Big Busy Weekend.

So, it was warm but I didn't consider it hot unless I was in the sun. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the grass and working on embroidery, chatting with the peeps and working on music. My classes went really well. Folks did get to learn to write their names and one person came to the collegium just to take my documentation class which is uber kudos to me. That is just too cool SQUEE!!! Court was fun and I was so nervous to see if we could pull off our own surprise that we have been planning for 6 MONTHS!!! Yup it worked, hook, line and sinker! We gave Ed, american_knight, the Lamp of Tir Ysgithr. The oldest baronial award (probably in the known worlde, its even older than our barony if you can believe that!) given to those that the barony wouldn't be the same without and yup...the order, cause its a polling order, were adamant about it. There wasn't much of a preamble to the award except the history from the ceremony and then my commentary on that Ivan and I have been surprised by awards recently and now it was our turn to do some surprising and I just said "His Grace Eduard Gostomski". The cheer was loud, the lands did the wave and it was good to see the look of utter shock on ed's face. Gotcha honey!!!

Saturday nights BBQ was great. I hung out on the patio swing and spent time with Jadi, Zippy's Aunt Pat, and mlady gabriella (youth champion). Such good to swing and chat good food good times. We got home and chatted with Storvarr and then it was time for bed.

Sunday I prepared myself for doing something I hadn't done in 7 years...play my viola. We got to site a bit early compared to most and well before classes started so I got her tuned up...which took a while. Not that I'm out of practice tuning but its because it hasn't been tuned in so long that it doesn't want to stay and my pegs kept slipping but it was good. My fingers have been practicing the fingerings since I've been practicing mandolin. So, bow hand had to work and it remembered without any issues. So I played with the music group for the dancers. It was hard to follow along but I made it through. I kept slipping out of tune but that is to be expected and I even managed to make it through a few songs too..It was just hard to play that fast when I was basically sight reading. I did okay, I made it through the 2 hours and I was happy. Then it was time for laurel's circle. More when we get back from dinner...

So, back from dinner..

The Laurel's circle was nice. It being my first circle I figured I'd only talk if prompted and I just brought my sign for the circle. "Show me the Research"...its my mantra...I'm that type of laurel. The proof is in the pudding. After that I sat in on Angele's Foolproof Keyhole Neck Tunic Class, cause me and keyhole necks have a tenuous relationship at best. She had a great way to show the measurements and how you lay it out on fabric and the math behind everything. So, I'm getting a handout on email. I like the neckhole. Very cool. Then I sat outside in the grass with my mandolin and played for a while while Ari tuned up her lute and we worked through 2 measures of music. Slow and steady and then it was time to get things packed up which took some doing. Sigh. Got packed up and home by 5pm. The boys (mel and storvarr) went out to the shop to hang out and I played around with the computer for a while. Then we went to dinner with ed, candace, richard, storvarr, corynne, godfrey, mark, ari and the kids.

Now richard and mel are drinking beer and annoying the cats and I'm on the computer. My left had is screaming about the string work. Its hard on the hands since the mandolin is double stringed and the viola is single stringed..and the single string is between the 2 strings for spacing and well..now I have 3 string wide sore spots on each finger. Eh, this too shall pass. Time to dip my hands in some hot, therapeutic wax.