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Last Five Entries
Veteran's Day and an Etiquette Question
2003-11-22 - 8:02 a.m.
My apprenticing--LONG
What an incredible day it was yesterday.... I am going to write it up in minute detail because I want a concrete reminder of the day. I want to be able to read this and remember what the day was like. How everything looked, how everything went toogether, everything. I know me and there'll be days when I'm in a funk and I can't remember the last time something good happened.... so this will be one of my "great days"... so I'm starting at the beginning..... just bear with me... this is LONG.
I woke up yesterday morning in a fairly good mood; everythign was packed and ready to go in the truck. We got dressed and headed down 460-East to Marinus. The weather at home was gorgeous, I was hoping it would be just as nice in Marinus. After an hour and a half, we arrived and yes, the weather was just as beautiful there!
On the ride there, my love commented on the beautiful weather and asked me who I sold my soul to for such wonderful weather and could he get in on the sale. I shrugged and told him I'd never tell. (the sky was a clear beautiful blue, the temperature was a balmy 704-ish degrees. There was a slight wind, but nothing troublesome.
We signed in to troll, and I was feeling rather anxious (and nauseous) I found my soon-to-be-Laurel bedecked in elizabethan (gold and black); she was beautiful. She said she was busy right that moment, but she needed to talk to me about the apprenticing after first court. I told her I'd find her (it wouldn't be hard, she was being invested as the Baroness, so I'd know where to find her). Just after troll, I made for the bathroom, and when I emerged, I found another friend outside showing me what she was entering into the A&S competition. They were beautiful inkle woven bands. We talked for a minute about the provenance of inkle weaving (while she wrote down what I said on her entry card...it was fascinating to me that someone would actually take what I said as truth.... that people actually are starting to recognize that I know what I'm talking about when it comes to weaving and etc.) That always floors me.
I re-found my love and we started to scout out the field for a place to sit when we found someone in my household to be who offered us shade. We thanked her and settled in.
The last court of Baroness Rosine and ArnBjorn (I know I massacred that name) was beautiful and heartfelt and funny. They were much-loved and respected and I'm sure they'll be gretly missed as Baron and Baroness. As they stepped down from their posts, my Laurel and her husband were elevated to landed Baronage. It was a beautiful ceremony, and it was very sweet to watch her husband put the coronet on her head. It certainly suited them both.
After court, I found my Laurel and she gave me the news that she didn't have anything prepared for my apprenticing because the computer ate her lovely presentation. She had spent many hours at the computer the night before working on various things for the day and she decided to wait until the morning to print everything. Well, in the morning, the computer sensed her critical need to have what was buried in the belly of the beast so to speak, and it refused to cooperate.
We decided to get together later before the apprenticing, once she was able to take care of her Baronial responsibilities and after I'd turned in my A&S project. She was waiting for me to get mine in before she went to look at the entries.
I immediately hootfooted it to the A&S area and turned in my work, pulling out the swatch of twill that I'd woven on my loom for people to fondle.
I made it back just as she walked past me to go look at the A&S items. There were some beautiful things there. The people of Atlantia really do some beautiful things!
We sat down and wrote out what we wanted to say, took a few moments to think about things and then we got together and compared notes. I have to admit, it was more heartfelt to me, because in the little speech, it said everything she truly wanted to say.
My love had decided that he wanted to fight rapier that day, and I was very glad to see him out on the field having fun. He was doing great and made me proud beyond words. He won his first two fights in short order. I was starting to get worried that the rapier fighting would go past 2PM and he'd miss the apprenticing because he was doing so well. He fought well, but he soon lost his three fights and was out of the tournament with about 20 minutes to spare before my apprenticing.
The heavy fighters were in the middle of their pre-fighting announcements and explanations when people started to gather. There were two friends in that meeting and I really wanted them to be there as well, so we waited a few minutes for that confab to end and they walked over. At that point, my head was down and I didn't notice the number of people who had gathered. It seemed as if the entire event was there, on the field, between the baronial pavilion and someone's personal pavilion to be a witness to my special "thing".
What took probably a minute seemed like an hour. I hate being watched. She gave me her green belt that she had when she was an apprentice. As you may or may not know, she's a very tiny lady, and to be blunt, I'm not. Her belt became an armband (it was wrapped around my arm three times). She did say that she would also give me a belt that fit me basically the same as my brown one, only green and with her metal pieces (sorry, I can't spell what they're called). She gave me a book on textiles (that I can't wait to read), and something very special.
I need to go back a bit to explain the something very special. There was a man, who died recently (less than a year ago) that I had the utmost respect for. He was one of the key forces in keeping us in the society in the early years of our existence within the SCA. I admired and respected him. His wife did some work for us in our house, and the day before Mistress Margret was to be elevated, she calld (Karin, not Margret) and asked if she could change the date when we expected her because one of her husband's apprentices was to be given her Laurel that day. We made arrangements, and things went off smoothly. The following day (Sunday) we had a meeting at our house when someone announced that Margret from Marinus was elevated to Laurel. I quickly dashed off an email asked her to take me as an apprentice, not putting the two things together (we're a fairly large kingdom and there's a possibility of more than one Laurelling in a day). I didn't find out until she and I started talking that she was HIS apprentice.
Anyway, to get on with yesterday's events. When she became his apprentice, he gave her a handmade knife. One that he himself had made. I'd like to believe that still been with us, Finnr would have loved to see the evolution that happened for Margret. She gave me his knife and asked that I hold it in trust for when I take my first apprentice. I can't think of anything more appropriate. I'm part of Finnr's SCA lineage (I guess he'd be my Grand-Laurel) and a more fitting way to pass down my memories of him.
I gave her a small lined book, bound in a flocked cover (a Baroness can always use such a book) with a brass reedhook tucked inside). It wasn't much, but it was all I could come up with.
After the ceremony, we had a small lemon-themed hospitality table. We had vanilla spritz cookies, lemon cookies, pound cake and cramberry bread, and lemon curd. It was great to spend a few moments getting well-wishes from friends and basking in the glow of something I've wanted for a long time. A friend had a gift for me, (linen... YUMMM!!! No, I won't eat it.. it's a string thing..Thank you Genvieve!) The Queen was there for the ceremony. I knew she'd be there, because one of her attendants approached me earlier in the day (she's a friend of mine... the attendant, I mean) and said that the queen noticed that an apprenticing was on the main schedule, and now it was a part of the queens schedule. I nearly blew my cookies all over the attendant's shoes! I hope I covered that gracefully, it was a priceless moment.
Once there ceremony was over, the queen approached me and gave me a beautiful blue and white beaded necklace. She said that she supported my efforts in A&S and that she wanted me to have a token from her. It is beautiful!
Once the ceremony was over, I went to sit and ponder quietly everything that the ceremony was about and all of the good things from the day. In short, I was wiped out. I'd been preparing for this for a week, and it was over. My resolve and energy level hit the floor and I needed a break.
I knew I needed to pick up my A&S entry at 3:00, so I made my way over there and picked it up and all of the tokens left by people who were impressed with what I'd done (as well as comments for how to improve--again, thanks Genvieve! You're really helpful with the ideas! I'm always looking for ways to make things better.) I found a beautiful bead and a suggestion, two smaller beads with no explanation, a small tin of excite-mints (with another card) and a very sweet note written by Rosine with a huge blue bead. Her note said it was a bead that Finnr had made for her. I was really touched. That Viking shows up in the oddest of places!
I picked up my treasures and went back to the fighting field to find that my dear sweet husband had already packed up everything from the hospitality table (there wasn't much left when I left to sit down). Once the heavy fighting was done, we were perplexed to figure out what to do. I know we were going out to dinner with friends afterwards to celebrate my apprenticing, but now we had to wonder about court.
You see, they were trying an "experiment" They had appetizer's (only for those who were "on board") for an hour and a half, then court for an hour and a half, and then the rest of feast.
We couldn't decide if we needed to go to court or not and I didn't think it was appropriate for me to approach anyone to ask. I was hopeful that I'd win something in the A&S competition, but that's not something you just walk right up and ask. As we were trying to decide, my Laurel appeared to ask someone else a question. My love approached her and asked if it woudl be okay for us to skip court. Margret said it would be a not-so-good idea, so we hung around.
We killed the hour and half quite easily and found ourselves in the appointed place at the appointed time. During the Queen's court, she did have business with me. I had figured that if I was to get anything it would be the Bright Leaf, the AOA level A&S award, but no.... instead She had managed to hear that I was also running around doing service type things (you know, Chirurgeon, chronicler, exchequer, deputy seneschal, that sort of thing), and she chose to recognize me for my service with an opal (complete with a scroll!). How truly awesome!!!!
When I was called into court, I was determined to kneel. Now, many of you know how my knees are, but I was determined to do so. It was important to me. I had always felt horrid that the last time I was called into court, I couldn't kneel, and I felt like a read boob. I know it's not a big deal, but it was to me. I vowed that I'd never ever do that again. Anyway, I did manage to make it to my knees and I listened to the kind and wonderful words from the Queen. When it was over, it took three people to help me up, and I felt embarrassed, but it was worth it. I felt like a normal person. I have a great memory of that occasion.
But no, the fun didn't end there. During the baronial court (it immediately followed the Queen's court); the A&S winners were announced, and I'd won the best documentation prize!
After court, I claimed my prize and we left for dinner. DInner was wonderful! I got to spend it with some really awesome friends, eating great food. The only problem was, I was exhausted and my body wanted sleep more than food. I ate a little, until my tummy put up the "full" sign and instead enjoyed the company.
We went back to a friends house and spent some time just talking. (Have I told you that they're a grat group of people?!)
We left there about 10:45 and headed for home. On the dark road home, I got to hear the sweetest words I think I've ever heard "Love, I really am proud of you, you did good today." We talked over the whole day, and while I felt really bad that he hasn't been recognized for his two years as the Golden Dolphin Herald, I felt good for being recognized for what I do. (He didn't make me feel guilty or anything, but I still felt bad for him). We talked about the day and I remarked that my thin belt with all the metal on it cost us like $80 and I thought that was a lot for Margret to spend on a belt for me. His comment was that when she gave the belt to me, it could become a lineage belt for me to pass on, thereby making it worth the expense.. besides as someone pointed out.. I'm apprenticed to her.. she CAN do nice things for me, and it's okay...
That was the most wonderful end-cap to a really terrific day.
I have what I call a "yeay me" box. It's box I found when I ran a white elephant sale to help with expenses when Finnr died. I didn't know where the box had come from other than it was part of a mass donation from Marinus. It was beautiful, it had some celtic knotwork burned and painted, and I wanted it. I gave a fair price for it and it became mine that April. I saw my Laurel about a month later and commented that I found this great box. As I described it to her, she just started to smile. It had been her box and since she was laurelled just a few weeks after he died and her handmade box was "replaced" with a more ornate one, she had decided to give it to the sale...how interesting that it wold find its way to me.
Inside my "Yeay me" box are all of the cards and baubles that people give me for my A&S efforts. (Well, all save one item... the buttons someone anonymous gave me.. they're the buttons on the dress I wore yesterday.. I'd love to find more.. those were just perfect!). That box is for my "I suck" moments. When I'm discouraged or having a hard time and my weaving isn't going right. I go thumbing through that box and read the positive comments and fondle the tokens and realize that I'm capable of going good things and that I don't suck nearly as much as I think I do (I'm my own worst critic).
All of the note cards and the tokens from yesterday will go in that box today.(I write small descriptions of what the tokens are on the appropriate note, so I know what is from where); which is why I like notes with tokens (hint, hint.. if you leave something, at least scribble a "good job"! you don't have to sign it, but it helps :) The necklace from the queen is already in my jewelry box.
So much happened yesterday, I just don't know how to put it all into words. I hope I painted a good picture.
Thank you EVERYONE for making my day yesterday so incredible. It was phenomenal and what made it so special was that while there were a few who couldn't make it, the ones that were there did their best to make it an awesome memory.
I'm not going to name you individually, just please please please know that your being there meant the world to me and you have no idea how much I appreciate everything that went into making the day so incredible for me.
Please don't forget to answer my survey... it's research for a small business idea... all comments appreciated, no reasonable offer refused!!! It won't take five minutes, I PROMISE!
