"How will I know if they have upset stomachs?"
"You'll know."
—Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Farmer John in The Bucolic Plague
I enjoyed The Bucolic Plague, June's book for the Inspired by Reading club. This entertaining memoir traces the story of two men who buy an old house in a quaint small town and try to start a farm.
Book Inspiration
In the prologue, author Josh is driving his truck with a bunch of baby goats. When they get older, their milk will be used to make goat milk soap. For now, his main concern is feeding them. How much should he feed them? Does he have enough bottles for the trip? The tiny goats look so adorable! How could you say no to those cute little faces? I don't want to spoil it for you, but let's just say that Josh will probably never again make the mistake he makes in the memoir's opening.
The Magnet
I wanted to design a kitchen magnet as a tribute to Martha Stewart who plays a cameo role in the book. She has a new line of jeweler's clay, which I originally planned on using. However, my local Michaels only has black clay in stock and that didn't fit my idea of a bright, Martha-y type of project.
Instead, I created this magnet with a piece of antiqued brass. I cut a long rectangle (nearly 2 1/2"), rounded and filed the corners, and hammered around the edges for texture. I painted some open filigree flowers in bright magenta and teal and riveted them to the brass. I sealed the whole piece with Vintaj Glaze, which gave the magnet a shiny finish, and added the magnet on the back.
And what about the stamping? On the magnet, I hand stamped the words: "Remember to stop and smell the goats." This isn't a direct quote from the book; it's more of a homage to what every good humorous book does: surprise you! You think you know where a tale is leading and then . . . how did you get there? I wanted to make something that you might glance at, assume you knew what it was going to say (something about roses, perhaps?), and make you take a second look.
More Inspiration
See all the projects inspired by this book.
Quotation source: The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir by Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Prologue, page 1.