId() int {
-	return tk.node.WidgetId
-}
-
-func (tk *guiWidget) GetLabel() string {
-	return tk.node.GetLabel()
-}
-
-func (tk *guiWidget) IsEnabled() bool {
-	return tk.node.IsEnabled()
-}
-
-func (tk *guiWidget) Checked() bool {
-	return tk.node.State.Checked
-}
-
-func (tk *guiWidget) Hidden() bool {
-	if tk.node == nil {
-		return false
-	}
-	if tk.parent == nil {
-		return tk.node.Hidden()
-	}
-	if tk.parent.WidgetId() == 0 {
-		return tk.node.Hidden()
-	}
-	if tk.parent.Hidden() {
-		return true
-	}
-	return tk.node.Hidden()
-}
-
-func (tk *guiWidget) Direction() widget.Orientation {
-	return tk.node.State.Direction
-}