2022 Happy To Be Here

Days away from work are good days. This morning Keziah and I went out to breakfast and had a meeting concerning our next SCA event. We have been debating whether to go or boycott it because of some different views over masking. We have decided to go, but to limit our activities. If we weren't Baron and Baroness we would stay home. It was a productive meeting and I am happy a decision has been made. Other happy things from today include: Listening to Zed play on his Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality can be funny. He was playing virtually with two other people and I can hear the conversation but not see what they are seeing. Some weird things I heard with no context include:                Player one, "I'm glowing, why am I glowing?!?"                Player one to Zed, "Yep, you died. You looked really pretty as you did it though."                Pla...

It has been a relaxing, unproductive day. As I prepare to rest for the night I am suddenly having the panic thoughts of all the things I should have done. In the end, it was a good self care sort of day. My big accomplishment are some of my happy things: Dishes, many dishes were cleaned. Music was listened to and part of a movie watched while washing dishes. The rest of the movie was watched while I paced to get my step count in. I went out and got my seasonal flu shot. I've been forgetting. No problems, other than a long wait, or side effects from getting that vaccine yet. There was a Google meeting this evening for our local SCA group. Keziah and I attended. I got there early enough to be able to visit with a few friends before the meeting started. One other thing that I almost forgot, I put new sheets on my bed and I am looking forward to going to sleep with what I hope is new comfort. I put a hole in the old sheet set about a week ago that kept getting bigger. Winston ...

Today was the Crown Tournament for the East Kingdom. This is where there are rattan fights to determine the next Royalty for the East. My happy things for today start with carpooling. I was able to ride along with someone else to the SCA event. This meant company during the drive to Maine and that I wasn't the one driving. It was great to get to know the lady who drove better. She is one of many nice people in my Barony. From my viewer standpoint, Crown Tournament seemed to go well. Unfortunately, none of the fantastic fighters who originate from my Barony won the day. I am pleased with the winner, though. They have been Royals three times before and have done so well in the past.  The event made the local news . During the court that was held many people were given awards they earned. I was especially pleased when a friend that has always been helpful to me and Stonemarche when needed received their award for service to the Kingdom.   ☮ Currently reading: Pocket...

Yesterday I forgot a very important thing that I was happy about. Two of my champions showed up just to represent during court. I was thrilled. My exhaustion from the day left me with a poor memory. Some happy things from today: There is a line from Simon & Garfunkel’s song "The Dangling Conversation", “And we note our place with book markers/That measure what we've lost”. As I came closer to finishing two different works of fiction these lines kept crossing my mind. There are points in storytelling that have an anticipatory excitement. It could be a "Whodunnit?" type anticipation or something else, but with good writing, it is there. As books reveal that information, excitement can dwindle and the book soon ends. I'm not sure if that is what Paul Simon meant by those lyrics, maybe he meant time, but I’m looking at it as the loss of that anticipatory excitement. I finished reading The Three Miss Margarets by Louise Shaffer today. It was a ...

The company I work for is offering technical training classes starting next March. There is an application process and getting in is competitive. I applied today. I find it highly unlikely that I will get accepted, but I want to try. If nothing else I will learn a few things about myself. There are a few caveats with this, one being that should I be accepted and pass the class, I would most likely need to relocate somewhere else in the country to get the job I would be training for. There are a lot of steps to pass before that is something to worry about. Other happy things from today: Keziah has been putting in extra time at the ceramics studio. She has sent a couple pictures and now has two pieces that look really good. Last weekend at the event there were many lovely scrolls that were given out. I took a few pictures and forgot to share them. I don’t have the artist information, but they are some very talented people.  It makes me happy to look at them. ☮ Currently re...

The event has ended and I am happy to be home. Here are some of the happy highlights from today: This morning we started with the Heavy List Champions. There were six fighters who all fought well. Keziah gets the winner as her champion but I choose from the rest. It is never easy. I decided to go with who was having the most fun out there and asked each fighter who they had the most fun fighting. It was the same person so the choice became easy.   The other championship today was for Thrown Weapons. Again, there was a lot of talent on the range. The winner is the one champion for this competition. The end was close and suspenseful which always helps to make it more fun. I have a friend that has stayed home more than not during the pandemic. I've seen her a few times but it was quite the surprise when she showed up at the event today. She retained for Keziah and myself and we got to visit. It was so nice to see her. Keziah got a migraine. She toughed it out until after c...

At the SCA event, there were three champion competitions today. The first was for Fencing, the second Archery, and in the evening was Bardic. Tomorrow is when it will all become official. Here are some happy things from today: For the fencing competition we had three contenders and one will become Baron Keziah's champion and one mine. They all fought well. The fencers are fun to watch because they play the sport in a joyful manner. For the archery competition, we miss the beginning and come in for the semi-finals and finals. They had some very neat looking targets. The targets for the finals were hanging blocks. It can be hard to hit hanging things because they move easily. We each get a champion.  It wasn’t a windy day and the archers shot well. It is always fun to watch the more unique target options. Keziah and I walked around the event after the archery portion and saw different people. Eventually I walked alone, stopping to say hello to some people, and trying to ge...

 After some morning appointments my day was all about preparing for the SCA event, Harper's Retreat.  Keziah and I spent some time at the studio.  She had last minute sewing repairs and I got the rest of the bands we wove off the loom and ready.  Five of the eight bands will get awarded this weekend and three will be promisaries.  I think that we did well considering we started so late.  Here are a few other happy things from today:       The event site has some cabins to use so we didn't need to set up tents.  Since the temperatures will be in the 40's tonight, that alone makes the cabin more comfortable.  The cabin that we are in also has a bathroom and beds.  Gideon and I are sharing the pull out couch.   It has been nice to see friends.  I got to hang around with one friend for a while and catch up, that was nice. There was bardic (performing arts) in the evening.  I didn't stay long but was there t...

As I pace the floor to get my final steps for the day in, I often will play games on my phone or check Facebook. Tonight I am writing my blog. This is a more productive use of my pacing time. Yay for productivity!  Here are some other happy things from today: The green and white band I was working on yesterday is finished and I have started the next one.  I totally forgot to take a picture of the finished one before winding it more onto the loom to make room for the next one.  I did take a picture of the next beginnings.  I don't like the Japanese knotweed we have growing on the property.  I do like that it is supplying food for the many bees that were on it today.   We have a shortage of scribes in the Barony. We use scribes to create scrolls for awards. There were some awards that I was hoping to give out this weekend. It may not happen, but I started practicing calligraphy. I'm not good at it, but maybe I'll find the time to make some scrolls....

It started as a slow day. I didn't sleep well, but we felt it was important to pack up everything before the rain came. Thankfully, the rain held out long enough that we were able to take our time getting things into the car. In fact, other than some occasional sprinkles, the rain held out completely. Packing dry when possible is so important though, so we did. Other happy things from today: -First court this morning was short and had few attendees. One person was sent on vigil and then court was over. -A friend is helping with the weaving, at least for today. I only got a little weaving done before there was too much going on for me to be able to concentrate on it. -During the afternoon court there were three Pelican elevations. It was good to be there to welcome these people to the order.  Unfortunately I am too tired to due them justice with words.                                     ...

At some point in the middle of SCA court this afternoon I realized what today is.  It would be the 58th birthday of a friend of mine, were he still here.  I remain sad that he left us.  When I think of him today I am choosing to remember his laughter and sarcasm.  Here are some happy things from today: -Keziah, Gideon, and I are at an SCA event in New York.  We traveled far to be here to help celebrate a friend who will be added to the order of the Pelican tomorrow.  The Pelican is the highest level service award in the SCA.  Gideon got to do youth fighting and I actually got some pictures.  He is wearing the pink helmet. -I've spent time just talking with different friends today and that has been very good. -There were two courts today where people are awarded things.  Some of this today was inspiring for me.  Here are some random pictures from the courts. ☮️ Thank ...

It was pack up and go day at Pennsic.  Almost everyone is gone by Saturday; only a few people stay until Sunday.  It took most of the day to pack up all the things.  The one thing that I spent a bunch of time on was getting the shower pieces clean and dry.  I'm so happy that the day was dry for packing.  Other happy things from today: --Once the sun hit the chairs this morning and things started drying out a thin, lovely mist rose from them.  The picture doesn't do it justice. --Packing up is hard physically and emotionally.  In all honesty, I usually have a meltdown at some point during the process.   I think I only got really frustrated once and it was short lived.  No meltdown! That made the day much better than in some previous years. --Packing up went well because there were some great people who helped get the job done.  And while I concentrated on packing up the Baronial part of the encampment, Zed concentrated on...

As the last full day of Pennsic comes to a close I am feeling sad it is ending but happy to be going home to my own room soon and house with an indoor shower, laundry, and indoor plumbing.   Other happy things from today: --I made it back to the archery range to shoot the war points at the clout shoot.   The clout is a good sized target at about 100 yards.  We shoot from where the short white posts are.  The target to aim at is the one in the distance with the castle type wall around it.   Getting an arrow inside the castle wall is three points.  Hitting the target in the middle (Medusa) is four.  I don't remember what that closer target was worth, I didn't try that one.  The first six arrows I shot I scored zero.  The next six, all of them scored and each round after that I scored something.  I'm pleased with how I did. I even hit the Medusa in the middle a couple times.  --On the ...