Fun With Animation - Some of you may have seen this link already... an entertaining animation of the Bayeaux Tapestry, complete with historical captions. Enjoy!

Sat Apr 7: Gallavally Anniversary - In my last journal entry, I mentioned that I was headed to an Anniversary tourney on Saturday, Easter with the family, and Sunday evening at my third Passover Seder.

Gallavally Anniversary was a nice little event. The drive was easier than I thought it would be, however I need to remember to double-check *both* the map routes on my Google Maps app on my phone, the driving directions in the regional/kingdom newsletter, and the Google maps directions on a computer. I would have done better following my phone route rather than the printed directions, but hey, we learn every day.

I have been asking around the Kingdom for anyone who might be interested in helping out with providing painted scroll blanks for awards from the King and Queen. Dozens of volunteers have been coming out of the woodwork and providing lovely painted pieces nearly every week. So this time I decided it was time *I* should finally get some painting done. I brought my larger scribes table to the event, plus blank scrolls and my painting supplies. Four of us spent the entire day painting, including the Queen. She worked on a "Legion of Courtesy" award scroll, which is awarded *only* by the Queen. I'm keeping it to the side so that when she wants to award an LoC to someone next, she can also give them a scroll that she *herself* painted. Neat, huh? All the ladies who painted with me were wonderful company, and it was one of the more enjoyable events I've attended in a while.

I also loaned my camera out to Matlens during the day, and she took lots of pictures of some of the silliness with "guard eggs" (think Easter arts and crafts). I need to finish sorting out the problems with my photo website, so that I can show you all this fun. I should loan my camera out more often when I'm busy at an event, because Matlens got some *wonderful* pictures. See why I believe in the cuteness of my camera?

Sun Apr 8: Easter and Passover - Unfortunately, I enjoyed sleeping in and cleaning around the house so much in the morning, that by the time I got on the road, the traffic was too heavy for me to get to my Mom's with any time to enjoy the company of my family. I hope they had a nice visit for Easter, and I'm sorry I missed seeing my cousin Andrew and his family. My cell phone was also not working on Sunday, or I would have gotten the voice mail from my mom that Andrew, Jayka, and Caius were planning to be there, which would have meant I'd have gotten off my lazy behind and driven up early. I *still* have Christmas gifts for them, and I'll just have to make plans to see them later.

But I *did* get to the Dudley's in time for our B'nei Caid Seder. "B'nei Caid" is the way in which we describe the larger Jewish community within the SCA Kingdom of Caid, or the entire So Cal region of the SCA. At Gallavally I happened to find a few more friends who were interested in B'nei Caid, and although they weren't able to join us for Sunday evening Seder, I did get the email group link sent off to them on Sunday morning.

Everyone did a lovely job of decorating and dressing up for Seder together, and more people were able to attend than I thought were going to make it. We all travel *so* much for events already, I'm never certain how many people can travel for non-event social gatherings. But Arye and Svetlana made it down from Santa Barbara, Cormac came up from San Diego, and Rachel and I were up from Long Beach. Raphael was our host, plus both Hannah and Gideon (since it was their home). Meala lives fairly nearby, and both Soraya and Eliada made it over. After Seder with Lot and Caterina, it was really interesting to see how differently Raphael put together a personal Haggadah.

I'd never really thought about how many Seders I've been to over the years. I remember going to one with Hillel at UC Santa Barbara, but for the life of me I cannot remember who I went with. (It does remind me to look up some old friends from college, now.) There was a Seder in Darachshire I went to when I still lived in Isles that was a farewell party for when Lev and Gayle moved to Portland. I went to a Seder at Lot and Caterina's last year, and two this year. And in college, I actually *conduced* a Seder for my third- and fourth-grade Sunday School classroom, where I wrote a special Haggadah just for them. I even had parents begging me to let them attend, and I had to say "sorry, just for the kids!" with a wink and a hug and sending the grown-ups back into church.

Clearly the time I spend with Jeff and Adrienne has significantly affected what I think of as "the way I've always done things" when it comes to prayers or songs in Hebrew. I know that they are my "family tradition" in most things. But there have been some other influences from back in my college years, the memories of which are starting to resurface again. I'm sure I'm missing a Seder or two in my memory, and I'll have to think about it some more. But it does make me smile quietly to myself, anytime I think the phrase "the way I've always done seder" since I wasn't raised in a Jewish family. I am a very funny duck.

B'nei Caid Seder was lovely, although I did miss getting to go hunting for the Afikomen. Memories of hunting for the Afikomen (a piece of matzo hidden, which "the kids" go looking for, like a treasure hunt, since it's also the "dessert" signaling the end of the meal) ...these memories are why I'm certain I'm forgetting a seder or two somewhere in my past. For years, I was the youngest person at the Seder, so I was always the one who had to "open the door for Elijah" or I was the one who had to say recite the Four Questions (especially the Child Who Didn't Know Enough to Ask), or the one who really wanted to find the Afikomen. But that was so long ago, I'm now much older than most of the people at Seder, so I'm confused by the memory of "always being the youngest." I *did* find the Afikomen at 2nd Night Seder at Caterina's, which thrilled me to no end because I got to "ransom it back" for the promissory of some new garb. Yea me! (And special thanks to Renee, but I'm not saying why. *wink*)

Hmm. This was a very rambling account of my weekend. Ah well.

The Rest of My Week - We stayed up late Sunday night after the Seder, so I stayed the night in Shoshi's room and left early in the morning on Monday. Work on Monday took over 12 hours, so Tuesday I worked part of the day at home and got all my laundry done. My room was a disaster after being away so often, so I finally got everything squared away yesterday and today. There was three times the laundry as usual, but now I have clean linens on my bed, the carpet is fully vacuumed again, all the garb and modern clothing is washed and hung up again, and all my scribal materials are put back together neatly. Now I still have tons of "work at home" paperwork to wade through, like paying bills, filing my taxes, balancing my checkbook, and catching up on my website updates and emails. I'm having my hair coloring appointment this afternoon over my lunch, back to the office, and off to fighter practice tonight.

Oh, and this weekend is Crown Tourney in Vegas. Scott and I are carpooling -- this time he's driving -- and he's fighting for me in Lists. Nearly everyone I know who's going to Crown has a hotel room somewhere, and I'm sure we'll be joining different friends at different parties Saturday night. It all depends on who wins and who wants to go where. Then we'll head back to CA Sunday morning. So the rest of this week is dedicated to getting ready for Crown this weekend. Catch you all later!

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Today's Blessing That I'm Thankful For: Ismay and Thomasina -- I always enjoy spending time with you in Darach, and always think of you fondly.