The ballot box.

We bought a mess of them at Surplus City. Handy bins-- flat tops that flip up. Flat enough to set things on top of, like the pillow that forms my driving armrest.

(The bigger ones in the house hold pet food. Another smallish one holds cinders on the front porch, for winter ice on the front steps.)

The one in the car, one day, held a thurible full of used and out-but-still-hot charcoal and unburnt incense from an ordination service-- the bin, being metal, was a safe place where it would not fall over in transit as it cooled during the hour-plus ride home, still redolent with the incense. I doubt any other Mudcatters cense their cars, but you never know.... Mmario-- maybe. Or Padre.

It fits just right between the front seats of the van, positioned so that the flip top gives the driver access to the contents-- extra water bottle and empty, folded softsided cooler for carrying restaurant leftovers to the next stop. Not the emerg tools-- those are behind the drivers' seat-- but the things I might need to reach while driving long distances, and that are not in the carry-all I lug in to meetings and overnight stops.

Further back of the driver's seat are all the oddments of boondocking, but I bet I am not the only folkie who carries a complete living suite, onboard, in one form or another.

Soon, another odd item will be the portapotty, but Jon & Kate on the teevee beat me to it for their sextuplets, so it may not seem too odd to too many.

One day I had a Bishop on board, but he wasn't wearing his pointy hat-- so he doesn't really count.

~Susan