Well, that was unexpected. (This was supposed to post in February - oops!)

So, the Coronet of Love, for the rulers of the Principality of Insulae Draconis  was a lovely event. That part was not at all unexpected. Northern Ireland was unsurprisingly charming. Adding two new members to our little household was also not a shock, as one is the little sister of a current member and the other is a fiancée of a Linden. And two lovely, charming ladies they are indeed!

The unexpected - a dark horse fighter won Coronet. And his inspiration was one of the new household members! So suddenly we are a support household for the Princess for the next nine months. Huzzah! But for me personally, the biggest surprise was being asked to become a protégé, to not one but two Pelicans. Oh my! I said yes, of course, and now am happily working with Mistress Ariel and Master Pol.

January plans - not resolutions!

Here's hoping 2017 is much, much better than its predecessor! I'm trying to be a little more methodical in my SCA life this year, so here's my hopeful event attendance plan for 2017 (all in Drachenwald)

February 17 -19       Coronet of Love (Eplaheimr)
April 7-9                  Bow and Blows III (Saint John of Rila)
April 28-30              Flaming Arrow X (Glen Rathlin)
August 4-14             Raglan Fair (Insulae Draconis)
November 10-12      Kingdom University (Polderslot)

2018 SCA plans are already afoot, as our local group (Gods help us!) won the bid for Midsummer Coronation 2018. We're going to be really busy for the next 18 months!

I've also made a crafting spreadsheet (with help from the lovely Constanza) to get my garb under control. I really need to update my own stuff and this is the year to do it. I've got some lovely terracotta-colored heavy linen that I've cut out and have started to make into a dress based on a fresco in the Zemen Monastery (dated to 1354).  Here's a picture of the fresco (Not my photo - from the Bulgarian Medieval Costumes website owned by Kalina Atanasova)

This will be fun to make and I hope to wear it at Coronet next month.

Kingdom University follow-up

I'm just back from Drachenwald's annual Kingdom University, a wonderful weekend of all things Arts & Sciences. I took classes on posament weaving, medieval Irish food, and tournament authenticity & spiffiness. It was tremendous fun.

The event was at Ufton Court, an Elizabethan Manor, and the atmosphere was amazing. I took no pictures myself, because I was too busy taking classes, but there is a set here, courtesy of Master Rafe Cuthbert.

As always, the best part was spending time with family and friends!

Happy St. George's Day - feels like a long time coming!

     So, it's my first post of 2016. The start of the calendar year was fairly miserable, in that I was very sick for a long time. But I'm better now and ready to get back to things.

     Happy St. George's Day from those of us here in Bulgaria. Yes, to my English family, I know it's a different day! Честит Гергьовден!  I'm glad this day is here, because he traditionally kills the dragons of drought and hail today.  Not much drought this year, but the hail and wind have been damaging, so hopefully they are done for now!




     There's lots to catch up on, but this is good for today. :)

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

This is a special day, not just because it is the name day for many of my good friends, but because it is also the anniversary of the first official event for the College  of Saint John of Rila!

That was back in 2011, although it seems like yesterday!  Here are some photos so we can remember!

                                                               

              

Saint Andrew's Day

     November 30th is Andreevden (St Andrew’s Day), also known as the Bears’ Day (Mechkinden) in Bulgaria. It marks the start of the winter cycle. In Bulgaria, St Andrew is traditionally the master of the bears.

      In Bulgarian folklore the bear has the power to heal, protect from illness and bring fertility but it is also a symbol of great physical strength. So to ward off attack, on Andreevden, people symbolically feed the bear by throwing a little boiled grain up the chimney, ...saying “Here you are, bear. Here’s some boiled corn so you don’t need to eat raw grain or people or animals.” (From Bulgarian Folk Customs by Mercia MacDermott)

 

10 Likes1 Comment3 Shares

Autumn day in Varosha

The Wolf Days are over and winter will soon be here, but for now it is unseasonably warm and sunny and we are all taking advantage of the weather!