Pennsic
If this Pennsic had a theme, it would be dance and romance (more on that in a separate message).
Six Pennsics and this was the first time that I went to Opening Ceremonies. I'm glad I did. However, I may not do it again. There was a lot of standing and doing nothing. (In fact I wasn't able to dance as well as I should have at the ball that night due to being on my feet for 90 minutes at this.) It was incredible to see the red and white. I'm glad I made Piers and the kids come. We have a nice family shot from this. We stuck it out and marched all the way to the battle field. However, we didn't stay for the declarations of who was fighting for who (which apparently you usually can't hear anyway). Instead, we took our tired and hot kids and left to get ice cream. I am proud of me that I helped our barony keep Rise going since I
was one of the few people who knew the words to the verses and not just the chorus.
We also did the Fool's Parade this year for the first time. The kids both wore clown costumes (Grainne - one Mom made for my brother as a Halloween costume when he was about 6. Rose, my ballet costume from when I was in grade 1.) I wore Piers' Veggie Tales Tunic and my own jester's cap. Piers wore the "Happy Birthday" birthday cake hat since it really was his
birthday. We walked around the food court and merchant areas and called on all three main kingdom camps. It was kind of fun. The kids loved it, so we may have to repeat this in subsequent Pennsics.
Wednesday was the children's water battle. It took longer to get started this year. By the time it was done, I had missed half of the harp exhibition. The kids had a ball. They had so many kids that they ran out of treasure and the older ones had to pick it up at Midrealm Royal the next day. Wednesday was also the Children's Fete, which my girls attended in their bathing suits and cover-ups because there was not enough time to fight in the water battle, have lunch, go back to Skrael and chance, and go to the Fete. I don't think anyone cared. The Fete has a bouncy castle and balloon hats. My girls in modern beach coverups was the least of the periodness problem.
Ealdormere Court was really long this year. It was good, but long. I am used to courts that have a progression of awards (AoA then Orion/ASB/AMH,etc.). I appreciate their reasons for mixing up the awards and doing an ASB, then a Crucible, then an AoA, then another ASB. However, the alternation of awards meant that I couldn't give Piers any hints when the kids were acting
up from sitting still and quiet so long and he whispered "How much longer." Finally, we sent the kids out to play on the labyrinth outside the barn.(Grainne fell in love with labyrinths this Pennsic.) Eyrny had a boon begged for her to become a pelican. Darius the Dancer got a Crucible. They gave out 4 OTHs, one in each martial activity. The baroness of Septentria got an ASB. Bob, i.e. Robert of Skraeling Althing, got his AoA. Two people I know were called into court and should be getting awards at Bonfields. The highlight of court, for me, was seeing Finnvarr get a copy of his page in the Scroll of Honour. Every war point battle at every Pennsic for 40 years.Wow! He will also be getting a Pennsic road named after him when a new road needs s name.
I didn't go to that many classes this year, other than dance classes:
Tuesday, I went to Early Irish Alliterative Poetics. It was fairly interesting. I knew a bit about the style she was focusing on. What really interested me was seeing how she was using it in English, in a modern SCA context. We wrote a few lines of a poem as a group. I might try this in the future as a challenge to myself.
Thursday, I went to "Thorsbjerg Trousers: Pants the Last". It was a great class. The notes were thorough. I took pictures. She had suggestions about building a prototype for your husband. I am quick smitten with the design and how it improves upon modern pant designs. I 100% will be putting this class into practice and making a mock-up this fall. Once I have my
pattern, Piers will be wearing these in the SCA instead of drawstring pants.
Friday, I went to "When Fairies were Scary". It was interesting. I took Grainne and the fact that we both made it to a 9AM class on the last day of Pennsic was impressive. The instructor knew her stuff, although she kept referring to another ocurse she had taught when I don't think many of us attended. That was kind of annoying. It made me want to teach a course on fairies, although if I did I would either look at them chronologically or by country instead of jumping all around. (I would also throw in bardic and tell a few short stories.) The class also suffered from constant interruptions. Apparently every self-proclaimed fairy expert at Pennsic was also able to get themselves to a 9AM class. At least one class I attend every Pennsic seems to suffer from this problem.
I brought my running stuff, but didn't go running. I was too tired in the morning from the kids or people in the Skrael common area waking me up. It was too hot. And I was too tired from all the walking and dance classes I did.
No major purchases at Pennsic this year. Piers bought some books. Other than a garnet necklace, I mostly bought dance clothes and one shirt for mundane wear. The kids bought cute little hats, but not until the last day. Rose bought a pin from a store called "The House of Avalon" because it was her store and she just had to buy something. They also got stuffed animals and dance belts. For the first time ever, we got to do real shopping on the way home. We left Pennsic by 9AM and we able to go to both Target and DSW.
Nightlife:
Saturday - Middle Eastern concert & hafla
Sunday - Beginner Ball
Monday - just hung out with Piers, Yaron, and House Howling Wolf
Tuesday - Grand Ball
Wednesday - Midnight Madness
Thursday - marshmallow roast at Ealdormere Royal
Friday - packed up our van with everything except the tent and what we needed to sleep and then went to bed early
Six Pennsics and this was the first time that I went to Opening Ceremonies. I'm glad I did. However, I may not do it again. There was a lot of standing and doing nothing. (In fact I wasn't able to dance as well as I should have at the ball that night due to being on my feet for 90 minutes at this.) It was incredible to see the red and white. I'm glad I made Piers and the kids come. We have a nice family shot from this. We stuck it out and marched all the way to the battle field. However, we didn't stay for the declarations of who was fighting for who (which apparently you usually can't hear anyway). Instead, we took our tired and hot kids and left to get ice cream. I am proud of me that I helped our barony keep Rise going since I
was one of the few people who knew the words to the verses and not just the chorus.
We also did the Fool's Parade this year for the first time. The kids both wore clown costumes (Grainne - one Mom made for my brother as a Halloween costume when he was about 6. Rose, my ballet costume from when I was in grade 1.) I wore Piers' Veggie Tales Tunic and my own jester's cap. Piers wore the "Happy Birthday" birthday cake hat since it really was his
birthday. We walked around the food court and merchant areas and called on all three main kingdom camps. It was kind of fun. The kids loved it, so we may have to repeat this in subsequent Pennsics.
Wednesday was the children's water battle. It took longer to get started this year. By the time it was done, I had missed half of the harp exhibition. The kids had a ball. They had so many kids that they ran out of treasure and the older ones had to pick it up at Midrealm Royal the next day. Wednesday was also the Children's Fete, which my girls attended in their bathing suits and cover-ups because there was not enough time to fight in the water battle, have lunch, go back to Skrael and chance, and go to the Fete. I don't think anyone cared. The Fete has a bouncy castle and balloon hats. My girls in modern beach coverups was the least of the periodness problem.
Ealdormere Court was really long this year. It was good, but long. I am used to courts that have a progression of awards (AoA then Orion/ASB/AMH,etc.). I appreciate their reasons for mixing up the awards and doing an ASB, then a Crucible, then an AoA, then another ASB. However, the alternation of awards meant that I couldn't give Piers any hints when the kids were acting
up from sitting still and quiet so long and he whispered "How much longer." Finally, we sent the kids out to play on the labyrinth outside the barn.(Grainne fell in love with labyrinths this Pennsic.) Eyrny had a boon begged for her to become a pelican. Darius the Dancer got a Crucible. They gave out 4 OTHs, one in each martial activity. The baroness of Septentria got an ASB. Bob, i.e. Robert of Skraeling Althing, got his AoA. Two people I know were called into court and should be getting awards at Bonfields. The highlight of court, for me, was seeing Finnvarr get a copy of his page in the Scroll of Honour. Every war point battle at every Pennsic for 40 years.Wow! He will also be getting a Pennsic road named after him when a new road needs s name.
I didn't go to that many classes this year, other than dance classes:
Tuesday, I went to Early Irish Alliterative Poetics. It was fairly interesting. I knew a bit about the style she was focusing on. What really interested me was seeing how she was using it in English, in a modern SCA context. We wrote a few lines of a poem as a group. I might try this in the future as a challenge to myself.
Thursday, I went to "Thorsbjerg Trousers: Pants the Last". It was a great class. The notes were thorough. I took pictures. She had suggestions about building a prototype for your husband. I am quick smitten with the design and how it improves upon modern pant designs. I 100% will be putting this class into practice and making a mock-up this fall. Once I have my
pattern, Piers will be wearing these in the SCA instead of drawstring pants.
Friday, I went to "When Fairies were Scary". It was interesting. I took Grainne and the fact that we both made it to a 9AM class on the last day of Pennsic was impressive. The instructor knew her stuff, although she kept referring to another ocurse she had taught when I don't think many of us attended. That was kind of annoying. It made me want to teach a course on fairies, although if I did I would either look at them chronologically or by country instead of jumping all around. (I would also throw in bardic and tell a few short stories.) The class also suffered from constant interruptions. Apparently every self-proclaimed fairy expert at Pennsic was also able to get themselves to a 9AM class. At least one class I attend every Pennsic seems to suffer from this problem.
I brought my running stuff, but didn't go running. I was too tired in the morning from the kids or people in the Skrael common area waking me up. It was too hot. And I was too tired from all the walking and dance classes I did.
No major purchases at Pennsic this year. Piers bought some books. Other than a garnet necklace, I mostly bought dance clothes and one shirt for mundane wear. The kids bought cute little hats, but not until the last day. Rose bought a pin from a store called "The House of Avalon" because it was her store and she just had to buy something. They also got stuffed animals and dance belts. For the first time ever, we got to do real shopping on the way home. We left Pennsic by 9AM and we able to go to both Target and DSW.
Nightlife:
Saturday - Middle Eastern concert & hafla
Sunday - Beginner Ball
Monday - just hung out with Piers, Yaron, and House Howling Wolf
Tuesday - Grand Ball
Wednesday - Midnight Madness
Thursday - marshmallow roast at Ealdormere Royal
Friday - packed up our van with everything except the tent and what we needed to sleep and then went to bed early