I am supposed to be "packing" right now for Glaslyn Defender of the Flame, which is tomorrow, and I am partially packed but I just can't seem to get the final push over with, so I thought I'd write about it instead. Maybe this will guilt me into getting prepared.
There is so much stuff to do to get ready for an event, and we are just "daytripping" this one because it's only about 40 minutes away in Sanger, TX. We are providing some toys and a play area for the children, and I am doing a painting banners class with them in the afternoon.
Things I need to do:
Lay out garb, jewelry, shoes, etc. for tomorrow
Lay out kids' garb, jewelry, shoes, etc. for tomorrow
Make sure kids take a bath
R to get camera charged up
get out stuff in garage and pull it together
make list of food and beverages I need to pack in the am so I don't forget something
Find brown tablecloth for Feast
Find clothespins
Don't forget to pack a cutting board and knife for the cheese
Things we need to take:
Children's pavilion
Rugs for same (ground may be wet)
Children's toys in plastic storage box (packed)
Children's Painting supplies, paper towels, wipes, painting shirts, banners, etc. for project (also in plastic storage box)
(mostly packed)
Personal pavilion (10 x 10 popup)--see garage
Personal camping chairs (4)--see garage
small square metal table and large round table for eating and snacks--see garage
Cooler with food, wine, beer, sodas, water, etc. for lunch and snacks (shopping done today; pack in morning)
Feast gear for eating snacks, table covers, etc. (packed)
mugs and goblets (packed)
Feast gear for eating feast, including silverware, bowls, napkins for 4
Archery gear (for all four or just for husband and one daughter?)
Cloaks (if staying late after Feast for Bardic competition)
Some sort of purse basket with personal items
Rain gear and umbrella (to ward off the rain spirits)
Wow, that's a lot of STUFF!!!!!
We are a stuff culture, and that even extends to the SCA. It is actually similar to medieval times when people moved their furniture and their whole household around to different houses, which is what the royal families and their entourage did. You just have to pack up a lot of stuff and drive a long distance (fortunately in a car instead of on horseback), then unpack it all.
But people in medieval times didn't have so much stuff; at least, I don't think so. The furniture was all designed to break down so it could be moved, and it was mostly tables, bedsteads, and boxes or trunks for storage since there were no plastic storage tubs.
Now we have all the electronics, and decorative items (they hung fabric on the walls but that was mostly for warmth), and kids items, and lots more clothing because it doesn't all have to be handmade. We have telephones and computers and cell phones and CDs and DVDs and stuffed animals and scrapbooks and craft supplies and paper shredders and bags of pure junk that we don't have time to go through (just surveying the office right now).
Sometimes I feel like I am drowning in junk, and even having a garage sale and then giving some of it to charity just seems like a drop in the bucket. I wish I were a minimalist but I am definitely not.
I saw a recent TV show on hoarders and I am determined not to become one, but I am seeing some of the same tendencies. The tendency not to want to get rid of things, in particular, is one of my biggest faults. There was one lady who had so much stuff in her house that she could not use her front door. Just stacks and stacks of clothing, papers, boxes of stuff. Most of the clothing was in piles and was from a thrift store, because she was not rich. She could not find her bed. I don't know how she got dressed in the morning. She worked with a therapist and they were getting it cleaned away but it took months and months. There was another lady who was an "organized hoarder." She had all the plastic tubs but 37 flower vases. She was a mom who kept shopping and buying stuff and there was no place for her husband and kids to sit. She couldn't cook any dinners because there was so much stuff in the kitchen. She was moving stuff around from room to room and making some progress with the therapist but it was slow.
It is really scary to see people who live like that and I am not going to become one, but I can certainly see why it happens! You don't clean out stuff often enough because it's hard to get rid of it, and you keep buying more, and pretty soon there's no room for anything, so the new stuff goes on top of the old stuff.
So from now on, I think I need to devote 2 or 3 hours a week to going through stuff and trying to get rid of stuff or clean stuff up. Of course, I've said this before, but--maybe at least I will get some more of those plastic tubs, Eh?
Pleasant Valley Mom (back to work now!)
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Scarborough Faire Escapism
Well, the Scarborough Faire season is in full swing, which explains why I am sleeping more and writing less. I have managed to spend most of the last two weekends in Waxahatchie, Texas, which is about an hour or so from here. During the week I am washing all the garb and trying to get ready for the next outing.
Dressing for Ren Faires and going to Ren Faires is very different in some ways than being in the SCA. The garb is more outrageous and often less period, meaning you can get away with pretty much anything you want to wear. Lots of cleavage, for example, is generally showing, which is probably not the way most of the people dressed (except perhaps the royalty and entourage) during the Tudor period. Also, there are wizards and fairies and pirates and even Princess Leia may make an appearance. Not to mention all the people in mundane clothes (also referred to as "naked.") These are the people that get picked to be in all the shows, so wearing garb is a great way to keep yourself OUT of the shows. Some people wear whatever they can throw together and some people have very carefully put together and maintained outfits. And some of the outfits are outrageously expensive too (one place we looked at sells $600 custom boots, for example).
I heard a great comment/joke or two from the Flaming Idiots act on Sunday. They commented that pirates were the terrorists of their day, so having Pirate Weekend is kind of like having Jihad Weekend. Saying, "Yay! Look at all the pirates!" is kind of like saying, "Yay ! Look at all the Taliban!"
It is revisionist history at its best. At Scarborough, we pretend that we don't remember what eventually happened to Anne Boleyn and various other cast members, such as her drunken brother George, and pretend that everyone gets along famously.
There are muskateers. There are middle eastern dancers. There are Germans wearing lots of feathers and gypsies wearing lots of fabrics. There is a troll, and a tinker knome named Noobler (the girls are still scared of poor Noobler). And there are people selling pretzels and pickeles and steak on a stake. There are wonderful shops full of lovely handcrafted items, but many items are a bit expensive. There are lots of kids swords and costumes available for sale too (people will buy stuff for their kids before they buy it for themselves).
My husband and I used to go separately even before we met. We also have been to the Faire with a variety of friends and relatives, so it is different every time we go. It depends on what activities you do. After we had the girls and we all started dressing up, we decided to get season passes, and of course we realized that we really couldn't see everything in just one visit. We enjoy the entertainment in particular, and there are constant shows and musical acts and lane entertainment all over the place (over 200 different performances a day). Because you are sitting on some rather hard benches with no backs, 3 to 4 shows is about all you can take in for one day, so it really does take the season to make the rounds and see all the performances. Even though we've seen many of them before, they are like old friends, and there are new jokes every year. And there's nothing like the live singing and music and dancing. Many of the performers really do this for a living and travel the country going to different Renaissance Faires, so most of them are fairly talented. Although we don't travel the country attending Ren Faires like some people do (it would get rather expensive and the girls do have school), I can certainly understand the appeal.
So, why do we do it? We used to go once a season in mundane clothes--why do we dress up all the time now and go as much as possible? It's certainly not good for the pocketbook--even though we don't have to pay admission, parking or for water and gatorade (covered by our Friends of the Faire passes), we have to buy food and tip the performers and we always end up buying OTHER STUFF during the season. It has become for us like going to the annual faire would have been in period times: oh, yes, I need some more soap from the Roman Baths place and I need a new corset, and I'd like one of those hairsticks this year....and the kids are now moving on to wanting the more expensive toys and puppets and such, and maybe this is the year to get Robert a doublet, etc etc (Remember, I don't sew very well compared to most SCA people). Of course, we are getting so we don't need as much stuff (although we still both need decent period footwear but hope to find something that is a lot less than $500 each!!!)Actually there was a merchant at Gulf War that we will probably check out on line because they are at Scarbie but can't sell boots there. The organizers limit the number of people who can sell each particular type of merchandise and try to spread them out as well. So maybe one day we will have decent period style boots (my feet are doing very well in the hiking boots right now, although I'm walking more like a lumberjack and less like a lady).
I think we go because we enjoy being in a different place and time. Although there are plenty of intrustions from the modern world it is still entertaining. It is all outside and goes on rain or shine (as we definitely found out this weekend as we were sitting through a few shows in the rain). The foliage in the ravine is beautiful that time of year and we are surrounded by period style wooden buildings. The rides are powered by human power, not mechanized (in fact, I can't ride any of them any more--I get too dizzy. They don't move as fast as things like roller coasters, so if you don't have a strong stomach, stay off!) It allows us to escape from the every day world. We don't have to wait in lines for things--there's always room to sit somewhere during the various shows, and if you get there late or need to leave early, you just sit down or get up. If there is a line for something it's usually at the bar, and it's usually not very long--maybe 2-3 people ahead of you. So, it's much more appealing than Disney World or even the State Fair--no concrete and basically no lines. So, not a lot of stress either. The main stress is driving down there (and it's a pretty easy drive once you get out of Dallas) and driving back (usually worse because you are tired). And we listen to period and period style music both ways and sing along. If you want to spend all day at East Wind Games and play chess, it's fine. If you want to sit for an hour in a pub and listen to people sing, and maybe even sing along, no problem. You don't have to drink or eat anything unless you want to. You don't have to tip the performers unless you want to (we always do though we don't give big tips because we are trying to make the cash last!) YOu don't have to go in the shops either although it's mighty tempting and part of the experience to see the things that people have made.
So we find it very relaxing and don't realize how tired we really are until we get home that night--and then we are usually EXHAUSTED!!!! Especially my husband who does the driving, and I was pretty tired the night that I drove back by myself.
The Faire has definitely gotten more "corporate" and "child centric" over the years, however. EVERY ACT has CDs, t shirts, even DVDs for purchase and is hawking them now during the performance. That gets a little old. They are even selling period style umbrellas this year (such as one that looks like peacock feathers and black one that looks like cathedral windows inside)! We even bought the peacock one Saturday because I knew if we did it would stop raining (and it worked!)
You can still go in the shops for a chat with people if they aren't busy, and they know a lot of people are not buyers but lookers--however, they are more likely to jump on you and start showing you things these days. There are a lot of things that are directed toward the children--not only merchandise but shows, and of course this means that you spend more when you are with your kids (we always limit our kids to two rides and one item purchased, and if they want something big they need to "save up for it," but it still gets expensive). There are lots of PG-13 warnings for the shows that are later in the day (after 5), which I know makes some parents skittish, but at least they won't be surprised. There are lots of shows for kids that will be entertaining for the adults as well, such as the Docktor Kaboom science show or the turtle races (OK, these get really tedious for adults but the kids love them), and the knife show. Fortunately my kids enjoy the musical performances so that is usually a good bet for them, plus I've learned over the years that if you buy your child an Italian ice to eat, it will entertain them for about 30 minutes through just about any show you want to see. And the PG-13 shows are very funny, even if you have seen them before.
I don't know why I like seeing the same shows over and over. I think it is like re-reading books. They are like old friends. Of course, there are new jokes and there are spontaneous things that happen, and there are things that you thought were spontaneous the first time that you realize are part of the act. But being in a live crowd where people are encouraged to participate and make noise is kind of fun--a lot more fun than going to the movies, at any rate. And it's always amazing to see if Daniel Duke of Danger can really do that stunt again without falling, or if the Fire Juggler really will take his shirt off and light his nipple (not kidding-he really does this). And after all, there are so many shows that often we only see the favorites once (or twice) a season. The musical shows always vary too, and sometimes even take requests.
Maybe it's just the comfort of being in a familiar place that is at the same time so far out of what the familiar is that it does in fact transport you. One of our friends who went with us the first weekend has not been in 20 years, and she yelled something out to one of the performers in response to a query, then turned to me and said, "I behave differently down here." Well, I think we all do. It's more fun that way. We can be more extroverted. And yet it's very comfortable for us because we know where everything is, even particular shops (this took years to get down though). One time one of the performers said to us at the Friends of the Faire dinner, "Welcome Home." So we know it is not home, and yet in a way, it is the Home we would have if we didn't have mundane concerns, like needing groceries and a paycheck. Sometimes I think it would be fun to be an artisan and make stuff and have a little shop, but then of course you would never get to go see the entertainment and such, and it would be tedious after a while and more like mundane life. Having it as a business would be much less fun, of course, and would make it all entirely too serious.
So here's to 3o years of Scarborough Faire (excuse me, Renaissance Festival). And here's hoping that we are still able to go 20 years from now. I don't expect everyone to understand why we have this obsession, but I know that it is one of the highlights of our year, and unfortunately it seems to have ruined us for other faires and festivals (unless they are perhaps ren faires). Because nothing is as fun for us as Scarborough.
Pleasant Valley Mom (Getting organized for next weekend)
Dressing for Ren Faires and going to Ren Faires is very different in some ways than being in the SCA. The garb is more outrageous and often less period, meaning you can get away with pretty much anything you want to wear. Lots of cleavage, for example, is generally showing, which is probably not the way most of the people dressed (except perhaps the royalty and entourage) during the Tudor period. Also, there are wizards and fairies and pirates and even Princess Leia may make an appearance. Not to mention all the people in mundane clothes (also referred to as "naked.") These are the people that get picked to be in all the shows, so wearing garb is a great way to keep yourself OUT of the shows. Some people wear whatever they can throw together and some people have very carefully put together and maintained outfits. And some of the outfits are outrageously expensive too (one place we looked at sells $600 custom boots, for example).
I heard a great comment/joke or two from the Flaming Idiots act on Sunday. They commented that pirates were the terrorists of their day, so having Pirate Weekend is kind of like having Jihad Weekend. Saying, "Yay! Look at all the pirates!" is kind of like saying, "Yay ! Look at all the Taliban!"
It is revisionist history at its best. At Scarborough, we pretend that we don't remember what eventually happened to Anne Boleyn and various other cast members, such as her drunken brother George, and pretend that everyone gets along famously.
There are muskateers. There are middle eastern dancers. There are Germans wearing lots of feathers and gypsies wearing lots of fabrics. There is a troll, and a tinker knome named Noobler (the girls are still scared of poor Noobler). And there are people selling pretzels and pickeles and steak on a stake. There are wonderful shops full of lovely handcrafted items, but many items are a bit expensive. There are lots of kids swords and costumes available for sale too (people will buy stuff for their kids before they buy it for themselves).
My husband and I used to go separately even before we met. We also have been to the Faire with a variety of friends and relatives, so it is different every time we go. It depends on what activities you do. After we had the girls and we all started dressing up, we decided to get season passes, and of course we realized that we really couldn't see everything in just one visit. We enjoy the entertainment in particular, and there are constant shows and musical acts and lane entertainment all over the place (over 200 different performances a day). Because you are sitting on some rather hard benches with no backs, 3 to 4 shows is about all you can take in for one day, so it really does take the season to make the rounds and see all the performances. Even though we've seen many of them before, they are like old friends, and there are new jokes every year. And there's nothing like the live singing and music and dancing. Many of the performers really do this for a living and travel the country going to different Renaissance Faires, so most of them are fairly talented. Although we don't travel the country attending Ren Faires like some people do (it would get rather expensive and the girls do have school), I can certainly understand the appeal.
So, why do we do it? We used to go once a season in mundane clothes--why do we dress up all the time now and go as much as possible? It's certainly not good for the pocketbook--even though we don't have to pay admission, parking or for water and gatorade (covered by our Friends of the Faire passes), we have to buy food and tip the performers and we always end up buying OTHER STUFF during the season. It has become for us like going to the annual faire would have been in period times: oh, yes, I need some more soap from the Roman Baths place and I need a new corset, and I'd like one of those hairsticks this year....and the kids are now moving on to wanting the more expensive toys and puppets and such, and maybe this is the year to get Robert a doublet, etc etc (Remember, I don't sew very well compared to most SCA people). Of course, we are getting so we don't need as much stuff (although we still both need decent period footwear but hope to find something that is a lot less than $500 each!!!)Actually there was a merchant at Gulf War that we will probably check out on line because they are at Scarbie but can't sell boots there. The organizers limit the number of people who can sell each particular type of merchandise and try to spread them out as well. So maybe one day we will have decent period style boots (my feet are doing very well in the hiking boots right now, although I'm walking more like a lumberjack and less like a lady).
I think we go because we enjoy being in a different place and time. Although there are plenty of intrustions from the modern world it is still entertaining. It is all outside and goes on rain or shine (as we definitely found out this weekend as we were sitting through a few shows in the rain). The foliage in the ravine is beautiful that time of year and we are surrounded by period style wooden buildings. The rides are powered by human power, not mechanized (in fact, I can't ride any of them any more--I get too dizzy. They don't move as fast as things like roller coasters, so if you don't have a strong stomach, stay off!) It allows us to escape from the every day world. We don't have to wait in lines for things--there's always room to sit somewhere during the various shows, and if you get there late or need to leave early, you just sit down or get up. If there is a line for something it's usually at the bar, and it's usually not very long--maybe 2-3 people ahead of you. So, it's much more appealing than Disney World or even the State Fair--no concrete and basically no lines. So, not a lot of stress either. The main stress is driving down there (and it's a pretty easy drive once you get out of Dallas) and driving back (usually worse because you are tired). And we listen to period and period style music both ways and sing along. If you want to spend all day at East Wind Games and play chess, it's fine. If you want to sit for an hour in a pub and listen to people sing, and maybe even sing along, no problem. You don't have to drink or eat anything unless you want to. You don't have to tip the performers unless you want to (we always do though we don't give big tips because we are trying to make the cash last!) YOu don't have to go in the shops either although it's mighty tempting and part of the experience to see the things that people have made.
So we find it very relaxing and don't realize how tired we really are until we get home that night--and then we are usually EXHAUSTED!!!! Especially my husband who does the driving, and I was pretty tired the night that I drove back by myself.
The Faire has definitely gotten more "corporate" and "child centric" over the years, however. EVERY ACT has CDs, t shirts, even DVDs for purchase and is hawking them now during the performance. That gets a little old. They are even selling period style umbrellas this year (such as one that looks like peacock feathers and black one that looks like cathedral windows inside)! We even bought the peacock one Saturday because I knew if we did it would stop raining (and it worked!)
You can still go in the shops for a chat with people if they aren't busy, and they know a lot of people are not buyers but lookers--however, they are more likely to jump on you and start showing you things these days. There are a lot of things that are directed toward the children--not only merchandise but shows, and of course this means that you spend more when you are with your kids (we always limit our kids to two rides and one item purchased, and if they want something big they need to "save up for it," but it still gets expensive). There are lots of PG-13 warnings for the shows that are later in the day (after 5), which I know makes some parents skittish, but at least they won't be surprised. There are lots of shows for kids that will be entertaining for the adults as well, such as the Docktor Kaboom science show or the turtle races (OK, these get really tedious for adults but the kids love them), and the knife show. Fortunately my kids enjoy the musical performances so that is usually a good bet for them, plus I've learned over the years that if you buy your child an Italian ice to eat, it will entertain them for about 30 minutes through just about any show you want to see. And the PG-13 shows are very funny, even if you have seen them before.
I don't know why I like seeing the same shows over and over. I think it is like re-reading books. They are like old friends. Of course, there are new jokes and there are spontaneous things that happen, and there are things that you thought were spontaneous the first time that you realize are part of the act. But being in a live crowd where people are encouraged to participate and make noise is kind of fun--a lot more fun than going to the movies, at any rate. And it's always amazing to see if Daniel Duke of Danger can really do that stunt again without falling, or if the Fire Juggler really will take his shirt off and light his nipple (not kidding-he really does this). And after all, there are so many shows that often we only see the favorites once (or twice) a season. The musical shows always vary too, and sometimes even take requests.
Maybe it's just the comfort of being in a familiar place that is at the same time so far out of what the familiar is that it does in fact transport you. One of our friends who went with us the first weekend has not been in 20 years, and she yelled something out to one of the performers in response to a query, then turned to me and said, "I behave differently down here." Well, I think we all do. It's more fun that way. We can be more extroverted. And yet it's very comfortable for us because we know where everything is, even particular shops (this took years to get down though). One time one of the performers said to us at the Friends of the Faire dinner, "Welcome Home." So we know it is not home, and yet in a way, it is the Home we would have if we didn't have mundane concerns, like needing groceries and a paycheck. Sometimes I think it would be fun to be an artisan and make stuff and have a little shop, but then of course you would never get to go see the entertainment and such, and it would be tedious after a while and more like mundane life. Having it as a business would be much less fun, of course, and would make it all entirely too serious.
So here's to 3o years of Scarborough Faire (excuse me, Renaissance Festival). And here's hoping that we are still able to go 20 years from now. I don't expect everyone to understand why we have this obsession, but I know that it is one of the highlights of our year, and unfortunately it seems to have ruined us for other faires and festivals (unless they are perhaps ren faires). Because nothing is as fun for us as Scarborough.
Pleasant Valley Mom (Getting organized for next weekend)
Monday, April 5, 2010
What a Strange Easter! Or Sometimes You Need to Sleep.
Well, Easter has flown by in a blur and I must say that this was a strange one. I had big hopes and plans that disintegrated for the most part due to my being overly ambitious about everyone having the perfect Easter. Well, it was an interesting Easter. I got the bunnies and other decorations up the week before despite the chaos in the house left over from Gulf Wars and the Garage Sale. We did make it to church although it was a bit of a disappointment.
I had big plans to go to the church potluck and service on Thursday night, but my friend and I were also going to have Part II of the Big Garage Sale on Friday morning, and I was still pulling and marking stuff at 5 pm. Plus, I had not made my potluck dish of Brownies and thought that taking a loaf a bread was just a little too--cheap. Plus, my friend had been telling me since noon that she was on her way over with a load of stuff for the sale and guess what time she got there? 5:30 pm. So no Thursday service, I guess.
The reason that we were having part II of the garage sale on Good Friday instead of LAST Friday was that (1) I was not ready last Friday and (2) her kids were sick and she was not ready either. So we thought we could do it quickly and easily on Friday morning, then get on with our lives. But there is no such thing as a quick and easy garage sale.
I had planned to go to the Dallas Arboretum Friday with the kids since R had to work, but then it rained Thurs night, and the weather forcast said it would rain again Friday afternoon. I do not enjoy being stuck all the way over at the Arboretum in Dallas, which is a good 45 minutes to an hour from here, in the pouring rain. The kids did not seem particularly thrilled about going either, so I decided that we would do the garage sale and then I would go do some Easter grocery shopping like a good mom, maybe making it to the Friday pm service.
Well, R and I got up at 5 am on Friday and we could not see the sky. The weather report now said 80% chance of rain but we put stuff out anyway. My friend overslept, but after a few phone calls she arrived finally with her kids about 6:30 am and we sent R out with the signs. Well, by the time he got back it was raining. We kept covering things and moving things in to the garage but I did not want the sale IN the garage because of all the tools and bikes and camping equipment in there that were NOT for sale. We finally called it off at 7 and R went and got the signs, because he had a conference call at 8. Well, about the time he got back, it stopped raining!! So then I just had a garage full of wet stuff. My friend and I decided we would try again the NEXT Friday. That's what we get for trying to do a sale on Good Friday.
We had two customers, who together bought some of my friend's toys, and I may be buying some of her junk too (she has an electric guitar and an Eretor set, two things my girls would like but I don't want to spend a lot of money on). So my friend made money. I didn't make ONE Dime.
Then, since the sale was cancelled, the kids (who were out of school and were going to work the sale and sell drinks, etc) were kind of disappointed. So I agreed to take the three girls to a matinee movie. My friend said her other son had a hurt ankle and needed to go to the doctor so she couldn't go to the movies (as of Friday night she still hadn't taken him to the doctor though). I was thinking it would be $5 a kid, but NO, they wanted to see the 3-D version of something or the new Miley Cyrus sappy movie. I talked them into the Train Your Dragon film (A wanted to see Clash of the Titans but it is PG 13 so I said no). We saw the dragon film and split some cokes and popcorn, so $36 plus $18 is...well you get the picture. Then we had lunch ($5 each) and then we got to go to Walley World for shopping. M and her friend wore the wrong shoes for this so they were walking around Walley World without shoes on, complaining of blisters. As a Bad Mom, I had left all my bandaids back at the house.
At one point one of the kids spilled a sample drink and I sent the two of them (M and her friend) to go get someone to wipe it up while A, who still had her drink, stayed with me and the spill. Then they disappeared and didn't come back promptly, so I walked to the front looking for them. Then I alerted Wally World that they were missing and they had to do an Adam Alert in the store to find thethem, so I won't be letting them wander off again. So I really AM a bad mom--almost lost not only my child but someone else's child.
In fact, I saw a neighbor at the restaurant just before Wally World. She LEFT her kids at the movies (boys, the same age as my kids and younger) and went and had a facial. She, of course, got away with it. I would NEVER have done that in a million years. I told her I was going to Walley World with the three of them next and she said, "I hope you have liquor at home." (The good news--yes, I do).
So, Wally World was interesting, to say the least. I haven't told R about the Adam Alert yet. Maybe he will read the blog and find out. I didn't get all the groceries I needed because the kids got bored once I got them the Special Wally World edition of New Moon. That was their other big request this weekend: they wanted to Watch New Moon. And Ben Hur. And Jesus of Nazareth.
After unloading all the Wally World crap I helped the kids and their friend dye Easter eggs. Then I was exhausted and laid down for a nap, and slept until 7 pm. So no Friday service either. In fact, R had to go get Chinese food. We were supposed to be going to Elfsea Defender for the day on Saturday where we would do an egg hunt (I fixed up some eggs for a hunt with change in them but I was very unclear as to when said hunt would materialize--had planned on doing it at Defender). I had packed everything except the cooler already so I would not have to do it all Friday night.
As we ate our Chinese food while R complained that I haven't cooked since Gulf Wars (which I assure you is quite the exaggeration). At any rate, most of the Defender stuff was laid out. I started the girls into picking out their Easter outfits from what was already available in the closet. Literally ONE WEEK ago, A tried on some stuff we already had and told me it would be fine for Easter. Well, guess what? A decides Friday night that the pink shoes and the pink dresses she already has don't fit and she must wear M's shoes on Easter, meaning M now has no shoes!
So I go to bed with a headache and I awoke at 5 am with the same headache. R says we should get up to go to Defender but I am not feeling so great this morning. So we slept until 6 at which point we decided NOT to go to Defender (despite the fact that everyone's clothes are laid out and I am almost packed). I just did not feel good-- Ithink it was allergies (because in truth I was NOT hitting the bottle Friday night, just drinking plain orange juice with my Chinese food).
(I am drinking lots and lots of a particular brand of orange juice lately because the bottle looks like a dombek and I am hoping to get through 20 bottles in time to use the bottles for drum making at Warlord on Memorial Day weekend. I am crazed.)
So, we did NOT go to Elfsea Defender, which I regretted by about 10 am when I finally got up and got moving on the day. Sometimes you just need to sleep. R and I could not remember the last time we had slept until 9 am, and the girls didn't get up before then either.
At any rate, R and I argued because he hasn't done the taxes yet, I watched part of New Moon, then I went Easter shopping since the kids had gone to a friend's house to decorate MORE Easter eggs. I got a new dress each for M and A since there were "dress issues" Friday night as well, and two new pairs of shoes for M (flats and heels), plus a few other things. And I got a new Easter outfit for myself, the first in about 5 years. So, in other words, I had one of those weekends where I feel like all I did was spend money.
A didn't like the Easter dress that I got her so M decided to wear it instead on Easter Sunday and A wore one of the old dresses and some old shoes after all. Oh well. The dresses I got can be worn this summer as well. both by M if necessary, and are casual enough to wear other places besides church. I think we are finally at that stage where the fancy dresses and the tights and hats and such are too "little girl" for my girls.
R set the alarm for 6:30 Easter Sunday but I didn't hear it, even though I fell asleep early on Sat night watching (you guessed it) NEW MOON. Shopping exhausts me, especially trying on clothes myself. I avoid it like the plague. I had not even looked for Ben Hur or Jesus of Nazareth yet--still haven't. The plan had been to watch at least one of these on the way to and from Defender but since we didn't go...well, I guess we will have to watch them later. Who says Easter has to only be one weekend? We still haven't even done our egg hunt yet.
So, on Sunday we are up at 7:30 trying to make a 9:30 service, and I am insisting we have to be there by 9:10 in order to get a seat (which is true, you know). I had done the Easter baskets already on Friday night, so I put them out. I think this will be the last year for Easter Baskets too. I don't think anyone believes in the Bunny any more, and how can you when you get flip flops and earrings in your Easter basket? With chocolate of course. But M doesn't like any candy but chocolate, and she was even separating her stuff out saying it smelled too chocolatety. She's just not a big candy girl, but A makes up for it.
We went to the contemporary 9:30 service, which was nice although a bit disjointed. We really like the guy who sings and plays guitar at our church but we aren't fond of the new pastor (who has been there for a year and a half but we still call him the NEW pastor). He's just a little too corporate--a little too keen on money raising if you know what I mean, and just a little too...well, slick. I'm sure he's a nice person but everything he does is very calculated and just a little manipulative. I really enjoyed the music portion of the service and the interpretive dancers at the end. Now the message was fine--relating to stained glass windows, and how we are all broken but can be put into stained glass windows if we let the light of Christ shine through, etc.--didn't have a problem with the general meassage. One of our associate pastors takes leftover stained glass pieces and makes crosses, and I enjoyed the film showing how he does this, and how it tied into the message. I enjoyed seeing the large cross that he took several weeks to make.
However, before the service they were listing some "historical" facts about stained glass and this part irritated me (and R too), almost to the point that we found it hard to concentrate on the main message. For one thing, they spelled "Chartres" wrong. If you are writing about great Gothic cathedrals, folks, use Spell Check once in a while, will you? Then they talked about how Oliver Cromwell had all the stained glass in English churches destroyed when Henry VIII dissolved the monastaries (they mean Thomas Cromwell. Oliver was his Grandson. Doesn't anyone watch The Tudors? Also, I don't know that ALL the stained glass was necessarily destroyed, although a good bit of it probably was.). Then they talked about how Oliver died of Malaria, which may be true (haven't looked it up yet), but Thomas (the one who worked with Henry VIII) did NOT die of Malaria--he was beheaded for his part in getting Henry VIII to marry Anne of Cleves. And they were really talking about Thomas to begin with, they just didn't know it. But they were trying to tie it in with their Anti Malaria Initiative (raising money to help erradicate malaria in Africa, a noble goal).
So the historical accuracy thing was a real annoyance. How can I take a message seriously when they don't get the facts right? How do I know they are getting the other facts right? They also said that stained glass could be done quickly and easily today (well, not if it's done RIGHT! Even the Associate Pastor's work took three weeks) and they also compared the media screens that we use to stained glass windows and said we didn't need them any more in our churches to tell bible stories because now we have MEDIA. To me, that's like saying we don't need art (i.e. painting and sculpture) any more because we have HDTV. Instead of viewing the Pieta or the great Renaissance paintings we can just watch Jesus of Nazareth or Ben Hur. Or excuse me, a more updated version of events like The Passion (can't even let my kids watch this--it's rated R). Kind of a stupid philistine take on things, if you ask me!!! Not that there is anything wrong with watching contemporary media, but how about a little respect for the past and for the sublime nature of art? Talk about smashing stained glass windows! And what was that saying about people who live in glass houses, anyway???
So, no respect for the past at this church. Out with the old, in with the new. There wasn't even a children's message. Now I like the children's message at Easter because we get to see all the kids go up front in all their finery and the kids get to be part of the service and really understand something about Easter and Jesus. I know my kids are almost too old for this now but I still like it. I'm really glad now that I was too sick to come on Palm Sunday--maybe they eliminated the Palms and the kids marching in with them. They probably decided they could just show a video instead.
Maybe it's time to change churches. Seriously. I do believe and embrace the general message (let the light of Christ shine through you), and I'm sure I'm not doing it with my blog today very well. But some of the messengers have their heads screwed on wrong, don't you think? So this is the best they can do on Easter Sunday??????? As our friend Drew remarked, this should be your Best Effort because it's generally your Biggest Audience. No wonder there was still space available in a few of the pews.
Wow, if it's not standing room only on Easter Sunday, that must be difficult if you are a minister. I remember a few years ago they had to run TWO services in two locations simultaneouly on Easter, AND show it on a screen in the lobby, to accomodate the crowds. Well, I don't think that was happening at our church this Sunday.
In fact, maybe the real highlight for me was Brunch. We went to a really nice brunch for Easter. I bought a ham but we have had so much ham since Christmas (and Gulf Wars) that I think I will barf if I eat any more ham--I will just cook this and Seal a Meal it, I believe.
Brunch was AWESOME! We have a restaurant called Sonoma Grill that we usually don't eat at because it's expensive, but I sure like their Easter brunch. The appetizer choices were eggs benedict, pancakes, crab cakes, or several other yummy things. The entrees were almond crusted chicken, salmon, lamb chops, ham, and prime rib. The desserts were chocolate ganache cake, white chocolate cake with rasberry sauce, and carrot cake, and they had bottomless mimosas. I'm not a big champagne fan but I can drink mimosas (I guess it's the orange juice--lately I just want to drink orange juice all the time). Just what I need at 11 am on a Sunday! Booze! There was enough food left over that I get to have the leftovers today for lunch!!!!! The girls were good sports about the trendy Americano food and A loved the salmon and pancakes, although not the arborio rice, and I ended up trading vegetables with M too, who got the chicken. Miranda and I also got the eggs benedict because it was still breakfast time, although R got the crab cakes and I think we should have done the same. A got the pancakes, of course. They all got the chocolate cake but I got the white chocolate because I knew I would be sick from all that food otherwise. And there were dessert leftovers as well!
I love leftovers. I am the leftover queen. I don't like to waste food so I always try to bring home half (or at least a third) of my restaurant food and eat it the next day. I really hate leaving half full plates in restaurants so I ALWAYS get a goody bag. Seriously. This is a trick in a magazine that I read to help keep you from overeating in restaurants, and it sometimes even works. So far, no food poisoning has occurred. It's just one of my little idiosyncracies. If someone has lamb chops I will even bring home the bones (for the dogs, not for me). If I forget the food and do have to throw it out a day or two later, then at least it is my choice to waste it--I'm not just wasting it because I can't eat any more or shouldn't eat any more. You would not believe the number of meals that I have not had to cook because I do this. Seriously.
Anyway, after we stuffed ourselves at brunch and got our leftovers, we went to the gazebo out in the shopping center where the restaurant is and took some Easter pictures. Then we went hometo change clothes and go down to Scarborough Faire in Waxahatchie, because this was ALSO the day of the Scarborough Academy of Performing Arts Friends of the Faire event! They started at 1 pm, but we made it by 2 pm since we did need to go home and change out of the Easter finery. The performers do their dress rehearsal at this event and rehearsed the chess match, the pub sing, opening and closing ceremonies, etc. The new jousting company was out there practicing (but since they didn't have armour on they didn't actually hit each other). But we got to pat the horses and the girls got to be in the procession for the new company! We saw our friend Drew and got to eat a great German dinner--thank goodness they didn't have lasagna again, which I despise (although the girls and I opted for the baked potatos-still too full from brunch I guess, even by 5 pm).
It is the 30th year of Scarborough Faire (excuse me, Renaissance Festival) this year. I remember going (not with R but with the ex boyfriend) in the late 1980's, and I know R and I were going by the early 90's. In fact, I have pictures from 1997 if not before. Hard to believe that it has really been THIRTY years, and I know I was there for a lot of them. The Faire started about the time that I moved to Dallas. We missed 2000 when the girls were born (they were at risk for RSV and couldn't really go out until June), but other than that I know we have been there every year since at least 1995. We used to go once a season--now we go pretty much every weekend!!!! In 2001 we took them in their twin stroller for half a day. By 2003 they were wearing costumes. By 2005 we were ALL wearing costumes. By 2008 we had joined the SCA and now we all wear GARB, and not just for Scarby.
Of course, we will be fitting in some SCA events too this spring, although most likely just the closer local ones (since the Scarby tickets are paid for and it's only an hour away). I am sad that we missed Defender but sometimes you just need to sleep. However, we will be at Glaslyn's Defender and I am going to try to convince R to go to the Defender of the Tor event which is only about 2 hours away. But I think we will be missing the Austin event next weekend (which is supposed to be an awesome event) because it's SCARBY OPENING WEEKEND!!!
So, the house is a mess and the yard is a mess, and it's time for me to get to work. Only 5 days until Scarby begins!!!
Pleasant Valley Mom who is really looking forward to the brunch leftovers
I had big plans to go to the church potluck and service on Thursday night, but my friend and I were also going to have Part II of the Big Garage Sale on Friday morning, and I was still pulling and marking stuff at 5 pm. Plus, I had not made my potluck dish of Brownies and thought that taking a loaf a bread was just a little too--cheap. Plus, my friend had been telling me since noon that she was on her way over with a load of stuff for the sale and guess what time she got there? 5:30 pm. So no Thursday service, I guess.
The reason that we were having part II of the garage sale on Good Friday instead of LAST Friday was that (1) I was not ready last Friday and (2) her kids were sick and she was not ready either. So we thought we could do it quickly and easily on Friday morning, then get on with our lives. But there is no such thing as a quick and easy garage sale.
I had planned to go to the Dallas Arboretum Friday with the kids since R had to work, but then it rained Thurs night, and the weather forcast said it would rain again Friday afternoon. I do not enjoy being stuck all the way over at the Arboretum in Dallas, which is a good 45 minutes to an hour from here, in the pouring rain. The kids did not seem particularly thrilled about going either, so I decided that we would do the garage sale and then I would go do some Easter grocery shopping like a good mom, maybe making it to the Friday pm service.
Well, R and I got up at 5 am on Friday and we could not see the sky. The weather report now said 80% chance of rain but we put stuff out anyway. My friend overslept, but after a few phone calls she arrived finally with her kids about 6:30 am and we sent R out with the signs. Well, by the time he got back it was raining. We kept covering things and moving things in to the garage but I did not want the sale IN the garage because of all the tools and bikes and camping equipment in there that were NOT for sale. We finally called it off at 7 and R went and got the signs, because he had a conference call at 8. Well, about the time he got back, it stopped raining!! So then I just had a garage full of wet stuff. My friend and I decided we would try again the NEXT Friday. That's what we get for trying to do a sale on Good Friday.
We had two customers, who together bought some of my friend's toys, and I may be buying some of her junk too (she has an electric guitar and an Eretor set, two things my girls would like but I don't want to spend a lot of money on). So my friend made money. I didn't make ONE Dime.
Then, since the sale was cancelled, the kids (who were out of school and were going to work the sale and sell drinks, etc) were kind of disappointed. So I agreed to take the three girls to a matinee movie. My friend said her other son had a hurt ankle and needed to go to the doctor so she couldn't go to the movies (as of Friday night she still hadn't taken him to the doctor though). I was thinking it would be $5 a kid, but NO, they wanted to see the 3-D version of something or the new Miley Cyrus sappy movie. I talked them into the Train Your Dragon film (A wanted to see Clash of the Titans but it is PG 13 so I said no). We saw the dragon film and split some cokes and popcorn, so $36 plus $18 is...well you get the picture. Then we had lunch ($5 each) and then we got to go to Walley World for shopping. M and her friend wore the wrong shoes for this so they were walking around Walley World without shoes on, complaining of blisters. As a Bad Mom, I had left all my bandaids back at the house.
At one point one of the kids spilled a sample drink and I sent the two of them (M and her friend) to go get someone to wipe it up while A, who still had her drink, stayed with me and the spill. Then they disappeared and didn't come back promptly, so I walked to the front looking for them. Then I alerted Wally World that they were missing and they had to do an Adam Alert in the store to find thethem, so I won't be letting them wander off again. So I really AM a bad mom--almost lost not only my child but someone else's child.
In fact, I saw a neighbor at the restaurant just before Wally World. She LEFT her kids at the movies (boys, the same age as my kids and younger) and went and had a facial. She, of course, got away with it. I would NEVER have done that in a million years. I told her I was going to Walley World with the three of them next and she said, "I hope you have liquor at home." (The good news--yes, I do).
So, Wally World was interesting, to say the least. I haven't told R about the Adam Alert yet. Maybe he will read the blog and find out. I didn't get all the groceries I needed because the kids got bored once I got them the Special Wally World edition of New Moon. That was their other big request this weekend: they wanted to Watch New Moon. And Ben Hur. And Jesus of Nazareth.
After unloading all the Wally World crap I helped the kids and their friend dye Easter eggs. Then I was exhausted and laid down for a nap, and slept until 7 pm. So no Friday service either. In fact, R had to go get Chinese food. We were supposed to be going to Elfsea Defender for the day on Saturday where we would do an egg hunt (I fixed up some eggs for a hunt with change in them but I was very unclear as to when said hunt would materialize--had planned on doing it at Defender). I had packed everything except the cooler already so I would not have to do it all Friday night.
As we ate our Chinese food while R complained that I haven't cooked since Gulf Wars (which I assure you is quite the exaggeration). At any rate, most of the Defender stuff was laid out. I started the girls into picking out their Easter outfits from what was already available in the closet. Literally ONE WEEK ago, A tried on some stuff we already had and told me it would be fine for Easter. Well, guess what? A decides Friday night that the pink shoes and the pink dresses she already has don't fit and she must wear M's shoes on Easter, meaning M now has no shoes!
So I go to bed with a headache and I awoke at 5 am with the same headache. R says we should get up to go to Defender but I am not feeling so great this morning. So we slept until 6 at which point we decided NOT to go to Defender (despite the fact that everyone's clothes are laid out and I am almost packed). I just did not feel good-- Ithink it was allergies (because in truth I was NOT hitting the bottle Friday night, just drinking plain orange juice with my Chinese food).
(I am drinking lots and lots of a particular brand of orange juice lately because the bottle looks like a dombek and I am hoping to get through 20 bottles in time to use the bottles for drum making at Warlord on Memorial Day weekend. I am crazed.)
So, we did NOT go to Elfsea Defender, which I regretted by about 10 am when I finally got up and got moving on the day. Sometimes you just need to sleep. R and I could not remember the last time we had slept until 9 am, and the girls didn't get up before then either.
At any rate, R and I argued because he hasn't done the taxes yet, I watched part of New Moon, then I went Easter shopping since the kids had gone to a friend's house to decorate MORE Easter eggs. I got a new dress each for M and A since there were "dress issues" Friday night as well, and two new pairs of shoes for M (flats and heels), plus a few other things. And I got a new Easter outfit for myself, the first in about 5 years. So, in other words, I had one of those weekends where I feel like all I did was spend money.
A didn't like the Easter dress that I got her so M decided to wear it instead on Easter Sunday and A wore one of the old dresses and some old shoes after all. Oh well. The dresses I got can be worn this summer as well. both by M if necessary, and are casual enough to wear other places besides church. I think we are finally at that stage where the fancy dresses and the tights and hats and such are too "little girl" for my girls.
R set the alarm for 6:30 Easter Sunday but I didn't hear it, even though I fell asleep early on Sat night watching (you guessed it) NEW MOON. Shopping exhausts me, especially trying on clothes myself. I avoid it like the plague. I had not even looked for Ben Hur or Jesus of Nazareth yet--still haven't. The plan had been to watch at least one of these on the way to and from Defender but since we didn't go...well, I guess we will have to watch them later. Who says Easter has to only be one weekend? We still haven't even done our egg hunt yet.
So, on Sunday we are up at 7:30 trying to make a 9:30 service, and I am insisting we have to be there by 9:10 in order to get a seat (which is true, you know). I had done the Easter baskets already on Friday night, so I put them out. I think this will be the last year for Easter Baskets too. I don't think anyone believes in the Bunny any more, and how can you when you get flip flops and earrings in your Easter basket? With chocolate of course. But M doesn't like any candy but chocolate, and she was even separating her stuff out saying it smelled too chocolatety. She's just not a big candy girl, but A makes up for it.
We went to the contemporary 9:30 service, which was nice although a bit disjointed. We really like the guy who sings and plays guitar at our church but we aren't fond of the new pastor (who has been there for a year and a half but we still call him the NEW pastor). He's just a little too corporate--a little too keen on money raising if you know what I mean, and just a little too...well, slick. I'm sure he's a nice person but everything he does is very calculated and just a little manipulative. I really enjoyed the music portion of the service and the interpretive dancers at the end. Now the message was fine--relating to stained glass windows, and how we are all broken but can be put into stained glass windows if we let the light of Christ shine through, etc.--didn't have a problem with the general meassage. One of our associate pastors takes leftover stained glass pieces and makes crosses, and I enjoyed the film showing how he does this, and how it tied into the message. I enjoyed seeing the large cross that he took several weeks to make.
However, before the service they were listing some "historical" facts about stained glass and this part irritated me (and R too), almost to the point that we found it hard to concentrate on the main message. For one thing, they spelled "Chartres" wrong. If you are writing about great Gothic cathedrals, folks, use Spell Check once in a while, will you? Then they talked about how Oliver Cromwell had all the stained glass in English churches destroyed when Henry VIII dissolved the monastaries (they mean Thomas Cromwell. Oliver was his Grandson. Doesn't anyone watch The Tudors? Also, I don't know that ALL the stained glass was necessarily destroyed, although a good bit of it probably was.). Then they talked about how Oliver died of Malaria, which may be true (haven't looked it up yet), but Thomas (the one who worked with Henry VIII) did NOT die of Malaria--he was beheaded for his part in getting Henry VIII to marry Anne of Cleves. And they were really talking about Thomas to begin with, they just didn't know it. But they were trying to tie it in with their Anti Malaria Initiative (raising money to help erradicate malaria in Africa, a noble goal).
So the historical accuracy thing was a real annoyance. How can I take a message seriously when they don't get the facts right? How do I know they are getting the other facts right? They also said that stained glass could be done quickly and easily today (well, not if it's done RIGHT! Even the Associate Pastor's work took three weeks) and they also compared the media screens that we use to stained glass windows and said we didn't need them any more in our churches to tell bible stories because now we have MEDIA. To me, that's like saying we don't need art (i.e. painting and sculpture) any more because we have HDTV. Instead of viewing the Pieta or the great Renaissance paintings we can just watch Jesus of Nazareth or Ben Hur. Or excuse me, a more updated version of events like The Passion (can't even let my kids watch this--it's rated R). Kind of a stupid philistine take on things, if you ask me!!! Not that there is anything wrong with watching contemporary media, but how about a little respect for the past and for the sublime nature of art? Talk about smashing stained glass windows! And what was that saying about people who live in glass houses, anyway???
So, no respect for the past at this church. Out with the old, in with the new. There wasn't even a children's message. Now I like the children's message at Easter because we get to see all the kids go up front in all their finery and the kids get to be part of the service and really understand something about Easter and Jesus. I know my kids are almost too old for this now but I still like it. I'm really glad now that I was too sick to come on Palm Sunday--maybe they eliminated the Palms and the kids marching in with them. They probably decided they could just show a video instead.
Maybe it's time to change churches. Seriously. I do believe and embrace the general message (let the light of Christ shine through you), and I'm sure I'm not doing it with my blog today very well. But some of the messengers have their heads screwed on wrong, don't you think? So this is the best they can do on Easter Sunday??????? As our friend Drew remarked, this should be your Best Effort because it's generally your Biggest Audience. No wonder there was still space available in a few of the pews.
Wow, if it's not standing room only on Easter Sunday, that must be difficult if you are a minister. I remember a few years ago they had to run TWO services in two locations simultaneouly on Easter, AND show it on a screen in the lobby, to accomodate the crowds. Well, I don't think that was happening at our church this Sunday.
In fact, maybe the real highlight for me was Brunch. We went to a really nice brunch for Easter. I bought a ham but we have had so much ham since Christmas (and Gulf Wars) that I think I will barf if I eat any more ham--I will just cook this and Seal a Meal it, I believe.
Brunch was AWESOME! We have a restaurant called Sonoma Grill that we usually don't eat at because it's expensive, but I sure like their Easter brunch. The appetizer choices were eggs benedict, pancakes, crab cakes, or several other yummy things. The entrees were almond crusted chicken, salmon, lamb chops, ham, and prime rib. The desserts were chocolate ganache cake, white chocolate cake with rasberry sauce, and carrot cake, and they had bottomless mimosas. I'm not a big champagne fan but I can drink mimosas (I guess it's the orange juice--lately I just want to drink orange juice all the time). Just what I need at 11 am on a Sunday! Booze! There was enough food left over that I get to have the leftovers today for lunch!!!!! The girls were good sports about the trendy Americano food and A loved the salmon and pancakes, although not the arborio rice, and I ended up trading vegetables with M too, who got the chicken. Miranda and I also got the eggs benedict because it was still breakfast time, although R got the crab cakes and I think we should have done the same. A got the pancakes, of course. They all got the chocolate cake but I got the white chocolate because I knew I would be sick from all that food otherwise. And there were dessert leftovers as well!
I love leftovers. I am the leftover queen. I don't like to waste food so I always try to bring home half (or at least a third) of my restaurant food and eat it the next day. I really hate leaving half full plates in restaurants so I ALWAYS get a goody bag. Seriously. This is a trick in a magazine that I read to help keep you from overeating in restaurants, and it sometimes even works. So far, no food poisoning has occurred. It's just one of my little idiosyncracies. If someone has lamb chops I will even bring home the bones (for the dogs, not for me). If I forget the food and do have to throw it out a day or two later, then at least it is my choice to waste it--I'm not just wasting it because I can't eat any more or shouldn't eat any more. You would not believe the number of meals that I have not had to cook because I do this. Seriously.
Anyway, after we stuffed ourselves at brunch and got our leftovers, we went to the gazebo out in the shopping center where the restaurant is and took some Easter pictures. Then we went hometo change clothes and go down to Scarborough Faire in Waxahatchie, because this was ALSO the day of the Scarborough Academy of Performing Arts Friends of the Faire event! They started at 1 pm, but we made it by 2 pm since we did need to go home and change out of the Easter finery. The performers do their dress rehearsal at this event and rehearsed the chess match, the pub sing, opening and closing ceremonies, etc. The new jousting company was out there practicing (but since they didn't have armour on they didn't actually hit each other). But we got to pat the horses and the girls got to be in the procession for the new company! We saw our friend Drew and got to eat a great German dinner--thank goodness they didn't have lasagna again, which I despise (although the girls and I opted for the baked potatos-still too full from brunch I guess, even by 5 pm).
It is the 30th year of Scarborough Faire (excuse me, Renaissance Festival) this year. I remember going (not with R but with the ex boyfriend) in the late 1980's, and I know R and I were going by the early 90's. In fact, I have pictures from 1997 if not before. Hard to believe that it has really been THIRTY years, and I know I was there for a lot of them. The Faire started about the time that I moved to Dallas. We missed 2000 when the girls were born (they were at risk for RSV and couldn't really go out until June), but other than that I know we have been there every year since at least 1995. We used to go once a season--now we go pretty much every weekend!!!! In 2001 we took them in their twin stroller for half a day. By 2003 they were wearing costumes. By 2005 we were ALL wearing costumes. By 2008 we had joined the SCA and now we all wear GARB, and not just for Scarby.
Of course, we will be fitting in some SCA events too this spring, although most likely just the closer local ones (since the Scarby tickets are paid for and it's only an hour away). I am sad that we missed Defender but sometimes you just need to sleep. However, we will be at Glaslyn's Defender and I am going to try to convince R to go to the Defender of the Tor event which is only about 2 hours away. But I think we will be missing the Austin event next weekend (which is supposed to be an awesome event) because it's SCARBY OPENING WEEKEND!!!
So, the house is a mess and the yard is a mess, and it's time for me to get to work. Only 5 days until Scarby begins!!!
Pleasant Valley Mom who is really looking forward to the brunch leftovers
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