rozsa's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We did it!! (NCBB and Investiture) What an absolutely incredible weekend! I guess the best thing to do would be to start on Friday evening and work my way through. Dawn and I left straight from work and thanks to Manya and Andrea we only had one quick stop to make and were able to get on the road. We got at the site about 7:40, got checked in, took a tour around the bathhouse (as we went the wrong way to find the Ladies bathroom!), got to our cabin and got settled in with very few mishaps. I ended up having to cut off both Duncan and Dag at one point on the phone, once because we had misjudged where the road was and found ourselves driving onto the list field and the other was because I was trying to back into a very tight spot and was not doing well while talking on the phone! We got settled in and I spent a huge amount of time talking on the phone with Dag and Duncan while they were bored out of their minds driving in. Dag sent us on a mission to find out who �the �popo� be and where he be at�..... that definitely added some amusement to the evening while we asked everyone we ran into if they had any idea who the �popo� was. When Duncan got there he saved the day with the correct answer - �the police�.. The Coronet. Duncan was terrific and made a coronet for Fiona. It was beautiful and she was blown-over. She had no clue that it was coming. He did a fantastic job with it and Dawn and I both think that it suits her to a �T�. Originally he had insisted that Dawn and I present it to her, but we finally convinced him that since he had made it that he should be the one to be able to present it to her. Got up early on Saturday - very early it turned out. I woke up and looked over, Dawn and Andrea were both up already and surprise, surprise, so was Doni. I flipped, if Doni was up I was truly running late. So I got up, got my stuff and ran off for the showers. Got there and it turns out it was about 6:30. Damn!! Could have slept just a little longer. Got breakfast at the feast hall, then ran off to set up the vigil tent and hospitality pavilion for Bera�s laureling. There were a few little bumps there, but it all get set up and ready to go and we were able to get out from underneath and to the field before Bera got there. The morning was a gorgeous one with a perfect temp and bright blue skies. Court began and Janos and Rachel had their last court as Baron and Baroness of Nottinghil Coil, then the new Baron and Baroness were inducted in a beautiful ceremony. Then the time came.... Dawn is sitting up front in her throne with Bera plopped down on the ground beside her, barefooted, working on her loom. Their Majesties call her into Court and she is completely oblivious as to what is going on. She is sitting there on her knees while they grab her loom and ooh and ahh over it, and then they call the Order of the Laurels in. From behind you see her head drop and everyone said that she teared up immediately. We did it!!! She had not a clue what we have been frantically working on for the last two weeks right under her nose! They processed her to her vigil tent and she had a look of complete shock and awe on her face. They got her settled in and the rounds of various persons began to visit with her. The rest of us ran off to the cabin to get changed into our Viking garb that had been made specifically to honor Bera. Bounced here and there throughout the day. Put Humfrey�s token from me on his belt and enjoyed watching him fight all day. Everyone says he is fighting better and is improving. It was absolutely terrific to see so many people from Sacred Stone attending and all were sitting and visiting under the Baronial pavilion. Dawn has worked so hard to bring this Barony together these past two years and it is really starting to show. I got treated to some Manya loving that afternoon as my back had been hurting all day. We are truly blessed to have a massage therapist/physical therapist as part of the group who willingly brings along her table with her to the events. It was glorious to lie there and be worked on. We sat there comparing the various guys we knew and deciding which were which dogs.... I won�t pass that along, but it was amazing how often we picked the exact same dog for someone. The conversation got going from a simple comment about me and my �pets�. (I seem to have this thing for picking up various fighters and spoiling them.... makes me happy and helps them out tremendously!) Court was great! They made Bera a Laurel and some truly wonderful things were said about her. She looked fantastic in her new garb, the scroll was a stone with Viking symbols and runes (one of the symbols was identical to one of the banners we made for her), and she was just glowing. The entire front row was made up of her friends and I don�t think there was a dry eye among us! Hump got his AoA... yeah!!! And Dag won the tourney along with the prize of being chosen by his fellow fighters as being a chivalrous fighter. He gave a very nice speech about how wonderful it was to fight with everyone and how that award belonged to everyone he had fought that day, as they had all acted honorably on the field. We freaked a little when they announced the completion of court as Jessamyn was supposed to get a Golden Dolphin this weekend. Dawn had pulled the �I�m your Baroness and need you with me this weekend� card to get her there and it didn�t happen. They made it up at feast though and she was truly thrilled and surprised. That evening we headed back to the cabin, had a small little birthday party for Duncan, and relaxed on the porch for the rest of the evening. Anne and her husband came by and hung out for awhile along with Ragnarr and a few of his friends. It was a really good time with lots of laughs. I got to bed late and was freezing. My back hurt so bad for some reason I could hardly shift without spasms of pain shooting through it. I got maybe two hours of sleep. I do remember that the roosters nearby had already begun crowing when I did get to sleep. Had breakfast in the feast hall again, this time the new Baron and Baroness joined us and we all talked and laughed and listened to Dawn tell them all about her first days as Baroness. They are truly a great couple from all appearances and the new Baroness is just absolutely adorable with the most genuine smile I have ever seen. We got packed up with Dag groaning the entire time about us being such early risers. Got on the road and went to lunch. Of course with five women and one guy, who is younger than all of us, Dag was taking the brunt of the teasing the entire time. We ran into Anne and her family at the Cracker Barrel and they joined in as well. Poor guy can�t catch a break sometimes! My back was still killing me, lord only knows what was wrong with it and I was exhausted. I got home at 4:00 and was in bed within minutes. Didn�t get the car unpacked until this morning. Thankfully my back is healing and doesn�t hurt quite so bad today. More projects to be completed this week. Pillows for Andrea and I for the new chairs that Sal made us. I have to say that these are the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat in at an event. The posture on them is perfect and it was so nice to finally have a wooden chair. They aren�t quite finished yet and will be sanded and stained this week. We should have everyone�s heraldry painted on by Novice and we will be able to show them off under the Baronial pavilion. I also promised Christian that I would get some free scholar banners done as well. Lots of painting to do this week, but with the banners and Dag�s shield coming out so well I figured that I have found my medium and will continue in it. Banners and heraldry painted on various items is something that is desperately needed and I really enjoy doing it. I do want to thank a few people myself, Mel - we could not have gotten the dresses and the banners done for the Laureling this weekend it if wasn�t for you. That was truly incredible of you. Thank you Logan for lending us your new benches. They were a terrific asset and a great help. Thanks to Jessamyn for coming through and bringing her dayshade for us to use for the hospitality tent when our original plan fell through at the last moment, and of course to Ragnaar for bringing an actual pavilion to use! We have a truly great group of people and even those that were not attending this weekend jumped in to help. I have to say that it was truly one of the best events I have been to in awhile. Everything ran smoothly and everyone seemed to have a really great time! And yes, I STILL have paint in my hair! 11:45 a.m. - 2004-03-29 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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