2024 Happy Blog Challenge Continues

In a few days it will be my birthday.  Soon after that is Christmas.  I'm not ready for either of these things.  However, today my daughter, Keziah, gave me an experience as a gift.  I was able to attend a spoon making class.  https://www.leespoons.com/ In the SCA we have the Forester's Guild.  One of the steps in the guild is making your own spoon.  Seeing someone making one a few years ago is what started to spark my interest in carving a spoon.  Here are some happy things from today and that class:  The teacher, Lee, demonstrated how to use a saw, hatchet and a froe to cut the wood into the rough shape for a spoon.  After that we used a wood carving straight knife and curved knife to form the shape of the spoon.  I'm sure there are more appropriate names to the knives that I am forgetting.  There was a lot of knowledge and skill that he tried to impart in a few hours.  We didn't leave with a finished spoon.  I real...

It was an SCA event kind of day.  Here are some happy highlights: This event was almost all about classes.  If Keziah and I hadn't needed to have a time and place for some more champion's competitions, there would have just been classes.  Thankfully, the event steward was gracious and let us have our Arts and Sciences and Rapier Competitions at this event.  Yay!  We have new Champions! The competitions were later in the day.  In the morning I had time to go to a class.  Since one of the things I found when I moved was a spindle and wool, I took the beginner drop spindle class.  Years ago I had put the spindle away when I started struggling with some things. I can't say that I don't still struggle, but I learned some things to lessen the struggle.  What I need more of is practice.  I got some today and practiced a little more when I got home.  Before the event ended we held a small court.  The new Champions were announced and ca...

 It was a good day.  According to my phone, it is 25 degrees outside.  I'm in my tent and things are okay so far.  I can easily get to my friend's house if I'm too cold.  My happy things will be short.   It is late and I am tired. I drove about three and a half hours to the SCA event.  I made it!  That is a long way for me to drive by myself lately and stay awake! The event was good.  I got to visit with good people and help with Their Majesties by retaining.  I only had to go about two and a half hours to get to a friend's house, join with the party and sleep in my tent tonight.  I'm thankful for a hot hands and my wool. ☮ Currently listening to: The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity , by David Graeber & David Wengrow. Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Happy things from today: It was an early morning.  I left the house before sunrise and headed west on the highway.  The sun rose behind me and I could see the sky changing colors in the rear view mirror. The SCA event I attended today was the Crown Tournament.  This is when the next set of Royals is determined through rattan sword fighting.  A good part of my day I spent visiting with friends I haven't seen in a while and then watching the rattan fighters until there was a winner so we have a new Prince. Keziah was at work today.  We ended up having a video call so she could watch some of the fighting with me.  There are less pictures because of that.   It was nice to see people I know get awards during court in the evening.  It was a lovely, but quite chilly day.  The drive home was long and warm.  I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep.  ☮ Finished listening to: Lirael , by Garth Nix. Started listening to: Abhorsen by G...

Most of the day I did a lot of nothing.  Eventually I got moving and have some happy things to share: It was a beautiful fall day with temperatures reaching over 70 degrees.  I decided to walk to DIY Craft & Thrift and get a ride home from there with Zed.  It was a lovely walk and definitely helped to improve my mood and the achy back I've had recently.  Keziah called from the SCA event she went to this weekend.  The event is not in our Barony but she managed to get a Baronial Youth Fighting Champion.  This is something I kept thinking we should do, but I never remembered at the right time.   It sounds like it was a fun event.  There may even be some local war shtick that could come out of this. For Inktober I attempted two of the prompts. ☮ Started listening to: Lirael, by Garth Nix. Finished listening to: Sabriel, by Garth Nix.  Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.