Putting My Foot Down, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Machine
So, the weekend before Thanksgiving, our very own Dear Countess SheepyOne took her life into her hands and held MY hand while *I*, yes, ME, measured, cut and sewed (YES - on a MACHINE) my very first ever "did it myself" (with the aforementioned adult supervision) Norse Apron Dress. The Woolly Laurel looked it over and pronounced that it did Not Suck. And performed great and beautiful acts of embroidery upon it.
We feel as though we have finally entered the World of Grownups and owe the Sheep unrepayable thanks for teaching Yours Truly how to FINALLY dress herself.
This coming weekend, I do it without adult supervision. Stay tuned. ")
What I Learned:
1) Sewing machines do NOT, as a matter of fact, JUMP out at you and eat your fingers just because. This DID come as news.
2) If you DON'T put the foot thingy down, no actual sewing takes place.
3) Putting the Pedal to the Metal makes Laurels giggle at you.
4) I can be taught!!!!!
5) Sheepy is even more awesome than originally thought.
6) Turtle Boy has more patience than the entire list of saints in the church calendar.
7) Bobbins DO run out! Who knew?
In seriousness, you all have to know that ever since the Great Sewing Machine Massacre of 1991 (I was attached to the maching BY THE NEEDLE and paramedics had to cut me out), I have avoided learning to sew - a fact that brings no great shock to those who SAW my wardrobe in the ensuing decades. So, to have gotten OVER this, to the point where I am acquiring my OWN sewing machine and am looking FORWARD to this, is an accomplishment in which Sheepy should take great pride.
I, myself, am just relieved to discover that I can still take directions :)
Thanksgiving itself was a much-needed respite of calm, happy family interaction (no, really) and much Good Eats. Yours Truly gave thanks for the usual, and of course added special thanks for the Sheep and Turtle. And the flax plant :)
Much hugs,
Alysoun
Monday, November 27, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
The Queen Gives Birth!!!!
Let the Bells Ring in delight that our Gracious Queen, Islay II of Trimaris, has been safely delivered of a strapping, 180 pound baby Boy to lead the Kingdom when She and Martin II are dead and moldering in their graves...Ardion and his lovely wife Lisa will now, in their time, bear the Triskele Crowns!!! YAY!!!
This was supposed to be The Lyst That No One Entered, so of course there were 17 combatants and the Lyst lasted nearly four hours, but who's counting? The rest of the event was blissfully uneventful, but Much Big Fun was had by all - the masked Ball, the peerage meetings...what was not to love?
Subadai is now Subadai Ba'ador, which means for you Round-Eyes out there that he completed his vigil and now takes his place as a Knight. YAYAYAYAYAAYAYAYAY! And the lovely Koshka also completed her vigil, enriching the Kingdom by becoming its newest Laurel. YAYAYAYAYAYAYAAY!
And if that wasn't good ENOUGH, our Own Dear Son, Innis, received his Grant of Arms AND...the dear HL Arsalon WILL be knighted at Giulf Wars!!!!! WE veritably caper with delight.
But the best, the most lovely gift ALL weekend - that jewel of jewels that lent its bright sparkle to the dark heart of despair, that Gift Beyond Measure?
Mittens said Fabio was a "hottie" and if he had to go gay, he was glad that "at least he got a hottie." thank you, Sheepy, without you, such a jewel would have remained dark, thank you thank you thankyyou.
I die happy....
Much hugs,
Alysoun
Let the Bells Ring in delight that our Gracious Queen, Islay II of Trimaris, has been safely delivered of a strapping, 180 pound baby Boy to lead the Kingdom when She and Martin II are dead and moldering in their graves...Ardion and his lovely wife Lisa will now, in their time, bear the Triskele Crowns!!! YAY!!!
This was supposed to be The Lyst That No One Entered, so of course there were 17 combatants and the Lyst lasted nearly four hours, but who's counting? The rest of the event was blissfully uneventful, but Much Big Fun was had by all - the masked Ball, the peerage meetings...what was not to love?
Subadai is now Subadai Ba'ador, which means for you Round-Eyes out there that he completed his vigil and now takes his place as a Knight. YAYAYAYAYAAYAYAYAY! And the lovely Koshka also completed her vigil, enriching the Kingdom by becoming its newest Laurel. YAYAYAYAYAYAYAAY!
And if that wasn't good ENOUGH, our Own Dear Son, Innis, received his Grant of Arms AND...the dear HL Arsalon WILL be knighted at Giulf Wars!!!!! WE veritably caper with delight.
But the best, the most lovely gift ALL weekend - that jewel of jewels that lent its bright sparkle to the dark heart of despair, that Gift Beyond Measure?
Mittens said Fabio was a "hottie" and if he had to go gay, he was glad that "at least he got a hottie." thank you, Sheepy, without you, such a jewel would have remained dark, thank you thank you thankyyou.
I die happy....
Much hugs,
Alysoun
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Honor
Chivalry got me thinking . How is honor best described? Is it the same as integrity, or a function of integrity?
We say of those who keep their word that they are honorable to do so.....but what if the word they keep is to do harm? Is there honor still in a promise unbroken, no matter the promise?
Who decides?
I believe it is almost like the Supreme Court Justice who, speaking of pornography, said that he could not define it, but knew it when he saw it. While I would not equate pornography with honor, I do believe the the Justice had a point...
We recognize the honorable when we see them... So, when we see them, what IS it we see that leads us to conclude that honor is in them?
Just as with our musings on chivalry, these matters have been much on my mind lately.....I have seen much honor done recently. I have seen other gentles convinced that honor demands they engage in the willful harming of others. I don't get it.
Those gentles I perceive as honorable are those who keep their word, who keep their oaths, who also do this keeping with as little damage to the feelings of others as they can manage. However, is the second half of that sentence a qulaity more akin to gentility or courtesy than Honor?
It boggles the mind some days - especially this one.
Crown Lyst approaches and many brave people will take the field for, among other things, Honor. For Honor.......lay on. The Field of Honor....Honorable combat. For the honor of their consorts. The consorts are reminded to be worthy of the honor done them.
For the rest of the crowd, who will neither be fighting nor being fought for, I think honor is in paying attention to the honorable combatants - and not sniping at them for decisions on the field we think we may have made differently. There can be no honor in that, most assuredly.
The winners are honored not only by the bright new shiny metal coronets plonked on their heads, but by the sight of the populace showing support and not grimacing...the losers laughing in relief that THEY are spared the Metal Rounds of Doom instead of lamenting their loss in public.
Higher honorable acts, of course, abound in private - where hearts are mended by kind words, no advantage taken of the weak and no harsh or immoderate words belittle the reputations of those not present to defend them. Perhaps honor is also seen in THAT - the *conscious* absence of harmful actions - the Holding of Tongues bound together with the outreaching of hands.....
See you Sunday,
Alysoun
Chivalry got me thinking . How is honor best described? Is it the same as integrity, or a function of integrity?
We say of those who keep their word that they are honorable to do so.....but what if the word they keep is to do harm? Is there honor still in a promise unbroken, no matter the promise?
Who decides?
I believe it is almost like the Supreme Court Justice who, speaking of pornography, said that he could not define it, but knew it when he saw it. While I would not equate pornography with honor, I do believe the the Justice had a point...
We recognize the honorable when we see them... So, when we see them, what IS it we see that leads us to conclude that honor is in them?
Just as with our musings on chivalry, these matters have been much on my mind lately.....I have seen much honor done recently. I have seen other gentles convinced that honor demands they engage in the willful harming of others. I don't get it.
Those gentles I perceive as honorable are those who keep their word, who keep their oaths, who also do this keeping with as little damage to the feelings of others as they can manage. However, is the second half of that sentence a qulaity more akin to gentility or courtesy than Honor?
It boggles the mind some days - especially this one.
Crown Lyst approaches and many brave people will take the field for, among other things, Honor. For Honor.......lay on. The Field of Honor....Honorable combat. For the honor of their consorts. The consorts are reminded to be worthy of the honor done them.
For the rest of the crowd, who will neither be fighting nor being fought for, I think honor is in paying attention to the honorable combatants - and not sniping at them for decisions on the field we think we may have made differently. There can be no honor in that, most assuredly.
The winners are honored not only by the bright new shiny metal coronets plonked on their heads, but by the sight of the populace showing support and not grimacing...the losers laughing in relief that THEY are spared the Metal Rounds of Doom instead of lamenting their loss in public.
Higher honorable acts, of course, abound in private - where hearts are mended by kind words, no advantage taken of the weak and no harsh or immoderate words belittle the reputations of those not present to defend them. Perhaps honor is also seen in THAT - the *conscious* absence of harmful actions - the Holding of Tongues bound together with the outreaching of hands.....
See you Sunday,
Alysoun
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Chivalry
I was musing on chivalry last night and determined that it is SO far from dead that I could sleep easy on this issue forever.
Earlier, I had the occasion to be the recipient of not only much chivalric behavior, but true gallantry as well. A dear friend finds himself between a rock and hard place and has come to the only decision that Honor can allow. He did this while insuring that my own feelings are all good and safe and protected and my *own* honor in excellent hands.
This was no mean feat, as Yours Truly was possessed of much hurt feelings, a badly bruised heart and had been leaking odd salty substances from the eyes for much of the week. The pure chivlary shown me last night did make it Much Better. That is a rare gift in the world at large, BUT, we say with much True Joy, NOT so rare among those we dearly love.
The cool thing is, this is ROUTINE BEHAVIOR on his part, and on the part of other men I know and well love. Yours Truly teases Norse Boy and Mittens unmercifully, but.....the truth? There are no finer men on the planet. They are true knights and I just want to make sure everyone knows that.
Hugs,
Alysoun
I was musing on chivalry last night and determined that it is SO far from dead that I could sleep easy on this issue forever.
Earlier, I had the occasion to be the recipient of not only much chivalric behavior, but true gallantry as well. A dear friend finds himself between a rock and hard place and has come to the only decision that Honor can allow. He did this while insuring that my own feelings are all good and safe and protected and my *own* honor in excellent hands.
This was no mean feat, as Yours Truly was possessed of much hurt feelings, a badly bruised heart and had been leaking odd salty substances from the eyes for much of the week. The pure chivlary shown me last night did make it Much Better. That is a rare gift in the world at large, BUT, we say with much True Joy, NOT so rare among those we dearly love.
The cool thing is, this is ROUTINE BEHAVIOR on his part, and on the part of other men I know and well love. Yours Truly teases Norse Boy and Mittens unmercifully, but.....the truth? There are no finer men on the planet. They are true knights and I just want to make sure everyone knows that.
Hugs,
Alysoun
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