kareina

When last I did an SCA related post we were just home from Double Wars, and I have been too busy to post since, so time for a catch-up post!

The weekend after Double Wars was Gränstaverna. That event is held on Seskärö, an island near the border between Sweden and Finland. Since we were heading north we packed everything on Thursday, I did Friday morning's cleaning of the Health Center on Thursday evening, and then we drove to Keldor's dad's in Skelleftåhamn with the cats, and slept there. That meant that after he got done with work on Friday (I brought my computer and did stuff at his dad's) we had only 3 hours to drive to site, instead of more than 3.5, and the cats could stay at their summer home and be fed daily by one of Keldor's cousins, who dropped by. The event was wonderful, as we have come to expect from events done by the Torno group--delightful company, a pretty site, lots of fun things to do. After spending two weeks at Double Wars, where spring had already given way to summer like conditions it was a bit of a contrast to see how much ice was still on the water when we arrived on Friday (and how much had vanished by Sunday when it was time to leave--spring in the north is a very fast time of transition). But all too soon the event was over, and it was time to head south, pick up the cats, and go home.

The following week I did the job interview that I posted about. It was a lovely chat with interesting people, one of whom seems to be a kindred spirit, and I felt that if they offered me the job I would accept, but I was also very aware that they are interviewing five people, and have only one position. Therefore, after the interview I pushed aside all job thoughts and focused on getting ready for the trip to Ireland, which was the first event we put on our calendar for the year...
( Prologue )

For the flights to Ireland we had booked travel from Stockholm Arlanda Airport, with the thought of driving down to the airport. As the event drew closer we saw the Majgreve event in Stockholm advertised, and noticed that it was the weekend after Gränstaverna, and before Strawberry Raid. We also realised that we had booked the flights for the Monday after Majgreve. Thus a plan was formed, and this is how it played out...
( Irish adventures )
( the road trip home and Coronation )
Now our busy event every weekend spring and early summer is drawing to a close. On Friday is the picnic in Uma for midsummer, then Broken Arrow the following week, and Skellefteå Medeltidsdagar the week after. We haven't made any travel plans after that, yet, though there are some tempting events coming up on the calendar.

On Wednesday we took down my pavilion, which has been standing in the back yard to dry since we got home from Double Wars, Thursday I managed to get the last of the things organised so that we could pack for this weekends event, and most of the rest of the things we had brought have been put away. Therefore, I think that I can claim to be recovered from the event. This means it is time to reflect on it, and share thanks.

Our trip south started later than we wanted, for reasons outside of our control, so we skipped the runestone sort of adventures we normally do on a road trip, and just drove first to the rest stop at Tönnebro, where we slept a few hours, and then to the Stockholm area, where we picked up Harald.

As we headed back to the highway the van made a weird noise, and then threw a wheel across traffic and into a field. Luckily, there was a bus stop just there, so we parked the van, fetched the wheel, spoke with insurance, and only three hours later we, and everything we had brought with us, was in a larger rental van and we were on the way again.

We arrived on site just before 23:00 on Friday, 25 hours after leaving home, and were shown the location for Camp Northern Lights. That far south it is rather dark at that hour, and we were tired, so we tucked his armour bag on the floor by the passenger seat and covered it with sheepskins to make a nest to sleep. Sunrise at home was 02:00, but on site it didn't come up till 04:00, and I got up and spent a couple of hours sorting things into piles trying to find everything needed to put up the tent (no thought or care had gone into the emergency transfer of stuff from one van to the next).

Eventually I found everything and Keldor woke up, and we set up the tent. Neither of us had any idea what the time was, having lost all sense of time during the long drive. Therefore I apologise to everyone we woke thereby. There was no malicious intent, I assure you...

The good part of starting set up that early was that we had our tent and sunshade up and the car out of the way before the other Camp Northern Lights people arrived. They are the first people I really need to thank. Daniel, Gerdis, Þórólfr, Askar, Bjarni, Hjalmar, Silubrein, and Geiri were all delightful to have living (some more full time than others) in camp. So often I would think "I should (insert camp chore here)" but then decide that I needed to do something else first, and when I returned, the chore was already done.

Everyone always forgets something when packing for an event. Therefore I am grateful to Aleydis for loaning me a hat for the week, so that I didn't have to buy a fourth to go with the three I left at home, and to Sighvald, who was willing to return the hat to her after the event, so I could keep using it after she left site.

After we were moved in and properly set up my focus switched to hiding in the hall to attach the wonderful embroidered roundels people had made for Keldor’s elevation caftan (as that was a location I knew he wouldn't come, so I didn't need to worry about the surprise being spoiled). As a result I missed many fun activities and classes I would have liked to attend, but I think the result was worth it. Certainly Keldor loved it. I will do a separate post with thanks for that, as FB doesn't want me to tag people more than once.

I did, however, make it to the Laurel Sponsored Display, where I enjoyed seeing all the wonderful things people are working on. I love the way our hobby sparks hobbies! I also made it to one of Helga's classes, and loved every second of it. I hope I get another chance to learn from her when I am not distracted preparing for a friend's elevation.

On Wednesday I managed to find time to trade a much-needed massage with Eira, just before the bardic circle we hosted in our camp, both of which I really enjoyed. Thank you to everyone who came and participated!

Thursday during the day we sold a few of Keldor’s knives at the market, and enjoyed visiting with everyone who came by. Thursday evening was Keldor’s vigil, complete with a "fiskedamm", from which people could pull out one of four categories of prizes: candy, tiny bottles of booze (with a single lingonberry in it--apparently this is a Norrland thing), cute toys or hats made by Keldor’s late mother, or small things he's made in the smithy. It was fun for me running it, the visitors seemed to enjoy the "fishing", and I really appreciated the company and help of Emma working with me behind the curtain.

I am also grateful for the help of everyone who helped me set up for the vigil--the food buffet you created (while I was inside setting up the vigil space) looked amazing. I know that the list included most, if not all, of our above-named campmates, with help from (at least) Jörgen (who doesn't actually recommend setting up one's own vigil) Tobias, Annette, Wilhelm, Kokko Sylvi, and Erin. Huge thanks also to Mari who sent the vigil book, and Ermina, who decorated it.

On Friday was the elevation court for Keldor’s laurel. Thank you to Haakon, who sent touching words and a "scroll" (drinking horn, the cast bits of which were made by SvartulvR), John, who made the medallion (out of iron he'd forged from bog ore, using period instructions for doing enamel!), Ermina, who made a lovely scroll on parchment, William, Jovi, Egil, and Þórólfr who all spoke from the heart. I always love seeing our peerage ceremonies, because of the love that is shared, but to be able to be the spokesperson for my own beloved partner, and to hear words from people who have known him decades longer than I have been in the Kingdom is extra special.

Saturday we took everything down, helped with camp take down tasks and started driving north. We had no car troubles, so we visited a few runestones before returning Harald, then slept some hours at Tönnebro, before taking an inland detour to see the 31-monumentet at Ådalen and crossing the Sandöbron. We arrived home on Sunday 27 hours after leaving the site.

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