SC - Kingdom A&S

[Christine A Seelye-King]

My Weekend at Kingdom A&S
	by Mistress Christianna MacGrain

	This weekend was our Kingdom Arts and Sciences event, which was held at
a Girl Scout Camp in Trussville, Alabama.  The site presented one hurdle
after another to the host group (the Barony of Iron Mountain, Birmingham,
AL), which included calling them up on Wed. and saying since they hadn't
heard anything from us recently, the caretaker had rented the camp out to
someone else.  The same caretaker had told the Girl Scout counselors they
could come in and set up this weekend, and the GS ended up putting the
counselors up in hotel rooms instead.  We had already been told about a
month ago that we would have to be off site at 7AM Monday morning, as
Scouts were coming in at 8.  
	The Barony did an admirable job at tackling a difficult event, though. 
We got in late, registered my entries, set up our pavillion on a flat
piece of land (rare in that area of the state) and made for the hotel
room.  Once up Saturday, we went back to site and I proceeded to make 5
versions of French Toast.  My hotplate had gone missing, so we took a
chafing dish, sterno, a large cloth, a smaller cloth, and rigged an
elevated, heated surface that kept the food warm (admittedly not as hard
to do in late May than it was in early February).  It also provided a
lovely elevation to the entry that enhanced the effect.  There were many
lovely entries, including two Masterworks, one a carved bed that was
absolutely stunning, and the other was a Japanese paper making and
bookbinding project.  My protege entered her wonderful leather bottles
(which I finally got one of, I've only been hinting for a year!) and
Temair (Tara) entered her cordials and some gingerbread.  Our Barony won
the overall Patron of the Arts, with 20 entries at a higher collective
score than we won with last year - yea team!  
	So, I'm outside talking to our Kingdom Constable about another one of my
proteges who wants to take over that job, when a few friends came and
called me out of the conversation to ask me if I wanted a vigil.   ..... 
!!!  ......
	After hyperventillating a few seconds, I said that yes, I did, and would
wish to plan something splendid, so it was announced in Court that I
would be elevated to the Order of the Laurel at a date to be announced!  
	After that, I had to calmly go back to the reference interview I was in
the middle of, and then teach Feast Appreciation, before I could go
shower and change for Court and take it all in.  I was glad it was a
class I could do in my sleep, and not the new one.  
	So, once the hooplah was over with, we went to partake of the wonderful
meal that fra niccolo had prepared for his Patron, (his Laurel).  Maistra
Irene is the Baroness Bryn Madoc (Athens, GA), and their Baronial
encampment is always just lovely.  She had places for 20 at her table.  I
had been angling for months to get an invitation (you saw the first one
when I asked nic here on the list who one had to know to get an
invitation) and her Excellency was kind enough to invite my lord an
myself.  At the hugfest in Court when the Laurels were congratulating me,
she said "And you're the guest of honor!"  What a rush!  nic had prepared
a three course meal, which I will try to remember, although I'm sure he
can post his menu here better than I can.   Along with several varieties
of wine, water, and sekanjabin, the first remove was a chicken in a sweet
and sour sauce, polenta of semolina, and sugar peas with rendered salt
pork.  The second course was a lamb stew (with dumplings - Serena told me
about your thickener turning into dumplings ;) turnips with rendered salt
pork, and eggplant. Dessert was sabaione (sp?) in wafers, and a cherry
cheese tort.  Yum, yum, yum.  Members of my household helped serve, and
Lady Caitlin of Enniskillin (nic's cohort at the recent Crown List feast)
was there helping, and was awarded with the Order of the Velvet Owl
(Kingdom A&S award) on Sunday.   A fine time was had by all (except my
lord, who has a very bad reaction to the word 'polenta') :p  Temair has
been challenged to do the next one, which I will sponsor, we have even
talked about having it the Saturday night of my elevation.  
	On Sunday, I entered a 13th century "Hymn to St. Magnus" with another
lady from our group, which went very well.  I taught my new class,
"Breaking the Fast, or, What Did They Eat For Breakfast?" (which I just
registered to teach at Pennsic) which went very well.  I couldn't have
done it without this list.  Our trip home was uneventful, and we were
unpacked and in bed by midnight.  
	So, now we have lots of plans to make, and we have not set a date yet.  
I haven't even started a list yet, so we're really in the early stages! 
Anne-Marie, I think I know how you felt, I'm still not sure it's real.  
I go through waves of thinking "But, my work doesn't measure up to
so-and-so's" and have to remind myself that this isn't a pinnacle, it is
a new beginning on an entirely new level.  Our level of accuracy in the
SCA has come so far from where we were, and we are still a long way off
from the accepted standards of other recreation groups.  We just have to
keep plugging away, eat our failures (I have plenty of volunteers for
that ;)  and continue to learn and grow.  And then I think "YIPPEE!". 
Kindof schizophrenic, actually.  
	And that, in a very large nutshell, was my weekend at Kingdom A&S.  
	Mistress Christianna (almost x2)
________________________________________________________________
YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET!
Juno now offers FREE Internet Access!
Try it today - there's no risk!  For your FREE software, visit:
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.