A work in progress

 

I unfortunately do not know the source of this lovely B, as it was a printout given to me to try without further background. If I ever find more information, I will add it here. It is proving to be a nice learning piece, though.

Just in time for the new year...

 ...I have a shiny new badge.

Suggested to me by our wonderful herald Kallinikos of Rhodes, it is fieldless, a Persian double-bow azure. I had been mulling possibilities for ages but would never have come up with such a perfect and delightful badge on my own. I already have a lengthy list of applications for it!

I finished a thing!

 This bar and vine piece has been lingering in my scribal box for awhile...since before the pandemic, in fact. Today I dragged it out and finished it. It only needed the whitework and lining. My hands shake much worse than they used to, but I'm still happy with how some of the whitework turned out. I love the little arrows and half stars; the little leaf highlights look a bit clumsy here and there, but they add some interest and were worth trying, I think.

Chamfron

 We attended our first in-person event since the pandemic began, and it was Crystal Chamfron, the event I started. As with all Chamfrons since I lost Aziza, my feelings were mixed; I want to support the equestrian community, and I hope to take part in it again someday, but being around horses tears my heart out all over again. On the positive side, it was absolutely delightful to spend time with friends, especially those from outside the area. A rider and SCAdian I admire sought my input on a personal matter, flattering me tremendously, and later Wylle was called up in court (twice!) to receive awards (including one that utilized one of my scroll blanks, funnily enough). Despite it being a soggy Saturday, the event was a great success. It was my favorite Chamfron in a long while.

I rode enough to keep my authorizations. I had intended to spend some time on the archery range, but that got rained out. I did, however, get my bows inspected, including the "new" Pony bow that I haven't even gotten to fire yet, so when Wylle gets the range at the farm cleared, I can resume practice. I'm looking forward to it. I am not a good archer by any stretch, but I do enjoy shooting. It is one of the more medieval/immersive SCA activities for me. There is a fundamental satisfaction about archery buried somewhere in my lizard brain, I think!

Our Barony has been meeting in person for a short while, and if things continue as they are, we will likely start attending again soon. I'm eager to return to fighter's practice. Between that, archery, and my scribal interests, I definitely have enough to keep me busy for awhile.

The Right Direction

Today, with Wylle's help, I managed to gather all of my scribal gear in one place for the first time in an age. It is still a manageably-sized pile, and now contained enough to take projects to meetings and events once they begin happening once more. In the meantime, just handling the pads of paper and tubes of paint made me itch to work...perhaps in the next few days I'll find myself a corner of the table and play with some designs.

Changes in the wind

A lot has happened in only a few days...today I tendered my resignation as an equestrian marshal. It feels very strange, but I am certain it was the correct thing to do. I should have done it sooner, but such is my stubbornness. I consulted all three of my peers and received nothing but support. I feel fortunate in that regard.

As for what else has happened, I now have three peers. Master Avery Austringer took me as a protege at Festival of Maidens last Saturday. I am his first protege and as such, he has no contract in place for me to sign. We'll see how that works out for him. :D

So in the immediate future, I will be continuing with the steps I have already taken (learning to fight, working on A&S projects, working up to teaching), but I will also be investigating ways to serve the equestrian community without being a marshal. As in all things, I may not do it well, but I will do my best.

Intrigued

This crossed my feed elsewhere today:

Historic Skills Challenge

I am intrigued by the idea, and while I know I wouldn't be able to complete a bingo card as it were, I still like the idea of laying out challenges this way. So I am saving the link here for myself for later, and if anyone happens to see it and wants to try it, as well, then all the better!

In the meantime, I am entertaining the idea of entering my Barony's upcoming poetry challenge. I've previously written one poem in an attempted Middle Eastern style, but I would also like to write one specifically for the occasion. I have less than two weeks. Wish me luck, ha!