What’s Up?

Sorry for the silence. I’ve had nothing pithy to write. Sometimes one must go through the desert to arrive at the oasis. Not that I’ve been doing nothing…

Last week Hubby and I explored the border towns along the MA/NH  line. Whenever I drive through these little villages I wonder what people do for work. For example, we drove through Temple, NH, a blink-and-miss sort of place and smack dab in the middle of the place was a restaurant/B&B. Who eats there? Retired yuppies? Townies (such as there might be)? Later that night, I went online and found that the restaurant/B&B is on the market for $750,000. What a steal. (From what I can figure out, the place is owned by two Brits and their visas are being held up in red tape. Damn the Obama Administration….oops….Damn Bush!)

We also drove through Mason, NH and drove right by the birthplace of Uncle Sam. Yes…THAT Uncle Sam.

See my birthplace in Mason, NH!

And the house next to Uncle Sam’s can be yours for $750,000. (What’s up with that price?)

We ended our exploration on one of our favorite places in NH, Harrisville, a small mill town in the middle of nowhere. Brick houses for bygone factory workers are well maintained by an influx of yuppies. (I still scratch my head. What do they do for work?) I guess yuppie because the local country store sells soy milk and various organic foods. There’s nothing to do in Harrisville except walk around the mill buildings and explore the cemetery by the lake. You, too, can live in Harrisvillle if you can shell out $437, 500.

Typical Harrisville Tableau

More Harrisville pics are available at my Flickr site. The one lesson I learned while riding around the rural border towns is that homes in the middle of nowhere come with a steep price.

“Over the river…

…and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go.”

Monadnock from Fitzwilliam

That’s exactly what I did for Thanksgiving this year. Grandma-in-law lives in Fitzwilliam, NH and just down the road from her house is a lovely view of Mt. Monadnock. (At its summit Hubby proposed to me in March ‘07. Brrr.) She hosted 13 of us moochers for a feast of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and other delectibles. Since I don’t eat meat, Grandma cooked up a lovely piece of breaded fish just for me. (A very thoughtful and generous gift.)

The highlight of the day happened right after we sat down. Everyone was just digging into their meal when someone mentioned that Grandpa (who passed away before I met Hubby) would have loved this. At the mention of Grandpa, the overhead lights flickered. Everyone paused and looked up. This same person reminded us that the exact thing happened last year at the mention of Grandpa. There were nodding heads in rememberance. It was slightly spooky but oddly comforting at the same time.

After the meal, some of us walked along the public dirt road to a frozen lake with a view of Monadnock. The ladies in the group played bocce ball using small stones with the lake as the court. My childlike curiosity came alive when I noticed, in an unfrozen section, a small whirlpool doing its thing by a submerged access tunnel leading underneath the dirt road. Cool.

The frozen lake with storm clouds.

Back at Grandma’s it was time for desert. Hubby had to work until 2 p.m. but made it to NH while we Massholes were chuckin’ stones on the lake. We left as it was getting dark but the food made us grateful for family and tradition. More pictures can be found at my Flickr space.

Laconia Sarah Palin Rally

I was THIS close!

Whoo! Hoo! I attended the Sarah Palin Rally in Laconia, NH!!! It was a really long day but worth it since I got in the front, baby! My body was flush with the bike barrier and no one was in my line of sight. It was a two hour drive from Leominster and I was able to find a parking spot quite easily. The day was glorious with the spectacular New Hampshire foliage at peak. Arriving early, I chatted with folks from Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The crowd talk was about the uneven media playing field, ACORN, and Obama’s “Spread the Wealth” discussion with the Ohio plumber. Hanging over all was the theme, “How did we (the country) come to this?” The event was suppose to start at 1 p.m. but didn’t begin until 2:20 p.m. The hours of waiting melted away when at least 1,500 (2,000?) cheered Jeb Bradley and John Sunnunu but really it was for Sarah Palin.

Some of her talking points I’ve heard in other stump speeches but there were some parts I hadn’t heard. Of course, I can’t think of anything at this point but I do remember her saying we are NOT to be ashamed of being American. I can’t ever remember Obama saying that.

After her 15-20 minute speech Sarah signed autographs. A down syndrome man came up to the front to meet her. I got to know the couple next to me and knew they were Christians. The wife gave Sarah a Psalm verse to read. Sarah wrote the verse on her palm using a Sharpie pen. They mentioned that many people are praying for her. And with unfeigned sincerity, Sarah thanked them. Cool. At close range, I noticed that Sarah is skinny…actually trim. No Trig baby fat on her. When she got to me, Sarah looked me in the eye, thanked me for coming and I thanked her for being in NH.

After that I moved out of the way so others could get the chance that I got. There were a handful of Obama supporters but they were outside the gathering area and kept it clean. It was my first campaign rally with a national candidate. I loved shouting, “USA! USA! USA!” and “SARAH! SARAH! SARAH!” (Don’t get to do that in Massachusetts.) Unfettered exuberance is a good thing.

Check out the Rally pics at Flickr.com. Update: Official estimate for attendance: 3,500-4,000

My Rally Souvenir

Live Free and Smoke

I lived in New Hampshire for just over two years and during that time I saw the Democratic controlled legislature, with the willing hand of Democrat Governor John Lynch, slowly changing the ethos of the Granite State. Efforts to implement sales and income taxes were discussed. The official motto, “Live Free or Die,” was taken off the highway welcome signs. Thankfully, the motto was reinstated after a huge outcry from the teeming masses. It seems that my beloved state is becoming another Massachusetts (and Maine and Vermont).

If it's good enough for Mark Twain...

But not all is lost; there are a few who are bucking the trend. NH banned smoking from public buildings/businesses about two years ago. Smoker Paul Radion ownes a bookstore in Newport, NH. Paul wanted to work and smoke at the same time. So, he turned his bookstore into a private club, getting around the nanny state law.  For a measley one time, lifetime fee of 25 cents, members can peruse the shelves and light up.

“This country was founded on codfish and tobacco,” he said. “If it hadn’t been for those exports, we may have remained a wilderness and a colony for many years.” – Paul Radion

Business for Paul has increased 10 percent over the last 8 months. I don’t smoke but I say good for him! LIVE FREE AND SMOKE! Hat tip to the Union Leader.

Exit 7, off Route 95

One of my favorite New England towns is Portsmouth, NH. It’s about 45 minutes from Boston, situated along the Piscataqua River just over from Kittery, ME. Unfortunately, the town has been subsumed by Yuppie Culture (Life is Good, Starbucks, Gap, etc). There used to be a great Irish pub, Jack Quigley’s, that’s now a bistro called, Ak’s. Still, there are reasons to visit if you can look beyond the khaki:

* If you get trippy over old buildings, then visit Strawbery Banke, a Portsmouth neighborhood spanning four centuries of history. The Christmas Stroll is a great holiday tradition.

Serious Beer Drinker

* Funkiest eatery east of the Merrimac? The Friendly Toast. I always order a Mission Burrito and mimosa, no matter the time of day. If you can deal with the nose-ringed, tattooed wait servers who haven’t been trained in customer service, then you’ll have a super time.

* Looking for the right tartan to go with your shillelagh? Go to Celtic Crossing. Hubby loves this store; it’s where he bought his kilt (the one he wore to our wedding…SIGH). And it’s all TAX FREE!!!

* Finally, I can not stop in Portsmouth and NOT go here…Portsmouth Brewery, home of Smuttynose Beer. My favorite brew is the Old Brown Dog. The downside to the place…I’ll admit the brewpub is on the Yup-Yup side and they have printed peace signs on their beer coasters. But they do make excellent beer.