Duckford

First Outlands Coronation

2009-09-08T06:13:00.007-06:00

Michael Schneider's Photos - SCA - Outlands First Coronation

That's a link to page two of 29 photos of the first Outlands Coronation, put up on facebook by Michael Schneider (Grimkirk ap Greymoor), in the Atenveldt group area.

For those who aren't on Facebook, you can look here: http://s26.photobucket.com..., thanks to the photographer's generosity in sending me the photos! If you're in there or you want to save photos of friends or of moments, please do, but save the credit with the photo somehow. And Photobucket will say it was me, but I tried to credit Michael/Grimkirk in each comment field.

He has photos of the first Crown Tournament up here: Michael Schneider's Photos - SCA - Outlands 1st Crown (1986)

A twenty-five-year-old love poem

2009-07-10T09:33:00.001-06:00

A 25-year-old love poem in the style of a 450-year-old-love poem:

For a love letter contest at a Love Revel in al-Barran in the mid 1980's, I wrote and calligraphed a poem. I might have an image made of it someday, but the text was:

                 GUNWALDT

Like warmth of sun on rocky wall
      When summer's still was here,
As fire makes safe the darkened hall
      And melts all chill of fear,
Your nearness doth my soul enthrall—
      I long to hold you near.

Like morn's first rays o'er vine-clad sills
      As nighttime goes below,
As candle's gaze the darkness fills
      When winter storms may blow,
The gaze of your blue eyes instills
      A bright and lasting glow.

When birds flit down around my bower
      And merry songs all sing,
When dew and breeze make quick each flower
      Which glorious spring did bring,
My heart recalls your gentle power;
      To memories fond I cling.

Your love gives heat to warm my night
      And light to make bright day;
The joy you give is yours by right—
      I give it back straightway.
From deep inside, with all my might,
      I hope you'll always stay.

                 ÆLFLÆD

(It won, and Gunwaldt stayed too; probably unrelated. As I put the text on this page, we've been together for 31 years, and married 25 of those.)

No news is not news

2009-04-11T15:21:00.002-06:00

I helped Gunwaldt with a song he was learning, and found a source and text for another one.

A couple of days ago I spoke with Dermod at length, by phone.

I've spent some time lately with Ashlee (Bella) who is Bardolf's love interest of late.

Today I went to a book signing. Three Laurels were there (though we were out of character)—the author, me, and Mirhaxa.

Humility, and the TW list

2009-01-27T10:56:00.002-07:00

The list is active this week—downright busy. ThinkWellTNG

I've added a quote from Balthazar to the humility index page:
http://sandradodd.com/humility

Now it will become the humility index and samples page, so if there are other samples people would like to share, maybe leave them here or e-mail them to me.

Artan, Charles, Martino

2008-10-14T13:32:00.003-06:00

I got to have lunch with three fine gentlemen today, and I was very glad to be able to visit with Martino in person. This is the sort of photo that's unremarkable when it's new, but twenty years from now will be very cool to have. Weck's on Juan Tabo in Albuquerque, October 14, 2008, photo by Sandra (AElflaed of Duckford). Feel free to stash the photo in your own storage area.

Yes, I know, it's just a little snapshot of an unimportant moment. Yes, I'm sure, in a few years it will be cool.

Francois, and other obituaries

2008-09-20T20:06:00.003-06:00

There is a new piece of writing on Count Francois Duvant, who passed away three years ago.
http://sandradodd.com/people/obituaries/sca/francois3

I have added several times to my obituary page. I welcome input or additions.
http://sandradodd.com/people/obituaries/sca
I could use information (dates and cause of death, or links to places where information is already available) for Duke Andrew of Seldomrest and Count Theo of Mightrinwood. There are many others I would like to add, but these two names have arisen of late, and they aren't on my list.

Local groups sites, and a GREAT map

2008-06-24T06:51:00.009-06:00

Some of you probably know about this map, but it's just wonderful:
Map of the Known World. On mouseover, you see a kingdom's arms, and if you click you have information and links to the kingdom's page and to their local groups page.

I found it very indirectly, but I've linked it here on my links page so I can find it again, but it's "googleable" and now it's here, too.

Before I found that, I was looking at the website of the Baron of Skraeling Althing and then I looked at their canton of Caldrithig site, which has this line-up of links:

I wasn't doing SCA things this morning at all. I was reading the blog of a new unschooler (and some other current and related blog posts), and it led to an SCA reference, which led to a personal SCA blog... there I was. Forgot all about unschooling and was jumping magically from barony to barony all over Ealdormere until I remembered to come back home.

So, no hurry on this question, but if you're by here and know of an SCA group's site that is really spiff or has some element you think is commendable, please leave a note!

Current topics on ThinkWell list

2008-06-14T20:51:00.003-06:00

The ThinkWellTNG discussion list has been busy lately with bio and link exchanges (which I'm collecting nearly as fast as they come in, and those on the list can get to the list), and these topics:

is the SCA's competition pulling ahead? (and what IS the SCA's competition?)
what does the SCA do best?
history of law
"mundane"
writing, teaching (what about people whose favorite activity is research?)
and a couple of split off topics:

flash, respectability and morbidity
work, laziness

That list is here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThinkWellTNG/

Life

2008-05-23T23:05:00.004-06:00

For what is it to die,
But to stand in the sun and melt into the wind?
~Kahlil Gibran, from "The Prophet"

I used to read a lot of Kahlil Gibran, when I was young. I don't much like my people melting into the wind, but it was happening before I ever saw the sun.

Fairly often someone will come by who hasn't been away from the SCA for a while, and they want to know whether their old friends are still around. Sometimes people write to me and ask about one old-timer or another, and sometimes I do happen to know what they're up to and that.

New Orleans and Houston have losses this week. In SCA terms, Yang the Nauseating and Janet of House Morningstar have passed from this world. I spent the day making this page:
sandradodd.com/people/obituaries/sca
I don't recommend reading it through like a book. It might be useful to know it exists, though.

I welcome information, links, devices, corrections; I apologize to anyone for whom sorrow is stirred.

Let us all spend a little time wishing we had lived differently in regards to some who are gone, and then a LOT of time mindfully living with those who are still here.

History in the Duckford News

2008-05-16T10:35:00.002-06:00

http://clarionhall.blogspot.com/2008/01/thinkwell-is-back.html
Clarion Hall: Thinkwell is Back
That one sat in outgoing mail a while. It's not so new.

This is newer, and yet really old stuff!
http://sandradodd.com/duckford/chronicle
If I ever finish it, it will be a record of every SCA thing I've ever
done. Well... events and offices, maybe. What I've autocratted,
which board meetings I went to, which events, what I remember, what
was special... What I've put in has been fun to revisit. It's
leading to a few other pages, such as this history of the Cordon Royal:
http://sandradodd.com/duckford/chronicle/cordonroyal

I continue to work bit by bit on the Outlands History, and I invite
any and all of you, and your friends, to add to it!
http://outlandshistory.blogspot.com

History: collecting and dissemination

2008-04-14T11:46:00.011-06:00

Rhonwen's page on Outlandish V and related bits.

I love Mistress Rhonwen's history pages, and there's a link that will get you to the rest.

Here's something I sent in an e-mail to someone who's been in the SCA longer than I have and with whom I'm still in contact.

Another part of filing and cleaning up. I keep coming to history stuff that's not Outlands history, so I'm putting it as personal history if I have a tie-in. While I was looking for some things for the Wednesday night discussion, I found a diary from 1975 to 1978 or so, and so look what's there on 1978.

and here's the page I sent her: sandradodd.com/duckford/chronicle.

There are a couple of drawings William Blackfox did of me in October 1994 (and more of the day, at the chronicle link).

So there's a new and different way for me to gather and make available (to me with a search, which is nice) where I was (and Gunwaldt, and many other people) at various times. I'll keep adding to it as I come across things, and when I'm putting things in there I can add to the Outlands History blog, too.

Remember that anyone can add comments and memories and links to other accounts or photos there! Please bookmark it and if you come across any accounts or memories, or if you want to go and put comments about awards you got or when your first event was or anything, it will be there.

Children (grown, and segregated)

2008-03-10T23:21:00.003-06:00

http://sandradodd.blogspot.com/2008/03/marty-as-bardolf-at-crown.html
Our second son was in his first Crown Tournament.

http://aelflaedofduckford.blogspot.com/2008/02/segregation-and-other-wrongs.html
Some commentary on "children's activities"

People I Miss

2008-02-01T11:22:00.002-07:00

http://aelflaedofduckford.blogspot.com/2008/01/people-i-miss.html

There are other posts I have in the works. For many years I have withheld many personal opinions, except in conversations with friends and students. I might as well get some of them out there. (Yeah, you thought I couldn't possibly be withholding ideas, right? )

I had to make a new blog to make a new profile

2008-01-27T21:03:00.001-07:00

And here it is: http://aelflaedofduckford.blogspot.com/2008/01/to-have-another-profile-i-needed-new.html"

I wish I had thought of this a year or two ago, but I didn't. I'm glad I thought of it today instead of a year or two from now.

The Outlands History blog has a new feature—a list of recent additions/updates. I can't be methodical about it. For on thing, I'm just not so methodical. For another, though, I don't want to bore the old timers OR the more recent folk with just the 70's, or just last year, so I want to do some and some, and eventually just fill it all in.

My helpers so far are Masters Balthazar and Gunwaldt, who are more back up and advisory at this point, as they have much less time and many fewer newsletters.

Formality of Address (new etiquette bit)

2008-01-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

Formality of Address

This is about understanding the principle behind formal address, instead of trying to go by a rule. When Artan VI was king, I was steward of the household and his squire Dermod asked me by e-mail to clarify something. Here's our exchange from October, 2006. Dermod came up with a great phrase, as you'll see...

There are links there to other etiquette pages, too.

A repository for any little bits of Outlands history

2008-01-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

For those outside the Outlands (those in the Inlands!?):
If you know of a history site for your kingdom that should be shared, please let me know by e-mail or in a comment below.

Outlanders, or former Outlanders, or visitors with vivid memories or diaries or something:

I'm setting up a blog for the collection of historical bits by month. At the moment it goes from 1970 to 1986.
There will be more tomorrow, and I hope to finish by the end of the weekend.

As people add their recollections, it should jog others' memories.

The only three months with entries at the moment are

http://outlandshistory.blogspot.com/2008/01/december-1970.html
http://outlandshistory.blogspot.com/2008/01/january-1971.html
http://outlandshistory.blogspot.com/2008/01/june-1986.html

Comments can be left on any of them, even if the main entry has no details yet. You can add links to comments (notes are here for those unfamiliar with this little code; it's not hard) http://sandradodd.com/hotlink
Photos can't be inserted in comments, but the other two options there will work.

If you want to send a photo, send me a link or an e-mail image if you want me to put it in the main body for that month.

Links to other history sites are there and I'm willing to add as many more as people know of.

Eventually each month should have details on who the king and queen were (and prince and princess, in the day), events, investitures, some awards, details on tournaments and wars. Feel free to add those to comments links any time, starting now (up to 1986 or wherever it is when you go there).

If you have any particular memory of the event—weather, injuries, feast dishes, interesting phenomena, weddings—those kinds of details should jog other people's memories. If you want to tell who autocratted or cooked or heralded or organized the parking lot for an event, go ahead. If you have an old newsletter scanned for that month, put the link (and if it's not online, send it to me and I'll put it where it can be linked).

This can have tons of links to (and maybe from) other resources, and it won't conflict with the wiki because that's by subject/group/person and this is by date.

We can rush to fill it in or we can meander through the years adding photos and chronicles written in those times as we come across them. I would love to have heralds' reports (or links to them, maybe) and tourney reports and lists of honors from the day. Just add them as comments or e-mail them to me (there's a link on that page).

AElflaed

Kingdom differences

2008-01-13T05:23:00.001-07:00

Traditions of what to wear, chains on squires who move to kingdoms where it's not the practice to wear them... Ideas surrounding that are being discussed at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThinkWellTNG/

Article in T.I., and interview

2007-10-26T09:56:00.000-06:00

For the first time in thirty years, I didn't get a T.I.
The explanation involves separate memberships, two T.I.s coming, then one T.I. coming, and me thinking it was Gunwaldt's and him not even thinking about it at all.

So I did get a copy and a Tournaments Illuminated t-shirt for being a contributor (gold on black! My barony's colors, and my household's colors!)

The editor wanted to use something I wrote long ago in Bright Ideas, "Concrete Suggestions for Helping Newer Members."

A new title was negotiated, and it became "Help Newcomers Directly."

Beacuse it's not very long, the editor wanted to fill up the space with an interview. I think the desired response was "Newcomers are the most important part of the SCA," but that's not the response I gave. Still, the topic of the interview was to have been about newcomers.

Because I'm an oldtimer I wish every member still got Tournaments Illuminated. Not so many do anymore. Not even me, I discovered to my sorrow the other day.

thirty years ago, almost...

2007-10-16T11:54:00.000-06:00

Two months from now, thirty years ago, I sent an application/resume/introduction/biography to the seneschal of Atenveldt, because I had been appointed (not so legally, I found out later, when the Aten Seneschal pointed it out...) It wasn't really an application, because I was already "in office" (though I could've been taken out).

sandradodd.com/duckford/1977resume

When I joined, it was generally believed and held in Atenveldt (maybe more broadly; I forget) that the feminine form of "seneschal" needed an "e" at the end. If they were going off formations like Michelle from Michel, they should've doubled the "l" but no matter. The whole deal was dropped before long.

This was done on a typewriter, naturally; everything was then. I have carbon copies of many letters. (Yuck, carbon copies—may you never see or touch one if you haven't already.)

Within just a few years, I had a Kaypro computer with a daisy-wheel printer, then a Mac IIsi with a laser printer, and before I knew it, here I am looking back 30 years.

I think the benefits and disadvantages of one time and place or another are six of one, half a dozen of the other. It evens out. We had more newness and opportunity but less information and example. Nowadays one can learn more just clicking around the internet than we could've learned in a year of dusty library stacks where we were lucky to find black and white line drawings (or occasionally color plates, but nothing like we have now in books and on the internet).

Blogs and webpages are way better, even though less medieval, than typewriters and carbon paper.

Enjoy your SCA life. Enjoy your mundane life, and if you have other side-lives, find the joy in them too.

Humility

2007-10-14T13:56:00.000-06:00

Humility's hard to keep up with. I forget, I get grumpy, I work through my tools and tricks again.
I know, too, that it's been the hardest thing for some people to understand when we've discussed it here, and hard for people to transfer from the SCA to regular life. I'm glad to have found some recent and "mundane" things (if something so useful in the SCA and to one's immediate peace can be considered that).

Humility: A modern explanation and example, and link to another site.
http://sandradodd.com/duckford/virtue/modesty

I added a link to the bottom of the lists of virtues.
http://sandradodd.com/duckford/virtue/lists

easy contact page, and camping

2007-10-12T07:28:00.000-06:00

http://sandradodd.com/anchoress

Streamlined, direct contact, easy to remember. (Well, easier than sandradodd.com/sca/aeanchoress)

I've moved camping links to a central location and will add more. Recommendations (or writings, or checklists, or photos of your camp or of medieval camps, or links to camping pages already out there) are welcome.
http://sandradodd.com/sca/camping

AElflaed the Anchoress

2007-08-03T01:41:00.000-06:00

After years of always the same, I've made a little change in the status of my persona.

The special art (over there at the right, and also on the pages below) is by Galen (sometimes known as Bo) who was at the Readstan philosophy discussion a week and a half ago with me and Asta.

The first time I ever heard of the concept of "anchorite" was when I was a teenager and read a novel, years before I was in the SCA. In recent years quite a bit of research has been done, partly because of a surge of interest in archeology in England, partly because of Women's Studies and the interest in a class of previously marginalized historical figures, and partly because of the internet itself, by which people can share their ideas and research and photos so quickly.

This idea has interested me for a long long time, though. If anyone has more I could add to my pages there, please let me know.
Later is as good as now. I'll keep working on it over the years.

http://sandradodd.com/sca/aeanchoress
http://sandradodd.com/sca/anchoress

"Welcoming Newcomers" pages upgraded

2007-06-30T12:41:00.000-06:00

In the Welcoming Newcomers section of Bright Ideas, two pages have been redone. The second one never did have scans of the letters to which it referred, and someone pointed that out. There are a couple of paragraphs and some links following that, too, from the original writings.

http://sandradodd.com/ideas/newcomers1.html
http://sandradodd.com/ideas/newcomers2.html

Change isn't really a constant

2007-06-24T15:47:00.000-06:00

I've commandeered this blog. It was to have been dedicated to ThinkWell, but I couldn't get the address thinkwell.blogblahblahblah, so I used Duckford. That's fine, because some of the recent announcements have been my more personal stuff and I hate for a blog to just sit so quietly, so although this will still definitely contain ThinkWell news (when there is any), it will not be so limited.

Site announcements by e-mail:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Duckford/, or you can read through the older site news there.

That's me, Lore de Lorraine of Atenveldt (the former Princesss Lorene of the Outlands), and the honored Kate Holford, of Caerthe. We were watching a tournament at Grand Outlandish, the other day.

If you want to look at lots more photos of Outlandish or other recent events, go here and poke around:
sandradodd.com/photolinks

"self-reverence"

2007-06-12T11:02:00.000-06:00

For the benefit of recent philosophy partners, I've added something to the page on mindfulness, about "self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control..."

It's not earth-moving, but it's okay. Look in the box at the bottom.

Guest Fest continues, for a while. Soon the unschooling conferences start to pile up and I'll be out of town too many days in August, September, early October.