Day Thirteen

Exhaustion has hit.  For this day here is just a list of happy things.

• The Baronial Champions Competition went well.  My fencing champion fought well and with honor which is all I asked of him.  My rattan champion wasn't able to attend.
• I caught the last part of a concert that was nice.
• A dear friend is on vigil tonight and will be becoming a member if the Order of the Pelican soon.
• Sitting around the campfire-even when it isn't lit- and talking with people.
• Time with friends and family.
• Gideon.

Problem with the pictures again today.  I'll add them later.

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The Twelfth Day-Rain

What a great day!  There is a competition for the youth fighters where they need to be sponsored by a Barony in order to participate.  There are three divisions and K was able to sponsor Gideon and two other kids from places outside of the East Kingdom.  It was inspiring to watch the youth combat as they showed how strong and chivalrous they could be.  The youngest kids were just learning which shots to take and which ones weren't and having so much fun doing it.  The smiles on their faces was delightful to see.

We had Kingdom court to attend in the late afternoon.  Things ran a little late and then just as Their Majesties were about to start court, the rain started coming down in buckets.  We were some of the only people there that had umbrellas and stayed out in the rain.  After the rain went by, court started.  They tried to move the pieces of business along quickly, but that seldom works.  During the last piece of business it started to rain again.  By this time K had started getting cold so she cut out of there fast after and I stayed and helped pack all our things up with the retainers.  Since then there have been showers off and on.  It is supposed to be like that for tomorrow too. 

My happy things for today are:

• Watching the youth combat.
• Being under an umbrella in the rain.
• Rainbows.
• Staying up talking with friends while it rained.
• Good friend brewed wine.  This one isn't necessarily a happy thing (?) but words are failing me.

For some reasons the pictures don't want to download so more will have to wait until later.

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Day 11-Archery

Woke up a little late today but we still made it to the High Merit Breakfast.  Their Highnesses told us how they would like to see the polling orders work.  That meeting was followed by the Exchequer meeting.   Notes were taken and I don't think I volunteered for anything I can't handle or won't have some time for after War.

We invited as many who were able to come and shoot archery with us as a Barony today.  Only a few people came with us but it was fun.  I haven't shot in a while and it was nice to get out there again.  Also, I scored some points for the East.

We had gate duty and then Runnymede Dinner tonight.  Runnymede is the household that all the landed Baronages are part of.  There was dinner and a performance for us and we all got to chat about things going on.

Some happy things for today included:

• shooting archery.
• I broke the tie in my chemise today and some friends restrung a new ribbon, while I was still wearing everything-happy and thankful for all the help I got.
• Getting to spend time with people.
• I liked all the food at the dinner tonight and didn't end up being hungry.  Sometimes it is tough being a picky eater.
• K and I were given gifts of tokens to give out!!  💓

Tokens!!

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Busy Tenth Day

It was a very busy day.  I was supposed to start it at a Peerage Gathering but I got going a little too late and missed that.  From there I joined K at youth fighting where Gideon was practicing with other kids his age.  We went to some champion tournaments after that.  I cut out in the middle to go to rehearsal and then went back to more tournaments after.  We also went through the Arts & Sciences Display.  When that ended it was time for dinner and me to be ready to perform.   That is my quick version of the day.

Happy things for today include seeing that the friend I stay with sometimes made it here, getting to hold a baby, watching Gideon have fun fighting, performing.

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Ninth Day

The half way point has been reached.  Now the hard part starts.  Today at camp we had a little gathering that went fairly well.  Not as many folks came as I would have liked, but it was good.  A bunch of us gathered and then processed into the Opening Ceremonies together.  During the Opening Ceremonies War is declared and all the different Kingdoms and a few other large groups declare which side of the War they will be fighting for.  We live in the East and the East wins, a lot.  Not very many other Kingdoms sided with us this year.  My quick look at the history of Pennsic shows me that the East has been on the winning side 9 out of the 10 last years.  That one off year it was declared a tie. 

It isn't about winning for most of us though.  Or at least it hasn't really been for me.  It is all for fun and learning.  Learning may mean a craft or may mean learning things about oneself as their mettle is tested.  Last year there was a huge amount of personal challenges as our Baron at the time had died right before War.  This year so many things are different as we make our way forward without him and with myself and K as the new Baronage.  So many things we are learning and so many things we are forgetting or not realizing need to be done until it isn't happening or what we want isn't there.  I really miss his guidance and friendship.  Becoming a landed Baron or Baroness is all a learning curve.  In three to six years from when we stepped up, and it is time to step down, maybe we'll have a better idea of what we should be doing.  😜

This evening when things had quieted down one of the people camping with us had a question for me.  This person doesn't reside in our Barony but they camp with us.  They asked me if I would be their Baroness.  They live in a part of the Kingdom that is not a Barony.  We have other political areas such as Provinces, Shires, and Ridings.  They reside in one of those.  Anyhow, I told them I would be honored to be their Baroness in whatever way I could.  This little conversation is my happy thing for today.  There were many other happy things today, but that one is the special one for today.

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Eighth Day

Today was Friday.  K went out this morning to do laundry and I dyed my shoes.  Most likely I will put another coat of dye on them tomorrow, they aren't coming out as nicely as I had hoped.  This is my first time trying to make shoes though, and they are still shoes.

Our camp is almost full, just a few more people will be arriving over the weekend and maybe one more at the beginning of the week.  We lost two people because of an emergency gall bladder surgery and may have gained two others because they didn't register in advance.

This evening K and I went to a fund raising dinner.  I wish I liked food.  There was some beautiful food that I normally wouldn't eat but I tried anyway.  It was all prepared well, but I'm still too finicky and probably should have skipped the food and just donated the money.  That said, I did meet new people and enjoyed some fabulous singers there.

After that I went to a hafla.  I was anticipating just stopping in and saying hello to the few people and then leaving.  I ended up staying late into the night and talking with/listening to a few different people and having a pretty good time.

When I got back to camp, very late, I learned about all the things I had missed while away.  Tents have been erected, wood cut and a fire was going and other people had arrived this evening.

My happy things for today include meeting new people, Cinnabon for breakfast, I started doing the Camino de Pennsic and enjoying all the storytellers.

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Day Seven

We started today by going to see other people in the Barony and talking about plans for a different event next year.  The stop after that was where our Seneschal camps and we visited with a few folks there and got to eat some fresh cooked pretzels that were soft, salty and delicious!  After that we became part of the retinue following Their Majesties for a little while and then shopping with the Queen.  She gave K and I each her favor today.  All this before one in the afternoon.  K and I each went to a different class at two, I was late for mine because I needed food.  It was a class on seventh century Briton.  I wish I was there on time as the person teaching is from the Barony, but I enjoyed what I saw.  He seemed very engaging and obviously enjoyed the subject.

After that I mostly took it easy.   All through the day I got to see different people from the Barony, past and present, as well as friends of the Barony.   I hope I am wearing the Coronet well.

In the evening I was going to go wandering around and taking pictures but someone suggested we play a game of Quiddler and the game choice won.  We also had some new arrivals to camp tonight, some first timers.  I am looking forward to spending time with them.

If you have made it this far I think I have covered most of the happy things for today.

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