OK - *I* named the Poem...and the ones that followed

I don't write isolated poems - they come in waves....

These three are not, I don't think, the end of this one....but Chastity could indeed be the end of it:

Velocity OR Location

Heisenberg has ruined our souls,
decry the lovers, whose hearts
are breaking at the
interval of time and motion.

Waiting the eternal wait of the
not-yet until the fractions of
pain and patience convert
to whole numbers
and they can Stop and
notice they have finally
been consumated into
the rational equations of delight.

Love is Newtonian in need,
Einsteinian in practice.

And in that Space between titans...
Heisenberg will kick you into pulp.

-----
A Death In The Forest

You are killing me
with your smile; and your eyes
that will hold me and touch me
when your arms cannot;

Your mouth that will kiss me
then leave me to wander
alone in the dark,
Bleeding pain into the grass.

We share a great passion and such
A passion you have for me...
I know it and I see it.

With your eyes and your smile
and your voice you say it.

But in the crowding woods....

beyond a day gone wrong from kindness,
So little of it was allowed expression
So precious sparing shards of it were freed...

that all my rending tears spent the night
Flooding my heart in despair,
and still could not wash you out of it.

So I am stuck here
nailed to my own desire,
left with the certainty
that you love me deeply and truly.

But not madly enough
To have thrown out reason and manners and
Brought me into your bed In the forest
and Loved me out loud.

You were happy with the whispering truth...
and I prayed to hear your shouting.

Shout for me. Shout for me louder!
I am deafened from the heartache.

---

Chastity

How odd a thing
and so rare in our shared
experience that
even the word causes us pause...

but not like the work asks you to pause...

but the Pause of knowing thay
we must but talk
must not walk
down the road in
gentle maddening darkness.

Gently maddening each other
to acts of such unreasoning
and wild magic unchaste in
small deeds as we are denied
a greater and more lasting blasphemy.

So, instead, we are chaste under the trees
and tell each other how unjust such a
construct can be to two whose only
prior experience of the condition
was to pity those in its thrall.

And Chastity bends her head to listen
as we plot her inevitable demise
and sighs for despair
over these not-children but Priests
of delight,
who nonetheless play with matches
in a dry forest of forbearance

And care not at all for the burnt
or for the dead
But only that Chastity Herself
should abandon us as lost
And seek worship instead
from a more placid and arid flock.

And we will We defy Her later
in a place of Our own choosing
and leave Her silently gazing
at Her sister Aphrodite,
who gleefully pipes us away

And into damper, more welcoming
and forgiving woods,
where Chastity herself learns
Forbearance and does not
bring Herself to touch Her hem
to the path burnt black by the heat
She has denied us this day,

but that We have lit
on the Altar of a more gentle
and loving Goddess.



-----

that's all for now.

hugs,
Alysoun

Name That Poem

Hello - real post later.....

Heisenberg was a hack, shout the lovers
Whose hearts break at the
interval of time
before motion converts the numbers to
Whole figures.

Love is Newtonian in need,
Einsteinian in practice.

Heisenberg can kiss my ass.

-- -- --

hugs,
Alysoun

I Am Alive, But Keith Is Still Dead

Keith John Moon, Auugust 23, 1947 - September 7, 1978.

Too damned young. On the one hand, it would have been SO sweet to see what kind of drumming he'd be doing NOW, and how it would have saved portions of Pete's soul to have Keith NOT die.

On the other hand, it was impossible to see Keith as an old man. We are talking about the guy who used to run errands in his town dressed us Queen Victoria. About whom NO stories were exaggerated because it was IMPOSSIBLE to exaggerate them beyond their already exaggerated reality. "Larger Than Life" does not being to cover how Keith lived, how he played, how he played with all of us. My 12 year old was listening to "Substitute" with me the other day and asked just how many drummers were on the track.

One, baby...just one.....

I missed him then, I miss him now....everytime I hear the drum riffs and sometimes just because it's September.

Luciano Pavarotti is also dead. The man had the Most Passionate Tenor.....his technical skill was also top-notch but no more so than his best contemporaries. What set il Signore apart was the same quality that made Maria Callas, whose technical skill was NOT that great, the Most Passionate and loved Soprano of HER time - EMOTION you could TASTE on the notes.

Don't believe me? Go pick up a Turandot recording, dating back maybe 20 years, when he was at his PEAK. Fast forward to Nessum Dorma.

Die happy...

And say hi to Keith for me and tell him I still love him. And then ask Mr. Pavarotti to sing for you both, with maybe Dame Joan on backup. :)

Hugs,
Alysoun

LOOK, I've Been BUSY, OK???

Good morning and Happy August everyone....

Since last we spoke, the Spawn have been sent to and returned from their Grandparents, the Spouse and I have refinanced the house, I've lost 5 pounds and the lawn looks like a jungle.

I have also become Quite Addicted to the following online game, KnightFight.

If you sign up under me, Lady Batte le Orange, I get money! YAY!
sign up here youknowyouwantto
http://world5.knightfight.co.uk/?ac=vid&vid=115249282

The Great Remodeling of 2007 will begin in November. Darling Man and I need a larger house, say an additional 1000 sq feet and at least one more bedroom, extra closets and a sewing room.

Property values being what they are, we could not afford to BUY one, so we are building it instead..and since only REALLY Crazy People (as opposed to the charmingly crazy Y.T. is) take roofs off houses in Florida during Hurricane Season.......it is only the Holiday Season that will get pooped.

But, at the end of it, I have a new master bedroom, a sewing room with a cutting table and dress dummy, and the ability to not have to stay awake until the Children shut up :)

I leave you with one word of advice:

Lock up your pets before you bake cheesecakes.

Film at 11...

Hugs,
Alysoun

Keith Olberman Just Saved Our Republic...
Were YOU Listening?

Dears - a moment of serious. President Bush commuted Scoote Libby's sentence and proved that the Constitution is this administration's personal toilet paper.

No one has yet, loudly enough, called this president to task ENOUGH for his blatant attacks on all that MAKES us Americans.

Until now. Keith Olberman from msnbc Excoriated this president and administration in ways they have long deserved but never really gotten.

go to msnbc, youtube and search, or go to www.mariuscorner.blogspot.com and see the clip. If I got the address wrong, you can go to www.steelwool.blogspot.com and link to Marius from there.

It should be required viewing for every American.

*I* am going to write Mr. Olberman a love letter - for BEING a REAL patriot, a TRUE journalist and making me less afraid, just a bit, for the future of my beloved country.

Hugs,
Alysoun

Oh YES - I forgot about the Frogs!!

So anyway - The Spouse and I have recently put the Great Financial Disaster of 2006 behind us. Now, in order to get through same, we of course Prioritized Our Spending, which meant catching up on the bills, paying for Spawns' medicines, eating regularly, etc. etc.

Which placed the Pool fairly low on the aforementioned Priorities List....

Which therefore allowed the aforemention Pool to become the Great Amphibian Resort and Wildlife Refuge.

Basically, the Pool was a dark green, healthy and vibrant POND, home to several varieties of frogs and toads, and fished in by falcons and herons.

Sounds idyllic, doesn't it???

Keep thinking that while imagining what a backyard FILLED TO THE BRIM with happy, breeding frogs and toads SOUNDS like...at 2 in the MORNING, EVERY 2 in the Morning.

So, the Spouse, having been Woken Up Once Too Often, anounces that the Frogs Must Die and he finally has the Money To Make It Happen.

So, later that same Saturday morning, he goes off to buy Enough Chlorine and Silver Oxide To Turn The Gulf of Mexico Into An Olympic Pool.....

Now, before YT goes ANY further, it MUST be said that the Spawn and i TRIED to rescue the frogs....really....but they apparently didn't understand that the POINT of all our frantic gesturing and grabbing was to SAVE THEIR FROGGY AND TOADY LITTLE LIVES....

Read on...

So, The Spouse comes home, replaces the filter, dumps in the Chlorine and silver oxide, in the deep end. Well NOW the Amphibian Brain Trust gets the idea and they start POURING out of the shallow end....except for the half dozen that were apaprently RIGHT UNDER where the Spouse was pouring chemicals....not a pretty sight...pale, bloated, dead blobs.....

but wait, there's More!

The next morning was Father's Day...and we awoke to the Lovely Sight and Smell of well over a hundred Frog/Toad CORPSES, floating on the surface of the now pale blue Pool...it looked like someone had placed sheets of bubble wrap over the thing...

As it was Father's Day, who was charged with disposing of the bodies?

Me. *I* got to COLLECT the dead out of the pool (eeew); place the dead in a large couple of buckets (EW), transport them to the closest dump (EW EW EW) and then actually dump them OUT (EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW) and then ride home....

Bleached my SELF after that...

So, the pool is swimmable and the Herons hate us.

Smooches,
Alysoun

I Am Not Dead

I have been busy:

1) Fabio did not win Crown, but Thorstenn and Zephyrine DID, so I still get to Have Much Big Fun Torturing Shiny Hats!

2) The rattlesnake in the garage was safely removed.

3) The Great Remodeling of 2007 has now received its financing.

4) Despite my Obvious Wonderfulness, free linen has NOT been shipped to my house.

5) I tested out as; Indiana Jones and LawfulGood. How on EARTH that happened is officially Anyone's Guess.

6) The Oldest Child is in Martial Arts having the Time of His Life and it has helped his attitude tremendously.

7) The Youngest Child is visiting the Grandparents, which will NOT help his attitude, but *is* no doubt Much Fun for HIM.

More later, I PROMISE.

hugs,
Alysoun

P Is The Word, Or Actually, the Letter (thanks to rg)

So, here is how it goes: RG gave me the letter "P" and I must think of 10 things I like/love/adore/appreicate that start with the letter "P." If YOU want a letter, drop me a line saying you want one!

here we go:

1) Pete Townshend. Guitar player. Reason I still breathe.

2) Peonies. Just always liked the sound of the word. Couldn't pick the actual flower out of a lineup.

3) Particolored cotehardies. I look fabu in them (thanks again, Sheep).

4) Pelicans. Duh.

5) Pralines. Because insulin resistance RULES!

6) Peanut Butter. Because no, it really doesn't. :)

7) Pantage's. Coolest. Club. EVER.

8) Philadelphia. The City AND the Movie AND the song. The city because American history is its main tourist attraction and how cool is THAT. The movie because it was the first one to really explain that AIDS is a disease demanding compassion for its sufferers and NOT a moral judgment demanding our condemnation. The Song because it is beautiful and wistful and poignant without ever being maudlin or mawkish.

9) Punk Rock. 1969-1981. RIP :) For the idea that the band was just which members of the audience brought their guitars to the show.

10) Prince. Dare you to find a BAD song he's written/produced.

hugs,
Alysoun

Rest in Peace....

Wally Schirra, one of the original 7 astronauts ever created, has died at the age of 84. He flew in all three original programs: Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It was his flight in Apollo 7 that certified the craft a go for lunar landings.

He, like all those astronauts, was one of my heroes. In a really perfect world, I'd be an astronaut.

I LOVE the space program and even though I live right where they Blast Off, launches never get old and I am giddy on every one of them, watching from the front yard.

When I was a baby, my parents drove to the Cape to watch John Glenn become the first American to orbit the Earth.

When my sons were babies, I drove THEM to the Cape to watch John Glenn become the first Old Guy to go up in the Shuttle.

The whole IDEA brings tears to my eyes and goose pimples to my skin. I am never prouder to be an American, or a human being, than when we are Go for Launch and the boosters go THWUUUMP and the smoke and the fire and the

SWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSH


and the rumble and the impossibly bright, swift-moving star that disappears into the sky...

And now another star joins the heavens...

God Speed, Sir...

HOORAY HOORAY FOR THE FIRST OF MAY
and
HAPPY NEW YEAR, SCA!!

Greetings, Dear Ones!!

Well, does Y.T. have LOADS to celebrate today! First, it is Beltane, May Day, the actual first day of Summer (Hey! if 6/21 is the FIRST day of Summer WHY do they call it Midsummer's Day???? Trust me on this). In the Witch Wheel of the Year, this is THE holiday for merriment, delight, sensuality and the celebration of sun, life and sex.

Generally, it's a tossup for me if THIS day or Samhain (Halloween) is more fun. Right now, I pick TODAY!!!


In MORE celebratory news, the Society for Creative Anachronism turns 42 years old today - this is New Year's Day, AS XLII.

Who knew??? A bunch of college kids get together to do some research into medieval fighting techniques and BAM! I'm a peer....LOL

ANyway, that is all....more later :)

Hugs,
Alysoun

More April Wierdness and a First Amendment Victory

Well, dears.....THIS weekend the Hardest Working Hot Water Heater in show business shuffled off its mortal coil and dumped about 50 gallons of water into YT's garage.
Darling Spouse broke this news to YT by gently shaking our shoulder while we slept to anounce that we would NOT need to be spending the morning doing laundry. Man should go to work for a PR agency.

(sigh)

However, the NEW Hardest Working Hot Water Hearter (NHWHW) has been successfully installed and All Has Been Cleansed, including the 4,298,438 loads of laundry.

And in other news, the Veterans' Administration, apparently having finally UNDERSTOOD the words used in the First Amendment, settled its lawsuit with the families of Wiccan soldiers and has decided that, you know what? Witches are People Too and when they DIE in the SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY, *their* faith should also comfort them and their families in that death.

Henceforth, the graves of witches who die in the service of their country will bear the pentacle, as the graves of Christian soldiers bear the cross, Jewish soldiers the Star of David, Moslem soldiers the star and sickle, etc. The settlement further gives the VA 14 days to comply with all outstanding requests and get those pentacles on the headstones of the pagan patriots who fought for a country that until NOW, didn't think their religion was worthy of the same respect given others. And, by the way, that list of OTHERS includes close to 4 dozen symbols of various world faiths including ones so obscure that they make Wicca look as big as the Catholic church. The pentacle was being specifically excluded because of the Current Administration.

The Bush Administration filed an amicus curiae brief in this suit contesting the notion that the First Amendment covered Wicca. It argued that the pentacle would be a "divisive" symbol and wasn't really representative of a "real" religion. By the way, their argument was wholly untenable and also neglected to mention the 7 US Supreme Court decisions finding that Wicca is ABSOLUTELY a religion like any other....

Times like these I really do understand the feelings of people who are running around wearing the T-shirt that states: "1-20-09: Our National Nightmare Will End."

How DARE *any* president tell *any* faith community that it doesn't count? If a Wiccan president all of a sudden decided that the cross should not be allowed on soldiers' graves...there would be one HECK of an outcry (and such would be more than justified and I would be FIRST IN LINE yelling at the White House).

Anyway, the Constitution won out over the petty-mindedness of the ignorant and is stronger now than it was yesterday. ALL faiths prosper when NO faith is relegated to the back of the bus.

Hugs,
Alysoun

The Sheep Asks Deeply

1. What are three things you would change about Trimaris, and why?
- The capricious nature of the awards system; too often, it appears as though they are done using a dartboard and blindfold, rather than being related to who actually accomplishes things. Feelings get hurt and even those of us with decades in can be seen picking our jaws up off the floor. Although we try to hide that reaction, because NO ONE'S feelings should be hurt just because some has a doubt.
- That thing we sometimes do where you can move here from another kingdom in 1996 and in 2006, we JUST begin to stop referring to you as being "from Calontir/Caid/the East." When I moved to Atlantia in June of 1998, at my FIRST shire meeting, I was introduced NOT as Alysoun from Trimaris, but as "This is our newest Atlantian, Alysoun, who used to live in Trimaris. But, she's Atlantian now." And i was TREATED like that, from Day One. THAT is what I would like us to do.
- Our seeming inability to accept that not EVERYONE was raised in Florida and therefore, does not have our genetic cultural cues. Too often, we shorthand conversations because we don't NEED to explain everything. Which is all well and good, until someone doesn't get it...THEN we tend to STARE at them like they had brain surgery, when Courtesy SHOULD prompt us to Explain Ourselves.


2. What are the qualities that our friends inspire in you - how do they influence you to be a better person?
- Honesty, committment, integrity, loyalty. Basically, the day I get mistaken for Wintson Churchill during the Battle of Britain at the SAME TIME as I get mistaken for Dalai Lama, I can die. It's a constant striving, so expect to have me around for generations :)

3. If you could go back and change something in your life (and possibly change your life path as a consequence) - would you?
- Wow. This is really really tempting, but No. While the road has been hard, I actually LIKE me, and I believe that I am the result of the life I have led before. Well, I WOULD have taken better care of my teeth.


4. What do you think is your worst quality? What is your best quality?
-Worst: My occasionally too-short temper.
- Best: I keep my promises.



5. By a twist of fate, you are in the position to make a choice thatwill save the life of either one family member or 50 strangers. Whichdo you choose and why?
- MAN!!!!! I HATE this question. Honestly, I would probably save the family member, then spend (I am being serious) the rest of my life being eaten up with guilt. If I had elected to do the TRULY noble action, which would be to save the 50 strangers, I would spend the rest of my short life working out a suicide plan and implementing it. It's because of my sons - I KNOW I could not sacrifice either of them.


Sweating now is,
Alysoun

Three Posts In One Day - Alert the Media!

So, sorry for the delay and now the bombardment, but These Things Happen, dearies, they do indeed.

Coronation went off beautifully and now Dead Martin and Islay are Duke Martin and Duchess Islay and Ardion and Lisa are King and Queen! Richard, one of YT's Darling Boys, is truly now no longer her Boy, but her Peer, as in their last Moments On Earth M&A elevated him to the Order of the Pelican. Muahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Much of the Southern Consortium were in attendance to "help" and those that weren't there will simply have to learn to live with disappointment.

April is the wierdest month for Yours Truly, SCA activity comes to a halt as Boys I Birthed reach the Anniversaries of Their Births and Parents Descend.

My Last Week:

4/13/07 (the Irony is Not Lost Upon Us): The Spouse calls to advise that we Should Not Panic but Son #1 has called to say that there is a LARGE BLACK SNAKE (LBS) loose in the house and Son #1 is perched on the sofa arm. I must now of course CALL the AGING PARENTS who are MOMENTS from arriving at the House of Slither and WARN them of this. Done.
Son #1 calls US to advise that the LBS is now OUT of the house, Grandparents are IN and all is well.

4/14/07: Purchasing Much Goodies for Son #1's birthday.

4/15/07: Wind, Driving Rain, Lightning. Son #1's birthday is off to Major Great Start as a bolt of lightning strikes the large maple tree in YT's front yard, causing it to FALL ONTO PARENTS' CAR, taking out the rear glass and leaving various and sundry Dents. No human injuries. Later, Fun Cake and Dinner for Son #1 who loves his Presents.

4/16/07: I arrive Home to find that the remains of the maple have been removed. Apparently, Spouse neglected to tell me that he had Made The Arrangements. We discuss what kind of tree with which we want to replace the maple. I reply, "Anything but LIVE OAK."

4/18/07: 7 FOOT TALL LIVE OAK delivered to house. YT goes to fencing practice. For a very, very, very very, very, very LONG time.

I PROMISE no more weeks-long gap in posts.

Much hugs,
Alysoun

I FORGOT!!!!

If YOU want to do the questions, here's how:

- Leave me a comment saying "interview me!"
- I will respond by e-mailing you five questions. I get to pick them, and you have to answer them all.
- You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
- You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post (WHOOPSIES!!!!)
- When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them 5 questions.

Internet Meme, Longer Update Later

Thanks to Runnergirl for the Following Getting to Knowish Me;

5 Questions:

RG: What made you choose to go into the legal field?

YT: It was an accident, really. I started life as a reporter, discovered I really didn't want to do it, so managed a book store for a few years. Then I decided retail bit the Yea Verily Big One. A friend at the time suggested that I apply to be a legal secretary at the State Attorney's Office. I did, got hired, and now 22 years later, I am the management paralegal at a law firm I love.

RG: Who is your oldest friend? (not age, silly)

YT: Roy and Teri - met both in 1974 and still know them.

RG: If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy?

YT: I would not buy anything *first*. I would pay off all my family's short term consumer debt, fully fund the retirement accounts and college funds for the Boys. THEN, I would buy an entirely new fencing kit from Darkwood Armory, far too much fabric, viking brooches and assorted bling, trips to the UK and of course some SERIOUS cars. Then.....iPods all around!

RG: If you had super powers, what would they be?

YT: Aside from the ones I already have? Samantha's Magic Nose Twitch from "Bewitched."

RG: Obligatory Blog Question: What is the most important thing you have leanred from blogging?

YT: That, rather than spellcheck, what we REALLY need is "context check."

ETC., ETC., and SO Forth....

For the record, T-boy is NOT an "etc". Turtle has been a true and unflagging friend and bulwark for only about a thousand years. Given some Instances at the War, I needed far more emotional support from my Nearest and Dearest than I usually do.

Turtle paid for this in two ways:
1) Being HIMSELF and my dear friend, he was THERE for me; and,
2) I kept stealing Sheepgirl to go on commiserations/crying jags with me, thereby depriving him frequently of the Help and Support of the Woman He Loves.

No words, big guy, no words....

hugs,
Alysoun

War Update - Part One

So....War did its normal job of yea Verily Rocking. Trimaris and Ansteorra "tied" again this year as befits (SWEEP OF RAPIER POINTS FOR TRIMARIS) friends who get together ( 8 to 5 BUT WHO'S COUNTING) being not enemies, but Noble Combatants (OUR HOUSE, Baby!!!!).

I got to fight in a War for the first time in my SCa career, and it was FABULOUS!!!!! Words cannot describe the feeling of an entire army, upon hearing that time has been called and we now must put down our weapons, going "Aw MAN....we were JUST warming up..."

Now, there was some Degree of Unpleasantness, as Yours Truly had to be reminded that not all who call themselves friends are true. It pains us deeply that some we trusted have now turned their backs on us and cost us other friends, besides. HOWEVER, Y.T did NOT have to be reminded that the Usual Suspects (Norseboy, Mittens, Mr. Tasty, Sheepy, RG, etc) will ALWAYS have her back. There are no words to thank my TRUE friends for their unwavering love.

Faith restored, we proceed to Coronation....

Much hugs,
Alysoun

Cry Havoc and Let Loose the Dogs of War! YIPEEE!!!!

GULF WARS (March 11-18, 2007 - tell your friends) is now mere DAYS, dare we say HOURS away and to describe Yours Truly as "giddy" would be to describe the Blitzkrieg as an enthusiastic display of German tourism. We have not been able to make Gulf Wars in FOUR LONG, DREARY, FRUSTRATING YEARS and, as you can no doubt glean from my subtlety, WE are SLIGHTLY excited about going back.

To that end, we have made Garb for ourselves (thanks again sheepy loveyameanit); cleaned armor and weaponry; coordinated Bling to aforementioned Garb; obtained transport to/from AND own half a hotel room for the duration. I may like to PLAY in the mud, but I WILL be sleeping on a box spring ;)

I cannot work, I can barely sterilize the HOUSE, I am so ready to GO! I am longer even technically HUMAN - I have, rather, become a Golden Retriever puppy, head hanging out the car window, panting madly and incessantly, "ARE WE THERE YET ARE WE THERE YET ARE WE TEHRE YET????" at all and sundry.

Y.T.'s patient legal assistant wishes I would physically go home NOW, as I mentally checked out of my job this past Monday. My BOSS no longer asks me any questions more complicated than a reasonably intelligent first grader could answer. I appear to have difficulty responding to my birth name.

WAR WAR WAR WAR WAR! YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!!

I get there Friday night, spend Saturday ironing, recovering, shopping. The Sheep and T brigade, et. al. begin arriving Saturday evening and so the Madness Begins to Ensue. By the time poor beleaguerd N.B. shows up Monday, I may just be too giddy to even poke him much.


So, I am now off to fake the part of a responsible professional and parent for another 36 hours. THEN all bets are OFF!!!

Much hugs,
Alysoun

he WON he WON he WON!!!!!!

Martin Scorsese FINALLY won the directing Oscar he SHOULD have won for:
Raging Bull
Goodfellas
Anything Else he EVER directed.
AND
\he FINALLY WON!

"For those of you keeping score, that's 3-6 Mafia ONE Oscar....Martin Scorsese..."

WON!!!!!!

(flim geek hat off and Y.T. off to bed).

Hugs,
Alysoun

Read any Good Rumours Lately?

There are days.....

Alas, Yours Truly has had the Variable Luck of being a peer of the realm for several years now. While most of the time this honor allows for the having of Much Big Fun and certainly Y.T. holds that responsibility is, in and of itself, Much Big Fun, there are days when Certain responsibilities of peerage do verily sucketh.

Recently, I had the moral and fealty-based responsibility to advise the Crown of a possible breaking of Their Order in a ceertain matter. As the information was secondhand, I advised the Crown that should they feel this secondhand information warranted investigation, They woould need to contact the First Hand witnesses directly.

The Crown ordered an investigation, the information was found to be entirely accurate. The result was twofold:

1) An individual was told most officially to walk away from the Game for awhile. NOT forever, merely "a while": a clearly defined, self-limiting "while." An enforceable "time out" as it were.

2) Yours Truly has been accused of being a liar, a manipulator, a person with a massive grudge and dishonorable besides. Also other words entirely inappropriate for a Family Blog.

While this is not pleasant for anyone, I have seen situations like this before and KNOW that it will All End Fine, as hurt feelings and bruised hearts mend in time.

And while Y.T. does in fact NOT enjoy being the target of threats, insults and outright lies, you know what keeps my heart strong and my chin locked in its upright position?

The support of my Crown, of my Dearest Friends, and the bone-deep knowledge that doing Right never hurt the doer.

I hold my head up and gaze on the light, leaving the scrambling in the dirt to others.

Much hugs to the SheepyWonder, the Turtle and Norse Boy for their unshakeable love and support and to my Crown for being....well....truly Royal. Getting to be in a state of fealty to Such as You both is the best balm for all bruises.

Much hugs,
Alysoun

DARLING MAN DRIVES THE CLUE BUS

Happy Post-Valentine's Dayt, dear friends.....

I must say that, after last year's Debacle of Stoopid, wherein the beloved Spouse began acting like the not-so-beloved Vulcan, D.M. did most excellently make up for it. He made reservations (that's TWICE IN A ROW now - we wonder if it's a brain tumor) at a great Indian restaurant and much fun and big eating was had by all.

You read rightly - Mr. "I don't make reservations anywhere and I think V-Day is ridiculous and I don't think I should make a big deal of treating you like a princess" 2006 Winner of Most Idiotic Response to A Wife Ever - PURCHASED the CLUE! Happy marriage continues traisping on.... He got fine cigars and the gift of a happy and relaxed (amd exceedingly well fed) wife.

Yay him :)

Much hugs,
Alysoun

DARLING MAN DRIVES THE CLUE BUS

Happy Post-Valentine's Dayt, dear friends.....

I must say that, after last year's Debacle of Stoopid, wherein the beloved Spouse began acting like the not-so-beloved Vulcan, D.M. did most excellently make up for it. He made reservations (that's TWICE IN A ROW now - we wonder if it's a brain tumor) at a great Indian restaurant and much fun and big eating was had by all.

You read rightly - Mr. "I don't make reservations anywhere and I think V-Day is ridiculous and I don't think I should make a big deal of treating you like a princess" 2006 Winner of Most Idiotic Response to A Wife Ever - PURCHASED the CLUE! Happy marriage continues traisping on.... He got fine cigars and the gift of a happy and relaxed (amd exceedingly well fed) wife.

Yay him :)

Much hugs,
Alysoun

Tridently Yours...

This past Saturday, Y.T. had the very great joy of attending the Barony of Darkwater's Trident Tourney - the occasion wherein the Old Baronial Nobles (hereinafter OBN) get offed and the New Baronial Nobles (hereinafter NBN) get Beaned with the Shiny Hats of Doom.

The OBN were members of my Clan, and so it was both quite delightful to see them under those hats, AND a relief to see them out from UNDER those hats....

The NBN are also dear friends, so anyway you look at it - BatGirl wins :) And did NOT the NBN look mightily wonderful in their garb? Y.T.'s dear friends Ramon and Elaine helped make it and the garb verily glowed.

And...the WAY BIG GOOD NEWS. Dearest Arsalon get knighted at Trident. Arsalon, for those of you who may not know him, is one of the lovliest persons I know - he has , in his heart, been a true Knight for quite some time and it elevated YT to tears to see this internal truth confirmed externally with Chain, Spurs and Belt. His Excellency Sir Arsalon INDEED!

Then there was the fencing - YT suckethed yea verily, in that I lost all my bouts, but Much Big Fun was had and all the other fencers made a point of giving me encouragement and complimenting my techniques -even the ones that made me lose...Apparently, I look GREAT as I die. LOL

The best news of course, was that the plackett belt I bought is now TOO BIG for me and two placketts have to be removed (thankyou Bryndis for the Accurate Math!!!). My bowflex is my best friend and I am actually starting to NOT hate all photographs taken of me. Yay.

Much excellent thankyous must be given to the Lovely SheepyOne, the Countess of Cool, the Laurel of Love, who at Great Personal Risk to herself, fetched for us the Platonic Ideal of chocolate covered Cherries from the Northern Shores of the Midrealm. Yea, doth the Excellent One Rocketh!!!!

The Turtle and Norseboy also get, again, my Undying Love and Gratitude for the Stepping UP they did on my behalf...you dear gentlemen insist always in revising my estimate of you and your combined chivalry upwards....

And there was the obligatory tweaking of NorseBoy, which he took with the same good grace (get it..grace...get it?) and ... unique... good humor he always does. Remember son, it's Arabian foals or you are stuck playing cards!

Anyway, off to accomplish MORE sewing and MORE weight training as I now have all those cherries to work off..

Hugs and snuggles,
Alysoun

Groundhog Day and Colts and Things Oh My

Good and happy February, everyone!

Yours Truly is pleased to report that February is off to a MUCH slower start than January, which Lordy knows we could certainly USE....

Darling Man's hand is recovering much faster than we thought and his mobility is icnreasing too. Surgery may yet be avoided. WooHoo!

Gulf Wars sewing continues unabated - the Blue and White Norse is almost done, except for hems, and the cotes await. The Goal is to be able to wear NOTHING but the new Norse and cotes for the War...hey! A girl can dream, can she not? And Sheepies has promised that she will instruct Y.T. in the Mysterious And Holy Ways of the Bliaut upon the conclusion of the War.

In anticipation of this event, I am now taking donations for the linen/cotton/silk/wool fund. Find me at the events and we'll talk terms. :)

And the AFC champion Colts won the Super Bowl, again proving that the AFC is the Only Conference That Matters. So there :)

On a serious note, the recent tornados through the belly of this state leave the blood banks in desperate need - open a vein! You will feel FABULOUS for doing this. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about.

More later.

hugs,
Alysoun

More!

Look! More posting from Yours Truly....

January did NOT slow down, friends, so please forgive the lack of consistent updates, yes?

Scots Welsh was a lovely little war...got to say hello to the Usual Suspects (you know who you are) and wave cheerily to Norse Boy off in his unelectronic corner :) The Mittens was also appropriately tortured, so all is Well.

Most excellently, found little teeny stone bats that SheepyOne transformed, out of gracious generosity, into BEAUTIFUL bling for the new Norse outfits. They may also be used as regular necklaces for the FAB new cotehardies. As always, Sheepy proves herself a rare Gem. thankyouthankyouthankyou.

Of course, Yours Truly being Yours Truly, I prompty broke both wings off ONE of the bats...hugging a Duke of prolific Ducal Profile porportions LOL.

Also got to spend a HUGE amount of time with Sheepy and the FarFlung/Crimson Fist/Wyndryder brigade and can state that I have now been Officially Noticed Doing Not Much at an event. So, all of you out there INSISTING I never just sit around and kibbitz.....

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT. So there :)

Have also dropped a SIZE since Christmas! YAY!!! At this rate, I will be SKINNIER at THIS Gulf Wars than I was at Gulf Wars 2003 - this is a Very Good Thing.

Passings:

Denny from the Mamas and the Papas - much missed

E. Howard Hunt -Watergate criminal, frankly not so much.

The Mamas & Papas made music they shared with the world out of their hearts and enriched us all. Mr. Hunt used the Consitution as toilet paper on his way to his goal of assisting a corrupt politician attain greater powers than that document allows. More about this selfishness issue in a bit...

Another gentle from the SCA has recently died - she and I unfortunately grew apart over the last few years, but I mourn both the friend that was and for my friends who were still close to her who grieve still. Sadness abounds, does it not?

Late last year, of course, we suffered the deaths of Scout and Earl Brendan (MAN is that still hard to write) and there are memorials planned for both at Gulf Wars.

Yours Truly hereby anounces that there will be NO DEATHS this year. Everyone go get your heart checked.

Speaking of Death, it got me thinking that we do NOT appreciate the effect our choices have on our lives and on our friends. Brendan especially left his mark on me, making me a better Scadian and a better person. It was selfless on his part.

Too often, though, we make selfish choices that have exceedingly negative effects on the lives of people we allege to love. Some goal seems to become far more important to us than the hurt the journey to same does to our friends and off we go....All of us, me you our cats, make decisions based entirely on the effect they will have on OUR lives and spend far too little time thinking about how it will affect others. In my long experience, this NEVER works out and, once we Do achieve the goal that was so important to us that we willfully and knowingly hurt our friends and in instances made them do what they did NOT want to do; the Attained is not as shiny as we thought and its attaining did us nothing.

And then we look around and notice a trail of borken hearts and hurt friends behind us, NOT loving friends beside us as we travel.

So, let's all stop doing that, shall we? And look out for one another a little more. Listen to the true desires of our friends and loved ones a little more intently and then; being in possession of this knowledge, spend a LOT less time running roughshod over them. No Grail was ever found by the selfish. I may fail in this attempt more often than I succeed, but I committ to trying to changing that ratio. Wanna come along?

hugs,
Alysoun

Yes, IT HAS BEEN A WHILE....

OK....so what HAVE Yours Truly and the Mob been up to?

Hmmm...where to begin..where to begin...

12/21/06: early afternoon; Father in law is spending several days with us
12/21/06: later afternoon: Father in law is NOT spending several days with us.
12/21/06: Still later afternoon: Sister in law kicks Father in law out of house because Fther in law IS now spending several days with Us.
12/21/06; Simultaneously with above: Darling Hand breaks hand on cinder block because Sister in law's face is unavailable.
12/22/06: Father in law arrives. Loves us and apologizes.....much cooking ensues.
12/23/06: Much more cooking.
12/24/06: Much and MUCH more cooking and tree-decorating
12/25/06: FINE day...much cooking and dart-playing.
12/26/06: Father in law goes home.
12/27/06-present: Darling Man's hand continues to be broken. Sister-in-law still lives.
12/31/06-1/1/07: Very Happy New Year, what with the Vodka and Percocets and everything :)
1/5/07-1/7/07: Yours Truly attends Tourney of the Wolf Moon and has a Fine Time.

Also of interest: Have finished the second Norse and am starting in on a series of particolored cotehardies.....to be followed by More costuming because the Sheep is a Bad Influence. Received a HUGE sewing kit for Yule and love it muchly, also received books and many nifty other thingies. Big Find: cobalt blue linen, perfect for Trimaris Court garb. woohoo!!!! and little teeny tiny horse head buttons for one of the particolored cotehardies -and they are ARABIAN horse heads. muahahahaaaa.....

What is interesting to me is that Darling Man is a terrible patient, but also a very odd one...can't wash his hair by himself but CAN microwave his own dinner...can't drive a stick but THINKS he can re-wire the DVD player.....thanks goodness the health insurance is fabulous...

Anyay, off to the house to Do More Sewing and Looking after the Broken..

Hugs,
Alysoun