"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, August 22, 2008

Plates, Pottery, Projects

Amongst its notable attributes (just yesterday we were touted as the state with the lowest crime rate), my great state is also acknowledged as having a huge number of personalised licence plates. Virginia and Illinois have at times claimed the top place on the list. New Hampshire was recently identified as #2. I don't know how this category is ranked--percentage of all plates, number of plates, per capita? Anyway, I know we're way, way up there. Not only is our vanity plate mania a public service--entertaining travellers with our wit, widsom, creativity--it's a wonderful revenue generator. (As a State Rep, I'm all for that!)

The Chap and I have logged a lot of highway time this week. I here present several plates we've encountered, courtesy of an online licence-plate generator.







One of them turned up on the vast stretches of highway between Québec and The Lodge, one is regularly seen travelling along Route 4 between Concord and the first roudabout to the east, and one can be found on a vehicle presently parked in our own garage. If you care to make guesses about which is which, go right ahead!

Last weekend at we entertained a friend at the lake cottage. In addition to being a priest and a canon, he's a fine art potter (a couple of months ago we attended his his first NH exhibition.) Whenever he comes over, he brings a piece of pottery as a hostess gift. This time, a spoon rest. I'm thrilled, because Jewel (accidentally) broke a favourite spoon rest and I'm not that fond of the substitute. I adore this one!



I live in Project World. The master bath renovation is ongoing--noisily and directly over my head. Picked out the floor tile yesterday, plus a countertop. The basic theme is shifting from antiseptic grey and white with natural wood (very fine and irreplaceable wood, according to one estimator) to a warmer earthiness--with same wood (used in different ways) and warm rich stone elements. Or so I assume. I'll believe it when I see it...in a finished state.

I've just now completed a quick and easy project on my own. Simple as it was, it took forever to plan.


A year ago when upgrading our kitchen appliances, we were so enamoured with the pristine steeliness of the new fridge that we chose not to re-install our extensive fridge magnet collection, which used to be displayed exactly like this:



Since the arrival of our fancy modern-look fridge, Lodge visitors unanimously mourned the loss of the magnets. So for the past year I've probed the Friends & Family of MEP Brain Trust for suggestions about what to do. When the friend of my youth was here in June, she told me about a magnetic bulletin board she's got, which sounded perfect. (Thank you, thank you! You're a genius!)

So I ordered a couple of them online, my first and only Ikea purchase. Yesterday at Lowe's I found the traditional green spray paint I needed, and soon as I got home I applied it. This morning I arranged the magnets.



Being metal, and weighted with a ton of cherished magnets from all over the US and The World, hanging the boards on the kitchen wall will require some seriously supportive hardware. That's why I have the Chap--he'll sort it out. My work is done.

We've not much empty space for additional magnets. In future it could be a case of add one, remove one. Although we definitely don't plan to curtail our travels, we'd already somewhat curtailed the obsessive magnet purchases.

Another project I'm facing--not unpleasant but truly daunting--is plowing through the fashion mags arriving daily. I can barely hold them to read them--the size, the weight!



Our mail delivery person must hate September. What's more, many of the thickest ones came with an extra supplement in the plastic wrapping. My subscriptions to these frivolous publications are longstanding, but I assure you I "read them for the articles" too, not just the style forecasts. My batch of September mags air-freighted from Britain will arrive later...they won't be so shockingly fat.

The weather's fantastic, clear and warm. I'm percolating a Big Lake plan but am unsure when I can put them it effect. Our social and political calendar are a bit crowded over the next 24 hours.


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