Festival of the Rose (oh Happy Day!)
Man, I'm still tired and a little sore in odd places, but still happy from yesterday's event, The Festival of the Rose and Olde Timers Tourney, which was in Lake Balboa (northern Los Angeles area). It was a very good day for me.
The site was at a middle school located between the two Costume College sites, so it was semi-familiar territory. It also happened to be close to where one SCA friend, Elaine, grew up, and she was rather happy being "home" as she mentioned later in court. But I am getting ahead of myself there.
On Friday before, I got the embroidery cut out of the frame and prepared. Also worked my documentation pics paired down to basics and printed out before I ran out of yellow ink. Same for my 4 pages of written docs printing before the black ran too low (thank goodness for draft printing). It was all done before midnight, so I packed up and went to bed to be up and leave early at 5:30am with Pam and Elaine. I realized later I only had about 3 hours of actual sleep, give or take. Then 3.5 hours later showing up at the school site.
The Festival/Tourney itself was in two areas of the middle school, with arts indoors, and tourney outside. We made two trips to bring our stuff in, and I almost overdid it (forgot I was just sick the past week). We went inside to figure out where to set up, and gave greetings to friends including aeddie, marymont, and later cayswann.
I wore my black wool (in icon) but we had to dress in bathroom stalls with really short walls - where folks standing could be seen - really odd. Queen Cassandra was also dressed, and I noticed that she was in another beautiful Italian gown made from a blue & gold silk fabric that I've got in my stash. I don't think I'll make that up until after her reign is over. Her very little brother was also cutely dressed in a fine red silk doublet - he was so shy around all the women.
Then back in to set up tables and chairs. There were many art displays being set up and all I had was this one little embroidered item (hadn't realized it would end up so small). Pam had brought a table & cover, so we used hers, but there were others we could have borrowed if we wanted. Then eventually we went outside to morning Court.
There was a lot of stuff covered in a long morning court. One of the folks attending that day was the First King of the SCA and he was introduced to Court. A couple of people were called into court to receive their AoA. Then they started a presentation without asking anyone to come into court which confused me. Then halfway through the announcement, I was told to come into court! I was given a Harp Argent, which is the first A&S Award in Caid. Wow, that was a surprise. I found out later that they had tried to get this award to me over a couple of other reigns, and at Queen's Champion, but they finally got me. :-) What a great start to the Festival day.
I spent the day mostly inside, chatting with a variety of folks who came by, chatting with Aeddie (who sat with me at the table to share his Elizabethan cookbook translation), or Mary who was a great support and had thread I used while I sewed on an old project. I tried to spend time with the members of my Barony that had also made the trip. I wandered around looking at the A&S display, and memorial display of Caidan events years ago, and chatted with other folks.
When the Queen and her court came to look at items, I got to explain my heraldic embroidery project and share some of the documentation and photos (will be uploaded today). She gave me a yellow gilded rose of chocolate. I talked with various others, some of them Laurels, including one who had been one of my costume judges for Pentathalon who explained her comments and other thoughts (a lot for me to think about). There were a number of folks gushing about my embroidery piece who often asked questions, and those who looked, smiled, and wandered on.
There were games being played, some people "dying" around me - from the plague rats or doing the "best death" for points, and an embroidery contest my car-mates participated in. Later I even got punned, but had no beads to give the man for his fine pun. I even witnessed an Apprenticing ceremony which included a reading of a period pledge between Master and Apprentice (very interesting), and signed their contract as a witness (my scribal hand is rusty).
There was live performances as well in another room. I tried a couple of times to get in to view things, but the room was rather small and full of people. Some of the music and drumming sounded good, but I missed the Horsemen doing some amusing "opera" which had folks laughing until teary-eyed. I can only hope someone filmed it to share.
During parts of the day it actually rained as well, so I was glad we were indoors. I did go outside and wander the merchants, but am still not sure what to buy so I didn't. I also watched part of the fencing tourney. Then back inside to sit and chat some more.
Finally it was time for closing court, and while Pam packed stuff up for me, I went to court. Various winners of the Tourneys were announced, and the Olde Timer winner was given a rattan walker and rusty sword, as well as an old piece of Regalia from the bottom of an old box of items. Games winners were also announced (including an attempt at 'assassinating' a person to try to win that game), and my car-mates won 1st (Pam) and 2nd (Elaine) place for the Embroidery contest.
Then it was down to who would be the Queen's A&S Champion, the first of that title for Caid. She said it was a hard choice, so many wonderful performances, including the Horseman's Opera that many agreed was very funny. There were a number of mentions for the A&S display, including a Jomon (ancient pre-Japanese) pottery item that my brother would have enjoyed (he once studied about them and sent me info on it). But she said there was one that in her eye stood above the others, and again, I was called into court to become the Queen's A&S Champion!!!!
OMG! I was nearly speechless, and could barely say thank you and remember to breathe while standing there to her comments and the huzzahs. I then was told to stand with the other Champions while the rest of Court went on. The Champions were given some cookies to share from one of the gifts given to the Queen. The guys said they had to be sure there was no poison since several of the gifts was presented by one of the 'assassins'. A poem was read for the upcoming St. Jude's Ransom Tourney that nearly brought me to tears. Then court was done, some words with the Queen exchanged, and I was dismissed to go home as she knew I had a long journey.
Our Barony along with a couple of ladies from Wintermist had dinner at CoCos near the Grapevine, talking and planning, and then it was a long drive home with lots of yawning, but safely home to my family. It was indeed a lovely, long day.
And now I've got to figure out what it is I want to work on next, as I've many things to create, including ideas from being at the Festival. And yes, I will be going to another Festival again. :-)
The site was at a middle school located between the two Costume College sites, so it was semi-familiar territory. It also happened to be close to where one SCA friend, Elaine, grew up, and she was rather happy being "home" as she mentioned later in court. But I am getting ahead of myself there.
On Friday before, I got the embroidery cut out of the frame and prepared. Also worked my documentation pics paired down to basics and printed out before I ran out of yellow ink. Same for my 4 pages of written docs printing before the black ran too low (thank goodness for draft printing). It was all done before midnight, so I packed up and went to bed to be up and leave early at 5:30am with Pam and Elaine. I realized later I only had about 3 hours of actual sleep, give or take. Then 3.5 hours later showing up at the school site.
The Festival/Tourney itself was in two areas of the middle school, with arts indoors, and tourney outside. We made two trips to bring our stuff in, and I almost overdid it (forgot I was just sick the past week). We went inside to figure out where to set up, and gave greetings to friends including aeddie, marymont, and later cayswann.
I wore my black wool (in icon) but we had to dress in bathroom stalls with really short walls - where folks standing could be seen - really odd. Queen Cassandra was also dressed, and I noticed that she was in another beautiful Italian gown made from a blue & gold silk fabric that I've got in my stash. I don't think I'll make that up until after her reign is over. Her very little brother was also cutely dressed in a fine red silk doublet - he was so shy around all the women.
Then back in to set up tables and chairs. There were many art displays being set up and all I had was this one little embroidered item (hadn't realized it would end up so small). Pam had brought a table & cover, so we used hers, but there were others we could have borrowed if we wanted. Then eventually we went outside to morning Court.
There was a lot of stuff covered in a long morning court. One of the folks attending that day was the First King of the SCA and he was introduced to Court. A couple of people were called into court to receive their AoA. Then they started a presentation without asking anyone to come into court which confused me. Then halfway through the announcement, I was told to come into court! I was given a Harp Argent, which is the first A&S Award in Caid. Wow, that was a surprise. I found out later that they had tried to get this award to me over a couple of other reigns, and at Queen's Champion, but they finally got me. :-) What a great start to the Festival day.
I spent the day mostly inside, chatting with a variety of folks who came by, chatting with Aeddie (who sat with me at the table to share his Elizabethan cookbook translation), or Mary who was a great support and had thread I used while I sewed on an old project. I tried to spend time with the members of my Barony that had also made the trip. I wandered around looking at the A&S display, and memorial display of Caidan events years ago, and chatted with other folks.
When the Queen and her court came to look at items, I got to explain my heraldic embroidery project and share some of the documentation and photos (will be uploaded today). She gave me a yellow gilded rose of chocolate. I talked with various others, some of them Laurels, including one who had been one of my costume judges for Pentathalon who explained her comments and other thoughts (a lot for me to think about). There were a number of folks gushing about my embroidery piece who often asked questions, and those who looked, smiled, and wandered on.
There were games being played, some people "dying" around me - from the plague rats or doing the "best death" for points, and an embroidery contest my car-mates participated in. Later I even got punned, but had no beads to give the man for his fine pun. I even witnessed an Apprenticing ceremony which included a reading of a period pledge between Master and Apprentice (very interesting), and signed their contract as a witness (my scribal hand is rusty).
There was live performances as well in another room. I tried a couple of times to get in to view things, but the room was rather small and full of people. Some of the music and drumming sounded good, but I missed the Horsemen doing some amusing "opera" which had folks laughing until teary-eyed. I can only hope someone filmed it to share.
During parts of the day it actually rained as well, so I was glad we were indoors. I did go outside and wander the merchants, but am still not sure what to buy so I didn't. I also watched part of the fencing tourney. Then back inside to sit and chat some more.
Finally it was time for closing court, and while Pam packed stuff up for me, I went to court. Various winners of the Tourneys were announced, and the Olde Timer winner was given a rattan walker and rusty sword, as well as an old piece of Regalia from the bottom of an old box of items. Games winners were also announced (including an attempt at 'assassinating' a person to try to win that game), and my car-mates won 1st (Pam) and 2nd (Elaine) place for the Embroidery contest.
Then it was down to who would be the Queen's A&S Champion, the first of that title for Caid. She said it was a hard choice, so many wonderful performances, including the Horseman's Opera that many agreed was very funny. There were a number of mentions for the A&S display, including a Jomon (ancient pre-Japanese) pottery item that my brother would have enjoyed (he once studied about them and sent me info on it). But she said there was one that in her eye stood above the others, and again, I was called into court to become the Queen's A&S Champion!!!!
OMG! I was nearly speechless, and could barely say thank you and remember to breathe while standing there to her comments and the huzzahs. I then was told to stand with the other Champions while the rest of Court went on. The Champions were given some cookies to share from one of the gifts given to the Queen. The guys said they had to be sure there was no poison since several of the gifts was presented by one of the 'assassins'. A poem was read for the upcoming St. Jude's Ransom Tourney that nearly brought me to tears. Then court was done, some words with the Queen exchanged, and I was dismissed to go home as she knew I had a long journey.
Our Barony along with a couple of ladies from Wintermist had dinner at CoCos near the Grapevine, talking and planning, and then it was a long drive home with lots of yawning, but safely home to my family. It was indeed a lovely, long day.
And now I've got to figure out what it is I want to work on next, as I've many things to create, including ideas from being at the Festival. And yes, I will be going to another Festival again. :-)