Monday morning: Up and at 'em . . .

1. Wow. I feel good this morning. Great weekend, going to see Heather Dale tonight. I am at work and getting ready to get at it.

 

2. The Red Sox are 11 wins from a third World Series championship in six years. Just sayin’ is all.

 

3. For all the Firefly/Great Big Sea fans in the house, I present, “The End of the ‘Verse As We Know It.”

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m4nLc-trRM

 

4. My local NPR station – WAMC in Albany – is having its annual fund drive. Thank goodness I can also get Vermont Public Radio and North Country Public Radio and not have to listen to Alan Chartok all the way to work. (Yes, I know I need to donate).

 

5. Speaking of NPR: They did a great job on the Swine Flu this morning, and there’s a live WebCast at noon. It’s at www.npr.com. Very interesting stuff.

 

6. The local big farm stand (Sheldon’s Market) is bringing its butchered hogs in this week They will also be taking orders for quarter and half hogs, as well as other cuts. The local sheep farm is also offering mutton (I think) and lamb quarters, etc. Let me know if you are interested, and I will get you details.

 

7. Today’s random Calontiri sing lyrics. A theme will be emerging soon.

 

Cheer. We'll never live to victory.

Cheer. We'll never live to hear the cannon's roar.

The gold bird of prey, it will carry us away,

And we'll never see our homeland anymore.

Coronation: The awards version

I was reminded time and again Saturday why I love the SCA.

 

The last court of Andreas and Gabriella was a joy to behold. (And huzzahs to lumineaux and her staff for helping it under two hours, despite 50 pieces of business. (The full report is on SCA-East).

 

I think a total of 55 people, plus one group got awards. (Some folks were called up in small groups.)

 

It was a gorgeous site for court (a church). The crowd was not as big as I would have liked, but I know a number of people who had conflicts and/or illnesses. People are being very careful these days.

 

I have always said that one of my favorite parts of sitting in court and watching my friends get awards. These felt really special. The king and the queen were very emotional, and they really got a lot of people.

 

There were two that were about as near and dear to my heart as they possibly could be.

 

The first award was a Queen’s Order of Courtesy to Ladt Ratburc Castus (jenphalian), my protégé. When the queen found out who she had organized the many people who had helped Emma and Talorc after their apartment was destroyed by fire, she immediately wanted to give her the award. It was waaaay cool.

 

I have to admit that considering how much heraldic work alethea_eastrid had done during the reign – including two trips to Canada – I was not surprised when she received a Queen’s Honor of Distinction.

 

I was surprised – and she was stunned – when the king also gave her a Kingdom Augmentation of Arms. She did the research last night, and there have only been 24 of them given to Easterners. Gobsmacked is a good word.

 

There are a lot of great awards to come, and it ended withlumineaux   being called up to get a Royal Augmentation of Arms, then again there was gobsmacking when the king made her a Tyger of the East – a person who most exemplifies the spirit of the East Kingdom.

 

I have known Alys for maybe 13 or 14 years and – yeah, no question.

 

I am going to mention a few others. Mostly LJers. Please do not feel badly if I left you out. There’s a full listing at SCA-East here on LJ.

 

A well-deserved Silver Crescent tomollyrazor .

 

QHDs to Katerina de le Mer, wingblaze, and Malcolm, plus Alain, Wyatt and Ronan. A baroncy to Lady Ellesebeth Donofrey, to Engracia, and another to Abigail Blackmoore.

 

Oh, yeah, and call him Baron Caine Ramsey, and Baron

rocksryan

 

Ryan's scroll was done bytrilobites , who is terrifc!

Grant of arms, and a Cypher to Christiana, King’s Cyphers to a bounch of great folks, including Geoffrey and Emma, Donnan, Roger Stockton, Joachim, Aannabella and Diomedes Sebastianus, who also received a Royal Augmentation of Arms.

 

It was just amazing!

More happy events from Coronation -- A new protege!

OK, we need another Coronation post, because I took Lady Aislinn (purpura) as a protégé.

 

I was very lucky to have a terrific Pelican in Steffan ap Kennyd, and we were blessed with his presence Saturday. I also had help from a certain countess of my acquaintance.

 

Steffan always said “I learned more from my protégés than they learned from me,” and I feel the same way. I usually talk about that when I take a protégé, and it’s what I started with Saturday.

 

I was also amazed at the number of people who came to watch the ceremony. If you came, I really appreciate it!

 

I was also very happy that the belt was made by my daughter, theresat with engineering help from her boyfriendl3arcelona  .

 

I take being a peer to my protégés very seriously, and I give it a lot of thought.  I know I have more than most (five or six depending on whether I am a fashion accessory or not), but I believe I can give what I need to each of them. (One is currently not playing in the SCA).

 

I see a lot in Lady Aislinn, and I know she’s done a lot already. I know I can help her do things better in some ways.

 

I also know she can teach me a lot.