Gobsmacked

Yes, that is how I feel. Which will attest to me being awake at the ungodly hour of 5:00 this morning. And I'd like to thank HRM Dag for moving up the timeline on my new garb by a whole week.

Yes, ok, I got an award yesterday at Grand Pagent. While it's been (oh crap, let me think) since Jafar and Catherine's reign since I've gotten a kingdom award, I was so not expecting anything. But, one of my apprentice sisters (who will remain nameless, but she's the PREGNANT one) had put me in for the Order of the Evergreen, a mid-level A&S award, which will again put me on the Laurel radar, albeit on the very edge.

With all of the stress and inactivity of late, I'll admit I've gained more than a few pounds, which makes my garb pretty tight and uncomfortable. Since I wasn't doing anything at the event, I decided to just throw on one of Vince's big shirts over my jeans and call it a day. At one point in the day Odette had made a comment to me of "Can't your AoA drink by now?" meaning that I've been in for a really long time. Well, it can't drink till next year. Though, it has been about 15 years since my last kingdom award (through no fault of anyone but me. Having a kid and PPD will do that to a person). Since I haven't been that active recently, I wasn't expecting anything. I forgot the most important rule in the SCA: When you least expect it, expect it.

Toward the end of the day, Moira McG. asks if I am going to stay for feast. I say no, because it's pretty impossible to sit feast with a 6 year old. She asks if I'm going to court, to which I say no, hadn't planned on it. While I do like sitting in court and seeing people get awards, I was hungry and Sean was antsey and we still needed to help get TJ into the van with all his stuff. When I arrived back at the booth, Vince told me that he had been told it would behoove us to stay for court. I've heard that one before, but just figured it was going to be someone else in the group getting an award.

So, we're sitting in court, Caywick and Thorgerd behind us (Caywick yipping like a chihuahua), not really paying too much attention because it seemed like 1/2 of the people called into court were not there. Then I hear the herald call my name. OK, actually she butchered the last name, but since I'm probably the one of the only ones around these parts with an O'anything for a last name, I knew I was hosed. My usual comment to V being 'oh, crap, what have I done now' made it around to at least a couple of people around me.

I head up, fake a curtsey, and actually get down on the kneeler without falling on my face. HRM Dag says 'so glad to see you dress up', and I make some sort of sorry excuse as the herald starts reading the scroll. As she gets to the part describing why I had gotten the award, I hear 'period knitting and smooching and teaching knitting and.....' WTF??? Smooching??? Talk about the collective head-whip. Everyone dissolves. The herald is bright red as she is told it should be 'smocking', and she continues with the award. Mine was probably one of the last awards given, so it wasn't long before we were heading out the door to the parking lot. Of course, everyone was commenting on the smooching remark. I went up to HRH Aislinn and told her that her scribes really need to work on their spelling. She and I used to work together, so there is no peer-fear there. As I was crossing the parking lot Dyderich and Tristan both come up and Dyderich says 'oh, honorable lady, please teach us about period smooching.' OY!

The scroll is beautiful, done with period pigments and 23k gold leaf. As soon as Michael's opens up, I'm going to get a frame. This one is not going to wait.

So, Coronation is in 2 weeks, and it is here in Indy. I've got to get my new garb done. Hell, I've got to get it started.