Beltane n stuff
It was a really nice event. I know I should not have felt relaxed with my schedule as it was, but it really was very restoring and relaxing.
I brought the kids and they both had a lot of fun (other than a very cold night of sleeping on Friday night). Sammy went feral for the weekend with the other children and VERY important things were accomplished, like a super cool fort made of logs and branches, socks were thoroughly wetted in the creek and sheep skulls were hunted and carefully saved (to make a "Kurgen helment").
Sara helped me with Sabrina's food prep and even rolled out to Danelaw with me for the evening socializing, which was warmly raucous and much laughter peeling into the night.
I got on site on Friday with Galen and we helped Paul, Sue, Will and Sabrina set up. We had a nice little courtyard and were right across (by design) from Ellie and Fabe. I'd colluded with the Bard of the West (Amanda) and Ellie and Fabe to create an area for bardic activities at one end of the list field. We had Kitka coming to play for Paul, plus Amanda was hosting Bard of the West comp (congratulations to Cat for winning, as she is so incredibly talented) so there was plenty of activity for the artistically musically inclined.
Friday night I made bean stew for our guests. We had the usual household plus the Crown Prince and Princess of Caid (and one of our very dear friends who is their HOC, Lorissa), Matt and Brynne, Maeva Anora and Mistress Anne of Oertha all in the kitchen tent, plus the son of one of Paul's squires (Kel) and Telynor and Alastair (the harpest I've been talking about, plus her wife), plus some of Paul and Sue's friends (the couple who got Paul the Kitka performance for his birthday).
I big household organized activities were Sabrina's Laurel party and the Kitka performance. I think we set everything up really well to facilitate the whole day. We made a large courtyard in the middle of camp (which was filled with listeners for Kitka in the evening), plus the household living room and Will and Sabrina's sun shade. I watched Sabrina's ceremony from behind the Mists Thrones. Sara helped attend HRH Mora and then I dashed over to the Saluminati meeting (where Mrs. Keegan was sorely missed) where the meat-party was in full swing with a grinning Wulfric presiding with much glee. Cured things were eaten, wine was sampled, people mingled and chatted... life is good!
Then I dashed back to camp to prepare the food stuff for Sabrina's party and hang out. We did a quick rearrange of the household pavilion to house the Kitka performance and just as the sun was starting to go down on gorgeous green wine country hills, people gathered around the pavilion, spilling out onto the grass with small children tucked onto laps and mugs of libation in hand as the strong clear voices of the women rang out into the hills. It was truly magical (my daughter HAD to have a CD) and special and we heard from many folks they got serenaded thru dinner, much to their delight. I just cannot say enough about the experience... it was just so wonderful!
Then Bri and I headed out to Danelaw to hang out with our friends. Gwen made these meat pies wrapped in foil and I think I ate about 10 of them... partially, then wrapped them back up and threw them back in the fire, while stepping on Katherine Blackhawk's feet the whole time. It was very silly and extremely fun. We went to bed around 1:00 am... got up and broke down and left for our traditional Cattlemen's dinner with the family.
OH something happened on Sunday that was really unexpected and heartening. Someone who has not liked me very much asked Brion if I would be willing to chat and I was rather anxious about it. But I was a big girl, I did it and was very pleasantly surprised. I know it was a small thing, but it made me feel very hopeful for the future and at peace with the world. And it was really very generous and giving of them to do so. Anyway, like I said it was a very restorative weekend.