Two Full Days

This is a rare “bonus” Sunday installment since I wasn’t able to post for the last two days. Don’t worry, hymn lovers—there will still be a hymn too!

The reason I didn’t post on Friday is that it was just a very busy day. I did my grocery shopping at Aldi and the cashier commented that I was a world-class expert at loading groceries onto the belt in the best possible order for being placed in the cart. He’s right. After shopping for a large family for several decades, I’d question my intelligence if I wasn’t an expert by now! But it’s nice when someone notices . . .

Then I had a tutoring student in the afternoon, and another quick shopping trip, this time to Walmart to pick up a few last items. After that it was all sewing, all the time, except for a brief interlude to make some keto chicken curry for the next day. I was trying to finish a tunic to wear to the faire yesterday, because remember, all my garb needs to be replaced. I have a new tiered, ruffled skirt but didn’t have anything to wear with it. I had bought some darker purple fabric and of course I wanted lace on the sleeves, so everything took longer than it would have otherwise.

I finished everything but the sleeve elastic at about 1:00 in the morning, and then got up a few hours later to do that last little task—and of course I mucked it up. I wore the shirt anyway, but the sleeve elastic was so tight I felt like I had tourniquets on my arms for all the hours I spent at the faire! I won’t wear that thing again until I replace the elastic.

I did a bunch of food prep before leaving for the faire, and as a result I didn’t quite make it there in time for opening. I remembered to take my straw hat, and I really needed it on such a spectacular sunny day. And as I walked to the gate, I realized that my new skirt rustles quite audibly, which I found very pleasing. As I swished around the faire in my rustling skirt, I mentally paraphrased Poe: “And the silken, soft, uncertain rustling of each purple ruffle thrilled me—filled me with fantastic visions never dreamed before!”

I made a beeline for the stage where my friends of Triskelion were already performing, joining a young girl who was the only other audience member. I was given the chance to request a song, so I requested one that I hadn’t heard them sing yet this year. Great way to start the day!

From there I trekked across to the falconry show, which I enjoy every year. Such beautiful birds! Shortly after that, I was hanging around the front gate when Lina arrived and called for my help in the parking lot. She needed me to tighten her corset laces for her. We got back into the faire in time to see the end of the glass-blowing demonstration, only to watch the glass blower have to discard the piece he was working on because it got stuck on the side of the furnace and he couldn’t extricate it without damaging and dropping it. In a case like that, it can’t be salvaged.

I got to hear Triskelion again, and also the Green Man Clan, who I enjoy every year. The “clan” only had three members yesterday, but it’s the interaction between husband and wife that I specially enjoy, so it was great. I skipped the “joust,” because I’ve already seen this year’s play. I finished up my visit by watching the glass blower’s next demonstration, and this time the mug survived despite a fall onto the grass at the very end.

I was sorry to have to leave in midafternoon, but I had to rush home and change and work on more food prep—veggie chopping for the salad I was taking to Dallas. My husband and I left a few minutes after 4:00 to drive to our friends’ house in Dallas. The original plan had been to have four couples with Zambia connections there again, but it ended up just being our hosts and us.

We had a lovely evening of salad and curry and keto chocolate mousse and conversation. Entertainment was provided by their adorable four-month-old Golden Retriever puppy. Once again, we left too late and didn’t arrive home until 12:45. Imagine our surprise to find a lively conversation going on in the living room between Lucy and Jasper and a neighbor of ours! They were still talking when I got out of the shower and went to bed at 2:00 a.m.

I made the executive decision to skip Sunday school this morning . . .

Parting Shot:

The glass blower working on a spiked mug.

A Faire & A Birthday

It seems like a lot has happened in the last couple of days. But first things first: today is my son Flynn’s thirtieth birthday! We were so happy to be able to have a video chat with him and Tiffany this evening. We will have some sort of belated celebration when they are here with us for Easter.

Yesterday we had an unusual church service. Another church has been using our church building for the last few months, while looking for a new place of their own. Yesterday we had a joint service with both congregations together. It was good to see the sanctuary so full! I still didn’t know any of the music, though . . .

After the service there was a big barbeque dinner, but we didn’t stay for it because Lina and I planned to go to the Renaissance Faire, which opened this weekend. (The one closest to us.) So we rushed home and I hurried to get supper going in the crockpot and get into some garb. Garb is a bit of a dilemma for me. All my garb is way too big. So I wore a dress that I made for Mary many years ago, which is also too big, but less big than my own stuff.

I also wore a snood over my hair because that would have been period appropriate—married women did not wear their hair down at all. But I struggled with it because I don’t like the way I look in a snood! It was a chilly day and I actually ended up needing my cloak for much of the day.

So anyway, we drove over there and bought a late lunch before separating to browse around the various booths. It is always fun to walk around and see familiar faces. Lina and I met up again to enjoy two of our favorite music acts—Faire to Middlin’ and Triskelion. Triskelion confirmed that I am their biggest fan—I’ve been enjoying their music for 10 years now! So of course we took a photo:

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I love little faires like this where you can really get to know people. Later in the afternoon I got to watch a demonstration of marbling on fabric—something I have always wanted to do. Now I want to do it more!

I watched the evening joust as well. They have the same plot but different actors this year. Mordred is still much more fun to cheer for than Galahad. I don’t actually think of it as a joust at all. It is just a play on horseback. But I sure do miss real sport jousting.

Lina had no interest in the theatrical joust, so she followed one of the lane musicians and I joined her after the joust was over. Soon after that, we headed home so we could finish making supper. It was a great afternoon.

Today I had my class to prepare for and teach. We are close to the end of the semester and my students are getting rowdy! Only two more classes to go! So I am putting out the word about my summer classes and soon I should know how busy I’m going to be this summer.

Down the Rabbit Hole

During this gloriously sunny and windy morning, I had a tutoring student and he did very well on his vocabulary quiz even though he forgot about it and didn’t study. I was proud of him.

This afternoon (still sublimely sunlit and breezy) Lina and I ventured forth to our favorite bookstore/coffee shop and spent a pleasant time browsing while sipping our hot drinks. I found a tome about Henry VIII and I knew I had to get it. I am sliding farther and farther into this Tudor rabbit hole.

I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned it here (and am too lazy to look it up) but I volunteered to be the “scribe” for one of our local Renaissance festivals. What this means in practical terms is that I try to post twice a week on social media to generate some interest in the faire. One post is faire news, and the other one is a little fact about Tudor England, more specifically the reign of Henry VIII usually. I am currently doing a series about his six wives. I have a whole book about them, and a book about life in Tudor England, and a Tudor cookbook, and now I have a book about the big man himself. I have plenty of fodder for my weekly posts for some time to come!

If you’re interested in following these posts on Facebook, you can find them here:

https://www.facebook.com/CanterburyRenaissanceFestivalNETexas/               (Canterbury Renaissance Festival of Northeast Texas)

So anyway, it was an enjoyable afternoon. When we returned I had some reading to catch up on. With my class and two tutoring students, I have three books that I have to be reading in every week. And before I knew I’d have quite this much reading to do, I committed to a book club so I am frantically trying to read that book too, because the meeting is next week and I sure would hate to show up to my first meeting without having finished the book!

My walk this evening was surprisingly enjoyable. I had to park in a completely different parking lot because there was a big basketball game going on in the arena. I’d much rather walk during a game than when the track itself is crowded. The university team was playing their archrivals, Lina’s alma mater. The boisterous atmosphere made it easier for me to keep my energy up, even though “our” team was losing, and I found myself having constant flashbacks to high school and college. The game was only half over when I left, so they still had time to pull it out . . .

Keeping Busy

Yesterday I skipped church to drive to Mount Pleasant and go to a meeting. It was the first meeting/cast audition of the year for the faire that I’m involved with, and I needed to be there to be able to report on it and take some photos and discuss a few things with the owner.

Most of my new acquaintances from the parade were there, plus a new girl who plays a fascinating stringed instrument, in addition to the more common mountain dulcimer. We had a potluck lunch and my keto egg muffins were a big hit! I also strolled the faire site and got a few pictures.

I had to head home while everyone else was learning a court dance because I had a pretty tight schedule. Our small group was meeting last night and I had to make pizza and dessert. Of course I had to make enough for the kids who would be staying home also. So I made massive batches of sourdough pizza dough and sauce after throwing a peach/mango cobbler in the oven.

I only had time to make the pizza we were taking, but left all the “fixings” for Lucy to make pizza for herself and Jasper. What I didn’t realize is that Lucy’s work schedule now has her working until 8:00 p.m. on Sundays.

So anyway, Walter and I took Lina with us to our small group because we have talked about her a lot and we wanted them to meet her. When we returned a little after 8:00, Lucy was just working on the pizzas for her and a very hungry Jasper. I will have to plan better next time.

Today I had my class in the morning and worked on other projects in the afternoon, including more grocery shopping, cooking and picking a lot of chicken, and doing some of the reading I have to do to keep up with my tutoring students. I can already see it’s going to be a very busy spring semester.