Event Reviews by Zubeydah

This page contains event reviews by Zubeydah. They represent solely her opinion and views/thoughts at the time of writing, and do NOT reflect upon her Barony, her Region, her mentors and friends, or anyone else. They are in roughly chronological order.

2007: Namron's Beltane

I’ve never been to a Namron Beltane before; it sounded intriguing, the more I saw discussed and planned on the various email lists. Another lure was that a friend – Elizabeth de Calais – was planning a surprise 18th birthday party for her daughter, Olivia, at the event. That was a definite clincher – I had to be there!

Friday, May 4th, I was able to scoot out of work 15 minutes early, which allowed me the time to dash over to the Great Harvest Bread Company. I’ve been hanging onto a ‘buy one get one free’ coupon from them for quite some time, waiting for a perfect opportunity to utilize it. I selected one of their honey wheat loves, and a loaf of rosemary garlic bread. The young lady behind the counter was positively passionate about their bread, and gave me a free sample of one of their dessert loaves. YUM!

After a stop by the grocery store to pick up a few last minute items, I got home and began planning the logistics of the evening. Two of my projects required a lot of time to chill in the fridge and another needed time to cool on the countertop. Those, then, had to be my first endeavors.

I started by draining some maraschino cherries that I’ve had soaking in Amaretto liqueur for the last 6 months, and then made up an Amaretto flavored fondant using butter, powdered sugar, corn syrup and Southern Ansteorran Ladies Sipping Cordial (a.k.a. DiSaronno – thus named by Mistress Dyan). Each of the two-dozen cherries was patted dry and covered in fondant. Because I’d not thought carefully ahead of time, I had to use toothpicks to replicate the cherry stems in the process. These went into the fridge to firm up, intended to be served at Olivia’s birthday party.

Next, I whipped up a large batch of Dark Chocolate Kahlua fudge. The recipe is one that I got from my parents, and there’s a funny story behind it. The particular denomination they belonged to when I was growing up had a very small chapel in Bangor, Maine. The church had long since outgrown the chapel, and they decided to raise funds to build a new one. The method of doing so was debated, and it was decided that if they could find one perfect recipe, they could focus their efforts on one item to sell in bake sales and local stores. The ladies of the church were asked to submit their favorite recipe – and the one chosen was for this fudge. They sold enough fudge to construct a new building … and yes, it really is that good!! Sadly, one of the promises that were required to get a copy of the recipe, was that it not be shared outside the church. So, since I’d gone there as a child, I was allowed to have a copy… but I cannot share it with others. (As a clarification, the original recipe did **NOT** contain Kahlua!) One of the secrets of the fudge recipe is to really let the ingredients caramelize as its cooking, rather than taking it off the heat too hastily. So it takes a bit of time and a lot of careful attention, but the end result is well worth the trouble. Soon, I had two pans cooling in the fridge – one for the tavern a la carte donation, and one for Olivia’s party.

Third on the list was a double batch of brownies, all for the tavern. (Triple Chocolate Caffeinated Walnut Brownies) Once the brownies were all done, I covered them in plastic wrap to keep out odors, and stashed them on the counter to cool down. Next on the To Do List was to cook up a pound of bacon! I wanted to make a pair of quiches, and while I usually take a short-cut and use precooked, packaged bacon bits, I wanted these quiches to have that extra rich taste of fresh cooked bacon. So the house quickly filled with the mouthwatering scent – thus, the plastic wrap on the brownies. (It’s a pork fat thing!)

The quiches were quickly put together and went into the oven to cook. While that was going on, I pulled out my fondant-covered cherries, which had firmed up relatively well in the fridge. I wanted to try a new chocolate coating I’d found at the store, and test out its taste and consistency. After microwaving the slab of chocolate, I dipped the cherries in one by one, giving them a nice thick coat. Back into the fridge!

A batch of Cheese Goo was the last item on my list (unsalted butter, cream cheese and Brie, melted together and whipped into an emulsion with herbs). Wanting it to be extra creamy, I upped the amount of Brie, and also strained it through a fine sieve, to remove any un-melted lumps and impurities. This also had the side effect of removing most of the herbs, so I added in more parsley and summer savory. The Goo went into a Tupperware container and into the fridge.

The last thing on my list for Friday was to find all of the stuff I’d need for the next morning. I am most decidedly NOT a morning person, and the idea of stumbling around my house in the dark trying to put things together was Right Out. Finding garb, packing feast gear, finding a small cooler to put the food in, and generally getting my stuff together took about an hour. It was about 11:30 pm when I finally got to bed, excited about the next morning.

I was up by 6:20 am, and was able to get out of the house by 7:10, with some help from my husband, Abe. He helped me carry everything down to the car and get it loaded up. While I was getting ready, I kept having a nagging feeling that I should bring my waterbearing things. But they were out in our storage unit, and I just didn’t feel like digging them out, taking the time to re-sterilize them, and be late. So I talked myself out of it. Shame on me!

The trip to the site was uneventful and smooth. It is always a lovely drive from Tulsa to Cleveland – especially crossing Keystone Lake when it’s shrouded in mist. The temperature was moderate, so I rolled down the window to enjoy the breeze.

I arrived on site right at 8:00, and was pleased to see a lot more cars than I was expecting. Because the Will Rogers site is much further from Oklahoma City and Norman than most events sponsored by that area, and because the weather had been pretty lousy for several days, I was worried folks might stay at home. Fortunately, it didn’t look like the weather had been too bad the night previous – I didn’t see any downed tents or other signs of disaster. I parked on the road between the kitchen and the wash house, and headed in to find the Gate.

There, I found Isabella of Mooneschadowe and several other ladies that I did not know. I paid for the event, and was dismayed to hear that tavern was already sold out. Oh no! My dismay was quickly turned into a grin, when the next person I ran into was Adena. She showed off her new garb, beautifully embroidered with Celtic-influenced frogs, in honor of the Spang contents. It looked great! Any day that involves Adena being present is a Good Day. If you don’t know this wonderful lady, take time to find her and introduce yourself. Your day will be brighter as a result. She is truly a shining star of this Society.

I went to the kitchen to find Contessa Vanessa, and give her my donation items for the tavern: 2 loaves of bread, a quiche, a pan of brownies and a pan of fudge. She put everything except the bread into the fridge, for safekeeping. She looked weary, and I could tell she’d been hard at work the day prior and for hours already that morning. Her eyes gleamed when I told her that while I hadn’t brought coffee, I had brought brownies with coffee in them, which she said would be perfectly nice. I asked if there’d be any more tavern slots available for sale, and a gentleman answered, saying that there might be, in a short amount of time, once Mistress ‘Stacia arrived and they’d had a chance to talk.

Next, I spied Danielle de Marseilles in the great hall, clutching a large picture frame, looking slightly dazed and exhausted, but practically floating an inch off the ground. I strode over, and said something to the effect of, ‘if that’s new work of yours, I MUST have a picture!!’ She grinned and confessed she had just finished it, and was very excited with how it turned out. With the consent of Baroness Muriel, I was allowed to photograph the incredibly beautiful original charter, on the condition that I not speak to anyone about who that person was, or what the award was. The work and the colors were stunning – rich crimsons, deep blues and bright golds, ornamented with twin peacocks. Danielle really did herself proud.

Since there wasn’t a whole lot going on just yet, I took off my outer gahwazi coat, and offered to help in the kitchen. The same gentleman who’d told me about the potential for more tavern vouchers seemed to be in charge, so I asked what I could do to help. I asked him his name, and learned that it was Owen Stott – a man I had heard of for many years in reference to his fine skills in the kitchen. Another lady was there chopping up brisket that had been cooking all night, which would be part of a beef stew served at lunch. A third lady was making biscuits. I learned her name was Annabelle, but did not catch the name of the lady who was handling the brisket.

Soon thereafter, I was removing the skin of a chicken that had been simmering for six hours. I de-boned and diced the chicken, which was incredibly tender and fragrant. The remaining broth was reserved, and I strained it to remove all the undesirable bits of bone, skin and fat that remained. The chicken went back into the rich stock, and at Owen’s direction, I added an entire container of mushrooms, two tablespoons of minced garlic and two cans of Cream of Mushroom soup. This was blended well, and put back on the stove. Everyone in the kitchen was very helpful, and didn’t laugh at my goofy questions. At one point, one of the folks who had been camping near the kitchen came through, and confessed that he had been tempted to perform a midnight raid on the building – the scent of the cooking brisket had ‘tormented’ him all night, whenever the wind would shift and carry the scent of the roasting meat through his campsite!

About this time, it was announced that yes, there were 25 more slots for tavern chits to be purchased. I immediately purchased one, and at Vanessa’s request, tracked down Adena, who wanted to purchase some for her family. I also let the folks at Gate know, so they could answer folks when asked. After doing so, I returned to the kitchen. I was able to help with a few other items, but while assisting with some gravy, I burned myself pretty well when the thick boiling mixture splattered my hand. Since I’d put in a good hour and a half helping, I excused myself, and headed out to see what else was going on at the event. It was about 9:40 ish.

It was announced that morning court would start soon, so I grabbed my chair from my car, and headed out towards the pavilions. I was surprised to see that Their Royal Majesties were present; I hadn’t thought they were attending the event. I found a good spot for my chair, and asked Mistress Alix if she’d mind if I sat there. She very graciously agreed, and I spent a few minutes chatting with her about the new project for the Scribal website – an online gallery of award insignia.

Baroness Dominique of Weisenfeuer was sitting directly in front of me, and I leaned forward to say hi to Domi and her beautiful baby. With her mom’s permission, I snapped an adorable photo of Miss Elizabeth.

Soon court started and so did a light sprinkling of rain. Their Majesties, Romanius and Deana, stood and said, “Good Morning!” Everyone said ‘Good morning’ in return, and giggled when their Majesties promptly sat right back down. Most of the business before the court had to do with Their Excellencies Duncan and Muriel of Namron. Items included:

Danielle De Marsailles, who was long a resident of Namron, but who recently moved south of the Red River, was given an award for Baronial service in the Arts and Sciences. Well deserved!!

Their Majesties did call into their court a few folks, some of which caused more crowd reaction than others. One lady, much to her mortification, was trapped in her chair. Some of the fabric of her garb was tangled in the hinge of her chair, so with a gentleman’s help, she appeared before the Crown, chair and all!

Owen Stott was called into court and granted the Star of Merit of Ansteorra for his many long years of service.

Another item of interest of the morning court was the presentation of the Sun Cake. It was a beautiful golden cake, hand painted, and in the shape of a castle. The May Queen was named (drawn by lots) and it was – most fittingly – a lady who was great with child. The Spang Princess was also chosen, and the young maiden was invited to join the May Queen under the royal pavilion. As well, the Court was visited by a Lord of Faerie, with stunning blue wings (portrayed most elfishly by Master Lucais). He announced that the key to the gates of Faerie had been stolen, and a dragon had been slain. The dragon’s mate and her clutch were missing! This did not bode well!

Court was brief, as it is our current Crown’s stated desire that all courts last no more than one hour. After it was adjourned, I asked the fine folks of The Raptor if I might sit with them. Therese and Timothy very graciously allowed me to do so. I sat and chatted with their daughter Kate very briefly, before she flitted off.

Around this time, it was announced that the tug of war was to begin. I got several photos of the children’s tug of war – All of them versus Pooky, the girls versus the boys, and various other combinations. It was rather amusing hearing them yelling, ‘Heave! Ho! Heave! Ho!”

Some pick up fights had begun, and there was talk that the dragon would soon be appearing. I came to the realization that there wasn’t any organized waterbearing at the event, and talked with a dear friend – Renault du Mont St Michel – as to whether or not he had anything we could use. I asked if I could make a very huge request – would he be willing to go into Cleveland, and go to WalMart and buy some pop-top bottles? He said he would. I gave him what little cash I had, and then ran off to see if I could find some bottles of any sort that might work. I checked through the area around the field to see if I could spy any bottles, but didn’t see any. I also quickly checked the hall, but didn’t see anything suitable. So, making do, I grabbed a pitcher and a plastic cup, determined to make the beset of it. As I returned to the field, I saw that some coolers had been set up and there were cups there. I was told that the fighters were aware of its location, and it would work out okay, as they weren’t expecting waterbearing. I met up with Renault, and he gave me a handful of various sized pop-tops he’d found in one of his bags.

I took the opportunity to meet with a variety of folks about insignia, including Lady Katrine, who showed me regalia that was made for His Excellency, Master Robert Fitzmorgan, by Darius of the Bells: A stunning pelican medallion and a coronet of delicate open metalwork. I also met with Aelfwyn Webbestre, who is one of the most amazing artisans when it comes to weaving. She showed me an Iris of Merit ribbon she had woven, as well as a sable thistle ribbon she’d woven that was quite cleverly crafted. While I was chatting with Aelfwyn, she offered me some of the water bottles she’d brought. We found a pop-top that fit her bottles, and I felt much better. I started watering the fighters sporadically, but there weren’t many folks who were actively in combat. So, I stashed the bottle for later.

At this point, my friend and mentor, Nicolea, invited me to her cabin, to get a sneak peek at the championship charters that had been painted. I greedily snapped several photos of them, and also got a picture of the baronial award that Danielle received. It’s hard to describe the admiration I have for these two ladies; both as individuals, and as artists. I enjoy and value the time I have with them.

As I emerged from their cabin, I saw that the adult tug of war was in full swing. I raced over to try and catch a glimpse of the goings on, and arrived just in time to see Northkeep win. Alas, I was only able to snap one photo. Baron Ian was glowing with triumph (and perspiration from his exertions), quite a figure in his cream-colored shirt, bare feet, and kilt. Baron Duncan approached him, and the two embraced as brothers, clapping each other heartily on the back.

There were so many things going on at once! I wanted to make sure I saw as much as possible. I knew the A&S competition was being set up in the hall, so I headed that way next. It seemed as if everyone had ‘gotten the memo’ – for every single display had something to do with fiber arts! Knotted rope slings, naalbinding, and lucet work were included in the displays. I snapped photos as best I could, but my camera was behaving badly.

I wandered back into the hall, as it was getting on towards 11:00 and I was starting to see people eating lunch. After some discussion with the Tavern folks, I sliced up the fudge and brownies I’d brought, and arranged them on a plate. Walking out of the kitchen into the hall, I called out loudly, “CHOCOLATE FOR SALE! BENEFITTING THE BARONY OF NAMRON.” I immediately got a lot of interest! Several folks were very generous, and let me ‘keep the change’ as the sale was a fundraiser and they knew it would go to Namron’s benefit. One person bought five pieces of fudge and brownies! I was asked for the fudge recipe a few times, and had to tell the tale of its origin, sadly responding that I could not give out the recipe.

I exited the hall, and made my rounds through the field. The brownies and fudge went very quickly, and it was extremely gratifying to hear the moans of pleasure as folks tried the items they’d purchased. In just ten minutes, I’d sold every piece of fudge and brownies, raising a total of $42.00! I put all the monies in a baggie, and turned it over to Mistress ‘Stacia with a grin. I washed up the dishes I’d used, tossed out the trash, and headed back out to the field.

Soon it was time for THE DRAGON to appear! It emerged in all of its golden glory from the glade, snarling and howling for its revenge. Appropriately given voice by Syr Owen ap Aeddan, the Dragon called out for the ‘puny humans’ to fight it! I grabbed my makeshift water bottle, and started offering the fighters and the dragon something to drink. As always, the fighters were very courteous and appreciative.

Several fighters tied together formed the Dragon, wearing yellow fabric stuffed appendages on their helms to designate which part of the dragon they were. There was a head, two wings, four claws, and a tail. Each fighter wore a yellow tabard. The head was most fierce in appearance and in temperament!

The Dragon’s opponents were drawn by lots, and the first group went out to face the fearsome beast. The dragon fought ferociously, and the stalwart defenders of Namron were slain. His Royal Majesty, Romanius, embodied one of the front claws of the dragon. In one dramatic moment, he leapt out to attack someone who had strayed too closely, but alas, he was tethered to The Great Immovable Object – i.e., Owen! HRM Romanius was nearly pulled off his feet by the jarring impact of hitting the end of the rope before reaching his intended target.

Midway through the fights, Renault appeared with a pair of plastic bags from Walmart. Inside were some largish squirt-top bottles. I gave him my grateful thanks, and sprinted off to the hall, where I filled the jugs up. On the next pause in the battles, I circulated with these larger capacity bottles, and received some positive feedback on the change. It really was awesome of Renault to get them – I appreciate him!!

After the first fight, Sieur Jean-Paul de Sens had to give up his place as a Dragon part, and leave the site – his two squires were graduating college, and he wanted to attend. During this pause, I asked Millicent from Mooneschadowe to braid up my hair. The breeze kept blowing it right into my face, and it was getting difficult to deal with. She braided a piece of rope I’d found into my hair and used it to tie off the braid. I really appreciated it! I also congratulated her and Ollj on their newly announced, soon-to-be-parents status. Those two are going to be great parents, and I hope to be counted among the many SCA Aunties ready to spoil their child rotten. While Millj was braiding my hair, I chatted with Ollj about insignia. He gave me two examples of the cast pewter Rising Stars he’s been working on, and also laid a largish cast pewter piece into my hand. He asked what I thought it was – I responded that it looked like a peacock feather. He chuckled, turned it 180 degrees, and I could immediately see that it was an angel. He nodded, and said it was his gift to the ladies of the Province for Christmas! It felt really great to be included in that number, and I was very appreciative of his work and his kindness.

The combats against the dragon lasted for about an hour, with pauses for some dramatic confrontations between the Baroness (who was ardently protecting her scotch) and the Faerie who had come through the gate, and the dragon. At one point, the Dragon attempted to negotiate that HE Muriel would become his bride for one thousand years! (She regretfully declined)

Finally the dragon was defeated, and they tromped back down to the glade. I followed the group, making sure they got plenty to drink. It took refilling my water bottles twice, but finally they were de-armored, cooled down, and comfortable – I was a smidge worried about Aethelred, as his color was a very dark red. But he was sweating and that’s always a good sign. Several folks wandered down to the glade – some stayed, including Master Cassius Leapus’ intended, Kajira, and some departed. Someone brought Master Tarl some lunch – a bowl of gumbo – but he had stepped out of the glade for a time. So the boys happily passed it around themselves a bit. I asked if they’d like some more food, and got a resounding group ‘yes!’ as a result. So I scampered up to the hall, grabbed my Tavern card, and got two ‘punches’ worth of gumbo, snagged some of the a la cart items I’d brought, and headed back down.

The honey wheat bread and gumbo were received well, but the quiche disappeared in nothing flat. I don’t often have the opportunity to just sit around chatting with folks, and rather enjoyed it. As the guys were talking, I did a bit of clean up, gathering up the duct tape that had held the dragon bits onto folks’ helmets, and the rope. Master Tarl’s sharp eye saw that a tick had fallen from one of the ropes onto my arm, and he quickly swatted it off – ack! Into my hair!! In a mere second, he had it plucked out and thrown away from me. Gah. I Do. Not. Like. Bugs!!! He agreed that he had much the same opinion. While I was puttering around, Sir Aesoph told me to please catch up with him later, as he had a gift for me. I blinked and told him that I would.

At one point, His Royal Majesty asked how many Centurions of the Sable Star were present at the event. The assembled gentlemen named off those who wear the crimson cloak, and it totaled nine or so. Romanius then decided that he would hold a gathering of the Centurions later in the day. Sir Cassius’s son was dispatched to go inform the Centurions not present of His Majesty’s wishes.

There was some discussion of ways to make the Dragon more workable, so folks weren’t getting rope burns, or being tripped up quite as badly. One suggestion was a different type of system to secure the dragon parts to the main head – using a belt with rings, so that ropes weren’t being tied around people.

Eventually, I headed off with Elizabeth de Calais, as she let me know that her daughter, Olivia, was arriving soon! I dashed up to the kitchen to fetch the things I’d brought: A loaf of bread, the Cheese Goo spread, the second pan of fudge, and the chocolate covered cherries. I hadn’t thought to grab a knife, so I used a pocketknife I had in my pouch. This really didn’t work too well. Fortunately, someone brought one over, and we got the fudge sliced up into big decadent chunks.

Moments after everyone was gathered, Olivia walked past where we were hidden. We all yelled, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!” She blushed prettily and grinned hugely, obviously very happy that folks had taken part in the celebration. She looked lovely in some new garb. I started singing the Happy Birthday song, and everyone chimed in. After the song was done, she was quickly swamped by well-wishers bearing gifts and hugs and good thoughts. I waited my turn to give her a hug and offer her one of the Chocolate Covered Amaretto Cherries, and pointed out the pan of Kahlua fudge (her favorite!) made just for her celebration. She ate one of the cherries and her eyes rolled back in her head and she made happy noises. Success!!!

The celebration was quickly in full swing, with folks nibbling on the collected treats. There were mini tarts and a variety of other finger foods, plus all the items I’d brought. I started walking around the chocolate covered cherries, asking folks to critique them as they’re an item I plan to make for Castellan. I got positive reviews. Woot!

The day was slowly wound down. The final Tavern meal was being prepared, but I wasn’t really hungry, after eating all that food at the birthday party. I ran into Emmalina and her sweetie, Yoshi. They had just arrived at the event. We chatted for a bit, and I offered them my tavern card and my feast gear so they could get something to eat. They expressed their thanks, and I wandered off.

(Unfortunately, I didn’t finish this event review at the time of the event, and my memories are a bit too fuzzy of how things went, so this story ends here…)

2007: Northkeep Castellan (Young Ladies Salon)

Castellan 2007 was another event filled with high points and low points, such that I don't think it would be a good idea to write my normal sort of review. Here are a few points, though, that I would like to share.

• Thank you to my husband, Abe Vivitar von Gebric, for putting up with me and my hair brained ideas, for kitchen disasters, for toting, carrying, loving, and supporting. Thank you for your strength and your love.
• Thank you to House Halfiras for their love and support and eight months (yes, eight MONTHS) of hard work and prep for this event. Thanks for all the foof and food prep help the day of the event. Thank you, Halfiras, for supporting and loving and putting up with me through this HBI. Raghnailt, I'm so sorry you weren't able to make it. You were missed dearly.
  • Thank you to Mehpare for elements of grace and beauty.
  • Thank you to Renault and Raghnailt, for Tulsa Workdays, for beading all those anklets.
  • Thank you to Rayhanna, for more linen hankies than any one seamstress should have to face.
  • Thank you to Yelena for picking up the pieces and getting things done. * Thank you to Syr Owen ap Aeddan for the loan of his tent, and for 'rescuing the fair maiden.' I'm so sorry you weren't able to make it.
• Thank you to Syr Owen's squires, and their friends and family, for putting up and taking down the tent, for toting, for unloading, for fetching, and altogether being very helpful and supportive.
  
  
• Thank you to Mooneschadowe and Mistress Rhiannon Redwulf, for allowing me the honor of standing guard at the vigil, and getting to feel like Mooneschadin.
• Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the picture of grace and elegance, HE Mistress Tessa of the Gardens, for the effort she put forth into contacting me and supplying materials for the Young Ladies Salon.
• Thank you to Duchess Cateau for her gracious phone call on Thursday night. I appreciate it.
• Thank you to Nicolea and Danielle, for painting Castellan scrolls at Steppes, and to Nicolea for creating the beautiful artwork for them.
• Thank you to all the young ladies who attended the salon. I had a lovely time, and I hope that you did, too.
• A special and specific thank you to Krystal Blackwolf. You truly have the heart of a lion. I was overwhelmed by the amount of work that you put into helping me on Saturday. You are quite an amazing young lady, and you are reminding me more and more of one of my SCA heroes, Adena, for your spirit and willingness to do whatever is needed.
• Thank you to Viggen for 'pack-foo' and helping me load my vehicle.

Other moments worth recounting:

• Feast was delicious, what I had of it. Kudos to a first time feast steward for a job well done. I ate far too many of the spiced apricots, but discovered they are delightful when added to a wide variety of the dishes served, especially the coconut soup. The bread was heaven on earth.
• Thank you to His Royal Majesty, Romanius, for allowing our young ladies to display their curtseys.

Moments that weren't as happy:

• I was disappointed at the behavior of a child that 'crashed' the Salon, simply to get one of the nifty gift baskets created for the attendees, who then repeatedly complained that the basket she received didn't have all the same things that the attendees had in theirs. It was ironic that this occurred at a Salon intended to teach manners and good, lady-like behavior.
  
  
• I was saddened to have yet another reminder of why I don't tend to stay after dark at SCA events. People can get in their cups and act quite inappropriately, and I and my husband were, unfortunately, the target of such behavior. I appreciate Abe's restraint in dealing with this individual.

Part of our preparation for the young ladies salon included 25 identical gift baskets for the girls, and 12 gift bags for Ladies of the Rose who were invited to attend. I'd like to extend specific thanks for:
Young Ladies Baskets:
- Mehpare & Rayhanna for the pewter castles
- Rayhanna & Yelena & Ragnailt, for working on the linen hankies
- Ollj of Mooneschadowe for the double-faced pewter coin

Roses Gift Bags:
- Rayhanna for crocheting the luxury face cloths
- Ollj of Mooneschadowe for the double-faced pewter coin
- Mehpare & Rayhanna for the soaps, incense and candles
- Yelena & Rayhanna for making the bags
- Mehpare for providing the rosewater fountain
- Mehpare for providing the henna
- Raghnailt for creating half the beaded, belled anklets

Addendum: I would like to share word-fame of one of Northkeep's valiant and hard working youth: Krystal Blackwolf. From the time I arrived on site (8:00 am) to the time feast was over (9:00 ish?) I personally observed this young lady working hard. She came by when she saw me unloading my things, and asked how she could help. For the next 4 solid hours, she assisted with stirring pots, scrubbing dishes, fetching water, fetching things from this tote or that, and generally being an incredible little assistant. After attending the Young Ladies Salon, she assisted with clean up of the food prep area, and the tent itself. For the next several hours, I saw her running here and there, being a page, a message-deliverer, herding children, and generally keeping busy. At feast, she was one of the most attentive servers I have ever had, even managing to wrangle more of those succulent pickled apricots for our table. Krystal is truly deserving of praise and recognition for her efforts, and her hard work made the event better for not only me, but all the children who attended the Salon, and all those who joined me at feast. She is someone who helps to keep The Dream alive for me. So I would like to take this moment to say 'Thank You' to Krystal - and all the other hard working youth who help make our events fun.

2007: Kingdom of the Outlands: GLORY

Note: This was written well over a year after the actual event (my bad) and is missing a LOT. It’s really more of a summary, then a review.

The Kingdom of the Outlands holds an annual event called “Glory” and the event theme is that individuals compete on one of the several Paths of Glory, which in and of itself, is very cool. There are tournaments and competitions packed into a very busy event that spans several days. For me, Glory was All About Nate.
Nate (Nathaniel MacPhereson) is my brother (mundanely), and news had come to me that he was going to be squired to His Excellency, Sir Haroun al-Mabsoot ibn Uthman al-Dhi'b al-Abyadh ibn Ubaydallah banu Rhi Asfar, (Master of the Pelican, Baron of the Court of The Outlands, Iron Hart, Defender of the Stag's Blood, Companion of the Order of the Stag's Heart, Companion of the Order of the Argent Hart, Companion of the Order of the Dragon's Claw, Companion of the Order of the Dragon's Blood, Companion of the Order of the Scales of Dragonsspine, Companion of the Order of the Gentle Dragon, Companion of the Order of the Queen's Grace, Guardian of the Golden Flame, Companion of the Order of the Venerable Guard, and Walker of the Way. . . and all around amazingly cool dude.) There was no way in heck I was going to miss this special day for him.

Nate had asked that I make up some dessert items for his household party, and for another party his House had been asked to sponsor. So in the days up to the event, I was a whirling dervish of chocolately goodness, making up 3 types of fudge (Dark Chocolate Kahlua, Dark Chocolate Chambord Walnut, and Milk Chocolate Hazelnut ) and five batches of truffles (Dark Chocolate diSaronno, Milk Chocolate Kahlua and Dark and Milk chocolate Peanut butter) and a batch or two of my very naughty coffee / Kahlua brownies.

I was also carrying good wishes from a number of folks for Sir Haroun; transplants in Ansteorra from the Kingdom of the Outlands.

When I got to the airport, I talked to the agents at the gate about my carry on luggage – The cooler full of chocolates was very heavy and didn’t fit in the overhead bin. I was very worried about checking it, but the flight attendants volunteered to remove their luggage from their reserved spot, so I could transport the chocolate in the main cabin. (Though there were a number of jokes about some being missing by the time we got to Denver…)

I rented a car at the airport and made my uneventful way to my parents home in Greeley. I got there early enough that I had a bit of time with my folks, and got to go shopping with my mom in Fort Collins. The bead store we went to happened to be staffed by an SCA member, who heard me talking to my mom about the event. She knew Nate, and asked me to pass along her good wishes.

I stayed at my parents home overnight, and the morning of the event my sister, Dominique, picked me up. Armed with breakfast from McDonalds, we hit the road, bright and early. It was a typical Colorado day, with bright azure skies. The site was about two hours from Greeley, and we had fun text messaging Nate once we got closer. At one point, we were heading up a hilly bit of road, flanked on both sides by hills, when we spotted a stag. (The stag being the symbol of the Kingdom of the Outlands) It seemed like a wonderful portent for the day.

We arrived around 8:30ish, and folks were still crawling out of their tents. Dominique began yanking out coolers of this and that, and we started making breakfast for everyone. There was a veritable feast once we were done, and everyone was fully sated – over the course of the event, they went through a full twelve pounds of bacon! (I must admit that my ability to cook eggs in the wild outdoors on a portable grill is .. er.. lacking. The eggs I was tasked to manage didn’t turn out the best.) One particularly amusing moment came when a friend of Nate’s, named Elendil, solemnly declared that pancakes were his favorite thing in the whole world. When Dominique handed him a plate stacked high with blueberry pancakes topped with whipped cream, his eyes were nearly as big as the serving tray. He proclaimed her to be the best lady in the whole wide world.

There were events going on throughout the day, and I got to see a few tournaments here and there. It was wonderful to actually get to see my brother fight for the first time. Unfortunately the pairings put him up against some stout competition, and in one case, it was with a weapon he had never used. He did not win the bouts I got to witness.

Nate and Mordrake were both members of the Queen’s Guard, so that took up some of their time. I got to snap some photos of the goings on (which can be found on my online photo album). The Queen, Her Majesty Madigan, seemed rather nice and approachable. I like the formality that surrounds the Crown in the Outlands: Each Guard and member of her entourage bear her symbol, and everyone was in matching tunics.

After the first set of tournaments, everyone headed back to the camp for lunch. Dominique and I joked that we were ‘sandwich ninjas’ as we bustled with deft grace around each other, building hearty lunches for all the hungry fighters. It’s amazing how much turkey, ham and roast beef can be decimated by people who have just come off the battle field.

While at camp, I got the opportunity to meet Sixtus Goeth from the Armour Archive. We didn’t have much time to chat, but it was nice to put a name to a face.

When it came time for the squiring, we all gathered around over by one of the tournament fields. Sir Haroun and his Lady, Dovita, spoke about what it meant to them for Nate to enter into their service. Dominique and I were nearby, beaming with pride. Nathaniel gave his oath, and then in a unique tradition, he was tackled to the ground and all of his squire brothers piled on top. The first two on the pile, however, knelt over him, creating a barrier so that he didn’t take the *full* weight of all the others – representational of the support that they as a family would give him. (Mordrake was one of the two)

One thing I did enjoy throughout the day was grilling… er.. chatting… with Sevilla, who Mordrake had made it clear he cared dearly for, and was thinking very seriously about asking her to marry him. There was no way this woman was going to get to take away our Mordrake without getting grilled by the Hansen Women: She had to pass muster! So Dominique and I took every opportunity to talk with Sevilla, and get to know her. Sevilla is a very strong personality, as well as creative and decisive. It was clear that she cared for Mordrake, and that they were well suited in many ways.

If you’ve visited my website and seen the beading page in the projects section, it’s overflowing with photos of amber I’ve made for Nate to give away. One cool thing that happened was that I got to take photos of some of the folks who have received that work, when they were wearing their amber. This included Gwydion, Bert, and Mordrake. I didn’t get to snap one of Dominique or HRM Madigan, though – there simply wasn’t time or opportunity.

At late afternoon/evening court, I sat with some other members of the household, as Nate was on duty. Dominique was back at camp, and we tried to correspond via text message, as there were rumors going about that it would be good for all members of the household to be present. We weren’t sure who would be recognized, but she didn’t want to miss anything important. Unfortunately, my cell signal was very bad, so we tried using runners (the site is BIG)… but messages got garbled.

As it turned out, the news was that Mordrake (formally known as Oliver Mordrake) would receive a Kingdom service award, elevating him to the rank of Honorable Lord. Sadly, Dominique (who is Mordake’s ex-wife, and still a very good friend) was not able to witness it. I crept close to snap some photos, and heard Queen Madigan teasing Mordrake that he had better get himself a device and name registered, to which he was able to answer that he had gotten it word it had passed through Society only just that morning! I beamed with pride at that point, as I’d been helping him with the artwork for a while.
Also honored at court was Gwydion’s lady, who received her AOA. I got to snap a photo of the scroll, which was just lovely. It was interesting to see the cultural differences between the Outlands and Ansteorra. Here, we shout “Vivat!” – with one shout for an AOA level award, two for a Grand level award, and three for a Peerage or Nobility. In the Outlands, everyone gets three Huzzahs. As well, if someone isn’t present in court in Ansteorra, we read it into law but it is kept a secret until it’s presented in person, in a court. In the Outlands, it’s given to a friend or group representative, who will then give it to the absent person.

After court, we gathered at the campsite. Cynethryth, who is Nate’s room mate and very close friend, had missed the earlier squiring. To give her the opportunity to see it, Sir Haroun and his Lady very kindly went through the oath again. This time, Nathaniel spoke the “Sacred Words” of the house – “There is but one Goddess, and Her name is Dovita”… the ‘squire pile’ was much smaller this time: Just Haroun and Dovita’s grand daughter, Corinne, who is Nate’s “Older Squire Sister” (Haroun asked her what she wanted for her birthday, and she’d answered she wanted a red belt. Corinne is all of 9 or so.)

Dinner was another busy affair, made thoroughly amazing by Dominique’s skill and careful preparation of some stunningly yummy food – it involved slow braised brisket, some of my cheese goo (which was really good on the brisket), handmade scalloped potatoes (the richest and most decadent I’ve ever had), seared asparagus, cheesecakes, and cherry clafouti. Afterwards, we sat around the campsite and listed to the guys drum. I danced a smidge, but the altitude made it very hard for me to breathe, much less dance, so I mostly sat and listed and watched others.

The household Darbuka was holding a revel, and a fine rain began to fall as that celebration began to get underway. Unfortunately, we discovered that the batches of fudge, which had been transferred into coolers, had gotten somewhat damp, and wouldn’t hold its shape when cut. It was dubbed “Spoon Fudge” and we set it out with a large container of spoons so that folks could dip in and enjoy, as the flavor was not affected. While we were adding to their huge feast with our offerings, Corrine, Dovita’s granddaughter, got a bit too close to some of the serving items, and burned herself on a Sterno can, despite having been told to be careful.

The evening progressed, and sadly, soon it was time for me to head back to Greeley. Dominique and her lord decided to follow suit, and we caravanned out. The roads were very rough, so while I had volunteered to drive one car back, it was decided that Dominique would go ahead and drive.

We all crashed at my parents home (making my mother overjoyed the next morning to see not just one but two of her kids that day), arriving very late evening/early morning.

I really enjoyed the theme of the event, and all the goings on… though like most things I go to in the Outlands, it really all boiled down to some precious time with family.

Vivat to Nate on his squiring, and to Honorable Lord Mordrake (which we immediately shortened to HoLoMo(fo) …) on his recognition by the crown!

2008: Mooneschadowe's Triumphe of the Eclipse

Triumphe of the Eclipse (The Event Previously Known as Guardian) is one of the gatherings that I look forward to all year. This is, in no small part, due to the sense of community and camaraderie that flows like warm sunshine down upon everyone attending a Mooneschadowe event. This year was no different.

Prep this year was minimal, given that I was not in charge of anything. I had the fun of making up some yummies for the waterbearers, some items for the gift baskets, and some food items as payment for some weavers who were working on commissions for me. So there was very little stress involved in getting ready. I was in bed by 11:30 on Friday (practically unheard of for an event!)

I did want to get on site early, because I had pledged to bring a coffeemaker for the use of the Royalty Liason. I’d tried to find someone who might be able to bring it up to the site on Friday evening, but this didn’t work out. So I woke at 5:45 and was on the road by 6:20, with a brief stop for gas and ice and cream for the coffee service.

The drive up to Cleveland was uneventful but lovely – the sun had not yet risen, and all was shrouded in lovely fog. When I arrived in Cleveland, I stopped by McDonalds and bought a dozen breakfast sandwiches for those who weren’t quite awake/fed yet. Daylight crept up as I drove, and by the time I arrived on site, the heavens were a delicate shade of blue.

Not many were up and about, so I grabbed the bag containing the coffeemaker and the bag containing the breakfast items and headed to the feast hall where I found Danielle de Marsellies slumped at a table, exhausted but painting. She was working on a beautiful scroll that she explained was for one of the championships being awarded that day. Having received a promotion at work had cut into the time she’d had to work on them, and a couple of them were still unfinished. Poor Dani had actually fallen asleep while painting the night before, and gotten only a few brief hours of rest on the hard cement floor of the hall. I offered to help, but there really wasn’t anything she could have me do. :(

I went over to where gate was set up, and paid for the site and for feast (fortunately, there were still some left). I then scampered back out to the car, and brought in one of the bags of goodies (dark chocolate almond toffee bark) and gave it to the folks at Gate. I also chatted briefly with Mark von Mainz, who was busily making bread for the evening’s feast.

About that time, Aline Swynbrook appeared; I chatted with her about the coffee service, and gave her the supplies. It was nice to relax and socialize for a few minutes. I started handing out goodies to those who were in the hall and wanted something to munch on, and they were well received.

A new young lady and I decided to stroll about and see if we could find other takers for the breakfast sandwitches, and we were able to give away the whole bag full. She and I had a lovely chat about our favorite perfume company as we wandered (Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab).

Returning to the hall, I enlisted the help of one of the gentlemen from Mooneschadowe to drag over a table to the pavilion the waterbearers would be using. He offered to help me unload my car, but given that few were about, and the gate was unlocked, I decided to just drive over the car. He and Ludo helped me unload once I had the vehicle in place, and were rewarded with Irish Cream truffles for their help.

Things were still pretty quiet, though people were starting to stir here and there. I spotted Adena and wandered over to chat about the waterbearing plans for the day. I also got to chat with Her Royal Highness of the Midrealm, Anneliese, who got started in Mooneschadowe. In chatting with Adena, it was realized that she’d forgotten the Gatorade and pickles at her home. She dispatched her sister into town to get supplies. Fortunately, we had at least an hour before amour inspection.

It was a slow and lazy day, with little sense of hurry. Their Royal Highnesses of Ansteorra emerged, and it was announced that at some point within the hour morning court would be held. Before that, though, I got to chat with Dutchess Vanessa and her daughter, Megan, and to run back and forth providing cups of hot coffee to various folks in dire need, earning me some huge smiles and hugs. I was also honored to have Vanessa ask me to make a piece of art of some sort for donation to a fundraising effort she was organizing at Coronation. I told her I’d be honored. Megan also showed off some beautiful jewelry that she’d made from amethyst and hematite for Abby MacKnochard.

It was around this time that court was held, and it was kept brief. Their Highnesses noted that due to the hurricanes pounding the lower part of the Kingdom, that no awards would be given at court, but that the day looked to be grand and beautiful, and they looked forward to Mooneschadowe’s hospitality. The event staff didn’t have a whole lot to say, but Master Robert Fitzmorgan had one announcement: Everyone was invited to witness him taking Ivo as his Protégé after court. I and many others attended, and I made sure to snap some photos.

Waterbearers were starting to congregate around the station at this point, and we began prepping. It was discovered that no waterbottles were available, and that one of the two jars of pickles purchased that morning had gone bad. Adena’s sister, Kylie, headed back to the store, and we began to improvise…

The day proceeded, with our small staff of waterbearers doing our best to meet the needs of those out on the field. Midway through, I broke out the Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Crispies Treats that I’d made, and also delivered a pan of Triple Chocolate Kahlua brownies to Ayla in exchange for some trim I commissioned from her.

On the way back to the station from a jaunt in to see the A&S competition (wow, there were some exquisite things on display!!), I paused to find out what Vanessa was up to – she’d been asking folks if they had an extension cord, and we found out why: She had a popcorn maker going and was selling bags for a fundraiser. I decided to give her the other pan of Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Crispies Treats to help out. (They sold out!)

The organized chivalric fighting was pretty intense and moved very quickly. It was all over by around 2:30, and pick up fights ensued. I took a bit of a break from 2:00 – 3:00 ish, as I’d gotten a whopping headache, and rested in my car with the windows rolled down.

When I emerged, Adena had pretty much cleaned up the whole station already. From that point, a couple of us circulated the pick up fights and provided water and Gatorade, but the organized waterbearing was done for the day. Syr Owen ap Aeddan had arrived on site, and was working with several fighters, and HRH Gunthar was also sparring with several of the Centurions.

Given my lingering headache, I decided to take it pretty easy for the remainder of the day. I wandered around and snapped some photos until such time that my camera decided to misbehave, watering folks as they had need. I paused and chatted for a bit with Lady Kale and Lady Kat, and discussed tattoos. When they learned I’d gotten a new one, I got chased about with both of them grabbing my gahwazi coat and lifting it, demanding to see my new ink. I finally succumbed to their demands and showed them, and got some surprised responses.

It was getting on towards 5pm, when I decided to go change for feast. They weren’t setting up yet, but a lot of folks were winding down and getting cleaned up from their exertions of the day. I put on my gryphon garb (made for my hand fasting four years ago to Abe), and wandered back to where the pick up fights had been. There, I found Syr Owen teasing Dona Theresa about being his ‘future squire.’ He regaled us with stories of his children’s recent adventures (including jumping off the roof of their home, and putting a hole big enough to crawl through in one of the walls, and putting concrete premix in their eyes), and performed “Happy Birthday” for us in Italian, which he learned for his new job. Syr Owen is an excellent storyteller, and it is always a pleasure to sit and chat with him.

Soon it was time to get ready for feast. I found a table towards the end of the row, away from the kitchen doors and the head table that seemed relatively quiet. I asked if anyone was sitting on one side, and was told that table had been taken, but the adjoining one was available. I set up my feast gear, and then went to put away my basket so it wouldn’t be in the way.

After only a few moments, I had company at the table: The autocrat and several of her friends from Mooneschadowe, as well as some gentles from Northkeep. It was a fun, young group, and we spent time chatting about the event. As it turned out, Owen was the server for our table, and he took excellent care of us. A variety of folks wandered by, including Aethelred and his daughter, Chelsea, who is nearly 15 now, and quite the stunning young lady. Athelred looked better than I’ve seen him in a while, with focus and happiness in his face and a really positive attitude. Many folks came up to clap him on the shoulder and give greetings and welcome.

The food was excellent, from the bread and cheese appetizers to the almond pastries for dessert. I had two servings of an excellent salad, to which I added some of the fresh berries to make raspberry vinaigrette. I decided to add to the festivities by loading up a serving tray with the remaining truffles, toffee bark and brownies that I had with me. At one point, the young lady I had been wandering around with first thing in the morning (when we were offering to ‘assault folks with breakfast’) sang out, “Ma na ma not!” (the beginning of a ‘song’ from the Muppets) I replied with the next line (“mee mee meneme!”) and we continued on for several moments, making folks giggle. I snatched up the tray of desserts and wandered over, saying she had earned a treat by her Muppet song. As I traipsed back, an intriguing young man suggested that he deserved one because he was quite irresistible (or cute or .. something along those lines). I replied that he was rather adorable, and gave him his choice from the tray.

About midway through the meal, one of the folks at our table - Xavier, from Northkeep - noticed that there was a woman wandering around by herself, who had just headed into the woods nearby. He asked if anyone knew her – none at the table did. When he mentioned that he’d seen her alone most of the day, I asked everyone if they would mind if I invited her to sit with us for company. Everyone said that would be fine, so I headed that way. I found her in the woods, and introduced myself and invited her to join us. She replied that she appreciated the gesture. She continued on saying that she had friends she was visiting with, but was a little overwhelmed by the crowds. I invited her to stop by and hang out if she wished, but respected her wish for solitude. With that, I headed back to Feast.

The meal continued on, and my companions were truly delightful. At one point, Feydora asked Syr Owen to help her recognize the Feast Stewards for their service and hard labors. Moments later, we heard his booming voice stating that Their Royal Majesties required the presence of the Feast Stewards. We were too far away to hear what was said, but I think the feast staff felt appreciated.

Soon it was over, and I picked up my tray of remaining goodies and sought out some friends in the crowd. The tray emptied quickly, with the last piece going to Lady Kat, who made happy noises as she smooshed the brownie against the roof of her mouth.

I headed back to the waterbearer station and began packing my things, so I would be ready to go after court was done. It didn’t take long to do so, and as I headed to my car with the first load, one of the Centurions nearby took notice and hurried over to help me. He introduced himself, but I’m afraid I didn’t retain his name when he said it. I did ask if he was squired, and he said that he wore a belt from Sir William the Bear. He helped me get my cooler chest and big tote to my car, and loaded them in for me. The rest of the items were easily handled, and I got everything packed away except my chair, which I’d need.

It was also time to turn in the items for the gift baskets, so I handed over the spiced nuts and amaretto truffles I’d made, then helped bring the baskets over to the area where the baskets were being set up.

I was carrying my chair over to the court area, when Syr Owen stood and invited me to sit with him and some friends. I gladly joined him, and we sat and chatted about the day. He’s a popular fellow and many folk came over to talk with him, including His Excellency Brom, who asked if Owen could serve as his herald for some business in court. Of course, Owen gladly agreed.

Part of Mooneschadowe’s event is the ‘Triumphe’ itself – the procession of its departing and newly made champions into court. The audience shouted and huzzah’ed each pair, with individuals in the audience running around waving streamers and tossing birdseed. IT makes for a rather fun time. Baron Brom was heralded in by Owen, and presented the King’s Battle Ribbon to Mooneschadowe, and that was cause for more celebration. Because the awards weren’t available, court was over in record time, and folks headed off into the night to celebrate in their own way.

Soon the call went out: “GUARDSMEN! IT’S TIME TO WASH DISHES!” It is a tradition in Mooneschadowe that the Liondragon Guard and any who wish to join them strip off their shirts and do the dishes from feast, and sing. Tonight was no different. After packing my chair in my car, I wandered into the hall to say good bye to friends, but had to stop and listen to a few songs before heading home.

It’s always a merry time in Mooneschadowe, but as one person said on the email list today, the absence many friends who were not able to make it this year was keenly felt. If you have a chance to come up to Triumphe next year – don’t miss it! A better time is hard to find.

2008: Northern Region's Tribute to Ansteorra / Fundraiser / War Practice

In the Fall of 2007, Contessa Vanessa asked my help with some fundraising for waterbearing for Gulf Wars 2008. So I went to a number of Winter events with bits of fudge and chocolate and brownies and such, selling them and collecting money. In late February of 2008, just after the Estrella War, a Northern Regional Tribute and War Practice was held in Mooneschadowe. Again at Vanessa's request, I ran a Sweets Shop there... The following is taken from my email to the Northern Region / Northkeep email lists:

I wanted to take a moment to express my thanks and appreciation to those who helped to make the Sweets Shop at the event this weekend such a success...

• Lady Kale of Northkeep generously donated nearly two dozen loaves of Lemon Bread and Orange Bread, as well as a huge bowl full of Rice Crispy Treats. Lady Kale's breads were extremely popular, especially the delightfully zingy Lemon bread.
• Her Excellency Annabelle of Namron generously donated an exquisite double chocolate cheesecake. Several people returned over and over to the booth to leer and ogle this cheesecake, and it finally sold for a princely sum.
• Lady Kayte of Northkeep generously donated nearly a dozen loves of pineapple friendship bread. One comment I heard was, "Whomever made that, I want to be their friend, for more of that bread!"
• Lady Megan Fleur de Wall provided a large jug of blueberry wine. This was, of course, not for SALE (which would be illegal). But it inspired a number of generous donations. And afterwards, the berries were added to chocolate, and there was nothing bad about that!
• Between items sold at Weisenfeuer Yule, Northkeep wInterKingdom, and the Tribute event this weekend, and the cash-in of tickets, over $600.00 has been raised for waterbearing and hospitality at Gulf War. My goal was $400.00, which we blew out of the water. :)

I appreciate all of those who have donated items and especially those who have purchased items, in support of this cause so near and dear to my heart.