In Contemplation of the New Year

I have devoted today entirely to being unproductive at work. I have sucessfully done no more than 5 minutes worth of real work. Does this make me feel guilty? Interesting question. No. There are icicles hanging from the roof, the sun sparkles on them, the cold preserves them. There is a foot of snow on the ground, and many lovely mountains of snow made by plows. There are noisy rambunctious youths playing on them. I don't think I feel guilty. Instead of working, I am watching the red color seep out of a Lemon Zinger tea bag, slowly diffusing into a mug of hot, microwaved water. Eventually it will be tea. After I stir it. For now all the color, representing flavor, is content to stay in one red circle at the bottom of the mug. Does this make me a bad person? No, I don't think so. In 10 years (actually, never mind 10 years, replace that with "right now", "never"), no one will care how many tertiary flakes were found at Site 25GD__, but I had a fair day today, which may matter to my future sanity. I think I made perhaps one or two other people's days brighter, in sending thoughtful or encouraging messages that were long overdue. Who can say how much that might matter in the long run? I learned new things today, about medieval lamps. I don't see how that makes me a bad person.
And I've spent time in contemplation today, something I certainly don't do enough of. I'd be a far worse person if I didn't. I am praying, today, for peace, love, and hope for the New Year. I always do, every year. Sometimes I think, at the end of the year, that it's been one more year without peace, love, and hope, and that there will only be one more year without peace, love, and hope. But that's not true at all. That's looking at the big picture, not the small picture. And the Small Picture is infinitely more important. Everyone knows that the Big Picture is made up of all the Small Pictures. And in the Small Picture, in my one, small life, from time to time, in some small moments, I knew Peace, Love, and Hope, and I knew it infinitely and eternally, and almost perfectly.

Next year will be better. Tomorrow will be better. Everything will be fine. We will live, we will create peace, we will love each other, and hope for more peace and love still to come. It's going to be all right.

There, I've stirred it and it's tea now. It tastes good.

White Christmas

Who says dreams don't come true? We got almost 2 feet of snow over Christmas this year. We didn't leave my parent's house from Christmas Eve, till the afternoon of the 27th. Despite being snowed in, and not being able to make it to either of my grandparent's houses, it was one of the best Christmases I've had. It was nice, not having to rush off anywhere. I love my relatives, and I am still hoping to see them soon, but it was great having a calm, quiet Christmas. Ok, so it wasn't necessarily either of those two things. My family is pretty rambunctious, and all of us except my oldest sister and her family were stuck in the house for almost 5 days together. All 9 of us! We played games and made fun of each other, went sledding, ate too much good food, exchanged presents, watched movies. I got some quality sleeping and reading time in, which was great. I really just needed some time off that was actually relaxing. So I'm ok with this huge Christmas blizzard we had, even tho it's kinda wreaked some havoc in the midwest. People get mad at me for enjoying it so much; my defense is "If you can't do anything about it, you might as well enjoy it." But I can't say I would have wished it away anyway. :P

Sweaters

I love the cold of winter for many different reasons. Today's reason is because you can wear big, soft and bulky sweaters that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside and out! Yes, folks, sweaters are soul food! (And today's sweater is even green, which makes it that much better!)

The fact that they make you feel warm and fuzzy inside as well as out, is verified by this blog post. I'm not usually that...well...fuzzy, am I?

Monday, Monday

Field season is officially done for us at the Augustana Archaeology Lab. The significant snowfalls in both of our project areas--NE South Dakota, and Fremont, NE--have very effectively put a stop to any unfinished surveys. While I'm going to get incredibly bored in the office this winter, I can't say I'm sad to be done with the field season. I'm getting less and less fond of hotels in my "old age" and it will be nice to be able to work on projects at home, and see people who aren't my co-workers! Not that they are terrible people, but a little variety in one's company is a good thing! And besides, it was getting downright cold outside!

Weekend was fun. Helped out with the annual lutefisk dinner at NESODAK on Lake Enemy Swim with Rachel. Came home smelling like nasty fish jello, but I had fun serving it while my clothing was absorbing the scent. Got to hang out with Rachel and see her new house afterwards. Yesterday, after I got back to Sioux Falls, I went to the Sudanese Mass at the Cathedral, then to Panera with Kaia, Del, Carrie, and Edwin, who was in town visiting. He had his camera, as always...I don't think I've ever seen any of his photos, but I'd like to! Afterwards everyone huddled in our living room, drinking tea; nerdily discussed Lord of the Rings, guitars, Anglo-Saxons, the Vices of Herbert Norris, and sang the good old songs. I can't help but wonder what our neighbors think of us, as this isn't the first time that random late night singing sessions have occurred!

Alone Together

I was driving home from Waubay yesterday, listening to Garrison Keillor on the radio. The Lake Woebegone Lutheran pastor had been called to the bar, because he'd been told one of the men there was asking for him. He walked in and sat next to the man, who had a glass of whisky in front of him, and listened as he told his troubles. His life had fallen apart. He'd lost his livelihood, his sanity, and had been left by his wife. He said "I've just never felt like I belong, and I'm all alone."

The pastor told him, "No one feels like they belong, and everyone feels alone, because no one does belong here. We belong with God, because no one can love us as completely and as perfectly as God does. We're all alone." He said "come with me now, I will help you, we'll talk."

But the man stayed behind. Why did he stay? Are we so wrapped up in our own loneliness that we can't embrace anyone else's? That we become afraid to step out of it, not knowing what is on the outside?

No matter how lonely it gets, it's strangely comforting knowing that everyone else is too. Because one day, we'll all Belong.

"You Will be Assimilated!"

Game carried on from Miss Doom's blog. If you want to play, leave a comment that says "Resistance is Futile" and I will leave you five questions. Mine from Doom are: [and I like that they're almost all SCA questions. She knows me well enough to know that I have nothing else going for me!]

1. What do you enjoy about fencing?
I have to admit that I really like just knowing how to do something completely off the wall and awesome. But it really is one of the only "sports" I could ever get into. I like playing historical sports. It appeals to the uber geek in me.
2. What keeps you playing in the SCA?
The people. I mean, no matter how much of a historical geek I am, I would get my fix elsewhere if the people were awful.
3. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Tough choice. I really, really love the plains, and I"m not sure I could leave them permanently, but I would love, love, love a chance in England, at least for a few years.
4. If you won the lottery, what would you do first?
Well, probably pay off my school loans. It's tempting to say travel, but if I could pay the durned things off, I'd be free to do whatever I wanted with the money I was no longer giving to the bank.
5. Would you ever want to be an SCA peer?
It could be fun, in a horrible sort of way. I'd give it a whirl.

Hotels Inspire Laziness

I have eighty bajillion different projects I could be working on, particularly my overall life's goal of learning everything there is to know about anything that ever happened in the past. But no. I am in a hotel, therefore I feel like a lazy bum who has no motivation whatsoever in my life. I'm going to sit around and watch anime online. I'll be productive when I go home tomorrow.

It has to get better than this

I am sitting alone in a hotel room, in my pajamas watching sappy, depressing chick-flicks, while I crochet one blanket, with another one across my lap. Please see post title.

"Everything I Know I Learned in a Song, or: Lyrics to Live By"

Simple Man

Mama told me when I was young
Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say
And if you do this it'll help you some sunny day

Oh, take your time don't live too fast
Troubles will come and they will pass
Go find a woman you'll find love
And don't forget son there is someone up above

And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man
Oh, won't you do this for me son if you can?

Forget your lust for the rich man's gold
All that you need is in your soul
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try
All that I want for you my son is to be satisfied

And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man
Oh, won't you do this for me son if you can? Oh yes, I will

Boy, don't you worry you'll find yourself
Follow your heart and nothing else
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try
All that I want for you my son is to be satisfied

And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man
Oh, won't you do this for me son if you can?



I think this man had life figured out. "Be something you love and understand." I'm not sure I love who I am, much less understand who I am. You know what towels look like when they're soaking wet, and have been wrung tightly as possible? That's kinda what I feel like. It's time to figure out how to unwind, unwrinkle, and get a few things straightened out.

Crazy As Always

Took Tom to the Celtic Women concert last night. I think he enjoyed it immensely and enthusiastically. Win! We wanted to do something nice for him since he's always doing things for everyone else. Only after the concert, he said he would return the favor by taking us to the opera. I'd love to go see the opera with him. But the point was not that it would be a favor requiring another in return! *sigh* Tom is Tom, as usual. The show really was great. I've always liked Celtic Women, but wasn't as stoked about them as Tom is. It's easier to pay close attention to all the details when it's a live show though. One of the words that repeatedly came to mind was "exuberant." It's a very uplifting performance; there is nothing negative. Whether the song is heart-wrenching or joyful, it will make you feel like a better person simply for having experienced it. They played some of my favorites--the Shenandoah fiddle solo brought tears to my eyes--and I've had "The Spanish Lady" stuck in my head ever since then as well! And some new ones. I didn't count how many encores they did, but at least half a dozen. The fiddle impressed me most...I don't think I've ever heard such depth and range of emotion come from a solo instrument, a singer, or an entire orchestra. Every note clear and perfect. Amazing. Anyway, before this starts reading like a newspaper review, I'll move on, just saying that if you ever get a chance to go, even if you think you aren't interested, go anyway!

Gearing up for the Griffin Needle Challenge this weekend. The team is down to 3 of us, but I think we'll do fine. We've got some talent. :) Need to print off the research tonight, wash fabric, and round up materials. And make a packing list for everything I need to bring!

Wish us luck!

More Stolen Wisdom

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion,butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balanceaccounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders,give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a newproblem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fightefficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects!" -- RobertHeinlein

I am Broken

I stole this from Sorcha's blog:

“life will break you. nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won’t either, for solitude will also break you with its yearnings. you have to love. you have to feel. it is the reason you are here on earth. you are here to risk your heart. you are here to be swallowed up. and when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. tell yourself that you tasted as many as you could.”
- louise erdrich, the painted drum, p. 247

In Which I Actually Find Something

Did a couple surveys in NE SD with the annoying-but-harmless coworker yesterday and Wednesday. The first was at Roy Lake; surveying for a new foot-bridge in the campground. Nothing interesting, but nice weather...crisp, cold and cloudy. Then we drove up to Sica Hollow State Park, near Sisseton. Survey for proposed hiking trail upgrades, so for the rest of that day, and the morning of the next, all I had to do was wander the hiking trails looking for artifacts. By myself, no less...the survey corridor was pretty narrow, so we only needed one person per section of trails, so it was blissfully silent and beautiful. Astoundingly beautiful, fairy-tale lovely, green catheral-esque. I want to go back and hide myself away in the trees with the deer and the streams and the birds, and maybe never come back.

My first find was the most exciting...a historic/prehistoric site...some depressions indicating structures, historic debris scattered about, a Catlinite flake (very exciting, as we don't see it very often, and the Pipestone Quarry was a sacred site), some other flakes and...two glass trade beads, and one unidentified object that is shaped like an animal claw or a drinking horn, is as glossy as glass, but makes me think instead of smooth-surfaced seashells. The hole went all the way through it, being small at the pointed end, but widening all the way to the opposite end...exactly like a drinking horn, only with a hole in the opposite end. I'm wondering if this is some type of shell that was traded as if for a bead...it made me think of dentalia shells, only is larger, and far smoother, slightly more curved. The glass beads were one white tube bead, perhaps an inch long, several mm diameter, and one tiny white seed bead.

They are the only trade beads I've ever personally found in the field. Ever. Finally, after waiting my entire archaeological career. I'm putting the day on the calendar, and Sica Hollow on my (not-really-existing) "Personal Journeys" map.

Catch Up

Oh hey, I notice that I promised more on the Flogging Molly concert. Well, I think most of the people who usually read this blog have already heard about it. Briefly...it was awesome. It can't top the Gaelic Storm concert, but it was pretty dang close on the list. We were right up front, got tossed about in the mosh pit (and out of the mosh pit!), sang along and screamed til I was hoarse, danced with strange people I've never met, and got some random guy's phone number scribbled on the back of his business card. :P Great music, great crowd, great friends to share the road trip with.

In other news...hey, it's October now, and it's cold and rainy! I love it! The job search continues as the monotony and irritation at the current job increases. I'm going to actively make this place merely a footnote in my life...it'll take me from point A to point B, and that is all it's ever going to matter. It's NOT worth the stress!

Looking forward to the Griffin Needle Challenge in a few weeks. I am about 90% sure that I can be there. We still don't know what we are going to be making, but I'll bet it's going to be good!

Last weekend had Girl's Night Out with Kaia and Sam. We brought Travis along as our "chaperone"...we were all dressed up and pretty-ful, so someone had to protect us from the freaks. Besides, he said he really need to go out and drink, he'd had a bad week. Went to eat at Ruby Tuesday, then went to see Zombieland, which was actually, surprisingly, well worth the $8. Hilarious! Met up with Bernie there, who later went out to Club David with us. Also ran into Jerry and Rick, separately. Evidently it's a popular movie! Hung out at the bar for awhile, drinking, talking, laughing, playing pool. I was dd. No one got particularly drunk, which was good! Just enough to relax and loosen up.

Tonight's plans...make zucchini bread before that last zucchini says time is up, file my Siege report (I've been trying for weeks, but have been thwarted thru various different channels!), tackle the mending pile and pack for a short 2-day survey up by Sisseton. Will be back Thursday night.

News Flash!

Did I mention this here already at some point? I'M GOING TO SEE FLOGGING MOLLY TONIGHT!!!!

I'm pretty excited about this. More later.

Exciting News!

Exciting for me, that is, and for some of my acquaintances as well. You've probably heard about the Anglo-Saxon treasure hoard that's been found just recently. It's been all over the internet. I'm almost, but not quite surprised that it wasn't on the local evening news. :P If you hear anything new and juicy, I would love to know about it. I mean, I've seen all the woefully bland press release articles; I mean if you hear of any such thing as an official archaeology/museum report or catalog coming out, or something on that order. Or some good pictures with a sort of detailed summary.

I'm really excited about this whole thing, because I'm a dork, and because this falls exactly in my SCA persona time period--right smack dab in the end of the 7th, to beginning of the 8th C. If I had the money I'd be on a plane right now to go see it!

I've been collecting links since yesterday, so if you are interested, I can send them off to you.

Unproductive

So much for getting a lot done last night. I got home from work, picked up a book, sat on the couch, and promptly fell asleep until almost 8 pm. Well, I was still pretty tired from Siege, so I won't complain about catching up on sleep. I did finally get everything unpacked, at least, but I didn't get any of my cleaning done. The house still looks like a disaster area from the mess that accumulated leading up to Siege! Well, that's tonight's project, along with applying for a million and one different jobs, and hopefully getting around to filing my event report. And maybe sneaking a peak at my book again. I'm reading "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets" by Stephen Crane. It's pretty good--I don't think it's going to be an uplifting sort of story, but he's a very good writer.

"I Won't Go Back Without A Fight," or, "Cecil's Siege is Over"

I've had that little rhyme in my head for a few days now, the one that goes "Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other's gold." That's usually the case after a good event. It's amazing how I used to be so bad at meeting new people; SCA makes it effortless. Everyone is so friendly. Cecil's Siege was great--again--this year. We missed Curly Tom and Dave and Lu and Hrothgar, but most of the usual crew made it, as well as some new faces for Siege. I sat at Troll Thursday night and Friday morning, into the afternoon. I like working Troll, because you get to see everyone as they come in. The rest of Friday was mostly setting up camp, running errands for people, and sitting at troll some more with Kaia, Ralph, Tristram, and Hawaii guy--whose name I believe is Donnell, and he now lives in Aberdeen, SD. We like him, if you see him, be nice. I went to bed early--being midnight--because I was all nervous for fencing the next day, as I was Marshal in Charge, and I wanted to make sure I was plenty lucid in the morning! I think the fencing went really well; everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I never did get into fencing gear myself, since by the time all the main "games" were done, everyone seemed to be fading away pretty quickly, and I was too. It's hard work to stand out in the sun all day! But hey, I tired them out, without anyone getting sick or dead...that's a sucess in rapier!
I was so hungry by the time the hog roast came around, which was good, because there was a lot of really, really good food, and hunger only makes it taste better! Afterwards, everyone pretty much hung around the pole barn for hours, talking, drinking, telling stories, making jokes, singing, laughing...and wrestling. At some point, someone decided to start wrestling matches. I have never before in my life thought twice about wrestling, but this was pretty awesome to watch. It seemed like for the most part, the little guys were holding the floor. I wouldn't say that Drake, Steve, or Ian are necessarily scrawny, but compared to the guys they were up against, they were. I think Steve's win over the guy from Shadow's Co., and Travis's over Tarrach have been the most talked about. Heck, I was impressed, and I know nothing about wrestling, but it looked good!
After that settled down, I talked to Bron and Meredith for awhile. He tells me that he's found a husband for me. I had to laugh--it's funny, but kinda sweet too, that he always tells me he's trying to find a man for me. As this one lives in Minot, ND, I'm not really anticipating any new developments in the romance department, no matter how nice Bron assures me he is!
Afterwards, sat and talked with Rita, Daria and Sir Morgan for awhile. I'd only just met Morgan, but he quickly discovered a game that was new for him, but seems to be quite popular with many other people. It's called "let's see how deeply we can make Jessica blush!" I couldn't tell how red I actually was, but my face was pretty warm! He said he could feel radiant heat coming off of even my toes.
So many friends, not enough time to spend with them! I talked with Halfdan, Xandre and Tara, Steve/Finnbogi and Cheryl, Travis, Torimasa, Tom, Hagan...I miss them all already. Heidi came up from Norfolk too. She authorized in heavy weapons Saturday. I think she had a great time too, she had no trouble socializing, not that she ever does!
Sunday packed up, said goodbyes, helped clean up site, said more goodbyes, went to supper with Sam and Sarah, said more good byes, went to church, and went elatedly, but sadly home. I think I know how addicts feel when they're coming down from a high. I will go from happy to sad in the space of a minute, perusing through memories and images in my head. But...I have tickets for the Flogging Molly concert in Council Bluffs with Svein and Hagan on Sunday, so my feelings are somewhat assauged. :D

Homesick

I'm feeling a bit homesick again these days. I miss Vermillion, I miss my farmhouse, I miss my people, I miss living in a small town farming community, I even miss my classes and some of my professors. I felt like I really had a place for myself there. I think I've come to realize that my time there is over; I still love to visit, but I would be far too restless living there anymore.

I heard today that my Sociology professor, Sharon Allen, died of brain cancer earlier this month, on Sept. 8. I wasn't as close to her as I was to some of my other professors, but I always liked her; she was such a sweet lady. I only had one class with her, but I saw her all the time in East Hall, and she always smiled so nicely. I also read that Werner Kitzler, my favorite grumpy old German professor, retired this year. I suppose in a few more years, very few of the people I knew there will be left...students graduate and move away, professors (most of mine were old!) retire. Moving from Vermillion to Sioux Falls affected me more than moving from my parents house to college did...I was more than ready to get out of my parent's house and fly, but I wanted more time in that little town by the river.

I'll find another home again someday, I hope, but I won't ever forget the first one that I had to carve out for myself.

Memorial

I came across this story recently in my email, and thought it was touching then. I just stumbled across it again on another person's blog. After hearing all the absolute SHIT on TV and everywhere else about the death of a certain celebrity whose name we all know, but which shan't be mentioned here, because he doesn't deserve it, I was sickened by how skewed this country's idea of a "hero" is. So I'm copying this message here again, because this is a man who deserves the attention and mourning of a real hero.

via email: Band Of Brothers Hero, Darrell ‘Shifty’ Powers Dies
By Joe Galloway
We’re hearing a lot today about big splashy memorial services.
I want a nationwide memorial service for Darrell “Shifty” Powers.
Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry. If you’ve seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the History Channel, you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10 episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.
I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn’t know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the right gate, and noticed the “Screaming Eagle”, the symbol of the 101st Airborne, on his hat.
Making conversation, I asked him if he’d been in the 101st Airborne or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how many jumps he made.
Quietly and humbly, he said, “Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945 . . . ” at which point my heart skipped.
At that point, again, very humbly, he said, “I made the 5 training jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy . . . . do you know where Normandy is?” At this point my heart stopped.
I told him yes, I know exactly where Normandy was, and I know what D-Day was. At that point he said, “I also made a second jump into Holland, into Arnhem.” I was standing with a genuine war hero . . . . and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day.
I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France and he said, “Yes. And it’s real sad because these days so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can’t make the trip.” My heart was in my throat and I didn’t know what to say.
I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach, while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I’d take his in coach.He said “No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and still care is enough to make an old man very happy.” His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine are brimming up now as I write this.
Shifty died on June 17 after fighting cancer.
There was no parade.
No big event in Staples Center .
No wall to wall back to back 24×7 news coverage.
No weeping fans on television.
And that’s not right.
Let’s give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet way. Please forward this email to everyone you know. Especially to the veterans.
Rest in peace, Shifty.
“A nation without heroes is nothing.” – Roberto Clemente

And this is how I feel today:

Runaway train, never going back
Wrong way on a one-way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I'm neither here nor there

Can you help me remember how to smile?
Make it somehow all seem worthwhile
How on earth did I get so jaded?
Life's mystery seems so faded
I can go where no one else can go
I know what no one else knows
Here I am just a-drownin' in the rain
With a ticket for a runaway train

Bought a ticket for a runaway train
Like a madman laughing at the rain
A little out of touch, a little insane
It's just easier than dealing with the pain

Runaway train, never going back
Wrong way on a one-way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I'm neither here nor there
Runaway train, never coming back
Runaway train, tearing up the track
Runaway train, burning in my veins
I run away but it always seems the same

I'm not quite that depressed about it as the song sounds, but it's the same sense of being lost and perplexed. Do you ever feel like you're supposed to be going somewhere, and maybe you are, but you have no idea where you're going, or how you're getting there? Or like you've fallen off the train, and everything is rushing past you so fast, everything you want, but it won't slow down enough for you to jump back on?

"Like a madman laughing at the rain/ out of touch, a little insane." That's it exactly.

The Neverending Quest for LIFE!!!

Evidently casual conversation is no longer a viable option for staving off the abjectly miserable boredom of the work day. There are 3 of us in here, 3 of us who have at least some similar interests, who have plenty of things going on in our lives to discuss, and who actually get along quite well with each other. However, the other two are men. Are all men this taciturn, or have we all just sunken into despair and have given up on being anything but bored at work? Whenever I try to engage anyone in any sort of discussion, I generally get ignored, or a one word answer which is followed by more opressive silence. Is it just me, or is that rude? I've given up on conversation as a way of making this job tolerable.

I've got to get out while I'm still alive!

Huzzah!

The Dress is done and gone!! I gave it to Eithni this weekend at Ajax's going away party. Finally, I can work on my own sorely neglected garb-wardrobe, with none of those little pricklings of guilt that insinuate that I'm shirking tasks that ought to come first. I am free! I've finally begun putting the bias tape on the unfinished edge of my fencing coif. It's almost done, and it looks a lot nicer. Speaking of fencing...I've agreed that I'll be Marshal in Charge of Cecil's Siege, which is very daunting, so I'm trying to be brave about it. It can't be that hard, especially at Siege. Last year it ended up being little more than a practice, we had so few fencers. But that does mean I need to make sure I have all of the updated handbooks and paperwork printed off.

I'm also trying to make some more garb before Siege...including underdress, overdress, hood and mantle, and caftan. I think the underdress and hood will be priority. Since I'm being masochistic and persisting in handsewing everything, I might not be able to hope for more. I'll try though.

In other news: Heading to Ages of War in Charles City, IA this weekend with Ru and Cheryl. Promises to be a good time. Weekend after that is my darling godchild/neice's birthday party, and Labor Day camping with the family. Then Siege! And sometime after that, I am really, really hoping to make it to the Shakopee Renaissance Faire. If work decides to tell me last minute that we are going to do a 10 day field session, and spoil my plans, I am going to be incredibly upset. This last weekend was Riverboat Days in Yankton...saw a good rodeo, good fireworks, good parade, good Brule, good bagpipes, good horses, good art. Ajax's going away party was this weekend...he's leaving for the military in about 3 weeks. I'm very glad for him, since he is glad, and very worried for him. Keep him and all our soldiers in your prayers! It was a good party though. Saw friends from far and near...and got rid of The Dress!

Take care, all!

A Matter of Perspective

I am not sitting in a refrigerator box in some random alley. I am getting paid enough to feed, clothe and shelter myself. I have caring friends and family.

This job doesn't suck that bad.

It is a good day.

Now if only I can remember that every day!

Progress, of a sort

I've been working more studiously lately on the dress for Her Highness...she's quickly going to be Her Majesty if I don't hurry up and finish! Anway, it's nearly done, I just have a few more seams to finish up, so they don't fray. I've opted to whip-stitch the edges, since I have a feeling the corners would be rather bulky if I tried french or flat-felled seams, since in some places there are at least 3 seams coming together at once, thanks to the gores. But the whip-stitching is turning out nicely, and looks like it's going to serve it's purpose. Score 1 me! I'm going to be so glad to be done with it! Another night or two of work should do it. I stayed up till 1 last night working on it though, and haven't been sleeping well lately to boot, so I'm exhausted today. I'll be lucky if I can make it till 9:00 tonight before I totally crash. Well, a good night's sleep tonight, and maybe tomorrow I will be ready to go full gear again!

Ode to the Sharp and Pointy

Only in this case it isn't rapiers. For once. Though I like them too. No, this time, it's needles. A friend of mine showed me the Viking-period needles that a friend had given her, and it's been stuck in my head since then that I want to make some. Have been doing some research, and have decided that while I'm at it, I might as well make pins as well. Seems to be quite simple a process--in concept.

I went down to Vermillion last night to hang out at the milk barn for the weekly SCA meeting, and brought it up with Hagan. So he scrounged around for practice material. First attempt was iron baling wire. He put a point on with the grinder (we cheated on the practice ones), heated the end, flattened it with a hammer. Success so far. Then we attempted to put the hole in the needle head. Not so much success. Even heating it red hot, we still flattened the tip of several nails in the attempt. We're hoping with a copper alloy, aka softer metal, we'll have more sucess. However, I'm thinking that the iron prototype will have a nice, sharp, dainty-yet-tough point for perhaps using as a punch to put the holes in future, smaller needles of copper-alloy. This is actually a really good process for me, because simple as it is, and though I did little more than watch and hold the nail and pound the hammer, I'm learning more about metal working. If I had a torch/forge, I think at this point, I'd probably be able to manage a decent one on my own with time. Anyway, we tried a brass one next, with a much larger still gauge wire (think larger than your typical yarn needle!), and still had no luck with getting a hole in it. We really just need to find a decent punch, I think. Keeping said hypothetical punch centered on the needle head might also be a challenge.

Anyway, I'm having a lot of fun in the experimentation process. Will keep you updated! I'm so excited to be able to make my linen fabric into handsewn, Anglo-Saxon dresses with handmade needles and pins!!! Hopefully before Cecil's Siege in September!!!

Annoyed, Angry, and Antsy

And I can't help but wonder if anyone would really notice if I played hooky today. Or for the rest of the week.

FYI, in case you didn't know this little fact: we don't really do archaeology at archaeology labs. In fact, I'm not sure what we do. But it's too nice outside to be washing artifacts that are just going to be shoved into boxes and never seen again. To be honest, I would just as soon dump them in the flower bed. At least maybe the maintenance guys would be able to see them there.

I want to do this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09LQlfMmW7s

and this:

http://warehamforgeblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/working-temperatures-va-bead-furnace.html

and this:

http://www.hjemkomst-center.com/ship/voyage/main.htm

I was going to put up pictures, but links will have to do, because I'm using a stupid Mac.

So yes. That's what I want to do. Interestingly enough, shortly after deciding I wanted to do two of them, I discovered opportunities to actually make it happen. I've only just decided I wanted to do a third of them...let's see what happens. Can you guess which ones are which?

Free Now

I am not in control.
I will not be in control.
I cannot be in control.
God is in control.

So everything is okay.

Up and Down

This roller coaster ride is making me nauseous. How do I get off this thing, anyway?

Peaceful Solitude/Aching Lonely

When the pain goes away, all that is left is emptiness.

I Always Love A Good and Silly Renaissance Faire

I take myself too seriously. I think most people do. My recommended treatment for that...go to the local Renaissance Faire annually.
I would like to believe that I take my historical reenacting fairly seriously, though certainly not as seriously as many, many others of my acquaintance. I like my garb to at least be accurate enough, that anyone who knows better at least won't feel like beating me with a stick. I handsew, I use natural fiber fabric, and attempt to avoid colors that are very unlikely to come from a natural dye. Plastic is bad. You know, things like that. So Ren Faires tend to make me, as an amateur historian, cringe a little bit inside when I see some of the fooferaw that people wear. However, the atmosphere is contagious...everyone is just there for a good time, and light-hearted, mostly-harmless fun.
The Siouxland Renaissance Faire was this weekend, and the local SCA group had a tent there and did various redeeming educational demos for the public, while most of the rest of the fair-goers wandered around in appallingly inaccurate pirate/gypsy/fairy/etc. costumes. I have decided that as long as none of these people attempt to tell me that their costume is historically accurate, I will observe, enjoy, and even participate in the show. (I was on the pirate's side in the ship game. Naturally). And had lots of good fun.
The trick, I've discovered...look at it as an arts show, not as a historical reenactment (because it isn't) and everything will be just fine!

Besides...I got to converse briefly with one of the jousting horses. It's all good.

Because I haven't wasted enough time lately...

1. Do you like bleu cheese?
It's blue because it's moldy. Ick. And it's spelled wrong to, so it's right out. Silly French people, the u comes before the e.

2. Have you ever been drunk?
Pass

3. Do you own a gun?
Sadly, no. I like noisy things.

4. What do you like to do on weekends?
Everything, particularly, FIRE, sewing, reading, biking, riding other people's motorcycles, FIRE, stabbing people with swords, running around in rainstorms, and FIRE.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
No. I go to the doctor very infrequently.

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
Absolutely disgusting unless they are good and burnt over a FIRE.

7. Favorite Christmas movie?
Any of the old clay-mation ones

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Earl Grey tea. Oh yeah.

9. Can you do push ups?
I'm with Anne on this one: yes, but why?

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
My trade beads from Wade. Ooohh.

11. Favorite hobby?
All of them

12. Favorite novel?
Must I pick one? Lord of the Rings is pretty high on the list.

13. What's your favorite shoe?
My new sandals are pretty awesome.

14. What is your middle name?
marie

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
Kaia is home.
The Olive Garden sells it's salad dressing over the counter.
Heidi keeps leaving her dirty socks all over the apt.

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink.
milk
water
gatorade

17. Current worry?
What in the world I'm going to do all week at work

18. Current hate right now?
Not having anything to do at work.

20. How did you bring in the New Year?
In the car on a street corner in Tea, SD, lost, with Sarah, Hagan, and a pair of ice skates

21. Where would you like to go?
Everywhere, but particularly everywhere

22. Name three people who will complete this:
me
you
george

23. Do you own slippers?
Yes, the ones my aunt made me for my twelfth or thirteenth or fourteenth or somethingth birthday.

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now?
grey. Blah

25. Do you like sleeping on Satin sheets?
I guess I wouldn't know.

26. Can you whistle?
Well, yeah

27. Favorite colors?
Green and blue

28. Would you be a pirate?
This is a silly question. I am a pirate, of course I would be one.

29. What songs do you sing in the shower?
River in Judea and Wild Mountain Thyme

30. Favorite Girl's Names?
Nice ones

31. Favorite boy's names?
Nice ones

32. What's in your pocket right now?
a kleenex

33. Last thing that made you laugh?
reading anne's answers to this

34. Favorite summer activities?
see number four

35. Worst injury you've ever had?
Heartache

36. Do you love where you live?
South Dakota...yes. My apartment...no

37. Who is your loudest friend?
Heidi

39. How many dogs do you have?
Cry. None

40. Does someone have a crush on you?
Hopefully, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

41. What is something you are really looking forward to?
Lily's War

42. What is one thing you do several times a week?
shower :P

43. What song do you want sung at your Funeral?
What a morbid question. Good thing I like morbid questions. "How Great Thou Art"

44. Name something or someone you love.
babies

Update, I guess

I suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea to post an update of sorts, since I haven't blogged in awhile, and it seems that I don't usually actually blog about what is going on in my life. I don't know if my life is interesting enough to post a blog update about, but I'll do it anyway.
It's summer. Yay. There would be an exclamation point there except that entire row of keys doesn't work on this keyboard. Except the 6 and 5 keys. See? And I'm too cheap to go and buy a new keyboard since this isn't even my computer. Sorry Rachel. Love ya, thanks for letting me borrow the "airplane." Anyway...summer...I'm planning on having tons of fun this summer, since last year's was, let's not lie, a bit dull. I spent the whole thing in hotels for work...which was kinda my fault, cuz I was being a dull, depressed and boring person last year, and didn't even feel like going anywhere on my own. BUT...this year, I don't care how much time we're away from home for work; I will go exploring whatever town we are in to keep from getting too bored. And I will do things on my weekends off...things like SCA events, biking--since I now have an awesome and spiffy new bike--, campfires--since I now have an awesome and spiffy new park sticker--and yes, even studying. I want to become super smart about nerdy things like Old English, and medieval geography, and the Sami, and herb gardens. So it is going to be a very good, busy, nerdy summer.
Lately I'm busy sewing. First I was helping Kaia make garb for the Other Rachel so she could have a pretty dress for her squire ceremony thing. She certainly looked pretty, so I'm glad I got to help out with that. Was also making garb for myself for Quest, since I've decided that One Dress is not quite enough garb for an Aethelflaed who has been doing this for over 5 years now. Still working on that goal, since Kaia and I are going to be going to a week long event in Missouri in a few weeks. Do you know where Smithville is, Sparkles? :D Also making a dress for the next Queen of Northshield; I have been enlisted to help supplement her wardrobe as well. I feel honored to have been asked. Sigh. I'm such a geek.
Other news, let's see...meine kleine schwester is living with Kaia and I for the summer, since she has a job up here in SF until classes start again. A wee bit crowded in our little flat, but everyone is getting along very well, happily. Hmm...and I'm also planning on trying to make the Viking event in Moorhead/Fargo in July. Uber excited about that, so I hope nothing comes up to ruin that plan.

I'm sure there's more, but this post is already getting a bit tall, so I'll stop for now, and just try to post a little more regularly.

Love ya's, take care,
Jessie

Shock

You know that horrible, unexpected flash of pain, and then that throbbing numbness in your brain that is followed by more pain, only not flashes, but constant, when you are bending over the sink, and stand up and hit your head on the cabinet really hard? There you are, minding your own business, when you are suddenly, unexpectedly attacked and are rendered completely immobile for a space of time that might be forever, or might just be a few seconds, it's really hard to say.

It's really getting old.

"Real Archaeology"

I'm in a much better mood these days. We've been doing fieldwork for most of the last weeks, and have more to come. Hopefully enough to keep us in the field the rest of the spring, or at least enough to keep us busy inside once we collect more notes, photos, artifacts, etc.
Lately we've been doing mortuary survey. There's numerous previously recorded historic and prehistoric burial sites in the surrounding area which have been neglected for some time. So we're simply going out and relocating them, and updating the status of the sites. My favorites so far have been the Elmwood Cemetery--in what used to be the township of Texas, South Dakota, which in it's day was a stop for riverboats on the Missouri to load up with wood--and two of the sites where T.H. Lewis--at least I think it was T.H.--recorded prehistoric mounds. Those have been frustrating and fun at the same time, because they've been cultivated for so long that it's difficult to even see the mounds, after years of plowing. Some of them used to be up to three feet high; now the highest one we've recorded so far might have been a foot. So it's difficult; but once you figure out where one or two of them are, we can figure out fairly well where the others are, because Lewis took detailed notes on the distances and compass degrees each was from the other. So I've been getting used to reading a compass today. It's been very interesting. And Elmwood...well, it may sound morbid, but it was very soothing. It's just such a quiet, restful place, with a beautiful view of the Missouri River bluffs, away from any towns or heavily traveled roads, with a few elms, and tall cedars shading the worn and leaning gravestones. I think I needed that survey.

"The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul"

I've just finished reading this book, by Douglas Adams, for the second time, and I think I liked it even better this time around. The reason I like him so well is because in the midst of his ironic and sarcastic comedy, he manages to also create some deeply stirring passages. I haven't been able to decide if this is on purpose, or entirely by accident, but it happens nonetheless. He writes some of the most poetic prose I have yet read. To illustrate, I'm copying down here one of my favorite passages from the book, if nothing else, to attempt to convince those of you who haven't read it yet, that you really should. The background that you need to know: Thor has shown up in modern England and is creating havoc, like he does. (If you've read American Gods, by Neil Gaiman, I'm conjecturing that he actually used this and several other comments in this book as the basis for his main idea in A.G.) Private Detective Dirk Gently is on the case, and is so far the only one who suspects that he really is Thor, being the only one willing to assume the impossible is, in fact, the only explanation that makes sense, and that if Thor is still alive and kicking, surely the rest of the pantheon must be as well. The following paragraphs come from Dirk's mind.

"He wondered for a moment what it was like to be a whale. Physically, he thought, he was probably well placed to get some good insights, though whales were better adapted for their lives of gliding about in the vast pelagic blueness than he was for his of struggling up through the Pentonville Road traffic in a weary old Jaguar--but what he was thinking of, in fact, was the whales' songs. In the past the whales had been able to sing to each other across whole oceans, even from one ocean to another because sound travels such huge distances underwater. But now, again because of the way in which sound travels, there is no part of the ocean that is not constantly jangling with the hubbub of ships' motors, through which it is now virtually impossible for the whales to hear each other's songs or messages.

"So f**king what, is pretty much the way that people tend to view this problem, and understandably so, thought Dirk. After all, who wants to hear a bunch of fat fish, oh, all right, mammals, burping at each other?

"But for a moment Dirk had a sense of infinite loss and sadness the somewhere among the frenzy of information noise that daily rattled the lives of men he thought he might have heard a few notes that denoted the movements of gods. As he turned north into Islington and began the long haul up past the pizza restaurants and estate agents, he felt almost frantic at the idea of what their lives must now be like."

Thought I Knew You

Tomorrow never comes they say,
but hey you know I don't believe them
I close my eyes and drift away
today has gone, I'm still standing
I'm still standing
I'm still standing, oh!

Mercy!

One of my co-workers has decided to listen to the radio this morning. No one's turned on the radio since I've worked here. What does he decide to listen tothis morning? With the speaker directly above my head? The Bob and Tom Show. A bunch of old guys sitting around telling off-color jokes that they think are funny. I might cry. Pray for me!

Woolly

I finally made it to knitting night at Athena's Fibers again. Maedb, myself, and two others had previously decided to bring our spinning, because one of the girls wanted to learn. I'm glad I did, because I had a chance to ask Maedb about how to go about blocking yarn, and discovered that the way I had been told to do it is NOT the best way. So I'm looking forward to getting at that tomorrow afternoon and having usable, functioning yarn made by my own two hands. Excitement ensues. Maedb also gave me and Nadiya some of her wool roving that she'd dyed and decided she didn't need. So now I have more "toys" to play with. :D

I've been so horrifically lethargic this last winter, but I'm doing my best to get out of it, and hopefully just hanging out more with people who are also excited about doing anything will help.

I also realized tonight, coming home after going to church for the Stations of the Cross, that I really miss belonging to a church. I used to know everyone in my home parish, by sight if nothing else, and I was in the choir, and was expected to help at various church functions, etc. I really miss that these days, and am discovering that going to church just on Sundays and Holy Days isn't particularly fulfilling. I want to belong there again. I miss stopping to talk after services with people you know. I miss helping out with fundraisers. I miss the choir. So...I need to find a way to get involved and meet other people there.

If Good Times Were Dollars...

I would be a millionaire.

So it's time to stop being sad.

Almost to the Breaking Point

It gets harder every day to sit here doing essentially nothing. I deal far better with actual hardship than I do with boredom. I might snap at any minute, so stand back, because it might sting. I apologize ahead of time for any possible backlash.

Things!

I feel like there are things going on in my life again! It's good to have things to think about, anticipate, plan for. Most of this winter I felt like I was stuck in a very dull cycle of work, home, reading or sewing, and bed. I guess I just hadn't come up with the right projects or something. Sorry if I've been crabby/depressive/boring this winter. It's all my own fault, I just lost some of my normal enthusiasm there for awhile. I hope I'm not developing seasonal depression. I don't need that! I think it's just an allergy to Sioux Falls/life in the city.

Anyway, my latest news, which you may or may not find newsworthy, but that I am rather excited about:

I've nearly finished my fencing coif. I'm almost inordinately happy about this. I've been fencing for several years, and have not yet made my own coif, though I've had gloves, jacket, mask, etc. for quite some time. This is something I've been meaning to do for ages, so it's really a big deal for me. It's a burgundy color, open in the front so it comes on and off easier, fits better, gives better ventilation. After a lot of frustration, cussing, yelling, throwing it across the floor, wastage of perfectly good fabric, etc, I have finally come up with what I think is the perfect pattern. And I'll be able to use it this weekend! Provided someone brings along a punch-test to check it, that is.

Next: Ides of March is this weekend! (To those of you who are not SCA--I do know that the Ides was days ago. We're just not celebrating till this weekend). So excited to see people! And it's the A&S throwdown, so I'm excited to see what people came up with for projects, and maybe get some ideas for one of my own. I was a bum this year and didn't do anything.

And: I'm getting a bike today! I haven't ridden a bike in years and years, but I decided this winter that it would be a good thing to have. It's going to be my escape vehicle. I live near the edge of town, but it takes a long time to actually walk and get outside of town from my place. Therefore, my evening walks are rather uninspired, and I've neglected the practice shamefully this year. But! with a bike I can get farther in less time, and hopefully reach a place where there is less noise, less traffic, and more open/empty/peace/freedom.

And this is getting to be a long blog post, so I will leave one last parting bit of news: despite the fact that it's back in the 30's today and is quite chilly, and the fact that we saw snow yesterday---Spring Is Coming Back!

Field Season, with a vengeance

I finally got what I've been hoping for for months now. I got an afternoon of fieldwork last Thursday. We had a very muddy quarter-mile square bean field to survey just outside of town. It was pretty decent outside, a little bit chilly, a stiff breeze, but certainly decent weather for field work. I started off with a little bit of a cough in the morning. Nothing too horrible. By mid-afternoon the allergies hit. I could deal with that. By the time I got home I collapsed exhausted on the floor, curled up with a pillow and blanket and stayed there for an hour. By the time I went to bed, I was shivering uncontrollably and had a fever. At least Kaia told me so; I was betting on hypothermia, because my skin felt cold to me! Called in sick to work the next morning. Stayed in all day Friday, most of Saturday. Finally felt mostly better yesterday. Still coughing and somewhat congested today. I guess that's what I get for wanting so badly just to get out in the field again. Sick.

Nerves

I hate job interviews. Not necessarily mine, but other people's. It's nervewracking.

In Which I Admit That I Am Very Proud of My Little Brother

http://engineering.unl.edu/current-students/microgravity/teamfastblog.shtml

The above link is to my younger brother's latest project that I can't understand. He has an internship for 10 days with NASA, and he and another student have to complete their microgravity project thing to take along with them to test when they go in a few days. We're all pretty excited for him. It's awesome to have a genius "little" brother, but not easy, lol. I remember when I used to be able to beat him at everything. Well, I guess I've had my day in the sun. Still, I'd swap something NASA-level for sibling arm-wrestling champ any day! I guess sibling rivalry is a good thing if it spurs you on to new heights right? I'd better get busy writing that future-classic, best selling novel.

News

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE52B5L120090312?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&rpc=69

Funny. Dead guy forgot to pay his TV bill before its invention. Giggle.

Irreverently Funny

For anyone who isn't aware, the very lovely Robert Pattinson played both Cedric Diggory from Harry Potter, and the vampire Edward Cullen in Twilight. The backstory that you need here is that Cullen was turned into a vampire in order to save his life as he lay dying in a hospital bed.

So Kaia and I are watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It's nearly over, Harry and Cedric have been transported into a graveyard where they are confronted by He Who Shall Not Be Named himself, who very promptly has Cedric killed by one of his evil minions (who used to be Ron's pet rat. I love it!). Harry defeats HWSNBN momentarily enough to rush back to the portkey with Cedric's body, and get back to Hogwarts. Very shortly after they appear seemingly out of thin air, everyone begins to realize that something is terribly wrong, and Cedric's father rushes out of the crowd to embrace his dead son. It's a very moving scene, and I am -this- close to tears, when all of a sudden, a brilliant idea comes into my head. I shout at the tv screen, "Quick, turn him into a vampire and save him!" And burst out into gales of laughter that are completely innapropriate for the scene which is unfolding. I am a bad, bad person.

Sunday Morning Musings

I realize that it's not Sunday morning anymore, but the thought occurred to me while it still was. The Gospel reading this morning in church was about the Transfiguration, where it says Moses and Elijah came down from Heaven to converse with Jesus on the mountain, and then Jesus tells the disciples not to tell anyone about it until after he had risen. There's a gap in the story though. Has anyone else ever wondered exactly what it was that he and Moses and Elijah were talking about up there??

When it all falls apart, I swear I will leave. I don't know the where or the how, but I know the why. There's really only one reason I've been able to stay here this long. And when that's gone, I'm finding a new career.

Attending Lent

So Lent is coming up, and I randomly had this brilliant idea to make it an event page on Facebook, and invite every single one of my "friends", whether I've talked to them in years or not, whether they're Catholic/Christian/atheist/agnostic, etc. to attend Lent. And make it necessary to RSVP. However, I then decided that I really have better things to do than screw around on Facebook, trying to figure out how to even make an event page in the first place, so I'm just going to tell you about this brilliant idea, and you can appreciate it that way. I may still do it if I get bored enough. We'll see.

Anyway, weird as it may seem, I actually enjoy lent. It's a time of renewal for me, a time when I can really think about my life and make a conscious effort to change for the better. To make sure I'm on the right track to the place I'm supposed to be, the Aethelflaed Place, in which I am the best person that I can be. This year for Lent, my offering will be to get out of bed in the morning. It seems an odd sort of offering. But I've been trying to do it for ages, and the only way I know I am going to do it is if it becomes a sort of sacrifice. I don't go back on my Lenten obligations. And I'm pretty sure that a lot of other things that I'd like to change about myself hinge on that...the lethargy that comes from a sluggish start to the day, the need for more time to accomplish things, the somewhat depressive attitude I seem to have recently taken towards things. I'm really looking forward to changing that. And I'm not really waiting for Lent to get started.

I'm not really sure...

...what this blog post is going to be about. I haven't decided yet. I just figured I'd start typing and see what happens.

I got Valentine's cards from my siblings today, one of which had a pirate joke on it, so I'm going to share, 'cause it made me laugh. Get ready for a dorky joke:
What do you get when you cross a pirate and a zucchini?

A squashbuckler!

Hahahahahaha...okay, so I thought it was funny anyway!

Hertzkrieg last weekend was great. I got to see so many people that I haven't seen in ages, some of them since before I even left for Wyoming. It was so good to see everyone again, even the people it had only been a few days since seeing last. And...I got to help serve feast again for the first time since a long time...well, Siege I guess. Serving feast is actually one of my favorite things to do at events. I also got to do several of my other favorite SCA things, being fencing, playing with arrows, (just wrapping the fletching, not actually shooting them, but still good times), playing with babies, and just catching up. It was grand. I can't wait for the next event, which should be Lupercalia in a week with Anne. Hooray!

Good timing

http://medievalnews.blogspot.com/2009/01/grave-of-saint-blaise-patron-saint-of.html

Evidently they think they've discovered the grave of St. Blaise. With his feast day coming up relatively soon (I don't remember exactly when, but it usually lands sometime during Lent), that's rather good timing, don't you think? Anyway, just an interesting article.

Beaten, attacked with iron carding combs, of all things, and beheaded. I almost want to laugh about the carding combs bit, but then I can't, cuz those things are vicious.

I've discovered the blog of blogs

Yes, it's true. You can now find the link to it to the left of my posts. It's called Unlocked Wordhoard, and it's full of all kinds of things Anglo-Saxon, and many Norse, for those of you who are Vikings fans (not the football team. There's nothing for you there). I'm excited. There's even an Eddie Izzard video. Which I will have to watch when I am somewhere with speakers.

Horses!

My parents were up in Sioux Falls last night for the farm show. Well, really just for the horse pull at the end of the farm show. It kinda turned into a family gathering...my brother and his fiancee were there, my two little brothers, my two older sisters, my brother in law, my nice, all of my grandparents, and my aunt and uncle. We're farm folk, what can I say, we really appreciate good strong horses. I've never been to a horse pull before, and it was really something to see. The horses get pretty excited about the whole thing; they dance around with impatience to pull a sled full of dead weight that, by the end of the competition, is more than twice their own. Sometimes their handlers would have to walk them around the ring a couple times before they could get them settled down enough just to hitch them up...and as soon as the hook was in place, they were pulling and straining in their harnesses to pull that thing until they couldn't, and even then, they never gave up until they were asked to. Pictures:

Nick and James doing their very best to pull something like 4 1/2 tons

My Grandma Uhing and my Katelyn

Horses (ya think?)

Nick, Laura and James trying to eat Katelyn...evidently she thinks this is a joking matter.

My niece is a cowgirl and has the boots to prove it.

I did get video of the horses, but I couldn't upload them...evidently Rachel's computer is tired today. May have to try again; or check facebook, I'll try and put them there.

Tastes of Spring

I love chamomile tea. It tastes like flowers. It doesn't look tasty, being a bright yellow in color, and looking imaginably like something else entirely. But it really is wonderful. Soothing, really. Just like it says on the box.

To sleep, perchance to dream

I actually dreamt a dream last night that I remembered upon waking. Usually I just have very vague notions of even having dreamt at all, and am left with either horrible or uplifting impressions from them that stick with me all day. This time I remember it. No impressions influencing how my day goes, only the occasional urge to raise my eyebrows quizzically and say "what in the world?"
We were vampire hunting. Somehow this had become part of my job as an archaeologist. This vampire was known to be particularly attached to a certain place nearby, and all we had to do was drive over, stick a shovel in the ground and take out a shovelful of dirt. And he would be vanquished. (I don't pretend to have an explanation for this.) The funny thing is, it worked. We drove over there, 3 of us, one of my coworkers, a friend from high school who also suddenly, in my dream world, worked at the lab with me, and myself. Nonchalantly, no less. No one really cared that we were going to go vanquish an evil being, we were just astonished that all we had to do was stick a shovel in the dirt and go home. Which we did. Whereupon said vampire vanished in a cloud of dust and ash.
Bizarre.

And a slightly less bizarre piece of news...I've discovered a new band to add to my list of favorites. Everyone I know up here keeps talking "Tyr this, Tyr that." Well, I have finally listened to them, last night with Del. Oh my goodness. Fantastic. I can see this becoming another obssession, as with Gaelic Storm. Like I needed another. But I've heard them, now it's unavoidable. Must...purchase...CD....do you ever wonder if bands use subliminal messaging in their songs so that after listening you have an unexplainable urge to buy merchandise? Or are they really that good?

Quote to live by

I just ran across this, and thought it was worth sharing. If only we all tried this:

"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice."
--White Elk

SCA obsession

Stole this one from the Mistress/Countess of Doom:

1. Post this list to your LJ.
2. Add three SCA-related things to the bottom that you've done.
3. Bold everything in the list that you've done.
4. Tag people, if you're so inclined, and watch the list grow.
Taught a class at Pennsic
Ran a court
Fought or fenced at an event while drunk
Worked the "Puking Duke" shift a Chirurgeons Point at Pennsic
Been an Event Stewart/Autocrat
Been an officer (Local, Regional, Kingdom, Society)
Had a name and/or device accepted by the SCA College of Arms
Had a name and/or device rejected by the SCA College of Arms
Worked in at least three different volunteer departments at Pennsic (also in: Troll, Heralds' Point and Performing Arts)
Written a scroll text - does telling someone what to write count?
Ran a bardic circle
Attend a foreign war
Traveled more than 10 hours each way for a one-day event
Had the privilege of begging a boon for a Peerage
Been involved on some level with a Northshield "gotcha" moment
Spent the night in a hotel room with more people than the bed space holds
Slept in more than 1 tent at a camping event
Fought/fought for in a Crown/Coronet Tourney (almost!)
Been to an SCA event/function in every Kingdom except Drachenwald and Lochac
Lived in three Kingdoms
Been in the SCA more than half my life
Held the same SCA office more than once
Have far more friends in the SCA than mundanely
Have done SCA type things in the mundane world (like an "O-yea" to quiet a busload of students)
Considered how much of stuff can be packed in a car before buying it
Worn garb on Halloween
Buy fabric and fiber stuffs just because
Have played Seneschal-Tossing
Spend more money on garb than on your mundane wardrobe
Your thinking has become warped so that you don't think 500 years ago was really such a long time after all.

Apron of Infamy

The Apron of Infamy is finished. It's not really infamous yet. But I'm pretty sure it will be. Give it time. It's a project of mine and Kaia's. Neither of us wants to claim responsibility for the original idea. It's got pink flowers, white lace around the edges, and pink satin ties and bows. It's disgustingly cute, but very cute, after all. I wonder what the guy who it's a gift for is going to think of it. :D

Good Day

It's going to be a good day today. It has to be. I mean, did you hear about the plane crash-landing in the Hudson River? All 155 people got off safely. The plane landed near the ferry, so it rescued everyone right away, and the pilot is being hailed for having made the most amazing crash landing in, well, maybe ever? It's going to be a good day. That just proves it. Besides, I heard Danny's Song on the radio this morning while I was brushing my hair. Another automatic sign that it's going to be a good day.
So my wish, rather my prayer, is that today is a good day for all of you, whether you ever read this or not, on whatever day you may read it, if you do at all. No matter how many stupid little annoying things go wrong.
It's going to be a good day today.

Practice your Penmanship!

So I love writing...I mean for real, by hand, not typing and all that. I've always been proud of the fact that my handwriting is really quite neat. With the possible exceptions of notes scribbled down quickly in class, or painstakingly sketched out in a field journal with no writing surface available besides my own kneecap, or hastily signed checks. Those don't really count. The point is, when I really sit down to write, the result is usually at least somewhat aesthetically pleasing, to me if to no one else.

And legible, most importantly.

I've been given the task of typing up a backlog of field notes from several years ago, which should have been typed several years ago, by their authors. I'm not entirely sure that their authors would have been able to make any sense at all of the scratchings on the notebook pages, and I'm definitely sure I can't. To make things just that much more fun, said authors have since moved on to bigger and better things (like England, for one. Not kidding. So not fair), so I don't even have the option of hurling their own monstrosities at them, and saying "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" and then making them transcribe the awfulness.

If anyone has worse handwriting than the doctors, it would be the archaeologists.

The moral of this story is...practice your penmanship. Please!

UFO's in England!?

Must read:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/01/08/ufo.england.wind.turbine/index.html?eref=rss_latest