"It was imprudent of us, in the first place, to become authors. We could have become something regular, but we managed not to.
We were lucky, but we were also determined." Roy Blount Jr

"I don’t change the facts to enhance the drama. I think of it the other way round, the drama has got to fit the facts,
and it’s your job as a writer to find the shape in real life."
Hilary Mantel

Friday, November 10, 2006

Peace--Quiet not Included

Yesterday and today are positively spring-like. Balmy, sunny. I half expect to see daffodils or tulips springing up in the gardens....

A quiet day here at the Lodge--except for the occasional bashing and banging of the roof & gutter repairman. Lola feels the need to bark sometimes, to let him know she's alert to his presence. The noise makes Ruth little nervous, so she's keeping close by me.

I'm finishing up a few tasks...some more fun than others. I might be a representative-elect, but like ordinary people I need to hoover my floor and scrub my loos and dust all the surfaces. Till today I've been too distracted or hadn't the time. At least one local legislator has a cleaning lady, but I'm not leveraging my new status to avoid household drudgery. There's something about dwelling in a forest that just doesn't jive with having a cleaner come in. And writing is a messy, messy business--any self-respecting cleaning lady would take one look at the typical chaos of my office and my library, and flee.

At yesterday's Diocesan Council meeting, the Bishop announced my election. People were either pleased, or suprised, or both.

I raced from that location to a wonderful event sponsorted by the affordable housing nonprofit in our area. The Chap is the Chairman of their Board. I arrived just in time to hear his welcome speech. The Executive Director, in her remarks, mentioned my election. Surprise, pleasure, so on. (I'm getting used to it now!)

On my entrance I encountered a blogger I'd met at Blog Free or Die, last month's statewide bloggers confab. He was there in his capacity as radio programmer/reporter, covering the gathering. Great to see you again, Tony!

Because we were the last to leave, the Chap and I had a share of the leftover food--catered by The Common Man. And wine.

Consequently, a little while ago I had a huge wedge of brie en croute for elevenses. Not my typical fare! Tonight we'll get into the wine.



It occurred to me, whlle loitering in the kitchen, that our fridge is fetishistic. As can be seen along the top of the freezer section, there's definitely some state-worship going on here--appropriate for a freshman legislator.

It exposes quite blatantly the extent to which we travel, regionally, domestically but mostly internationally. The fridge magnets we've acquired in foreign lands are usually much nicer than the cheesy rubber ones. But we love those, and can't seem to stop collecting them.

Our bigger, better fridge up at the cottage has mostly family-related stuff stuck to it.

Diocesan Convention is all day tomorrow. This year, unlike last, I haven't got any major responsibility. I can just sit with my delegation, instead of bobbing up and heading for the podium. Plus, it's only one day...last year there were events spread across three days, and I was somehow involved in all of them. I regard it as a big reunion, a chance to see people I know from all around the state. I look forward to the lunch--having been assured that some of our choices feature the very green spinach wraps I got so excited about not long ago, at the Anti-Racism training.


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