2022 Happy To Be Here

The majority of my day was spent in camp.  I was either helping with set up in some way or resting and catching up with people.  Set up is taking longer than usual this year.  There are little things that are just being slightly problematic that keep delaying things.   It will all be fine.  Happy things from today include: --Keziah and I sharing tortilla chips and guacamole for lunch.  --Getting my phone charged.   Until more people are here I need to keep it close. --Remembering, before midnight, to practice my DuoLingo.  --The shower got finished today!  That was very welcome.   --Hearing drums in the distance as I prepare for sleep.  --Walking down a dark street at night.  I enjoyed the coolness in the air, the stars and crescent moon, and the peaceful nature of this evening. ☮️ Thank you for being part of my happy things.   Stay safe. 

My cell phone battery is running low so this will be short.   Today we got more of the encampment set up.   It was hot and there were errands to run so there is still a bunch more.  We managed to leave the stakes to the common tent back home.   I'm really thankful that we thought of someone who was willing to stop by the house and they will be here tomorrow.   Other happy things for today: -- I'm camping with some wonderful people who are kind and helpful. --There are many stars. --The fireflies dance for us each evening.  ☮️ Thank you for being part of my happy things.  Stay safe. 

On a highway, one of the first things I notice when I cross state lines sometimes are rocks.  When highways are made they often remove a hill, exposing the rocks, so we can drive with less of an incline.  So the rocks in Pennsylvania are not granite, or they are a different shade of granite than we have in NH.  I know some of the rock in Pennsylvania is shale. I should study rocks more...  Other happy things from today include: --We made it safely to our Pennsic destination.    --With the help of friends there are now three pavilions set up in camp.  --There are two people who are helping a lot with set up and I was able to take them out to dinner.   We had a nice time having our last non-camp food for a while. --The flashlight swag I got from work have a magnet on them.  The porta-potties have a small metal hinge that the flashlight can hook to.  That has made any nighttime pilgrimages much more friendly. --Pretty flowers at a rest area.

Thursday is usually my day to nap in the afternoon so I can adjust my sleep schedule.   Today it was a time to pack and prepare to leave for western Pennsylvania.   When last I wrote the van was  being repaired.  The awesome mechanics finished the work so we could hit the road!  Other happy things for today: --This may sound weird, but the questions I asked my daughter... the did you do X or Y questions as we prepared... they were done.  It is almost like my 31 year old kid is an adult or something.   --At work we earn swag bucks when we do certain things.  There is a cabinet full of stuff to purchase using the swag bucks.  I got Gideon an off-brand step tracker that he really seems to like.  I also got four flashlights for the late night trips to the porta potty we will be having. --A storm rolled in as we left this evening.  It turned the cloudy sky some interesting shades of pink or lavender. ☮️ For this vacation I am not going to list what I'm reading.   Most of my

 Let me start with, I am thankful that I decided to make a day that can be focused on being grateful rather than happy.  I haven't been sleeping well and my brain is tired.  Some other things I am thankful for: Auto mechanics.  Those people that can take apart a car and put it back together again so it works.  They are magicians! Keziah.  My daughter puts up with me, and that is huge.  My mind is so tired I am having a hard time making simple packing decisions.  Maybe that is an exaggeration, medium packing decisions.  She has been very tolerant of my insignificant questions. Friends.  So many moving parts right now with the vehicle in the shop and plans to be places that I have had to get help from friends.  They are a blessing! Milkweed seed pods. ☮ Currently reading: Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to Nurture Your Spirit Every Day of the Year , Joan Borysenko. Currently listening to: The Will to Battle , by Ada Palmer. Thank you for being part of my

The van broke down last night. I am supposed to be in Western Pennsylvania around 9 AM Friday morning, that might not happen. However, the good news is that it might get fixed by Thursday. Possibly Friday. Happy things: I'm happy that this happened before we left and not on the way while towing a trailer. I'm happy that no one was hurt when the car decided it wasn't going to go anywhere anymore. Keziah and I went to the studio today and progress was made on the chemise I've been trying to make. Bel made it back safely. Llama, just because. ☮ Currently reading: Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to Nurture Your Spirit Every Day of the Year , Joan Borysenko. Currently listening to: The Will to Battle , by Ada Palmer. Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Keziah and I leave in less than a week for western Pennsylvania. We have been working at getting as ready as possible as early as possible but are still very much behind. It isn't easy to prepare for two weeks of camping with an attempt at being medieval. I'm at the point where I question my sanity. Things got packed into the trailer today and I am happy that another step was taken at becoming prepared. Other happy things: Since the accidental reintroduction of gluten for me a few weeks ago I have continued to eat things with gluten. This will make food for two weeks camping much easier and less expensive. Bel has left and I am sad because I miss my kids (doesn't matter the age) when they are not near.  I am happy that we got to visit the last few weeks though, it was nice having them here. The wild sweet William is in full bloom. The color of this daylily is lovely.       ☮ Currently reading: Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to Nurture Y

Today I survived what I hope is the hottest temperature this summer. I know in other parts of the country 95 degrees isn't an extreme, in New Hampshire, it might be. There is still enough summer left that I know it could be worse. I'm happy that this heat wave should be over. In other happy things for today, let me brag on my kids and not my kids: My daughter, Keziah, is talented. Today she taught me a little about painting silk. We sat in the shade and painted some silk to become banners for some friends in the SCA.  My son, Bel, is talented. Today they replaced the CV joints (don't ask me what they are/do) in Keziah's car. They clambered around in the shade under a car in today's heat. My kids are about four years apart and they are good friends. I remember when they weren't. I'm so happy that it changed. My son-in-law, Zed, is talented. He works hard at his job to provide for the family, he is a super dad and husband, and he is always willing

Some happy things from today: Friends gathered today to commemorate a dear friend we lost four years ago. It was wonderful to see the faces of friends on this hot day. It was a gathering that our friend would have enjoyed. I could hear his laughter as the conversation kept coming back to how to keep and milk a moose. Watching a little girl (three year old) who had earned her cookie by eating all her dinner. She admired it and gently hugged it to her face before enjoying its sweet soft crunch. It was a hot day.  Keziah decided that what was needed on this hot day was a kiddie pool.  She went out with Bel and friends and bought a kiddie pool that they added water and ice to and soaked their feet.   ☮ Currently reading:  Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to Nurture Your Spirit Every Day of the Year , Joan Borysenko. And  Tracking & The Art of Seeing: How to Read Animal Tracks and Sign , by Paul Rezendes. Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay sa

Pretty much every day this year I have been reading the daily meditation book that I list at the end of the blog. I haven't been practicing it though. There were some things in the beginning that pushed some buttons for me. Still, reading it is useful and the button pushing lessens. There are lessons however within the book that I occasionally like and today I used one of them. When out for a walk in the city there was someone crying and talking on the phone-I sent them love and light. There was another person I walked by who was on the phone and obviously upset over something and I sent them love and light. The same with a person that might have been homeless, it doesn’t matter, they got some love and light too. These small things made me feel better for no apparent reason.  The people will never know and that doesn't seem to matter.  Other happy things from today: I love seeing the State House lit up at night. Walking by the umbrellas that hang in the walkway-they h

It was AMAZING. Keziah, Bel, and I went to see a production of 1776 at the Loeb Theater. If you read my blog regularly, you may remember that we watch the movie 1776 every Fourth of July.  Keziah, me, and Bel. The curtain. There was a display to learn more about the production. The actors in this production were all women or LGBTQ+. It worked beautifully. There were only a few changes made from what I consider the original. One of those was the addition of part of a letter that Abigail Adams wrote asking that women have the same rights as men. The musical left me overwhelmed with emotions. I wasn't quite sobbing, almost. Other  happy  things from today include: Driving through a Boston suburb and seeing turkeys walking on the sidewalks around store fronts on the way to see  1776 . There is a song in  1776  the movie that asks the question of whether the national bird should be a dove, eagle, or turkey. We sang a few lines. And yes, they included the song in the live productio

It is my day to be thankful. At work I was assigned to induct the product into the building. This isn’t a place I tend to end up. I was feeling rather achy so that made this the best place because it uses different muscle groups than the other positions I usually work. I’m thankful for that small change at work. The temperature was in the 90’s today. I took a short walk and I am really thankful for the shade. I am thankful for boxes. ☮ Currently reading: Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to Nurture Your Spirit Every Day of the Year , Joan Borysenko. Currently listening to: The Will to Battle , by Ada Palmer Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

For a short time I sat out on Gideon's swing and looked up at the leaves blowing with occasional sun and sky peeking through.  The road nearby can still be loud, but it feels further away in this part of the yard. The shade and breeze almost had me forgetting how hot it really was outside. Other happy things for today: Bel, Gideon, and I finished the puzzle I started just after Christmas. It is missing two pieces, but it is done. I am choosing to remind myself that I am happy I have a job with good benefits. That I am happy I only have a 30 hour work week. About three months ago I stopped eating gluten. Over the weekend I was blessed to have people to make food for me. Unfortunately there was a miscommunication and I had pancakes with gluten. It happened, and I didn’t get sick from the reintroduction to my system. I have heard that can happen even if a person isn’t gluten sensitive. So I have been eating limited amounts of gluten again. Bel made some delicious blueberry m

My children… okay, adult children, have found a book to enjoy. It is a murder mystery that is put together in the wrong order. Bel is scouring through it with post-it notes and a notebook.  The book is made so that the owner can cut out the pages to rearrange them into the right order. If only I could have found homeschooling materials that were so interesting when they were kids! Other happy things from today: The milkweed has started growing the seed pods. They are so cute! Wild sweet William is blooming amid the weeds of the flower garden. Today I reached day 1300 on DuoLingo. One of the things I forgot to mention about the GNEW is how wonderful it was to see so many of the activities sheep themed. There were sheep on the fighting fields and I think as thrown weapons targets. My favorite was the archery target that had little sheep dangling that were to be protected from the wolf just beyond them. The objective, of course, was to hit the wolf while missing the sheep. ☮ Currentl

Yesterday I was having trouble with getting pictures to load and I was exhausted and cut the blog short. Today I am still really tired, but I still need 3000 steps to make my daily goal. I'm hoping that pacing and typing will help my creative juices. Here are some happy things from yesterday and today: The pillory… some pictures. Don't worry, he got some grapes! -There was Kingdom court in the afternoon where many people were honored for various things. -Keziah and I had a small court of our own in which some old business was taken care of. A dear friend was awarded with our Barony's highest order, that of the Millstone. We also witnessed some friends enter into a master and apprentice relationship that was very special to see. This morning started with a meeting. Their Majesties introduced some new awards they would like to add that will be more for specific circumstances rather than a broad range. I look forward to seeing how these will work. Then came the closing cerem

Our first schtick was prior to their majesties first court this morning.  This war we do for fun is over lost sheep.  There is an offending Barony that claim to have had nothing to do with the disappearance of our sheep at sea.  This morning they say they found someone who might be the culprit and, all in fun, the culprit was placed in a pillory.  Again, this was all in fun, the person placed in the pillory played the part of the culprit and in real life actually made the pillory.   Okay... I'm having technical difficulties.   I'll write more tomorrow.  ☮️ -

It has been a long day and I am very tired.  Other than being cold last night, I slept really long.  It was broken, because of being cold, but long.  It is late and time to sleep again so this will be shorter than the day deserves.  Here are some happy things from today: -Most of the day was mellow and time spent hanging with different friends. -In the afternoon Keziah and I went to an activity called the Deed.  Fighters competed in challenges and the people watching chose the winner.  It was a lot of fun.  Part of it was the fun was that the fighters were encouraged to entertain the crowd. -Prior to the Deed a local knight took on the responsibility of making a fellow fighter into his squire.  It was an honor to witness this happening. ☮️ Still reading the daily meditation book, but that is all. Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe. 

Keziah and I are at the Great Northeastern War.  Gideon and Zed will join us later in the weekend leaving Bel and Zed's mom to watch the animals at home.  Here are some happy things from today: -Because of the event, I took the volunteer time off when it became available and left work super early.  Next week I will regret this choice, but now, I know it was the right choice.  I was able to pack better, look for things, and not do these in a time panic. -We managed to time our arrival just as the rain was ending.   -There are people that I haven't seen in quite a while and it is really great to see them.  We had a bunch of help with set up from a gentle that we have seen recently.   All the help we've had has been very appreciated.  I'll work harder tomorrow for some better pictures. ☮️ I'm using my phone to write this over the next few days and I'm lazy.  So today I read a little from the same books I did yesterday. Thank you for being pa

Leaving for work I was struck by the beauty of the almost full moon.  Seeing the night sky is one of the benefits of working nights.  There isn't time to study it, but there is to appreciate it.  Other happy things from today: When I got home from work Bel was asleep in the living room. I decided to follow their example and napped for a short while in my room.  Naps are good. There was a gentle breeze today that was just enough to push the heat away, especially when in the shade. It made my short afternoon walk pleasant when it blew. The first geranium that bloomed had seeds so I picked them. I probably should have done some research first but it is done.  I'm hoping it will bloom again. ☮ Currently reading: Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to Nurture Your Spirit Every Day of the Year , Joan Borysenko. Currently listening to: The Will to Battle , by Ada Palmer Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

There were balloons at work today. Some people put them in their hair or attached the string to themselves somewhere. Other happy things from today: Bel is here! Bel is visiting for a bit, Folke was not able to come this time. It is wonderful to have both my adult children near me. Keziah and Zed bought a cargo trailer. Suddenly going to events and packing for them just became so much easier. Bel and I got to look at RV trailers while Keziah did paperwork for the trailer. I used to dream of living in an RV and traveling the country. It is fun to look at what RV trailers have to offer. They are more than I can afford to buy, and even harder to take anywhere with gas prices what they are. It is still fun to dream though. ☮ Currently reading: Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to Nurture Your Spirit Every Day of the Year , Joan Borysenko. Currently listening to: The Will to Battle , by Ada Palmer Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

One of the things Keziah and I did yesterday was to pick up my pavilion and the Baronial pavilion from our friends who have been storing them. This morning I partially set up my pavilion to air it out. This little bit of work was enough for me to realize that I don't want that pavilion anymore. It served me well with two children and maybe another adult to camp with, for just me it is way too much. Whether we keep it as a sunshade for family happenings or not is up in the air, but I'm ready to let it go. Other happy things from today: Keziah and I went to the storage unit to store the poles of the Baronial pavilion. Not only did the poles fit where they belong easily, the things that were taking up some of that same space seemed to fit in better with the poles there. I took a walk and saw a new plant. According to Lens it is white meadowsweet. According to a Google search it is a good plant to have around for pollinators. Another thing I saw on my walk were wild blueb