[Ansteorra] Twelfth Night Thanks

paula hanna pippermint at sbcglobal.net
Mon Jan 8 09:13:06 PST 2007


At the onset of an event, I am always daunted by the amount of work that is going to have
to take place in order for it to be a success.

At the close of an event, I am always astonished at the number of people who offered
themselves up to manage this Herculean task. And exceeded my wildest expectations.

How can Bonwicke's Twelfth Night manage to grow and become more spectacular with each
passing year? Through the efforts of the people who love her...

Thanks foremost to my Co-Steward HL Serafina. The event wouldn't have had half the magic
without you. All the little things that remain my largest memories of the day - the
gingerbread castle, the Christmas crackers, the music, the roses, the pilgrim badges, the
beautiful feast, the late nights leading up to the event, the long hours together and the
constant joy you bring me.

For new ladies Clairiandra and Aoife and m'lord Alaric. You have proven your worth
tenfold. My sounding boards, confidants, comic relief, lackeys, gatekeepers, talent,
stabilizers, problem-solvers and friends.

For HL Revekka. You are an asset beyond measure. I miss your counsel, your encouragement
and your presence in general. You need to just move back home. ;o)

For Lady Beornwyn. For being called away for 6 months, you have more than made up for
lost time. From general lady-in-waiting duties to a beautiful job teaching dance to
watching out for anyone who was shy a dish or cup or costume - your work was
indispensable.

For Countess Sara and Mistress Clara. Thank you for traveling from so far South to the
cold, dry North to teach, judge, squish butter into hearts, lend the most regal sense of
ambience and imbue the weekend with with meaning. I love you both.

For Hakon and Anna, Baron and Baroness Bonwicke, for their amazing poise balanced on a
pedestal while remaining the most precious, down-to-earth people I will ever meet.

For Her Majesty Britta. For braving sickness and cold to spend the day with us, lending
an air of grace and strength. I can only imagine how exhausting a reign must be, and know
you had a choice in where you spent your weekend. I would like to imagine, that coming to
see us felt like home.

As I was inside the hall juggling grenades, I would like to give thanks for those I never
even got to see who helped His Excellency outside with the tournaments, pavilions,
waterbearing, trailer-unloading, trailer-loading, and most especially to Lords Tristan
and Galen for being nearly attacked by squatter dogs and for coming to Kainin's rescue at
1:30 in the morning when the trailer unhitched itself on the drive home.

Thank you for those who participated in the day's competitions. To the 10 entrants in the
A&S - and congratulations to Lady Clairiandra for her incredible illumination and
acceptance of the title "Arts and Sciences Champion". To all who fought so honorably and
true, both rapier and chivalric - congratulations to Maada and HL Toshiro for their
courtesy and kindness on the rapier field, and to the lovely Lady Aine and Lord Rolf for
the grace and dignity with which they presented themselves on the chivalric field.

For Lady Giorgio (George). I have no doubt that you will receive even more praise from
her Ladyship Serafina, but I know what an asset you were to her in the kitchen from
wrangling passersby to chicken-thawing - you are helpful beyond all knowing or
comprehending. Thank you.

For HL Toshiro who mopped till the wee hours of the morning while I collapsed in a heap
on the floor chanting "Cool wet grass. Cool wet grass."

To the Hero Kormak, Lady Kyleena and her husband who spent who knows how many hours
casting, polishing and gluing pin backs on the most precious pilgrim badge site-tokens I
have ever seen.

To those from all over who have become too numerous to remember who added a piece of
themselves to the prize baskets. I was overjoyed with the bounty that was gathered and
distributed in our name.

For the set-up crew who arrived at midnight, left at 2:00am, tirelessly climbed up and
down ladders, set up chairs and tables, readied the bathrooms and the gate, printed
forms, collected décor and made the place look beautiful. For the take down crew who
tirelessly climbed up and down ladders, loaded chairs and tables, cleaned the floors,
kitchen and bathrooms, made sure the money was correct, offered their cars as pack mules
and stayed to the bitter end to make sure that the place looked like we had never been
there.

To those who poured the soup, washed dishes, gathered taxes on the barony's behalf, sang,
danced, told mesmerizing tales, laughed in all the right places and to anyone who enjoyed
himself during feast. 

For those who traveled from a kingdom away or 2 miles away. The day wouldn't have been
the same without you.

And most of all to my husband Kainin who is the best husband ever to walk the face of the
earth and who claims the unenviable right of being married to the emotional equivalent of
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. He ALWAYS without complaint spends late nights loading the baronial
trailer, early mornings unloading the trailer, his free time picking up keys, dropping
off deposits, signing checks, making sure that what we need is do-able, societally sound,
enjoyable from everyone else's standpoint and performs a hundred thankless tasks that no
one in the barony ever knows he has to do. He is a rock. And a soldier. And a pep squad.
And an artist. And a saint. And there is no way that I would be anywhere near where I am
today without him.

An exhaustive list, but quite devoid of the names that were simply too numerous to
include here. For all who made the day what it was...

Thank you.

Baroness Oriana
Twelfth Night Co-Steward



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