Rowan's Journal

http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-srv/coolestsmalltowns/

These folk are holding a contest to award the "coolest small town" in America. You can vote for 4 towns, by quarters of the US, and the voting closes today. You have to join the site in order to vote but that's not a biggie; they've got lots of nifty info on there anyway.

I found out about this from dear singedcat's blog; the town of Rockport, Maine is there the sailing ship is that she both crewed on and was married on. I've subscribed to their group since and if I could afford that sort of vacation, I'd most definitely go on that boat.

But another town near and dear to my heart is on there too, Eureka Springs, AR. Yesterday when I voted, they were in the top ten and they aren't any more. This makes me sad, because I think it deserves it; what a nifty little town.

So if ya wanna, go vote, ok?

...when we were in California this past August, 5rings and I went to the Starry Plough Pub in Berkely for a session.

In my post after we returned, I mentioned a song that Shay Black started the group jamming on that he'd just been sent from Ireland. I do believe that we were there for the first sing-through of it. I remember that I started a harmony and Shay flashed me a grin for doing that and how much fun it was and how much everybody enjoyed it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EADUQWKoVek

A bunch of verses have been added since the first time I heard it live at the Starry Plough (and OH what a nifty pub that is!) And yes, this is the guy from whom I got accolades for singing "Lass of the Low Country" when the did a song part of the session. Glad I didnt' know who he was then; I'd misheard his name as "Jay"...if I'd known he was a member of THE Black family, I'd never have been brave enough to sing it!

(Thanks Mark, for posting this!)

I'm home and glad to be so...wonderful trip but coming home with a cold isn't the best thing. TIRED and headed for bed very soon as I still have prep for the weekend.

Got the Bodhran book in the mail when I got home (THANKS CAPI! *smooch*) so I wanna go through that and practice a bit so I have a bit more 'arm' for the starting three day weekend. OH and I must find some sort of stool on which to sit so I can play better that way....SO much to do!

Also want to get some more trip memories down before they fade too much. We looked through the pictures that Mark and I both took on his camera; some turned out great and some not so great but it's hard taking pictures from a moving vehicle and he had some fuzz inside his lens. But some good stuff nonetheless. Now, of course, I want a better camera!

Gotta remember to post about being at the session at the Starry Plough Pub in Berkley on Sunday night and getting up my courage to sing at a strange session; very, very cool.

'Night all...

One of the AWESOME moments of SAPA Character Camp this year that I neglected to post but which still fills my heart with squeeeee:

At the end of the wrap-up session, in which Coop was so generous as to allow me to participate, Bruce called for "one more song" which I think everyone could predict.

As he started "Parting Glass" everyone reached out for everyone else until we were in a double-circle hug and singing gloriously.

My mental image is being between Novie/Capn Latimer and Matthew/Owain Fysher and looking at my Beloved and Band-mate and other well-loved friends. Then when it came to the second verse, I stuck my arm up, the one that wasn't clutching Novie, and conducted that awesome group in the harmony verse.

Ye gods, that was intense! I could feel everyone watching and in accord with that song and with one another.

Man, oh man....talk about Golden Moments!

Edit: Not to mention (how could I have forgotten?) that I discovered Benedictine Brandy this weekend...as Susan (the ArchDuchess) said, "pressed from the thighs of Benedictines..." Ye GAWDS, is that stuff smooth!

You see the durnedest things on the google ads! I HAD to click on this...

http://www.amvardo.com/caravan/

I WANT one...but I certainly wouldn't paint it as plainly as that one, no siree!

What a trip! Got a bit more run-around at the Courthouse so took longer than I'd thought but got the license! Star warned me that it was raining the whole way and she was nearly right. Raining hard through the Big Cabin-Claremore stretch where you have to drive between the cement barriers: nerve wracking!

And now it's raining so hard here at home that I can't unload the car. Getting off here now so I can hopefully find a slack in the rain and get stuff in here so I can work more.

Edit: Stuff is all inside now, costing one drenched Rowan and a broken umbrella. The front shrubbery/tree is gonna get trimmed if I have to take clippers to it myself tonight; frikkin' tree is blocking 80% of the entryway.

The house smells like I've been gone for a week with 6 cat inside due to the weather. I daren't use the time that I have to take care of that but it's frustrating since I view that as my job.

Off to the showers for me.

SO much to do and here I am tinkering around on Amazon.com setting up a wedding wish list and updating (or trying to) my gift list on Amazon. Put the link on my user info page, or at least I think I did. Damned thing won't let me re-prioritize! But when folk say, "what do you want for your birthday (Yule, Christmas, Hanuka, Wedding...insert event here)?" my mind goes completely blank. Hence an Amazon.com wish list.

Yes, I'm a Leo; means I love prezzies. I do. I'm also a disgustingly practical creature, being an Aquarius and a Scorpio so what do I want most? ...garden things and kitchen things and organizational things rather than clothes or jewelry or kitschy stuff. Pretty much stuff that I'd never buy for myself. What do I want most on the whole list? A cobalt blue KitchenAid mixer. Yep, I can get all horny over a kitchenaid, I can. Silly me. Ah well.... On the other hand, a simple rose or handful of wild flowers makes be deliriously happy, too.

Well, enough of that for now. Gotta go finish Jenny's bodice and wait for Bruce's kilt fabric to arrive today. Had to fax a form for the Homeland Security Department to FedEx before they can deliver it. Made me a tad nervous coming to the notice of Homeland Security, doncha know.

But it should arrive today; hopefully in time enough for me to prep the pleats to I can take it with me to sew on during the trip. Yep, I must...only 4 weeks until the wedding.

So you won't see me around here much in the next week. Ye gods, only 9 days before my birthday, too. Nervous about getting older? Naw, not really; don't feel it, act it or look it so why should it bother me? Oh yeah, and remifeminin is once more helping with the hot flashes...woo hoo.

First, I'm home and damned glad to be home. Had some trivial but truly annoying car trouble, first a screeching beltish noise that scared the hell outa me on my way into Marshfield. Then today after the parade, the front passenger side window mechanism broke so that the window cannot be raised. Really annoying and meant that I couldn't stop anywhere 'cause I couldn't lock up the car with all my queen stuff in it. So sorry, Adrienne....we couldn't find your folks' house and I had to head on towards home. The drive home was weird with all the breeze from the window and the brief rainshower had me cussing.

The parade itself was fun; odd that the Marshfield parade is a lot bigger than the Springfield one seems to be. Still get people looking at us like, "WTF?" but more folk saying, "Oh, cool" or "It's the Queeen!" or even more often, "Oh, look at the horses!" as if there's some shortage of 'em in the parade!

Anyway, I'm home to umpty-dozen things that need to be done here and think I left my to-do completion list in Springfield, dammit. Still love my costume; cool and light-weight. I'm only aware of being hot when people say, "Aren't you hot in that?" I'm so tempted to do a "here's your sign" reply.

Lastly, I reallyreallyreally hate the noise of fireworks being set off all around the place. May be fun to lots of folk but it sets my nerve on edge and then further pisses me off because its similar to my mother's nervous reaction and I don't like being that sensitive. But dammit, noise pollution is noise pollution.


And if you're planning on coming to visit White Hart, you only have ONE more weekend to do so. If everybody who said they were coming shows up, we'll have a banner weekend. We truly need one after being screwed over by the weather last weekend.

Ritual tonight and then taking my cranky arse off to bed. Bah humbug....

I gotta say that putting piping around tabs and lining them and turning them is the most boring thing! But I gotta get done 'cause I still can't find the blue and red bodice; beginning to wonder if I've left it in a hotel room the last time I wore it...um...KCRF? Yeah, 'cause it was missing before Scarlets. I donno.

Went with Jeannie Ruth (Pirates and Gypsies Welcome folk from TX) to FabriCrack and I was pretty good (really!) I didn't get the huge mystery bolt bag for $5 and I didn't get any of the Belfast linen. I got a couple pieces of silk for lining music bags and one piece of brocade. Amber/Bob, I did get a piece of garnet/gold brocade that just had your name written all over it. I'm thinking something you may hafta have for the wedding. Yep, will try to remember to bring it this weekend. We had lots of chatting and chuckling and fun, Jeannie is a real sweetheart. We originally met her at Excalibur with their nice kids who were getting married there; wow, two years ago now. We had lunch at the Amish Cheese Shop there along hwy 69...OMG good, amazing place. And really nice folk. Jams and spices and flour and soup mixes and cheese and oh wow.

So now I don't feel like sewing but I must.

And this was late coming in but highly amusing...

( today's horoscope )

Bwaaa-hahaha! Hello, I'm a Leo...

We're home...tired and sore. Gods, we're out of faire-shape. But it was fun seeing lots of friends, making new ones and performing at Scarlet's Mid-Winter Faire. Sold a few CDs; not as many as wished but not too bad, considering new venue and all.

Got to unpack and crash now...