So much servicing!

Yesterday was Dragonship Haven Investiture and Kings and Queens Bardic Champions.

I was asked by Onora last month to do calligraphy on a Court Barony scroll, as the one hand I know would suit it perfectly. And I've been asking my scribe friends if I could help with scrolls. I thought the best way, but involved, for us to do with with my lack of experience is if she sketched out the art so I would know what size the calligraphy area needed to be. I would be able to do the words without worrying about messing up art with my mistakes. And I can do it in 2 days. So she could take her time with the art, and if something happened that required the scroll be done completely over I could do my part quick. As it happend I dripped some ink on the page and had a minor freak-out while trying to blot it up. I texted Onora and she said it was fixable. So I finished my part and made the pass off back to her to finish in time for the event.

Due to a long search for parking I got to the event just in time to see my friend Lada be called up to be put on vigil for laurel. After dayboard was eaten I had my chance to visit her ("Are you doing ok? Do you need to go to the bathroom? I can sit here for a minute while you take a break.") I was chatting with Ryan just outside her vigil room. Suuder was guarding and being in charge of the list, but he had to go do a Runnymead thing. So he asked Ryan to take over. After a few rounds Ryan needed to go do a thing as well, so he asked me to take over. I ended up doing it for over an hour until the end. It turned out to be a lot more interesting than I had thought it would be. Person goes in to visit, they get 5 minutes. After 3 minutes open the door so the noise from outside is their warning to wrap it up. Take down names. The most fun part of it is I got to meet new people and put names to faces. I chatted with them for a minute as they got put on the list and then again as they were waiting to go in. So that was cool! Also, it was good to help out multiple friends by doing this. The only down side is my wrist was really hurting from holding the book, my phone for timing, and the heavy spare charger because my phone's battery was getting low.

The end of the visitors was about 4:00, just as it was planned to finish up anyway. I had been told previously to go to the Royal Room at 4:15 to be given a scroll to read in court, so I found Audrye and was given a written sheet. I was very happy because it was a nice simple name and not Gaelic or Norse or anything! I saw the edge of Onora's scroll a few pages down and asked if I could see it. She said "Of course you can, you made it!" I said but I hadn't seen the art part, I did the calligraphy first. It turned out freaking gorgeous.

I had been instructed during court to go up to the stage during the MoD elevation. So I watched to see how others were getting up and down, there's a side door that leads to the backstage area. Cool. I snuck up during the ceremony, and after they call vivats I walked behind the Rose banner to stand next to Treannah. Welcome gifts were given to newcomers, and then Audrye nudged me up front and cued what I should say. "Their Majesties call forth Patrick Michael". I thought for a second and then whispered to Audrye "I did say Majesties, and not excellencies, right?" After 4 years of being baronial herald it kind of became autopilot. I called up the order when I was cued, then read out the words (Scroll forthcoming. Sorry dude.). Since he was being given a silver wheel I then after reading the scroll and leaving the stage went down and welcomed him into the order as I went back to my seat. Later on as we were saying our goodbyes Onora said to me her husband was surprised because I'm usually so quiet. He was stunned that I could be so loud! I said "Awww, thank you! What a nice compliment!"

Court continued on, and I saw the scroll I helped with being given out. As it was read and shown off I started flailing in my seat with glee. Vetra looked at me with a quizzical look. I flailed some more. She asked "Why are you so excited?" I gestured to the stage just as it was said "Calligraphy by Violet Hughes" She said "Oh!" and flailed with me. Yay, my first scroll given out in Royal Court! King Wilhelm then said "You all have to see this scroll. It is amazing!" Hell yeah it is, Onora does beautiful work and I'm so excited she asked me to contribute.

So: 1) worked on scroll. 2) read a scroll in court. 3) Brute squadded for a vigil. 4) made new friends. A very good day!

Giftmas all year long

Around Christmas somebody came up with the idea of Giftmas. People post their Amazon wishlists and prowl through the lists and pick something off a person's wish and send it to them. I played too, sent out a few gifts, and received a few gifts.

After the holidays Her Excellency Honig decided it needed to continue on past the holidays and she set up a facebook group. Annie (I can never remember her SCA name) set up a spreadsheet on her google drive, and I said I love playing with spreadsheets and offered to help. So we alphabetically listed everybody and their wishlists, and any extra comments of things not on the wishlist they like. Such as dog photos, somebody to take walks with, coffee and naps, Pokemon Go friends, etc.

After a few days the number in the group and subsequently the spreadsheet has exploded. As of typing this entry there are 167 people on the spreadsheet and 301 people in the group. I didn't want to let the entire spreadsheet be opened up for editing, but I figured out how people can leave a comment and then Annie and I can transfer those comments onto the sheet. People haven't really caught onto that, and every 4th post to the group is "Why don't you pin the spreadsheet to the top?" (It is pinned, you have to look under "announcements"). But slowly it's coming along and everybody is having fun posting photos of the gifts they've been receiving. There's even been a couple of posts of people asking who hasn't gotten anything yet, because they want everybody to feel the love. It's amazing! This is My Society. *heart emoji*

I also had an idea this afternoon and started another tab on the sheet so people can list their shop if they make and sell stuff. Because I know that we as a group love to support small businesses as well, especially if our friends are putting their heart and soul into the craft.

I know this isn't specifically SCA / protege related, but it's a project and I haven't written in this blog for a bit. So that's a thing I've been working on.