BorderBaronWarSkirmish

I get confused. My brain resembles a broken CD player. It can without reason, just skip a track. Pete calls the result of my conditon "Dayism". It is a sort of assimilation. If I recall my undergrad psych minor days correctly--test subjects would get shocked when they saw a white fuzzy bunny. They learned to associate the shock with the WFB. THEN when they saw..oh..say a white fuzzy *pussycat* they would freak out in fear of the shock. Generalization maybe the correct term. Regardless--I was under the impression that we would be attending a recent event called Border Skirmish in Northshield. Primarily because I want to live in Northshield so I lurk on their lists and scan their calander like some creepy old man in the row behind you and your kids at the latest Pixar film. I was of course wrong. Please note that back in the day...Magic Johnson was diagnosed with Aids--not Michael Jordan--that one gets a rise outta folks ALL the time. Yes, I was wrong. We were however, in attendance at a different event here in the Middle called Baron Wars which is equally as fun and starts with a "B". The Border Skirmish had a great idea for their A&S Competition which was to combine an aspect from each Kingdom. I came up with the idea to have the dragon and the griffin supporting a sun in splendor (my device blazon). I have found documentation supporting couched beadwork in 14th century France and thus have started what I hope will be a very cool project!

Chocolate hemp

My next knitting project --besides drinking beer! These materials are for a lovely pattern demo I saw at Knit-A-Round. It was actually knit in flax. It is shaped and has a beautiful beaded ruffle all along the edge. Sadly the store didn't have anymore of the flax yarn in the deep brown color that will match about four outfits I already own. So-- I tried to explain to the shopkeeper that I didn't need llama points! I needed *that* shawl. She patiently pointed out that the pattern was free and it was all stockinette. I bought the hemp and the beads (too bad they weren't free--sheesh--) and now I have a good reason to drink-I mean sit!-- with Ypsiknits again. Hurray!

Loverly Lavender Linen

There are of course several projects concurrently in my life. This fabric is for Isabel's new garb.

heterodox

adjective: unorthodox, unconventional

Confirmation

On my little Google Alert listy thingy (I am so techno don't ya love it!) I came across this lovely quote and figured I should share. Here's what you need to know:

Why "Henry V"?: "This play is a magnificent study in the wonderful, glorious, passionate rhetoric of war," says West, who's directing the production. "It celebrates battle and honors those who die for the cause without ever quite knowing what the cause is. Most of 'Henry V' - 99 percent of the play - makes all this war-stuff and God-stuff sound extremely attractive and, at times, stirring. There is, however, that blistering 1 percent that questions it all. It's that 1 percent that fascinates me, that makes me ask questions and makes me want to create theater."
Why now? "I love this play, love the way Shakespeare tells the story, a view of history with a very specific point-of-view," says West, who teaches theater classes at the University of Utah. "There's a bonus with this play - Shakespeare manages to not only give us a view of the English, but even a view of the French. And it has moments that are very funny, in the middle of the most brutal battles, there's humor. Why now? Well, it's always time for a good story, and unfortunately, stories about war are always timely."

A little touch of Harry in the night....sigh

Midnight Carriage

I realize it is barely August. (Two more weeks till Lisa and the beach!) But right now I need to think about something else-- besides how cranky the mayoral election is making me. The morning papers www.mlive.com/aanews/ were filled with nasty innuendo and mudslinging. I am not sure if it was "anonymous" Mark Maynard or the History prof MC who actually uttered it--but I liked the line about giving the candidates a round of applause for willingly stepping into this public mess. I can't imagine opening ones self up to such criticism. I am not that brave. I should be able to step back and say YAY! Look at all the involved people. But I just keep wondering why folks I know and love insist upon drinking the koolaid. SO--NEW TOPIC! I just wanted to point out that Punkin Day will be October 28. As always the first Saturday before Halloween. I am really looking forward to it this year as are the fam. I love scenting the entire neighborhood with wreaths of smokey dry rubbed beef... Mmmm... beef brisket (the one thing Texas does right is BBQ!) and deep fried turkey. KOLBASZ! (ooh I have work to do! CAROL!!!) Kassia said she would help too. I like the silly games...delish classics like ho-made applesauce and Mac&cheese. Man I love this gig--I want to feed my friends. It would make me happy. I wish peace upon my neighbors.

Pudgy Hamlet & N0 Blueberry Stoli

Saw the Michigan Shakespeare Festival's Hamlet last night with Garth&Kassia. *beam*

We ate at Azalea's in Jackson-nummy steaks but, what was interesting was I was actually worried that it was going to be uberposh. Their webpage didn't list prices. It turned out they were pretty good with reasonable steak & seafood prices. The building resembled a bowling alley. Which tinted the whole evening with a Big Lebowski flair. Speaking of the dude-- I have a mission this summer that remains unfulfilled. I desperately want to try Stoli's new blueberry flavored vodka. I am pleased by the image of a frosty martini glass with beautiful clear vodka (is it blueish?? Je ne sais pais!) and a big fat blueberry bopping around.

The dinner was yum. The conversation was fun. It was esp. entertaining to watch the guys try to steer Kassia and I away from anaylzing TinnTinn and onto sports! Then we realized we had about five minutes till curtain. EEEP!! Off we go. Once again the GPS in Pete's Escape performed brilliantly and we got to JCC in about seven minutes.

We shouldn't have rushed. I am pretty sure the director was using Cliff Notes. All the big speeches were there, but it seemed rushed and smashed together. The lines were chosen so there was no doubt in the mind that Hamlet was indeed faking his madness. Ophelia stole the show. Hamlet should NEVER wear a clown's nose or let his notebook follow him around on a elastic string-- ruins the sense of disbelief. The costumes, especially Gertrude's were horrible. Kate would have been apalled. Maybe I have gotten spoiled from seeing the RSC marathons but...in my mind Hamlet should be played by a lean poet type--nota swishy pudgy clown type. EH--It was a much better evening than watching The Daily Show on DVR. Though we do need to spend more time with Garth & Kassia. Kassia had the best line of the night--during the sword fight when Laertes shouted out "A hit a palabale hit!" She leans over and whispers--
"Tis but a flesh wound." Then seconds later..."He's not dead yet." Big Fun. Maybe we should go see Midsummer and get buzzed on Oberon!

He said "wind and solar power"!!

Be still my heart! If there was any doubt in my mind as to my vote for the Ypsilanti Mayoral Race--Steve Pierce eliminated it last night. The debate was wonderful. Mark Swanson's "I heart Ypsi" cookies were adorable and delish and yes my freaky darlings--Pierce actually said "wind and solar power" in reference to Ypsilanti!! We could start a windfarm on the Water Street site!

1 thing you don't want to hear pre-coffee

MOOOM there's a bat in here!!

I look at clock. yes.7:39 a.m. sigh--it must be a teenager bat--calmly fold newspaper away

Why are bats soooo much bigger when they are flying? Okay-- so I look in the living room and lo an behold there is indeed a bat doing figure eights. The doggies seeing this flying varmint and immediately lose their minds jumping and barking (see previously posted photos on webpage) trying to catch it. JRTs are jumpin dawgs remember-- so Bree (aka stoopid dog) hit the dining room light when she jumped off the table. That dog is mental. Happily my light did not break. I tell Bat to stay in one room. He doesn't listen. Obviously a "boy" teenager bat. Bree leaps off loveseat and lands on couch. Missing Bat entirely. We (Zoli & I) start corralling him down to just one room by shutting doors as he leaves a room. Peanut is trying to be brave but would really like to run outside. The adrenaline is palpable. The bat is zooming up and down the hallway. Into the kitchen, no the dining room. STOP BAT! Go outside! I grab a beach towel from the random piles of swim gear laying everywhere and start herding the bat toward the kitchen slider (INMHO a very attractive move which allows robe to flop open and involves much flailing and explaining to the bat that all the other teenbats have gone to breakfast ELSEWHERE!) Bree makes a final leap and snatches the Bat midair--an awesome save just by the wing tip-- and pins in to the ground. The Bat starts sending out quite loud chitter chitter noises (to do what?? call the other bats?? bring in squirrel reinforcements?? Is there a rodent rebellion? They want my almonds I am sure of it.) Jarvis-- now quite proud of his honey-- is trying to get in a good sniff at her prize. Zoli also joins the crowd kneeling on the floor in front of the kitchen sink. I toss the towel over the bat (Look out Croc Hunter I am getting my own show) "Can we keep it?? A pet bat! how cool!" "No. No more pets. Put Bree in the crate." Bree, momentarily so proud of herself is now howling like a depressed Beagle at the proposed loss of her breakfast bat. Izzy opens door and we gently put Towel Encased Bat on back deck. I nudge the squirming fabric aside. There, nestled in the beach towel, is the tiniest fuzziest little thing. All terrified and innocent. Just as Zoli gets closer to continue his pleas to keep it, Bat takes a deep breath and lifts off. He cut quite a striking image as he flew down the block, the white gold morning sun streaming through the green green trees. He flew for a couple of houses and then loops up to the front of our block and disappeared (prly right back into the attic once he oriented himself).

mmmmmm

Have a secret, let the reader know there’s a secret, and then don’t tell them what it is until it absolutely serves your purpose to do so.

www.cherylklein.com

iPod love

HoTTT Cheryl has been inspirational. I listened to Pottercast #47 Wherein Cheryl Klein of Arthur Levine Publishing ranted and rambled and pretty much kicked me in the PANTS! CHIPOTLE! CHIPOTLE! CHIPOTLE! I am gonna have to get one of those burrito things when I visit Lisa next month.

Once Upon a Hellhole

Peter says I like small towns at the end of the alphabet. Revisited the hometown this past weekend. Had a wedding that required my presence. Apparently I have "hype" for I was told that I had suceeded in living up to said "hype". At least a hundred times I looked to my darling boy and pleaded with him to "Get me out of here!" I was pleased to see that the Vassar Theatre is glossy shiny and running first run films. MONSTER HOUSE is currently showing. In sharp contrast to Ypsi-- Vassar only had three empty store fronts (Ypsi has 26). My Great Aunt and Uncle are famous in Vassar. They once owned and operated the theatre. I have written short stories about said theatre. It is a huge part of my childhood. I would mourn its loss in previous visits. I am thrilled somebody loves it again. I wanted to take the kids inside, but not as much as I wanted to get away from the town that floated to Frankenmuth.

too much beer

Saw Cam & Meredith at the Summer Beerfest http://www.michiganbrewersguild.org/festinfo.asp last night!! Fun Fun Fun! I did miss everybody from last year. I *believe* I tasted 11 different beers. The two most memorable were the RedWings Raspberry Wheat from Dragon Mead and the Dragon's Milk (a nice carmelly stout) from New Holland. Off to Kari's wedding today.

Milkweed Terrorist

I like milkweed. It is home and garden for Monarch butterflies. I let it grow wherever it falls. For three years I have been trying to get the mikweed in my end cap to make it to seed pod stage--mostly just to encourage the pretty bugs. Last year (admittedly I was PMS-y) I cried when *somebody* (I suspect anal neighbor lady) whacked it all down. This year I was just amused becasue I SAW the culprit-- a little old man with a horrible limp and some very big shears. We pulled up and there he was just finsihing decimating the chicokery and my precious milkweed. At the same time Zoli is molesting the poor mailbabe to get his gamefly delivery and in the process knocked all of Pete's Dr oriented junkmail to the ground. Thus preventing me from "thanking" the evil Col Sandersman for "weeding" my end cap. Regardless of who had the right to remove plantlife I now have this image of this little Col Sandersman roaming the neighborhood deciding which is acceptable plant life and what needs to be eradicated. Sad, but true.

Yoga in a Skirt

Yes. Crystal is the best Yoga instructor I have ever had. Yes, you can do yoga in a short skirt, ask me. You can. Bellydance was hoot. Who woulda thought walking like Groucho Marx could be sexy?

Mayors and Children and Artfair OH MY

I have written less than five lines in the last three weeks. If I make it to page 200 of my manuscript this summer it will be a bloody miracle.

Why I play in the SCA

Greetings friends--

I came to the SCA in an interesting way. I got an email from an old friend (who had moved from Lansing to North Dakota!!) which read simply "David won Crown Tourney!" I knew enough from being her pal that this was big stuff. This was that crazy camping thing they did on weekends. So we toddled off to a Boy Scout Campground in Wisconsin to watch them get "crowned". Once we got there everybody was so sweet and kind and helpful and the interesting things they were doing...amazing---"You made that by hand??" so Fina asks me if I will retain in court for her. Not knowing any better I said yeah sure... somebody explained to me just stand here and be a shelf...ok I can do that. I had the best seats in the house. It was like theatre but interactive. It is like a sporting event but personal. I made some massive social faux pas (sorry Midair..I know *now* that It is freaking awesome to be "just a squire") and I learned fast. The thing that won't leave my soul from that day four years ago is the magic and the inspiration. When I witness first hand the birth of a Kingdom (LONG LIVE NORTHSHIELD!!) or just walk past a perfect campsite (no mundane anything showing anywhere) it just fills me with a pride and sense of community that is pure and good. I like it. I like it alot.

Yours in service,
Lady Daeg ingen Aeda
(mka Day or Wendy Gouine)

Mes pieds sont dans Cynnabar mais mon coeur est dans Northshield.

obsessions

1.Harry Potter
2.French Futbol
3.Chocolate
4.Coffee
5.Woodchuck pear cider
6. Red Wings Hockey
7. Henry the Fifth, King of England
8. Shakespeare (the authorship question, then tragedies, then histories, then poems, then Elizabeth, then comedies)
9. SCA (cooking, archery, military history, costuming & cheering my boys on in big fights)
10. Film studies (the ever elusive PhD)
11. The Outlander Series--Jamie
12. The Daily Show & Colbert "Rapor"
13. Alan Rickman (see #1 & 10)
14. Professor Snape (see #13)
15. Johnny Depp (all the way from 21 Jump Street right up to C&CF and Capt Jack*.)



*I whole heartedly reccommend Dead Man's Chest by the way-- rollicking roller coaster ride of pirate-y fun!!

les bleus

WHAT HAPPENED what did that Italian say?? My poor Zidane!