Home from OVFF
Oh what a weekend.
Actually, on a very personal level, this was one of the best conventions
I've been to in the past 7 years, and the best OVFF I've ever been to.
My darling daughter was able to come with us this year, and that made a
huge difference. Her husband added a great deal of stress to the early
part of the convention, but that eventually settled, and once Faeryn was
enjoying the convention, it made it much better for me as well. I adore my
girl and miss her so very much! It was a delight to have several days of
time with her, including real time for just-us to talk, rather than the
snatched 10 minutes we get here and there at home. 1000 blessings on Sue
Jeffers, who did her usual magic, and when Faeryn was feeling a little low,
turned things around, and it was a bright-eyed smiling girl who came back
to me. (Yes, I know, Faeryn is a young woman, not a girl, but she's MY
little girl, and always will be. Besides, if I have to admit that she's
all grown up, I have to admit I'm getting old!).
I'm horrible at writing con reports, so I'm just going to put in a few
highlights.
Thursday night/Friday morning we got to the Motel 6 that was just around
the corner from the con hotel about 2am. It turned out to be very nice for
the price! Clean and reasonably well appointed, complete with fridge and
microwave and little sitting area in each room. I will definitely remember
this for the future! It made it very easy for me to sit down and do
Payroll in the morning while Peter and Faeryn went to get breakfast, and
brought me back tea, oatmeal and BACON! Then off to the Doubletree around
noon.
Things were a little delayed getting started at the convention. The
previous group moved more slowly than was optimal, but that left a large
number of filkers gathered in the lobby waiting for rooms, making it easy
to start gathering hugs.
The Mad Hatter's Tea Party was fun. Lots of people dressed up in pretty
things or funny things, and lots of talking and laughing. I wore my
favorite sari, which made a favorable impression, Peter looked quite dapper
in his outfit, and Faeryn was, as always, lovely (not that I am biased).
The rest of the con is kind of a blur as to when things happened, so things
may be out of order.
I got lots of cuddles with Aiden, Cat Greenberg's darling son. I even got
a little snuggle in with 3 month old Sam Ehrlich. I bought books for gifts
from Larry Smith, who we were all very glad to see. I replaced my
Wilderwood CD, having worn out my original. Actually, I think this is the
second time I have had to replace it.
My biggest pleasure of the weekend, though I fell apart completely
afterward, was listening to Faeryn sing in the Shallow End circle. The
Powdermilk Biscuit gathering for shy singers and the Shallow End filk
circle were both wonderful. Mark Bernstein, who I am usually a little
uncomfortable around, was very welcoming and encouraging. Seeing how many
other people are as nervous as I am about singing helped a little. Hearing
from Faeryn why she is uncomfortable singing in circle but not performing
in front of the entire school helped as well. I ended up sitting next to
Cat Faber at the circle. Cat is one of the people I've been very shy of
and have admired greatly from afar. I actually managed to speak to her a
couple of times. She seemed to be having a good weekend as well. At one
point I was able to sit on the sidelines as Cat, Peter Alway, and Mary
Crowell were having an instrumental only session, along with a gentleman
whose name I never got, who was playing bass. It was beyond lovely to
listen and gave me a slightly better understanding of some of the
information given in the music theory instruction gathering I had gone to
earlier.
There were lots of good conversations at various points... talks with Cat
Greenberg, not nearly enough time with Sue Jeffers, a talk in the hall with
Andrew Ross (another person who I've been terrified of in the past), a talk
with Terry (one of Merav's husbands, whose last name I can never remember)
about yarn and spinning, who was in the most expansive mood I've ever seen
him in. I got a nice long comfortable conversation with Teresa Gunderson. I got to spend a little time with Elliot, another person I don't see enough of antmore. There was good conversation and hugs with Beth DreamingWolf (used to be RunnerWolf),
though not nearly enough. There were hugs from lots of people who I
include in the "my OVFF is not quite complete without them" - Dave
Weingart, Peter Alway, France, Larissa and Rob, Steven Joel, Merav, Batya, Persis, Heather Munn, Judith and Dave Hayman, Tom and Sue Jeffers, the far-too busy but always delightful Erica, Roberta Slocumb, Harold Stein, and a number of others that my tired brain can't name at the moment.
I spent a great deal of Saturday trying not to fall apart. I missed Greg
terribly, even more than usual, as I always do at conventions. Hearing
Faeryn sing on Saturday was more than I could handle. Greg was so very
pleased when she originally started enjoying cons and got almost as much
pride and pleasure as I did when she sang. After I went to the room and
dissolved for a bit, I felt better and was able to enjoy most of the rest
of the convention without tears.
Oh! I also gave lots and lots of frilly scarves away! I'd promised some to
a couple of people and others were interested as well, so I gave away all
that I had completed. Three of them are going to Israel :) The gorgeous
and talented Judi Miller was willing to take one for herself and one for
her daughter. A number of other people ended up enjoying them as well. If
I have any more of the yarn at home, I will probably finish making it all
into scarves and put them out for small donations to Interfilk.
I keep remembering things I should have added/included! Dinner with Eric Coleman and his gorgeous wife, Liz, as well as Dave W., Ben Newman, and Beth, followed by a stop for ice cream. A hug and reassuring kiss on the head from someone I think of as very much a part of the reason Greg was able to bring me so completely into the filk community, even though I'm not a performer of any kind.
My first OVFF was overwhelming, and I told Greg I never wanted to go back.
He enjoyed it so very much, and I tried to send him to others without me,
but he wouldn't go. Now, OVFF has become one of the cons I plan for and
look forward to and one of my biggest sources of comfort. Even though I
come out of weekends like this especially missing his love, his generosity
of spirit, his thoughtfulness (there were a few instances this weekend of
thoughtlessness that bothered me greatly), I end up feeling comforted and
loved. And I'm slowly finding my own space in the community and no longer
feel like I'm there only as Greg's wife. I'm already looking forward to
FKO and maybe even seeing a few people at Philcon in November