[Bordermarch] A&S & other stuff

[walton dumesnil]

Greetings extended Baronial Family....The Lord & Lady of Kittens' Keep Manor do hope that everyone had a very merry & safe holiday season...I spent a good bit of my holiday time in the dangerous mountain region of Skyrim...My adventuring was cut short because i took an arrow to the knee...Two days on the boat has miraculously cured my affliction...Adventuring aside, Lady Karen & I have been spending a goodly bit of time together these last six weeks since BAM...The break has been refreshing...I have been thinking of & reflecting upon ideas & options for both scribal & ceramic pottery workshops...Some options include: Scribal inks & pigments workshop; Baronial Field trip to see the Books of Hours @ the Stark; quill-cutting & quill-making classes; researching workshop; & close work w/ the DreamKeepers Organization on procuring educational grants in the hope to build a pottery kiln & foundry @ the "castle"...That being said, I need people to contact me (anyway possible) to find out how many are interested in going as a group to the Stark...The more the merrier, as we are more likely to have an arranged dosent (tour guide) who may have some expertise in the scribal field regarding these books specifically...The dates of availibility are as follows due to my work schedule: Sat. 14 Jan, 28 Jan, &/or 11 Feb...The show comes down the 25th of Feb...times are flexible but would recommend 11am til-? then lunch in Orange at one of the many fine diners & restaurants nearby...For those of you w/ period Arts & Science interest in mind you have absolutely got to go & see the Gifts of the Sultan @ the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston...Karen & I on a spur last Thursday decided to play hookey from life and go see the King TuT & "gifts" exhibits...Tut was good...really good...I was really fascinated by the furniture...Period woodworkers will fall in love w/ the 3500 year old nails (yes Virginia, Bronze nails) in the very precise fitting bed & chair found in his tomb...and the jewelry was nice too...BUT, the Coup de grace was the Gifts showing...OMG!...I spent three hours pouring over the calligraphy & illumination on the 30+ C&I works on display...Magnifying glasses are available in pockets on the walls...I was very happy to note that calligraphers & illuminators back then as well as now are all inherently human & make small mistakes...very refreshing...The earliest piece was a Quran from 911 AD commisioned for the Damascan Grand Mosque...it is amazingly the only parchmented piece that I noticed as everything else was on paper...Remember Kiddies that the Moslem states were more advanced technologically in the Arts & Sciences at this time...The Normans were just meaner & bigger...This show comes down soon (Jan 16th) so you had better hurry...And so unto all I do hope you have a safe & happy 2012 (AS 46-47)...If I don't see you guys Saturday have a fun Epiphany/12th Night/Kings Day     Ld Biau-douz de la Mere