Quest Denizen Instructions

(Gentle Reader, this post will make much more sense if you have already read the Quest Overview and the Premise and Pilgrim Instructions.)

Quest Denizens not only get to role-play, they also have to improvise. Below is the text from my original notes of the information given to each denizen. I’ve again included my hindsight notes in brackets, but I’ve omitted the names of the people playing the various roles. At the end of each section are my notes of the items needed for each denizen/station.

Dunstan:
In 959 AD, Dunstan was appointed to be Archbishop of Canterbury. He traveled to Rome the next year to receive the pallium from Pope John XII [Again, this part is historical fact. The next part is where the fun begins!]. On his way back to England, Dunstan stopped in Venice, where he discovered the citizens were celebrating Carnival.
Dunstan may admit he was out “enjoying Carnival” – do not admit to visiting a tavern. The next morning, his cape was missing, along with the scroll given him by the Pope.
(Teams will return pouches and all items collected during quest to Dunstan. Please make sure pouch contains notecard with team name, and keep all items returned with team’s pouch for scoring. Small items & scroll can be put in pouch.)
[Serious oops! I utterly failed to let Dunstan see the cape I’d made ahead of time. He had no idea how to describe it for the teams…]
Needs:
1 true cape token – give to team who brings true cape (w/ pocket)
2 false cape tokens – give to team(s) who bring imposter cape


Pawnbroker:
Chatty and willing to deal to sell her wares. Has fake cape priced out of teams’ reach (15 gold), but is willing to come down (bargain with them, but don’t accept less than 7 gold) for a good sob story (story must include the waif). Also has several scrolls and other items for sale. These items may be sold if the team wants them.
Display only one cape at a time. Display only one fake scroll at a time. If asked how long you’ve had cape or scroll, don’t name a specific time. Say something like, “they were acquired recently.” The idea is to give the impression these items may have been stolen. [Poor gal was located too close to the teams’ starting-off point…she got mobbed. She still did well, though. Not only did she manage to sell a fake scroll to four of the five teams, she sold several of the other red herring items as well!]
Needs:
Imposter cape #1 & #2
Fake scrolls
other items for pawn
notecards for pricing


Fagin & Cutpurse(s):
Fagin and Cutpurse(s) travel together. Fagin attempts to recruit team’s children for the Carnival parade. While the team is distracted, the Cutpurse attempts to steal the team’s gold pouch. If caught, the Cutpurse must stop and return any stolen pouch and its entire contents. If Cutpurse is successful, take 2 gold and leave pouch with Magistrate. Note that the Children’s Parade is another opportunity to steal pouches. [These three did a fantastic job of preparation. They had planned ahead and had their costumes coordinated in such a way that one or two of them could distract the crowd while the third made off with the team’s pouch. The boys had even done a remarkable job of hiding their excitement by not mentioning to anyone beforehand that they had parts in the quest. I was really proud of them and felt awful that I had unintentionally sabotaged them by mentioning thieves earlier.]
Teams may take Fagin and Cutpurse(s) to the Magistrate. If this happens, pay Magistrate 5 gold penalty & 3 gold to avoid jail time.
Needs:
token for successful recruitment of children (neg. points)
gold for Magistrate bribes


Magistrate:
The Magistrate is as crooked as they come. “Justice is blind…and somewhat hard of hearing…” The Magistrate is blind, and selectively pretends to not hear well. May be bribed by Fagin or Bravi for reduced penalties. If team tries to bribe for more strict penalties, Magistrate becomes offended and accuses team of trying to bribe him. Keeper of the Lost & Found. Doesn’t know anything about any item of Dunstan’s. [I tried to leave the Magistrate plenty of leeway in how he handled teams, because I simply could not predict what they would do. He improvised really well.]
Penalties:
Theft by Cutpurse or Bravi – 5 gold & 3 days jail
Attempted bribery by team – 2 gold
Needs:
pavilion
table
chair


Bravi:
Roving wanderers lookin’ for trouble and a bit of gold. If you beat team, take pouch from team. Take 2 gold and leave pouch with Magistrate. May take bribe to leave team alone. If team fights particularly well, may take only 1 gold. [Yes, this was the obligatory fighting station. These two had a lot of fun sneaking up on teams. I wish I had been able to watch them, because I’m sure they played this part with flair. The only thing I really should have done differently here was have the Bravi take more gold from the pouches.]
If taken to Magistrate, pay 5 gold penalty & 3 gold to avoid jail time.
Needs:
boffer swords
token to give if beaten in fight
gold for Magistrate bribe


Town Herald:
Makes announcements regarding Carnival Parade (Moira will tell you when to announce what). Bad-tempered fellow. Was given a scroll by a young waif, but was too busy to bother with reading it at the time. Still has the scroll. Won’t read it to team, but will allow them to see scroll if they prove they represent Dunstan by asking questions regarding Dunstan’s life. [Loved the way he started making random announcements about whatever crossed his mind. This made it easier to improvise later when the “Brandr factor” kicked in.]
Needs:
5 true scrolls – give if team answers 3 questions correctly
5 fake scrolls – give if team answers less than 3 questions correctly
list of questions


Gondolier:
Stationed at Tavern. Carried Dunstan as a fare the night before. Thinks he came from the Tavern. Does not remember seeing a cape. (May argue with Tavern Keeper over whether Dunstan had cape or not.)
Request team perform a song or poem about a beverage of their choice. [It was very important that the person playing the Gondolier be someone with a bardic background. What was really fun here, though, was the way some teams performed more than one piece. One team went so far as to have every member perform something.]
Needs:
penalty token – give if no performance or not original
tokens marked with 1, 2, or 3 – give to score quality of performance (1 – wrote something, 2 – made an effort, 3 – really good)


Tavern Keeper:
Wants 2 gold bribe for information. Served Dunstan the night before. Says Dunstan was “somewhat in his cups” when he left. Definitely left with his cape. Offers to roll dice with teams for return of bribe. Roll die only once. White – return bribe to team. Black – keep bribe. Yellow – return half of bribe to team. [I wanted to somehow arrange a tavern brawl here, but I ran out of time before I could come up with a workable idea.]
Needs:
water
table(s)
cups
boats game
gold


Waif:
The one true innocent in this Quest. Found Dunstan’s cape next to a canal and wears it for the Children’s Carnival. Also found a scroll, but couldn’t read. Took it to the Herald, but he wouldn’t read it for her. Will give cape to team in return for replacement. “Money won’t keep me warm.” Do not offer cape to team – they must ask for it. [I think she forgot to mention the scroll to the teams at first. When I realized the Herald wasn’t getting mobbed, I asked her to go around and mention it to all the teams.]
Needs:
True cape

Children’s Parade:
Begins approx. 1 hour after beginning of Quest. Round up as many masked children as possible. Children who were recruited by the Fagin may also participate. The Waif also participates. Mainly a diversion, but also puts the Waif with the true cape into play. [Partly due to the lack of stationary stations, teams were beginning to get frustrated, so we started the parade about 15 minutes early. We started with a parade, and ended with a mob. It was a bit overwhelming, but our Waif handled it well.]


Next…the true text of the two scrolls and the answers to the Town Herald’s questions.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

I mentioned earlier that one of my favorite starting points for cruising the internet is www.refdesk.com. Today, I found an interesting tidbit that I'm going to have to follow up and research. According to The Free Dictionary, it appears that the earliest forms of the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin may originate in period. Reading the article further, this may not be the best subject for Children's Activities, but it is interesting nonetheless.

Quest Premise and Pilgrim Instructions

(Gentle Reader, if the title of this post means nothing to you, do please go back and read the Quest Overview.)

When Seamas designs a Quest, he usually gives each team a page of text which includes the premise for the quest, the rules, and the task the pilgrims must accomplish. This year, I decided that “listening” should be one of the skills the successful team should posess, so I read the instructions instead. Below is the text from my original notes of the information the pilgrims heard. At the end are my notes of the items needed for each team. I’ve also included my hindsight notes in brackets [ ].

In 959 AD, Dunstan was appointed to be Archbishop of Canterbury. He travelled to Rome the next year to receive the pallium from Pope John XII [The previous is historical fact. Next is pure fiction and where the fun begins!]. On his way back to England, Dunstan stopped in Venice, where he discovered the citizens were celebrating Carnival. That evening, Dunstan celebrated Carnival, too. The next morning, he discovered his cape was missing, along with a scroll given him by the Pope. Your task is to find Dunstan and return his cape and scroll to him.

Team instructions and info:

• Quest is limited to 2 hours. Pay heed to the Town Herald, for he is your timekeeper for all quest-related events.
• Use your time wisely. Some items are unique and available only to the first team to aquire them. [This backfired a bit in that the pilgrims’ enthusiasm led them to mob some of the denizens. I should have stated that only one team at a time should approach a station or denizen.]
• All gold and tokens must be kept in pouch. Pouch must be kept on belt hook. If pouch is lost, see the Magistrate, who is responsible for the Lost and Found.
• Thieves may also be taken to the Magistrate for judgment. [I shouldn’t have mentioned theives. Teams reacted by protecting their pouches too closely, which frustrated the Cutpurses.]
• Teams may not fight each other for any reason. Boffer weapon rules apply – no blows to head or below belt, no thrusting.
• Only designated member(s) of team may carry weapons and fight. If team member is injured or killed in fight, weapon may not be passed to another team member. [I caught a bit of flack for not allowing anyone under 18 to carry a boffer and fight, but there wasn’t much I could do - I had to comply with Kingdom. The only other choice was to remove fighting entirely.]
• Indulgances and Pardons must be used if necessary to heal injured team members.
• The Venetian Underworld knows the value of gold. Use what gold you must, but only what you must. [Shouldn’t have mentioned this, either. Some teams reacted by lying about how much gold they had in a couple of cases. This was not something pilgrims were supposed to do.]
• In the “spirit” of Carnival, each team should compose an original song or poem of at least two verses (or stanzas) about a beverage of your choice.
• When you believe you have completed your three-fold task, or when time is up, please give Dunstan your pouch, boffer weapons, and all items you have collected during this quest.
• In addition to the Magistrate, there is also a Tavern and a Pawn Shop. You are also invited to watch the Carnival Parade when it occurs. [Though I was trying to keep this Quest as simple as I could, I should have had more stations with set locations. The Pawn Shop got mobbed right off the bat…]

[I should also have clearly defined the Quest area. Though I did state that none of the Quest was in the woods, a couple of teams wandered way down the field and into an unattended pavillion.]

Team Receives:
pouch
pouch hook
15 coins
2 pardons
2 indulgances
notecard with team name


Next…Denizen Instructions…

Quest Overview

August is over, blessed be. I knew far in advance that many events, Mundane and otherwise, would occur in August. I also knew the scheduling of each of these events was entirely out of my control. Literally, there wasn’t a blessed thing I could do but try to be as prepared as possible as far in advance as possible. August is over, and there is no one happier about that fact than I am.

One of those events was my own shire’s event, Midsummer Knight’s Dream (MSKD). Yes, it was held Labor Day weekend. Yes, we know that doesn’t even remotely qualify as Midsummer. Why do we keep the name? That’s a good question, and the best answer I can offer is “tradition.” This event was originally held in early June, but various circumstances over the years eventually led us to Labor Day weekend. The day will come when I give a longer (better?) answer, but that day is not today.

During those years of transition, the traditional “Quest for the Shrine of St. Dunstan” was moved from our former winter event, “The Feast of St. Dunstan” (which wasn’t held anywhere near Dunstan’s feast day), to MSKD. Seamas became our most-of-the-time Questocrat, though lately he has been sharing that task with Dante in alternate years.

This year, however, the task of Quest Design fell to me. OK, yes, I did volunteer. Then panic set in. Sure, I’d participated in the design of numerous Quests over the years, but it had never before been my responsibility. Seamas is really good at designing Quests, but he also obsesses over his designs for months. The worst thing about Quest Design is, you can not play-test a Quest - the first time the game is played is when it’s for real. This year’s pilgrims came up with a few things I didn’t expect (Seamas and I call this the “Brandr factor”), but the denizens did a fantastic job of improvising.

To play a Quest, pilgrims join together and form teams. Teams usually consist of 6-8 people, and must include at least one child under the age of 12. There is always an element in the Quest that requires the presence of a child. The Quest denizens are given their roles and props, and are sent out to their stations. Some Quests are linear, which means one team at a time goes to each station in a particular order. Other Quests are non-linear, which means the teams are sent out to find the stations and accomplish a task within a certain time period. Smythkepe’s early Quests were linear, but they have become decidedly non-linear in recent years. This year’s quest was definitely non-linear.

Below is the text from the sign-up sheet:

Forget the canals, can you navigate the Venetian underworld?
A Quest for St. Dunstan

Instead of adding her two bits from the sidelines, this year our own THL Moira has rolled up her sleeves to bring you a Quest straight from the Canals of Venice during Carnivale. There is no doubt that this Quest will be fun for all – in the finest of Smythkepe traditions! Still, we had hoped she wouldn’t be quite as secretive as her predecessors…. Which reminds us: where are her predecessors? And what was that splash?

Choose your companions wisely, for the Quest is limited to 5 teams – no exceptions. Teams must include at least one child under the age of 12.

Tomorrow…this year’s Quest Premise and Pilgrim Instructions…

Munchable

Many folks would be upset to find a critter munching in their garden. I, on the other hand, have been hoping all summer to find this little pest.



Once this caterpillar has decimated enough of my parsley, it will become a black swallowtail butterfly. There are lots of fantastic butterflies in the world, but the black swallowtail is one of my favorites.

I am also fond of parsley, so I always plant extra in the hope that there will be enough left for me. Since I planted so late, the parsley hasn't grown well, so the caterpillar may get it all this year. Many folks would be upset by this...I think the butterflies are worth it!

What's a Quiet Week?

There is a serious gap in my knowledge - a lesson that life hasn't taught me yet, and I don't think there's a course on it taught in any school. Thank God for public radio, though, or I would never have even suspected its existance. A Quiet Week - it sounds so wonderful, and it happens on a fairly regular basis in Lake Wobegon. Now...where's that on the map?

Internet Ramble

Growing up in my parents' house, I had several sets of encyclopedias available to me. One of my favorite rainy-day activities was to open an encyclopedia to a chosen entry, then look up one of the "see also" references at the end of the article. Then I would look up one of the "see also" references at the end of that article. I'd ramble in this fashion five or six times just to see where I'd wind up. I could start at an entry for "locomotive," end up at "butterfly," and always learn something on the way.

The internet has enabled me to indulge my childhood pastime without the danger of paper cuts. Now, I have only to click links to ramble through the pages. What joy! One of my favorite starting points is Refdesk.com. I rarely do more than skim the middle column before finding an interesting subject or site to click.

Today, I realized that many of the topics that have caught my eye of late have come from The Free Dictionary. So I clicked and scrolled and found an article on Afonso I, proclaimed in 1139 the first King of Portugal. Interesting fellow. I can't say that I approve of the means he used to achieve his goal, but he did manage to gain his country's independence and make it stick. From there, I clicked on a link for "papal bull." I learned that though the custom of issuing a papal bull goes back at least to the 6th century, it wasn't called by that name until about the 13th century. Skimming along, I saw a word I didn't recognize (anathemising), so I clicked on its link for a definition. A familiar word after all, but I probably couldn't pronounce it on a bet. Next, I saw a link for Sir Francis Bacon and had to go look. I'd still be clicking now if it weren't so far past bedtime.

What need have I for cable or satellite TV? There's plenty of entertainment right here!

Questing

Each year, Smythkepe hosts a Quest at our summer event. Traditionally, this is formally known as the "Quest for the Shrine of St. Dunstan," though some years neither our patron saint nor his shrine is involved. Through a series of events too convoluted to relate tonight, I have the honor of organizing this year's Quest at MSKD.

At this point, I've nailed the premise and have most of the denizens' characters and stations somewhat defined. There are still some details that need to be worked out and props to be made, bought, or borrowed. Still, it's coming together, and panic has not yet set in. This is good.

If you'd like more information, feel free to check out the Quest page on Smythkepe's website. Click on the links for MSKD and then Quest.

And until it's over, that's all I'm going to say in these pages regarding this year's Quest. After it's over, I may be convinced to tell all...

Herb Garden Update

It appears I did something right when re-building the herb garden. As expected, I have not been diligent about daily watering during our triple-digit heat. Yet here it is, the middle of July, and the marigolds are still alive, well-watered, and thriving. Incredible.

The chives are suffering a bit from the heat, but still taste great with potatoes. I’m giving them a bit more water and snipping off seed heads as they appear. I wish I had measured the rosemary when I planted it; I think it’s grown a couple of inches. The parsley, on the other hand…I’d forgotten how slowly parsley grows. Folklore claimed that the reason it takes so long to grow parsley from seed is that it had to travel to Hell and back three times before it could sprout. I’m beginning to think mine is making extra trips.

Speaking of sprouts, the tarragon, thyme, and chives I planted from seed have all but given up. I’ll try again when the weather cools, but chances are I’ll have to wait until spring.

The basil continues to grow and produce two leaves for every one I cut. Unfortunately, it has also begun to produce flower buds.



Flower buds are great if you want seeds for next year’s planting, but flowering causes the basil leaves to become bitter. Since I want to continue to harvest leaves for pesto, I’m keeping a close eye out for flower buds and snipping them before they have a chance to bloom.

While chatting on the phone with a friend yesterday evening, I wandered outside to check the garden. I noticed something had been nibbling on the sage – two leaves had been eaten in a lattice pattern. I grumbled and snipped them off, but the damage seemed to be limited to those two leaves. This morning, I spotted the culprit and snapped this picture before I flicked it off my plant and into Never-Never Land. Or at least the neighbor’s yard.



You can click on any photo to see a larger image. Anybody know what kind of worm it is?

Moira’s Herbal – Parsley

Petroselinum crispum hortense
AKA: Parsley

General Size & Description: This biennial plant grows 18-24 inches high. The leaves of this variety of parsley are flat and dark green, though other varieties may have curly leaves. Small, creamy white flowers bloom in the summer.

Warnings: In the wild, there is a highly poisonous plant, Aethusa cynapium, which looks and smells like parsley. Be sure you have a positive ID on any plant you collect outside your garden!

Cultivation
Sun & Location: Hardy to USDA Zone 5, parsley prefers partial sun and room to grow a long taproot.

Soil preferences: Deep soil prepared with plenty of compost fertilizer.

Spreading habit: Non-invasive.

Propagation: Grows very slowly from seed. Keep seeds moist, or they will not germinate. I recommend buying parsley starts from a reputable grower. Parsley does not transplant well, so once plants are established, leave them in place.

Container gardening: Parsley grows well in containers that are large enough to accommodate its taproot. Keep well watered and fed.

Maintenance:
Spring – Sow seed or plant starts
Summer – On second-year plants, cut flower stalks as they appear.
Fall & Winter – Protect first-year plants from cold. Remove second-year plants and prepare soil for spring planting.

Pests: Slugs (also see Notes below)

Harvest: Pick leaves and use fresh or freeze for later use.

Notes:

• Plant plenty of parsley. This is a favorite food of the caterpillar that becomes the black swallowtail butterfly. Some folk might call the caterpillar a pest, but the butterfly is beautiful enough to be worth the loss of plants!

Culinary Uses

• Parsley is generally used as a garnish, but it can also be eaten after a meal to freshen breath.
• Included in herbal mixtures, parsley enhances the flavor of other herbs.

Period Folklore

• Symbolized death in ancient Greece and Rome. Used as a grave decoration
• According to Plutarch, the association with death was so strong that a group of soldiers on their way to battle saw a mule loaded with parsley, took this as an omen of their own impending death, panicked, and fled.
• In the Middle Ages, parsley was closely associated with the Devil. It was thought that the wickedness of parsley could only be nullified by planting it on Good Friday while the moon was rising.
• Transplanting parsley was believed to bring disaster to the household.
• It was once believed that only a witch or a pregnant woman could successfully grow parsley.

Growth Spurt

At fighter practice this afternoon, I was duly chastised for not posting often enough. Though it is likely I will never post daily, I should be posting more often than I have of late. Milady, I apologize. If I again grow lax, please feel free to take me to task. I also appreciate the other feedback you gave me. It's good to know some of the things you feel I'm doing right. In addition, if you have any suggestions for topics you'd like to see me cover, please feel free to mention them.

Earlier this week, I looked out at my herb garden and did a double-take. The basil has had a growth spurt! I snapped the photo below before trimming back the leggy growth. Since it appears that for every stalk I cut, two will grow in its place, I was rather free in my trimming. My goal is to allow the basil to grow into bushy, but compact, plants.



With this second trimming, I think I have enough basil leaves in the freezer for a small batch of pesto. Having never made pesto before, this is sure to be an adventure. I've collected several recipes to compare for reference, but I find myself wishing I was still in contact with Mariah. Her skill in the kitchen often left me shaking my head in awed wonder.

I'm Warped!

But we knew that... Actually, I'm referring to this:



I still don't know what I'm doing, but I've managed to get the yarn onto the loom. That's a start, right?

Comments

When setting up this blog, I took the advice of some of the long-time bloggers I read and turned off "Anonymous Commenting." This means that you must create an account with Blogger and log-on in order to leave a comment. Definitely a hassle. One of the main reasons I did this was fear of "comment spam," where spammers or their spam 'bots leave advertising messages in a blog's comment file. Not only do I not want to have to go through deleting spam daily, I don't want you, Gentle Reader, to have to wade through it, either.

Perhaps as a result, few have chosen to leave comments to the posts in these pages. Some have sent me emails with suggestions of things they'd like to see, or comments on posts they liked or disliked. One Gentle in particular has been particularly helpful in pointing out grammatical and typographical errors I've missed during editing (Thank you, E. Please continue sending those privately!). The point, Gentle Reader, is that these pages are also intended to be an educational tool. If you have experience in a topic I've covered, feel that I may have missed a point, or can direct us all to a resource, please share that in the comments for that post. I read all the comments and try to respond.

As an experiment, I have turned Anonymous Commenting back on. If I start getting a lot of spam, I'll turn it back off. Comments are not moderated, but I reserve the right to remove any that violate my Original Disclaimer. With that said, I encourage you to click on the Comments link at the bottom of posts. Perhaps we can get some discussions going!

Yarn Question #3

Yarn Question #3 - How in the bloody blue blazes can I cut yarn to a single length?

After much trial and error, I finally got frustrated enough to ask Seamas this question. He's never tried to do what I'm doing, but he does have some weaving experience. His reply, while not exactly what I was looking for, gave me the clue I needed to come up with this...



The dowels are screwed to the boards, then the boards are clamped into position. I can position the dowels half the length of the string I want, then make a single cut. If I've kept the same tension on the yarn while winding it around the dowels, it will all be the same length. Sounds great in theory, and it actually worked pretty well in practice. The beauty of this method is that it's completely portable and is highly adjustable for length. Another benefit, which I haven't yet tried, is that it can be set up vertically, which should allow me to better judge the tension of each string.

This Autocrat's Attitude - Part 4

My goodness! Judging from my stat counter, several folks have been particularly interested in Autocratting today. Welcome! I hope you find other topics of interest within these pages as well. Meanwhile, below are a few more things I’ve found to be useful when organizing an event.

If you’ve missed the other articles in this series:
Click here to read Part 1.
Click here to read Part 2.
Click here to read Part 3.


Cultivate the Merchants
• Make every effort to attract merchants and support them. Merchants travel a lot. Happy merchants attract people to next year’s event!
• Set aside a place for merchants near a high-traffic area, such as the feast hall or the fighting field. If possible, assign someone in your group to help them set up and tear down.

Support the Heralds
• A poorly-heralded event is a disaster. Herald all areas – sleeping, fighting, merchants, hall, other activity areas – make sure no one is left out.
• Wake-up calls must take place every morning. If your guests are still asleep on Sunday morning, the fact that your site closes at noon means nothing.
• Keep your Site Herald informed of updates/changes in the schedule. Remember, events run on HST (Herald Standard Time). If your Herald doesn’t know about something, neither will the majority of your guests.
• Make sure your Site Herald has plenty of help. Your site may be large enough to need more than one Herald. If your Herald is getting tired or feels pressed for time, he may resort to “Drive-By Heralding,” which does no one any good.
• Seamas has more on Site Heraldry on his SCAdia site. Type www.scadia.org, or click on the link at right under "Recommended."

Garden Complete?

While no garden is ever quite complete, I at least have all the available space filled...for now. The girls and I stopped in at the nursery we pass most every day on our way home and picked up a few additions. Then we had to rush home and plant them before it started raining!

We added:

• rosemary - 1 plant. What can I say? Rosemary is obligatory in my herb garden. I simply had to find the right plant.


• chives - 1 plant. Yes, I planted chive seeds last week. I'm impatient. I'm also thoroughly enjoying the ones I used to top the potato I'm eating while typing this post.


• petunias 2 plants, one pink, one purple. These are the wave variety that have become so popular for hanging baskets in recent years. We planted them towards the back edge of the planter to encourage them to cascade down the back of their respective sides of the deck. They should be really pretty by the middle of next month.

I also found a variety of tomatoes that called itself a "patio tomato." Apparently, this variety is supposed to grow as a low, compact bush with approximately 2" fruit. How could I pass that up? I put two in a container as an experiment.






This afternoon, I noticed the tarragon, thyme, and chives all have sprouts in their respective pots. So far, so good! I also noticed that the basil has new growth coming from the areas I cut when I topped the plants late last week. While this is great - new growth means bushier plants - it's also a bit disturbing. It appears that two stalks are growing where I cut only one. Do I have an herbal hydra on my hands?

Garden Planting

Buying plants during my lunch hour was a mistake. All I could think about on Tuesday afternoon was getting home to put the new plants into my re-built garden. The fact that I had them on a corner of my desk because it was too hot to leave them out in the van didn’t help. The basil smelled wonderful!

Newly planted:

• basil - 6 plants. There were three in each pot, so I wound up with nine plants when I thought was getting three. Oops! Perhaps I’ll put the remaining three plants in a pot and put them on my filing cabinet at work.
• curled-leaf parsley - 6 plants. I like the curled-leaf parsley better than the flat-leaf variety. The flat-leaf parsley tastes more bitter, especially if it doesn’t get enough water. Six plants sounds like a lot, but parsley is a favorite food of black swallowtail caterpillars. The butterflies are so pretty, I don’t mind sacrificing a few parsley plants, so I always buy extra in the hope that the caterpillars will leave enough for me!
• sage - 1 plant. I’ve only tried sage once before, and it didn’t grow very well. Perhaps this time it’ll grow better.
• marigolds - 2 plants. My mother-in-law likes to get these for the children every spring. The three of them have fun transplanting the flowers into pots, then we bring the pots home, set them outside, and usually forget about them by July. This year’s marigolds’ chances of survival just increased ten-fold…

The corner spot is reserved for a new rosemary plant. The girls and I will start looking for one over the weekend. For now, I’ll probably fill the other holes with colorful annuals until I decide what, if anything I’d rather do with them.

Later in the evening, I also planted seeds - chives, thyme, and tarragon. We’ll see what happens. If my gardens had to rely on my ability to grow plants from seed, I probably would have completely lost heart years ago. Still, if the chives grow, I’ll likely plant them near where the marigolds are now. The thyme and tarragon will probably go into their own separate pots. I’m planning to put a small plant stand in another corner of the deck, which is where I’ll put my potted herbs. Then, I can just sit back and watch things grow!

(shhh...yes, if all goes well, and the seeds actually sprout and grow, I'll have parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme in my herb garden, but let's not tell anyone, OK? I get that song stuck in my head often enough as it is…)

Herb Garden Re-Construction

Whew! With all that's been going on, sitting down with the computer has had no appeal this past week. On the plus side, my herb garden is returning!

The deck outside our kitchen has a built-in planter that runs along two sides. When we moved in, I immediately determined this planter would be my kitchen-herb garden. The previous owners had left some garlic, which is how I became aware of garlic's run-away abilities, and I planted a few other herbs to try. Over the years, I've done less and less with the herb garden. This was due partly to the demands of my growing family and partly to the planter's decreasing ability to hold water. My biggest gardening sin is under-watering, so having to water on a daily basis turned this delightful garden into a chore. I certainly don't need any more chores. Finally, all that remained was a lonely rosemary plant and some dried-up weeds. When the rosemary died over the winter, I decided enough was enough. This week, I made major progress towards doing something about it.

I began by recruiting the children to help me remove the dirt from the planter. This was a big chore that required many trips to the new dirt pile by the back fence. I should mention that the deck (and the planter) is roughly 5 feet off the ground, only accessible by two flights of several steps each. At the bottom of the planter was a layer of mostly flat rocks which ranged in size from 1/2 to 5 inches wide. Rock removal didn't require as many trips to the new rock pile, even though I was using smaller buckets. The bottom and sides of the planter were lined with something I was unable to identify. It resembled something between roofing paper and compressed cardboard, but it mostly served the purpose of keeping the dirt from eroding from the planter.

Once the dirt, rock, and paper were removed, I lined the planter with a lightweight landscape fabric weighted with paving bricks. These bricks should be a lot easier to deal with the next time I decide moving 16 bags of dirt is a good idea. I filled the bottom half of the planter with a clay-heavy topsoil mix, added a layer of agrosoke crystals, then topped it all off with a potting soil mix. From the soaking I gave it afterwards, it looks like this mix is going to hold plenty of water, but the planter still seems to drain well. This is important since so many herbs prefer well-drained soil. I may need a bit more dirt after the next heavy rain, but for the next few years, I'll probably need to do little more than add a bit of compost in the fall.

The following pictures aren't the greatest, but they'll do to show the stages of re-construction:
Landscape fabric and paving bricks.


The three layers - heavy soil, agrosoke, light soil


A view of the corner - ready for planting!

Camp Cookery – Boiled Omelette

Those who know me well are aware that my mundane life is a bit busy, and that I rarely bother to eat formal meals. One of my favorite quick suppers is scrambled eggs with ham and cheddar cheese thrown in. Kind of a "scrambled omelette," if you will. It's quick, tasty, and provides a reasonable amount of protein. It also dirties a bowl, a plate, two forks, and a skillet.

I had read about a low-mess method of cooking eggs while camping, but never remembered to give it a try until I received an email from a friend earlier this week. So, I tried a little eggs-periment.

Break two eggs into a Ziploc freezer bag (or equivalent). Add ham, shredded cheese, or whatever you think sounds good. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible, and zip it up tight. Mush the bag with your hands (gently!) until the yolks are broken and everything is thoroughly mixed. Drop the entire bag into a cauldron of boiling oil pot of boiling water, and boil for 13 minutes.

The result was a very tasty roll of egg with ham and cheese in the middle. I was afraid it would taste of plastic bag, but it didn't at all. Best of all, cleanup consisted of dumping the pot of hot water, washing the single fork and plate, and tossing the Ziploc bag into the trash.

This would be an excellent meal for a camping trip, especially with children. I'll bet my two would love to dump their own ingredients into a bag, mush it around, and drop it into the water. Even better, the basic preparation could probably be done at home. Best of all, there's no mess, very little cleanup, and several "omelettes" can be cooked at once.

Yarn Question #2

Yarn Question #2 - It's been days since I washed my yarn and it's still wet. May I put it in the dryer?

Believe it or not, this actually worked. I honestly expected to remove a fuzzy tangled mess from the dryer. Instead, I got yarn that is only slightly damp. How? I cheated. My dryer has a low heat setting and a drying rack that remains stationary within the drum. The yarn did not tumble and had warm, not hot, air moving around and through it. No snarls, no fuzzies!

Gentle Reader, please be warned - I do not know what I'm doing; I am making this up as I go along. Perhaps this method will work every time, perhaps I just got lucky this time...

Yarn Question #1

I decided I'd better number these, because I'm sure there will be more.

Yarn Question #1 - "Must I wash my cotton yarn before I warp my loom?"

I asked myself the above question this evening. Instead of consulting my designated expert, I decided to experiment instead.



The answer? Emphatically, YES!

Castellan XVII

Barony Northkeep's Castellan XVIII is the place to be this weekend. There will be plenty of fighting and artistry - all done with pure Ansteorran flair. Check out their event info site for more details. Click on the links at the top of the page for site info, directions, and other useful information.

When you go, look me up. Seamas and I will be day-tripping on Saturday with our mini-horde in tow. See you there!

Moira's Herbal - Garlic

Allium sativum
AKA: Garlic

General Size & Description: A perennial grown as an annual, garlic grows 16-24 inches tall. Its leaves are dark green and flat, and its spear-straight stem is topped by a flower head that bloms white or pink.

Cultivation
Sun & Location: Full sun

Soil preferences: Rich, light, well-drained soil

Spreading habit: If allowed to go to seed, garlic will spread far and wide!

Propagation: Plant individual cloves, pointed end up, anytime from early fall to early spring.

Container gardening: Garlic may be grown in containers. Harvest the green leaves as you would harvest chives.

Companion plants: Wards off black spot when planted next to roses.

Maintenance:
Spring – Plant cloves in early spring
Summer – Cut off seed heads, dig up bulbs when leaves begin to turn yellow
Fall & Winter – Plant cloves and mulch to protect against cold

Harvest: Dig up bulbs when leaves begin to turn yellow in mid – late summer. Dry thoroughly before storing in a cool place with plenty of air circulation.

Culinary Uses

• There is such a thing as too much garlic, but there are many who will cry “Uncle” before I will. I love garlic and use it primarily to flavor butter, vinegar, beef, and anything that includes tomatoes or tomato sauce.

Period Folklore

• Eaten by Roman soldiers to inspire courage.
• Thought to ward off and cure plague.
• Since in the Middle Ages, many diseases were believed to be caused by evil spirits, garlic’s antiseptic properties were believed to be proof that garlic was an effective charm against evil.

Moira's Herbal - Chamomile

Chamaemelum nobile (Anthemis nobilis)
AKA: Roman Chamomile

General Size & Description: Evergreen perennial which typically reaches 4 inches high and spreads up to 18 inches. White flowers with yellow centers bloom all summer.

Cultivation
Sun & Location: Adaptable to most conditions, but prefers sunny locations. Hardy to USDA Zone 4.

Soil preferences: Well-drained soil.

Spreading habit: Non- to slightly-invasive

Propagation: Can be grown from seed or cuttings.

Container gardening: May be grown in containers, but it’s best to do so outdoors. Indoors, plants tend to be leggy, soft, and disease-prone.

Companion plants: It’s said that chamomile is beneficial to all plants it grows near.

Maintenance:
Spring – Sow seeds, divide established plants
Summer – Water well
Fall – Take cuttings
Winter – Mulch in USDA Zones 4 and 5

Harvest:
Leaves – Gather in spring and early summer. Use fresh or dry.
Flowers – Pick when fully open, around mid-summer.

Culinary Uses

• Chamomile is marvelous as a hot tea. Chamomile tea sweetened with honey is my favorite for winding-down in the evening.

Household Uses

• Use an infusion of chamomile as a final rinse to brighten fair hair.
• Another variety of chamomile, Dyer’s Chamomile, can be used to make dyes that vary in color from yellow to olive, depending on the mordant used.
• Chamomile flowers are used in both herb pillows and potpourri.
• Chamomile flowers are among those preferred by honeybees.

Boats Update - It's Viking Voyage!

Last week, I contacted Master Beorhtlic and asked him for a bit more background on the Boats game. The game’s more formal name is “Viking Voyage.” Master Beorhtlic learned the game from a friend who had been gifted with a set, and he could neither confirm nor deny whether the game has any basis in period. From that information, I did some digging and learned that Viking Voyage was invented in 1993 by Jeff Loader. Jeff and his wife, Jennie Loader, documented the game in their book, Making Board, Peg & Dice Games.

The book is unfortunately no longer in print, but I was able to locate a used copy which arrived today. I am pleased to say that the game I’ve described in these pages is essentially the same as the original. There are minor differences in the way the game board is colored. The “Weather Movement Die” is called the “Fortune Die,” and is numbered 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3. Play regarding the islands is slightly different, and no provision is made for two players sharing, or not sharing, a square. His boats look a lot more like Viking longboats.

Even with these minor differences, Viking Voyage, aka “Boats,” is a fun little game that everyone can enjoy. It has been well received everywhere I’ve taken it, and I look forward to hauling it around for many years to come. In fact, I’m working on more portable designs!

Feast of St. Dunstan

Gentle Reader, today is the Feast of St. Dunstan, the patron saint of armorers, goldsmiths, locksmiths, jewelers, and my own Shire Smythkepe. In honor of his feast day, I humbly submit this abbreviated biography.

Dunstan was born to noble parents in the village of Baltonsborough, Somerset, just south of Glastonbury circa 910. He spent his early years studying with Irish scholars who lived in the run-down Glastonbury Abbey. As a young man, he joined his uncle, who was then Archbishop of Canterbury, at the court of King Athelstan. Though his uncle encouraged him to take monastic vows, Dunstan resisted until he became afflicted with a skin disease that resembled leprosy.

When Dunstan recovered, he became tonsured in preparation for becoming a monk, returned to Glastonbury, and built himself a small cell adjoining the old church of St. Mary. During this time, Dunstan lived a hermit’s life, occupying himself with prayer, study, and manual labor. He became skilled in metalwork, and was known for crafting bells and church vessels.

Tradition asserts that one day, while Dunstan was working at his forge, the Devil arrived and tried to tempt him. Dunstan took up his smithing tongs, tweaked the Devil’s nose, and sent him running. Another legend credits Dunstan for the origin of the lucky horseshoe. The story claims that Dunstan was asked to reshod the Devil’s horse, but nailed the horseshoe to the Devil’s hoof instead. Dunstan only allowed the Devil to go once he promised to never enter a place where a horseshoe is hung over the door.

King Athelstan’s successor, King Edmund, called Dunstan from Glastonbury to serve as a priest in his court, but others in the court, jealous of Dunstan’s influence, conspired to have him banished. Before Dunstan could leave the country, however, King Edmund had a narrow escape from death, which he credited to Dunstan. To make amends, King Edmund gave Dunstan some land and appointed him Abbot of Glastonbury.

Dunstan restored the monastic Rule of St. Benedict at the abbey, rebuilt and enlarged the church buildings, and renewed the abbey’s reputation as a scholarly institution. Glastonbury Abbey flourished, and at the same time, so did England. Dunstan returned to court and served as advisor to both King Edmund and his successor, King Eadred.

King Eadred was succeeded by 16 year-old Eadwig. Eadwig was spiteful and headstrong, and after a confrontation following his coronation, Eadwig sent Abbot Dunstan into exile. Dunstan found refuge in the Abbey of Mont Blandin, near Ghent in modern-day Belgium. After about a year, however, Eadwig was overthrown and replaced by his half-brother, Eadgar.

Eadgar recalled Dunstan from exile, caused him to be consecrated as a bishop, and appointed him first in 957 as Bishop of Worchester and then additionally in 958 as Bishop of London. In 959, Eadgar appointed Dunstan as Archbishop of Canterbury, and Dunstan traveled to Rome to receive the pallium from Pope John XII in 960.

Meanwhile, Dunstan had persuaded Edgar to postpone his coronation as king until he reached the age of thirty in 973. While it is said that Dunstan made Edgar’s crown, we do know that Dunstan composed the rite of coronation himself. This new rite places the emphasis on the anointing, rather than the crowning of the new monarch, and is the basis for the coronation rite still used in England today.

When Eadgar died two years after his coronation, Archbishop Dunstan influenced the choice of Eadward as the next king. Unfortunately, this influence was heavily resented by a faction of nobles who had Eadward assassinated and replaced by his half-brother, Aethelred.

Dunstan left the court and returned to a peaceful, non-political life in Canterbury. Among other things, he enjoyed teaching the boys in the local monastic school. During a sermon he preached on the Feast of Ascension in 988, Dunstan announced that he had received heavenly tidings of his own impending death. That afternoon, he chose the location for his tomb. He died two days later on May 19th. This day was declared St. Dunstan’s feast day when he was canonized by the Synod of Winchester in 1029. His shrine was said to be destroyed during the Reformation.

In Church symbology, St. Dunstan is often shown holding a pair of metalsmith’s tongs and is sometimes shown with a dove or a troop of angels hovering nearby. Though he is known as the patron saint of metalsmiths, Dunstan was a man of strong convictions and much influence. He used both these traits to shape the religious and political reforms of the England of his time, and that influence is still seen in the England of today.

Moira's Herbal - Rosemary

Rosemarinus officinalis
AKA: Rosemary

General Size & Description: A perennial evergreen shrub that grows to about 3 ft. high and spreads about 3 ft. Flowers are pale blue and appear in early spring. Dark green leaves are needle-shaped and very fragrant.


Warnings: Use care when cooking with rosemary; many people are allergic to this herb.


Cultivation
Sun & Location: Full sun in a location sheltered from cold winds. Frost hardy to USDA Zone 8.

Soil preferences: Well-drained soil.

Spreading habit: Non-invasive.

Propagation: May be grown from seed, but a softwood cutting taken from new growth in spring is more likely to succeed. Cut a 6” length, dip the cut end in rooting hormone, and stick the cut end directly into potting soil.

Container gardening: Grows well in well-drained containers. In fact, this is the best way to grow rosemary in cooler climes; the plant can simply be brought inside through the winter. Avoid over watering, and feed only after flowering is over.

Companion plants: Plant near carrots to repel carrot flies.

Maintenance:
Spring – trim after flowering, take softwood cuttings
Summer – feed plants in containers
Fall – protect young plants from cold temperatures
Winter – mulch to protect from cold temperatures

Harvest: Fresh leaves can be picked year-round.

Notes:

• Some varieties of rosemary may be grown as a low hedge.
• Rosemary flowers are among those preferred by bees.

Culinary Uses

• Use sparingly – rosemary is a dominant herb and can easily overpower other flavors.
• Use fresh or dried to flavor: lamb, poultry (esp. stuffed in cavity of roasted bird), fish, tomato sauces, rice, salads, vinegars, oils, and cordials.
• Add a few twigs of rosemary to the barbeque grill to smoke meats, or strip a twig of its leaves and use as a skewer for grilled shrimp.

Household Uses

• Use an infusion of rosemary as a rinse for brunette hair to make it shine!
• Rosemary leaves are frequently used in soaps, potpourri, oils, and fragrant sachets.

Period Folklore

• Rosemary is associated with remembrance, fidelity, and love.
• Flowers of rosemary can range in color from pale bluish-white to deep blue. To account for this, Christian legend claims the flowers were originally white, but turned varying shades of blue when Mary hung her blue cloak on a rosemary bush.
• Ancient Greek students studying for exams wore garlands of rosemary to improve their memories.
• Members of wedding parties carried sprigs of rosemary, and the herb was woven into garlands worn by brides.
• Rosemary was frequently carried by mourners at funerals, and dropped into graves.
• The herb was placed under a sleeper’s pillow to repel bad dreams, and was said to ward off both witches and plague.
• Rosemary was believed to only flourish in the garden where the woman dominated the household.

**Updated 5/24/06**

Moira's Herbal - Disclaimer

Gentle Reader, my interest in herbs is as varied as my interest in other topics, and I am quick to acknowledge that there are others who know far more about herbs than do I.

While I am interested in and have limited practice with the medicinal use of herbs, I do not intend to discuss medical uses here. Used improperly, herbal remedies can do more harm than good. I strongly encourage those who wish to make or use herbal remedies to learn as much as possible about their effects, side effects, and interactions before they begin.

While period herbals are excellent resources for research, herbalists of the Middle Ages and Renaissance did not have the advantage of our modern medical understanding. If you, Gentle Reader, have an interest in herbs for any purpose, I encourage you to include in your study at least one modern herbal. (I recommend John Lust’s The Herb Book.)

In these pages, I will discuss the cultivation of various herbs, their place in folklore, and their culinary and household uses.

Graduate

Took a little walk yesterday. Heard my name called. Shook a few hands. Stood still for some photos. Celebrated afterwards.

When I began working towards yesterday's little walk, I expected certain people to be there to see it. It was their walk just as much as mine. Many of my friends and family who have served as my core support group were there to cheer me on during one part of the day or another. Others were unable to attend for various reasons, but still held me in their thoughts. I appreciate all of them more than I know how to say. "Thank you" seems so inadequate.

When I began working towards yesterday's little walk, I expected my Mom to be there to see it. It was her walk just as much as mine. She'd have been so proud. Funny how life changes. I know everyone would have understood, but the hardest part of yesterday was not allowing the hurt to show. Still love and miss you, Mom.

Next is Grad school. I've been accepted into a Grad program at the University on the Hill, and I am truly excited about getting started in the fall. There will be very little travel involved; I'll be able to take all of my classes on-line. It will probably take another three years to complete the degree, but it will open up some serious opportunities for me.

Meanwhile, I believe I mentioned a project list for the summer? Gotta feed the monster!

Finals

It hasn’t really sunk in yet, but tonight was my final class as an undergraduate. The final presentation is complete. The final paper has been turned in. Sure, I’m relieved and ready to relax for a few days, but I know it will be only a few days. In less than a week, that hungry little monster in the back of my mind will be looking around with bright eyes and saying with eager voice, “What next?!” Gotta feed the monster!

I have several projects in mind for the summer. Some of them will appear on these pages, some will not. I’m particularly excited about starting on the herbal project I’ve been planning. And gathering materials and tools for some light metalworking. And figuring out how to sew trim onto things. Gotta feed the monster!

Right now, though, I’m knackered. Good night!

Boats Rules

Alright, let’s get this out of the way before the other punsters start playing – Boats rules, and Boats rocks. No question about it: this is a terrific game. However, in this post I’m (finally) referring to the rules of how to play the game “Boats.” Ok? OK!

It would be a good idea to review the description of the Boats game pieces before reading further. This is the first time I’ve attempted to write down the rules for this, or any, game, so please leave a comment if you need clarification!

To begin, the players agree among themselves in what order they will take turns. Each player chooses a unique player token, and places it on the side of the board. While there is probably a practical limit to the number of players, there is no theoretical limit.

The first player rolls all three dice and moves horizontally, then vertically, as the dice dictate. The first square of the board is the one with the red circle. The red arrows at the end of each row point to the next square of movement. Ideal weather moves a player up (toward the fjord) the number of rows indicated by the Weather Movement die; stormy weather moves a player back (away from the fjord).

If stormy weather moves a player off the board, the player must begin again with the first square on the next turn. Don’t worry – remember this game works entirely on luck! If ideal weather would move a player into the fjord or beyond, he may only move into the first square of the fjord. He may still gloat, if desired.

If a player lands on an island, his turn continues until he is able to move off the island. The player rolls the Weather Condition die until he rolls either ideal (white) or stormy (black) weather. He then rolls the Weather Movement die and moves the number of rows indicated.

If a player is sitting on a square, minding his own business, and another player attempts to land on the same square, the “square owner” may decide whether or not to share. If he chooses not to share, the two players must roll the Movement die for possession of the square. The square owner chooses whether high or low roll wins. The loser of the roll must move back one square. The winner may gloat, though doing so is ill-advised, as it may affect his luck.

Once in the fjord, weather conditions no longer have any effect, so players in the fjord need only roll the Movement die. However, the player must roll the exact number of spaces remaining to exit the board. For example, if the player’s token is four spaces from the end of the board, he cannot move at all unless he rolls a 1, 2, 3, or 4 during that turn. Rolling a 1, 2, or 3 moves his token that number of spaces, while moving a 4 moves his token off the board.

The first player to move his token through the fjord and off the board wins. The remaining players may continue play, if desired.

Make sense? Great! Confused? Post a comment, send an email, or catch me at an event or Fighter Practice. I’ll do my best to unbefuddle.

Have fun!

Cat Haiku

Needing a diversion, I took an online ramble through various sites and was reminded of a particularly fun genre of poetry: Cat Haiku. Being an unashamed cat person, I naturally had to pause a while and laugh.

Remember that the haiku is a three-line poem where the first and third lines consist of 5 syllables each, and the middle line has 7 syllables. My favorite tonight was:

What is that I hear?
The computer is dinging.
My butt's on the what?

I have no idea who wrote it, but it can be found here.

Here is another site, and if you've not yet had enough, here is yet another.

Mundane Pause

In spite of technical and other difficulties, tonight's presentation at school went well. In a speech class, I probably wouldn't have gotten away with some of the dumb things I did, but I must have covered well because my professor awarded me an "A." Several of my classmates complimented the presentation, too, so even though I bloopered a time or three, it appears I got my point across. Now all I have to do is complete another edit of my final paper and submit the dratted thing.

Eleven days until graduation.

I'm taking the summer off from school. Sure, I have other projects in mind, but I'm taking a break from school for the summer. Really. Then in the Fall...Grad school.

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more, or close the wall up with our English dead!" - William Shakespeare, "Henry V"

Llama Boats

Mission accomplished - I formally introduced Boats to Smythkepe at this afternoon's Fighter Practice. Some played, others watched, and the overall reaction was good. It's great to watch something you're entusiastic about being accepted by your friends. Adding the 9-Man-Morris board to the flip side of the game board turned out to be a good idea, too. Now, I just have to crank out a couple more game sets so there will be enough to keep anyone from feeling left out.

The new set of player tokens I made last night turned out pretty well. They're still pretty rough, but I may be able to sand or dremmel out some of the tool marks. This group was officially dubbed "Llama Boats" this afternoon. I'll let you, gentle reader, judge the resemblance for yourself. Perhaps it would help to watch this a few times...

Belated Thank You

Though the event was weeks ago, and they'll likely never see this post anyway, still I would like to thank Their Majesties Radu and Broinnfinn for attending Smythkepe's Cracked Anvil Collegium IX. We have often felt ourselves to be somewhat ignored and dismissed by those who made decisions on both Kingdom and Principality levels. Sometimes that feeling has been justified, sometimes it has not. Nevertheless, Their Majesties' visit was most welcome, not only as representatives of the Kingdom of Gleann Abhann, but because they are neat people whom we like to have around. I hope they will one day visit us again.

Still Stuck on Boats

With a presentation due in class on Tuesday and a major paper due shortly thereafter, I haven't yet written down the rules for Boats. Excuses, I know. I'll try to post the rules within the next couple of days. I did, however, teach Rose how to play tonight. We played three games before her bedtime, and I'm sure I'll get roped into playing again tomorrow. Sounds like another good way to procrastinate working on my presentation!

After putting Rose to bed, I sat down with the Sculpey and made six more player tokens which are in the oven now. While they are still not works of art, my technique is improving. These look less like ducks and more like the Viking longships they are intended to resemble.

According to NOAA, it looks like tomorrow is still supposed to be rain-free. I do hope that by tomorrow afternoon things have dried up from today's storms so I can take the game set out to Fighter Practice.

Whoops! There goes the oven timer...time to check the new boats!

Boats Game Pieces

Here are pictures and a bit of explanation of each piece of a Boats game set. I’ll explain the rules of play in a later post.

Player Tokens



In the game set Master Beorhtlic brought to Cracked Anvil, the player tokens were shaped like Viking longships. Mine look more like duck boats. The important thing is that there should be a unique token for each player.

Three Dice



Movement die
- Marked with numbers or symbols 1-6
- Used to indicate the number of spaces a player token moves horizontally on the board during a turn

Weather Condition die
- 4 sides marked yellow, 1 side white, 1 side black
- Used to indicate the weather conditions during a turn
Yellow = fair
White = ideal
Black = stormy

Weather Movement die
- Marked with numbers or symbols 1-3
- Used to indicate the number of rows a player token moves vertically on the board when the weather is either ideal or stormy.

Game Board



The normal squares alternate blue and white. The first square if marked with a circle; squares on each end of a row are marked with arrows indicating the next square. Player tokens move in the direction of the arrows until reaching the fjord.

The green squares are islands. Because I used such a dark green (oops!), the islands are also marked with yellow dots indicating lemon trees (to prevent scurvy during long voyages) which make the islands more visible in low light.

The light yellow squares at the top of the board indicate the fjord, which is marked into six spaces. When a player reaches the fjord, weather conditions no longer have an effect, so the player only has to roll the movement die. Unfortunately, the player must roll the exact number of spaces remaining to exit the board. For example, if the player’s token is three spaces from the end of the board, he cannot move unless he rolls a 1, 2, or 3 during that turn. Rolling a 1 or 2 moves a player that number of spaces, rolling a 3 moves the player off the board.

Boat or Decoy?

The great sculptors have nothing to fear from me. I knew that when I started this little project, and I've certainly proved it with the result. I chose Sculpey as a medium because it was readily available in a package that included twelve different colors and two "sculpting tools." More tools - cool! I read the directions, hacked off a piece of the stuff, and started to work.

Sculpey has all the consistency of a Tootsie Roll that's been left in the car in June. Mushy soft, but not quite ready to liquefy. Perhaps, with time and practice, I will develop the skill to coax Sculpey into the shape of Viking longships. Right now, I'll settle for this:



Most of the boat doesn't look too bad. The real trouble came when I tried to shape the figurehead. My daughters, generous souls, call it a Swan Boat. Seamas thinks it looks more like a duck decoy. What do you think? Any ideas on how to make the next batch look more Viking?

"Boats" Bits

At Cracked Anvil a couple weeks ago, Master Beorhtlic introduced Seamas, Edrei, and I to a game called "Boats." Throw skill and strategy out the window...Boats is a neat little game that relies entirely on luck.

I've spent several hours today painting a game board and making player tokens. The tokens look more like swan boats (Seamas says "duck decoys") than Viking longships, and the board definitely looks hand-drawn, but this is going to be so much fun!

**UPDATE**
Seamas won the first two games...drat!

Now, though, I need to write down the rules so we can take the game out to fighter practice and inflict it upon the populace!

Wedding Congratulations

Congratulations to Lord Dante and Lady Ceara on your wedding today. May your lives be ever filled with happiness in each other. Hugs to you!

Chivalry off the Field

We make much of chivalry on the fighting field. If a fighter looses an arm or leg in battle, a chivalrous opponent will voluntarily give him- or herself a similar handicap. It’s a courteous, honorable, and (let’s be honest) expected act. But what about off the field? Isn’t chivalry just as important in other aspects of our SCA life? Below are three easy ways to set a chivalrous example for our next generation of SCAdians:

Be a Helper
It’s not necessary to volunteer for every disagreeable task or to run yourself ragged at an event. Simply open your eyes and ears to opportunities. Perhaps you see a young lord struggling to set up his tent. Perhaps you see a lady committing one of my personal failings – trying to carry too many things at once. Perhaps the kitchen crew could use a hand chopping vegetables or washing a few dishes. Do not fear becoming “stuck in the kitchen,” or anywhere else. Complete the task for which you volunteered, then feel free to ramble on.

Go to Court
Yes, it’s hot/cold outside and you’d really rather take a nap/shower before feast. I’ve been guilty of this myself. Depending upon the particular Crown and event, Court can be a torturous test of endurance. Go anyway. If you must, then take a small, quiet project to distract your mind from your seat – embroidery is great for this – but go. Attendance at Court not only shows respect to the Crown, but also to recipients of awards. Besides, it can be great fun to count the number of names the Court Herald mispronounces in the course of 30-45 minutes.

Pay Heed the Herald
Site Heralds are not shouting for the pleasure of hearing their own voices. When you hear, “Oyez,” pause your conversation, listen to the announcement, resume your conversation. ‘Nuff said.

Chivalry is an integral part of our SCA life and is important both on and off the fighting field. Our youth and our newcomers learn best from the example we set. Let’s be sure to set a good one!

Courtesy and Honor

Recently, I stood in the kitchen at work grumbling to myself about the lack of courtesy displayed by the unknown person who had emptied the coffee pot and not started another. Everything needed to brew a fresh pot was on the counter in plain sight and easy reach, yet the pot was empty. In fact, I mused, the fault didn’t belong entirely to the last person to visit the coffee pot - any of several people could have noticed the coffee level was getting low and brewed more. So why was I brewing another pot? I had already drunk my single cup of coffee for the day. If the people still drinking coffee couldn’t be bothered to brew another pot for themselves, why was I bothering to do so? Was it a matter of courtesy or of honor? What’s the difference?

Courtesy is an act you do for someone else, simply because you can. It’s “the nice thing to do.” Aside from the happy feeling that comes from doing something nice for someone, you receive little or no benefit from an act of courtesy. Honor is what causes you to do the act – even when you’d rather not.

The next evening, my Rhetoric professor was trying to make a point about metaphors. Since the concept was still on my mind, I was amused when she asked us to use metaphors to define “honor.” Here’s what I wrote that night:

Honor is…
• brewing a new pot of coffee when the current pot is low – and you’ve already had your cup
• walking to an inconvenient trash can
• doing those things you said you would do – without being reminded
• taking a telephone message and then delivering it
• doing “not my job” when it needs doing

Can you list some examples?

This Autocrat's Attitude - Part 3

Click here to read Part 2.

Coordinating an event schedule out of the multitude of ideas from within your group can be a chore, but the sooner you have at least a preliminary schedule, the sooner you can start promoting your group's event! Here are some site- and schedule-related tips for budding Autocrats...

Get organized and start early
• If you’ve done your job well, there won’t be a bunch of last minute things that have to be done on site. An event should be fun for you too!

• Make sure there is something for everyone (fighters, artisans, children, everyone!) to do. It’s better for folks to complain that they “didn’t get to do it all,” than complain that there wasn’t enough to do.

• Though we refer to “SCA time” for a reason, lunch and feast must start as close to scheduled time as possible. Feastocrats don’t like having to keep food hot while the tourney ends, and hungry people don’t return next year.


Know your site
• Learn as much about the site as possible. There may not be anyone available on the day of your event to show you where the cleaning supplies, circuit breakers, climate controls, and other such things are. Most importantly, always know where to put the trash you generate at the event. You don’t want to be unexpectedly stuck with 16 bags of garbage on Sunday afternoon when you’re 30 miles away from the middle of nowhere!

• Look at your site every year. Just because you remember the site from last year doesn’t mean that something hasn’t changed! It helps to have the person in charge of each activity along when you look at the site. Visualizing your activities will help you decide what will work where. Try to have a backup location for each activity in case of unforseen circumstances.

• Drive your directions, from both directions, every year. Signs don’t always look the same when coming from the other direction, and even state highways can move!

In Loving Memory...

…of my mother who died two years ago on February 29th. She first accepted my involvement in the SCA when I finally learned to sew, but she still always referred to us in jest as,”those crazies.”

Miss you, Mom.

Ramble Pause

Friends, thank you for dropping by and taking a look at this little project of mine. I hope you like what you see and that you will soon return for more. Please feel free to comment, if you like.

I must, however, pause in my rambling for a few days to complete a paper due this week for a class I'm taking in the mundane world. I assure you that normal service shall soon resume...

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Lord Lucas and Lady Maude on this, their wedding day. Friends, may your years together be ever filled with happiness. Hugs to you both!

How Plague Frog Came to Smythkepe

Some years ago, Seamas and I traveled to a small, fun-loving group called Gnome Vale in Ansteorra for their Margrave/Vormund Tourney. Neither of us had any idea what a Margrave or a Vormund was, but we knew and loved the people of Gnome Vale and wanted to support their event. We had a grand time. Of the many things we learned that day, one was a game we knew we had to introduce to Smythkepe – Plague Frog.

The Premise
When plague hit Europe, many theories arose regarding how the pestilence was spread. One theory was that it was spread by…drumroll, please…frogs!

What’s Needed
A stuffed frog – reasonably lightweight, but easy to throw and catch
A source of lively music that can be started and stopped at the whim of the music-keeper
A person to serve as music-keeper
A person to serve as judge
Appropriate prizes
Plenty of people to play!

How to Play
The game itself is a combination of “Musical Chairs” and “Hot Potato.” The players arrange themselves in a large circle and toss the frog to whichever other player they choose while the music plays. The music-keeper turns his/her back to the circle of players and plays or stops the music at whim. When the music stops, whoever has the frog (or touched it last) dies of the plague. Prizes are given for the “Last Survivor of the Plague,” and “Best Death” as determined by the judge.

This Autocrat's Attitude - Part 2

Click here to read Part 1.

Autocrats frequently get a bad name – some of them deserve it. Happily, it is possible to autocrat an event without being an overbearing tyrant – or being perceived as one. If you are thinking about entering a bid with your group to autocrat an event, here are a few things to consider…

Know the job
• “Autocrat” is not a title, it’s not a position of authority, and it’s definitely not a position of power. It’s a position of responsibility. The Autocrat is responsible for working together with the group and its officers to organize an event.

Know yourself
• Be brutally honest here. You are one person, and you have a mundane life to deal with while you’re organizing this event. Know what you are able to do and what you’ll have time to do in the months leading up to the event. Delegate everything else. Just remember to touch base with the folks who are helping you to make sure their projects are all on track.

• On the subject of delegation: Whoever says, “We oughta…” just volunteered to do it.


Be flexible
• Unforseen circumstances will occur, that’s a given. Avoid scheduling activities that only you can handle, so that you can remain available to deal with the unexpected.

• You’re not the only person with good ideas – don’t be afraid to listen to what others have to say.


Be reliable
• If you say you are going to do something, do it.

• The Autocrat never leaves the site during an event unless absolutely necessary!

• If it becomes necessary to leave the site during an event, always make sure at least one person (preferably a group officer) knows where you are going, why, how to contact you, and when you expect to return.

Status Change

The idea of petitioning the Crown to increase Smythkepe’s status was officially brought up at last Tuesday’s Pouplace Meeting. Ever since, I’ve been wrestling with the idea – trying to decide whether my “gut feeling” was based upon reason or just fear of change. Honestly, I haven’t yet decided. Below is the text I posted to Smythkepe’s Group List (S-List) discussing my opinions on the matter…


Dear friends,

As promised, my opinions on increasing Smythkepe’s status are below. While I make an effort to not appear to be "dwelling on the past," these opinions are based upon my experiences. As usual, I’ve become a bit long-winded, but I hope that I have also been thorough.

BARONY
A group our size can be quite a handful for one person to administer. A Baron and Baroness (or just a Baron or Baroness, if that’s what we choose) would be able to support our Seneschal(e). However, too many people fail to see the rank of Baron/Baroness as a position of responsibility. Instead, they see it as a position of power. Some of the most back-stabbing, ankle-biting, friendship-rending politics I have ever seen within the SCA have arisen out of two areas – one of those being a desire to be Baron/Baroness. Yes, there are groups that are mature enough to handle Baronial elections well. Yes, we may be one of those groups. Given my choice, I’d much rather see us remain the circle of friends we are than chance the harm Baronial elections can do.

PROVINCE

Legally, within the SCA, Province carries the same status as a Barony. A Province is not allowed to bestow awards that are official in the eyes of the Kingdom. I don’t really see that we need that privilege. I’m just as proud of my Anvil and Tongs as I am of my GOA.
Folk in this area are unfamiliar with the concept of a Province. This could give the perception that we’re non-conformists. Rather than give in to this kind of peer pressure, I see it as an opportunity to educate other groups about options that may be open to them.

WHY CHANGE STATUS?

With an increase in status comes the perception that we have the numbers and the activity that make it worth driving to our events, both official and un-official. This perception applies to the Kingdom Populace as well as Crown. Friends, no group of any size can expect a visit from Crown more than once every two or three reigns. Crown does what they can, but the mundane practicalities of life sometimes hold sway. As a Principality, Gleann Abhann treated us much better than Meridies. Our visit from HRM Ashildir, while most welcome and enjoyed by all, was the first visit we’d had from Meridies in nine years – eighteen reigns. Gleann Abhann, on the other hand, has graced us with Royal Presence at least once every four reigns. Even if we choose to increase our status, I don’t believe we can reasonably expect more visits.

Will increasing our status really gain us more land? I don’t know. Do we really need more land? We’ve quite a large area granted to us already.


We already support our friends in neighboring groups, increasing our status might give us a bit more “sway” to help them more. Still, please remember that with the status comes the responsibility. We are beholden to our duty to support these groups, and cannot fail in our responsibility.

One of the reasons we are considering a change in status is that Gleann Abhann has chosen to require that all groups over a certain size submit bids for Kingdom-level events. Unfortunately, a requirement that Gleann Abhann accept one bid from each group every (x) years was not included in this law. I’ve lost track of the number of bids Smythkepe submitted in recent years; all were ignored or rejected outright. My perception is that there is a small number of favored sites, and any group who fails to submit a bid using one of those sites will not win that bid. I do not believe that is going to change anytime soon.

I am not a strong supporter of increasing our status. However, if Smythkepe chooses to do so, I would support choosing Province over Barony.

-THL Moira nic Bryn

Seneschalate Turnover Speech

At Cracked Anvil Collegium VIII (February, 2005), I was invited to speak in Court when Dewi turned the office of Seneschal over to Alys. This is the text of the speech I had prepared:

Alys, you asked me here as a former Seneschale to assist with today’s turnover of office. This is the third time the office has turned over without going through me – we have a trend!

The office of Seneschale is not a position of power; it is a position of responsibility. This key and this token are a heavy weight to bear. When wearing them, you are speaking and acting as Smythkepe’s Seneschale. Just remember, you’re not alone. If you have questions, want a second opinon, or just need to blow off steam…you know how to reach me (or Dewi or Cinead)!

Smythkepe was founded 18 years ago at a New Year’s Eve party in AS 21. We were granted Shire status as the last act of King John of Ean Airgead II (known as the “Mad Celt”) and Queen Rondallynn II. These were given by them to our Seneschale, Sine nic Schranachain. From Queen Rondallynn came this key along with this ribbon woven in her own colors, or and vert. King John gave us this token, made by his own hands, and a promise to go with it. If ever Smythkepe is in need of aid, send the token so he will know the messenger.

Earlier, I said that when you wear the key and the token you’re speaking as “Smythkepe’s Seneschale.” I ask that you be a Seneschale “for” Smythkepe and not “of” Smythkepe. There is a distinct difference. These are your friends – nothing has changed. There is no “us” and no “them.” As shire members have come and gone, it is only as a group of friends that we have reached our 18th birthday. Let’s keep Smythkepe a group of friends.

This Autocrat's Attitude - Part 1

Sometimes called by other names, the Autocrat is the person in charge of organizing an event. I’ve Autocratted several events over the years, and have been involved in the organization of many others. From these experiences, I’ve developed an attitude…

Know your group
• Remember first, foremost, and always that the SCA is a volunteer organization. Know the talents, likes, and dislikes of the people in your group. Some people would rather take out the trash than herald a tourney, while others are perfectly happy to spend the entire event in the kitchen. Give a task to everyone who volunteers so they feel involved, but be sure to match task to temperament.

Know your event
• Every event has a “feel” that has developed over the years. Learn your event’s history so you can maintain that “feel”. Your group and guests will be more comfortable because they know what to expect. The event’s history will also give you a clue regarding which activities work and which do not.

Keep it in perspective
• “Autocrat” is a position of responsibility, never of power.

• Remember, this event does not belong to you. The Autocrat is the organizer and implementer of what the group wants done.

Procrastination and Persnicketiness

I've done it again.

It's not the first time.

Part of my purpose in starting this blog was to get myself back into the habit of writing. Another part was to give myself a forum for expressing my thoughts and opinions that I may not dare express otherwise. And perhaps the act of writing will help me determine exactly what my opinion is on certain topics.

So why haven't I posted in weeks? Many reasons (some simply excuses), but the top two are procrastination and persnicketiness. There are many things I want to be doing right now, and I’ve only so much time and energy. Good writing is work, and I refuse to post anything I consider to be slog. I can’t even send an email that I haven’t re-read at least twice – how can I do any less with my blog? So I procrastinate.

I'm sure it won't be the last time.

But I’m trying. In an attempt to get myself writing again, I plan to start posting bits and bobs of what were originally intended to be larger posts. I’ll give them similar titles to make them easier to spot. As I learn how to use this software, I’ll group them together somehow. Then, I’ll organize these shorter bits into the unified posts they were intended to be.

Someday.

Actually, this post is yet another procrastination. I'm supposed to be writing a paper that is due Tuesday. I know what I want to say, I just don't quite know how I want to formalize it into a "paper." Nuts.