Ars Gratia Artis

Rather like this.
And so, one of the major projects this year has been working on bringing my gardens back into line. It’s part of an overall arc of making my life more suitable for me, but this is a part that has borne some literal fruit. Hereafter are notes and pictures on projects, and I [...]

Although this bit, I’m quite likely to recollect. We had our little time up in Door County at the by-invitation scifi con last weekend, and, as usual, I had a lot of fun. Most years, I tend to keep to myself, even though I like all these people, a situation directly related to living in [...]

I admit. I have been “cheating,” using the quick interludes with my camera to substitute for writing out my thoughts. The problem with this, of course, is that they slip out so randomly when I do that.
So, first, a little project reportage:

How doth thy garden grow?

The last few moments of working on the November installment [...]

Behold my mighty prize! vv007!1!eleventy!
In the archery championship, I placed second overall. I feel pretty good about that, and Simon very kindly complemented me on my improvement in form. I attributted this to practice, but as I sit here and think about it, it’s more likely due to 1) a random tip I received from [...]

The Most Bitchin’ Middle-Aged Chick in Brew City at last year’s archery champion’s shoot
And I’m not quite ready. But my arrows are! Anything else get done from my list?
Not a sausage.
Frak.
Guess I’d better at least go cook something, eh?

What a weekend. Week. Month. Year. Just outrageously busy. I thought I was going to have a quiet weekend puttering around the house. Clean a little. Cook a lot. Bake a little. Fix my arrows in preparation for Michaelmas. Work in my garden. Get projects together for future completion. That kind of thing.

But [...]

How I love my Projectland.

Finished another knit bag for the feast gear. This was knitted in the round, one skien of an acrylic yarn. I didn’t knit this very well, but, it’s better than the first thing I knitted, and after being washed, some of the issues were resolved. I found knitting in the round [...]

Here’s a fun site for a heraldry geek: Design a Coat of Arms
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Surprise search words to tickle my fancy: darkwood “garden of balance” It always surprises me when someone is looking for information on those old games. I’m please that after 20 years they still generate curiosity. They certainly don’t generate revenue. It was certainly [...]

Mood, for the past 2 weeks: Bitcharina McCrankypants wears the Red Hat of Badness.
Yup.
Saw Harry Potter Movie #5. Enjoyed it. Saw a couple of movie trailers that might be interesting; the below-referenced Golden Compass and Stardust. Waiting patiently for Harry Potter book # 7 to arrive. Suggested to Angelique that I might re-read 1-6 [...]

Man. My arm hurts. But boy, is my new bow SWEET. I’ve already got to repair 6 of my 12 arrows, as the impact into the hay bales is so much harder that I keep loosing points (arrow heads).
Meanwhile, I remain amused by the fact that guys out there struggle to pull that [...]

Look at my new toy!
It’s my hunting bow. I realized I needed to start practicing with the kit I will be using this September, and so I perused Three Rivers‘ site to ascertain likely prices, then went over to West Town Archery to actually try them, see if they had in stock one of [...]

Every so often, I realize just how completely I am a Laurel, like in those moments when I am sitting in a class on grafting apple trees with the explanation that I need the apples for historical cooking, because growing the trees is the only way to make sure I have apples from the era [...]