Travels With Becky

When bad luck turns good

Sometimes bad luck is good luck. Last winter we had a frost heave the size of Rhode Island just down the road from our house.  It earned a BUMP sign, which has stood ever since.  Now we have a series of frost heaves -- about 200 yards of them above, below, and in front of the house.  They are so serious that cars (which usually whiz by at about 65 mph, though the speed limit is 45) have actually slowed down.  Some, those driven by regular commuters, come almost to a complete stop.

Now I can back out of my driveway without worrying about getting rear-ended for the first time in the 31 years we’ve lived here.

Hallelujah.

I hope those frosts heaves stay forever.  I consider them natural speed bumps.

Thank you, Mother Nature.

Anybody else with a story of how bad luck turned out to be good luck?  You can comment below or e-mail me at beckyrule@islandportpress.com or rebeccarule@metrocast.net.

Words to live by

I've found a new motto. I love mottos and credos. They help me know what to do. Among my favorites: “You can’t control the others,” and “I’ve got enough crazy on my plate already.” Also, “In this life you can be oh so clever or oh so pleasant.” (I try to be pleasant, since clever is not my strong suit.)

But the latest expression to guide my life came from Marjorie (I think) at the North Country meeting of Microcredit NH for artists and owners of arts related businesses. We swapped stories and participants learned about the importance of good bookkeeping, web design and generating publicity. Microcredit NH trains small business owners and entrepreneurs and arranges low interest loans as well as stipends for participating in business training. Good deal all around.

So the saying from Marjorie (I think) is this: “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly for as long as it takes.”

Yup.

To see or not to see

At the Deerfield Deliberative Session (town meeting without teeth), the article that elicited the most discussion was the last on the ballot.  Article 18:  “To see if the Town will vote to approve the following resolution to be forwarded to our State Representative(s), our State Senator, the Speaker of the House, and the Senate President:  Resolved: The citizens of New Hampshire should be allowed to vote on an amendment to the New Hampshire Constitution that defines “marriage”.

A bunch of folks had quite a lot to say on the article and the proposed amendment, to revise the article to read “To see ... ” and that’s all.  At Deliberative Sessions under SB2, folks don’t get to vote on the articles, but can amend them by vote.  So on the ballot in March, Deerfield residents will have to vote yea or nay on, “To see ...”

A highlight of the discussion came when Rebecca Hutchinson rose to speak in favor of the amendment.  She introduced herself, gave her address for the record, talked about why she favored the amendment, then said that though she favored the rights of homosexuals to marry, she didn’t really understand homosexual attraction. Adding:  “I don’t really understand heterosexual attraction either,”  to which the Moderator, Jack Hutchinson, Rebecca’s husband, said, “Ouch!”

A good moderator can cool hot discussion with a good laugh, which Jack did with enormous grace on several occasions. 

In the photo, three nice ladies of Deerfield supervise the checklist: Meredith Briggs, Diane Valade, and Cherie Sanborn.  Turns our Cherie and Meredith are related, sort of.  Cherie said:  "I married her cousin. She married my brother." 

 

 

So you can get there...

An oldie-goodie told at Chadbourn’s Restaurant in Northwood during our 2nd annual Dead of Winter Story Swap:

Native on the porch. Fella from out-a-state in a Volvo pulls into the driveway. “How do you get to Candia?” he says.

Native says, “My brother-in-law usually takes me.”

We told stories and ate yummy Chadbourn’s food for two solid hours, except for a musical interlude from Bob and Patrice Killam.  Here’s Bob playing the ole banjo.

Could anything be cuter?

My daughter, Miss Adi Rule, and I visited the baby goats at Jenness Farm last weekend. Some of them were less than 24 hours old. I think this picture of Adi and one of the babies tells the whole story.

Telling tales of "Firsts"

This looks like it’ll be great fun.  A bunch of us, plus volunteers from the audience, are going to tell stories in Portsmouth, NH, this Sunday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m.  The program is called A Winter’s Tale. Check out the details below.

Meantime, on Sunday afternoon, I’m interviewing the famous writer Dayton Duncan.  Did you see him on Ken Burns’ Nationa Parks series on PBS?

That’s taking place at the Dimond Library at UNH at 2 p.m.  NHPTV will film the interview for the NH Authors Series.  The audience gets to ask questions and be on T.V.  So cool. Come one come all, make a day of it on the Seacoast.

A WINTER'S TALE

Looking for something fun to do this Sunday evening? 
Join us for A WINTER'S TALE. $5 will not only buy you a great evening of entertainment, but you'll leave with a warm feeling knowing you've helped raise money for local food and fuel assistance. Priceless!

January 24
A WINTER'S TALE 
True Tales Told Live, No Notes, No Net
To benefit the (H)EAT Campaign 
Featuring Marc Adams, Rachel Forrest, Chuck Galle, John Herman, Phil Kliger, Susan Poulin, Becky Rule, and Liz Wright.
Exploring the theme "Firsts"  
The Red Door
107 State Street
Portsmouth, NH
7:00 pm 
For info contact:
Steve Johnson
603-531-3006
facethesun@gmail.com

More About A WINTER'S TALE
Storytelling for grownups comes to the Seacoast with the new true-story, spoken-word series, "A Winter's Tale." The three-part series, featuring autobiographical tales on a chosen theme, told without notes before a live audience, finds its home in the intimate setting of The Red Door Lounge and Martini Bar, 107 State Street. The event takes place on Sunday evenings once each month during the winter, January 24, February 21, and March 14,  7 - 9 p.m. each night. A $5 admission fee will be charged, and all proceeds from the event will be donated to Seacoast Local's (H)EAT campaign, an effort to provide food and heating fuel to local residents in need this winter. The event is co-sponsored by RiverRun Bookstore and The Wire.

Each installment of "A Winter's Tale" centers on a different theme. On January 24, the first night of the series in the first month of the year, tellers will tell tales around the theme "Firsts." The February 21 event will pick up on the Valentine's vibe with the theme "Loves." On March 14, the series will close with "Waiting." 

Some of the Seacoast's best-known raconteurs (and some as-yet-unknown ones) have offered their talents for the event. The artists were chosen for their ability to spin a compelling yarn giving a glimpse into their unique life experiences. The format is simply structured: on each night, eight people will stand before the crowd, one by one, and tell a true story from their own life experience, depending only on their memories. Stories will be 5-10 minutes long. 

The lineup of tellers for January 24 includes a mix of writers, artists, and performers with unmistakable voices: Marc Adams, Rachel Forrest, Chuck Galle, John Herman, Phil Kliger, Susan Poulin, Becky Rule, and Liz Wright. 

Doggie treats

It may be that you have to hear this story in the dialect to fully appreciate its pungency. It’s a true story about Bob Bristol, who owned Muster Field Farm and bequeathed it in his wisdom to posterity. Bob, it seems, was a Selectman for many years. He also raised golden retrievers, which he sometimes brought to work at town hall. A bake sale was planned, so all day folks brought goodies downstairs at town hall in preparation. His golden, Alvin, unbeknownst to Bob, snuck downstairs and ate a good portion of the baked goods, waxed paper, plastic wrap and all.

When the lootage was discovered, Bob said nothing.  But he did say, some time later, that at supper on the evening the baked goods disappeared, “Alvin fahted the most dreadful fahts.”

Poor Alvin. Poor Bob. Poor bake sale.

Smoke 'em if you've got 'em

In my research for a book on town meeting (co-written with Susan Bruce for Plaidswede Press), I stumbled over this exchange that took place in a particular town at a particular town meeting between a particular married couple, who shall go unnamed.

Mrs. Smith made a presentation of some length regarding a warrant article she supported. She spoke well, but then came time for questions and comments.

Mr. Smith had a comment. He addressed the Legislative Body (that is, the voters): “Don’t believe her. I’m married to her and she’s never right.”

Mrs. Smith replied: “I married him fifty years ago. And, it’s true, I haven’t been right since.”

Another town meeting quip. The fella was put out by the new rule banning smoking in town hall. He said, “If the stove can smoke, we certainly should be allowed to.”

And finally, regarding the wood stove, a venerated moderator let this comment slip: “That stove has resolved more elections than any ballot counter.”

Wonder what he meant by that?

Having weevil thoughts?

Larry Boutwell at the Pillsbury Memorial Hall, aka, Town Hall, in Sutton also told the metaphorical story of the two boll weevils who moved north to make their fortune. One did well and made loads of money. The other never succeeded, but -- ironically -- became famous. Nobody’s every heard of that rich boll weevil, but a-course, everybody’s heard of “the lesser of two weevils."

Larry Boutwell, you crack me up.

I learned that the Pillsbury in the Memorial building is the Pillsbury family of flour fame, who hailed from Sutton and donated the building to the town. It’s a beauty, as you can see.

 

Of ice and men

After the annual meeting of the Muster Field Farm association in the historic Pillsbury Memorial Building, Sutton Mills, we told tales, several about the farm itself and about Bob Bristol, who, in his wisdom, allowed the Harvey farm and homestead to become a working farm and non-profit farm museum.

Ice Day is coming right up on January 24 and will begin with a pancake breakfast sponsored by the Sutton Historical Society in North Sutton’s Free Will Baptist Church. The ice cutting on Kezar Lake follows the breakfast, with transport of the ice to Muster Field Farm. The ice will be cut the old-fashioned way, with the old saws and tools. They say that ice covered in saw dust will last all summer. In fact, by August, it’ll have lost only about 10 percent of its weight.

After a bit of coaxing, we persuaded Larry Boutwell to tell a couple of stories. He told of the fella with the flat tire, who couldn’t get the wheel off no matter how hard he worked at turning the lugs, leading him to curse something awful.

The minister stopped by the roadside to offer his help. Instead of cursing, he suggested, the man might offer a humble prayer to the Lord.

So the man did.

He took up the wrench, tugged on the lug, and by golly it come off slick as a bean.

The minister said, “Well, I’ll be goddamned!”

Which reminded me of the farm hand who walked five miles in the snow to the Baptist church on a Sunday morning, having missed the memo that the churches were having a group preach at the First Congregational Church that particular morning. He got to his church and found the door locked. So he said, “To hell with it,” and walked home.

Note the prominently displayed flag of the NH Humanities Council which sponsored the the program.