Travelling Time and Space

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kve1oGPjf8

$12 fee for an ILL book that is available new from Amazon.com for $14 ?

I don't think so :o)

So for the past couple of days I've touched 13 scrolls adding either calligraphy or illumination or both from non-armigerous Argent Palm to bling-bling Duchy.

Needless to say I'm half-blind by now and craving a time where I can space those tasks out over a more generous timespan than 4 days. Really :o) Of course this was only possible neglecting much needed sleep which will certainly backfire - at the very latest on Monday and I can only hope that my munchkins will show some mercy and not instigate any changes to their nap schedule during the coming week. Keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck.

Keep your fingers crossed wishing me luck because come Saturday I'll be replacing F. as Chart Signet. Yes, I'm insane and I'm going to have the officer title to show for it. Heh :o) Hopefully some of that German efficiency that came as part of my DNA package  will prove useful. Again, keep your fingers crossed, candles lit, prayers sent *G* I'm sure I'll need them.

Pictures of latest work will follow soon. My scanner - or more to the point the scanner cable - has a slight accident *cough-cough* with a pair of scissors so right now I can't scan anything until I've replaced said cable. Good thing I have a Digital Camera. After the many hours I put into the Ducal writ I'd hate not having a picture to show.

Tada ! 

 

I do not like TV shows. I do not like having to wait a week until the next bit of my favorite story. I do not like having to wait weeks at a time during summer, spring and winter break or whatever other break the producers come up with. I dislike having to arrange my life around a TV schedule [and I'm grateful for every show that makes it onto Video on Demand]. If I miss a show more than 2 times and I can't catch up on VOD I'm very likely to contribute to the decrease in your show's audience.

*sigh*

I'd so hoped that the "BSG continues in 2008" after last night's episode was a typo, a misprint, a technical error ...

FRAK ! 

I'm really looking forward to more than 8 months without another fix of my favorite show ... NOT ! 

Slowly information, tales and gossip from Gulf Wars are trickling in and many many pictures and aside from stirring thoughts of attending perhaps next year's War they also help to ease the curiosity that's been building up in those who've been staying behind holding the fort.

This year one of my A&S projects traveled along, well taken care of by Martine, and was part of the A&S competition. I've been antsy all week keeping my fingers crossed that I would still be able to go to Coronation without having to shave my head in shame. My entry scored 18 out of possible 20 points so I guess I get to keep my locks :o)

Methods: 5 
Materials: 5
Craftsmanship/Complexity: 4
Presentation/ Overall Impression: 4

Just to refresh your memory, it's this one here

 

 

Wonderful news from the Kingdom of Drachenwald have me squealing with unabashed genuine joy : Bridget the Greywolf has been recognized as a Companion of the Order of the Laurel :o) Wheeeee ! and now I'm grinning stupidly *giggle* My partner in crime, the person who corrupted me to the dark side of inky fingers and paints and brushes oh my, is finally a Laurel in her own right :o) Too cool for words, really *S* so I'll continue to grin like a maniac for a lack of better things to do *G*

Since Friday I'm in possession of a couple of books on early Florida history, mainly concerning 16th century Huguenots but with a few St Augustine reference books strewn into the mix because you can't have the French without the Spanish. Let's just say "oy" in regard to this particular piece of history. One of the lessons easily learned is that first you should plant a couple of food items and make sure your chicken are safe, -then- you can go off in search of such important things as Gold and Silver and all things shiny - or even the fountain of youth if you are so inclined - or else your Thanksgiving table will not groan. Geee, who'd have thought ! Another important lesson learned is that vultures circling near your host's encampment and his soldiers wearing stuff you've seen on your missing companions is never a good sign. Really. If you're neither Spanish nor Catholic things are even worse. Next book waiting in line is "The French in Early Florida - In the eye of the hurricane" by John T McGrath and I'm hoping to escape to La Caroline, the place of the Huguenot fort, for a stroll on Wednesday :o) Yesterday's Scribal tea went well and we gilded a bit using my beloved Miracle-Goo. I haven't used faux goldleaf in ages and my, did they improve the quality. It handles just as genuine goldleaf [I was a bit afraid it'd act differently, be not as soft or thin or just not as deliacte as the 'real thang'] and so practicing to lay it was actually really practicing the technique. Humidity was low yesterday so it took some asthmatic wheezing to get the sizing to be sticky again but it was also cause for much laughter and giggling. We fired up the brandnew gas grill afterward and celebrated with brats and Sauerkraut on rolls, German potato salad and chocolate cake - not necessarily in this order ... heh.

And on a tight deadline to boot - what more can you ask for :o) So after more than 2 weeks I finally touched paper and pencil again to start laying out the next project in line - a duchy scroll. Since my scribal partner in crime F. will be creating the female counterpart we are using the same size and layout and a shared piece of Pergamenata. The whole design will be based on the 15th century Tres Riches Heures de Duc de Berry and I'll be using the January plate as the main inspiration for the illumination. I'm loving this challenge :o) In other news, I caught up with BSG and the episode "Maelstrom", the one ending with Starbuck's Raptor exploding into bits and pieces, is one heck of a pycho-trip when you know how it's going to end. It's one big "Good Bye" from beginning to end that I guess I wouldn't have been as shocked by the outcome watching it than seeing the recap at the beginning of the next episode. Blasted, still. I'm pretty convinced at this point that she is one of the Five ... I'll have to dig out the old episodes that deal with the Cylon test that finally revealed Shannon's true nature. I thought they'd scanned everyone aboard *scratches head* or at least you'd think they did ... Gnnnph !

In order to make things return to normal I'll need a few more days of re-arraging things and doing laundry but at least our daily schedule is back on track, despite the switch to daylight savings time ... gnnnph. Time to play catch-up although I have to admit that the much darker early mornings are putting a serious damper on my energy level. I prefer to wake up to gentle morning sun enjoying my first cup of tea in the company of the first rays of light rather than the dreaded dullness of the hour before sunrise *sigh* No I'm not pro-daylight savings time, rather the contrary. Anyhow, catch-up. Last night we caught up on our sushi nights and of course Battlestar Galactica and Dresden Files. Dresden files is still nice if somewhat stiff, lacking the energetic drive of the books but still worth watching. We're keeping our fingers crossed the show won't be canceled before it has reached full potential as promised by its steady improvement. Battlestar Galactica on the other hand ... after two weeks of abstinence I return to find out that Starbuck exploded with her Raptor ! What ??!! What the heck were they thinking ?! They better have her plausible resurrection planned or I'm going to be really mad, I swear ! Gah ! The best character of the show and she explodes ! Grrrrr .... No calligraphy or illumination done as of noon but I have stuff lined up :o) It's good to be back *G*

So my parents have been here for almost a week already and while it's a lot of work running your household under the eye of your parents [*gasp!*] it's also a lot of fun :o)

We particularly enjoy introducing my parents to the perks of living in Florida. Yesterday we drove out to the beach and languished on beach towels on snowy white powdery sand watching a school of dolphins frolicking in the gentle waves close to the shore. Finndragon happily created sandcastle after sandcastle only to destroy each by rolling on top of it like a dog getting the tickling of Spring out of his fur. It was a gorgeous day. Today they are off to discover the Home & Patio Show all by themselves without us satellites trailing their every step. Both munchkins passed out on the way back home and are now soundly asleep in their respective "napboxes". Now, if only Gmail were working properly and allowing me to read my emails, my world would be perfect *sigh* Alas, it isn't so and so I guess I'll have to deal with a load of laundry or at least the dishes from lunch before maybe, maybe, maybe sneaking in a glorious nap myself :o)

Oh, and just in case you've been wondering : no, I haven't done any calligraphy or illumination for more than a week now. Yeah, I know it'll blow my stats *G* but I told you I wasn't doing it every day or every week and you didn't believe me in the first place *wink* 

Laters !