Decent weather over the weekend. Since there was a coming of age rite of passage happening here at the farm Saturday (and into Sunday morning), this was a good thing. Slogging about on the hill in rain wouldn't have been quite as pleasant. Although rites of passage do have their challenges...

Before that on Friday, Fitzw and I managed to pick up some extra syrup from a nearby fellow maple syrup producer, and some maple cream containers from another farm, and then stopped in at Wandering Moon to chat with Aelfdis (Laura) and see what new things they had. I got a lovely little pendant there, and we picked out some books on working with stone (walkways, bridges, walls, buildings) and one on some woodworking techniques.

Wandering Moon is a store in Shelburne Falls, MA. The owners, Laura and David R, started merchanting in the SCA, then eventually got a store in Shelburne Falls. Unfortunately they can't really make it to events anymore, so we try to go see them now and again and visit. David sometimes comes here to the farm to get hay. They have goats and chickens, and Laura makes goat cheese and also some lovely soaps. She is still working in metal and makes some of the jewelry they sell at the store. The store started out selling a lot of medieval, renaissance items (reproductions) as well as things inspired by the original art of those times. They still do, although they stopped selling swords after a break-in a few years back. They also sell books on useful things -- how-to's and informational books on gardening, hiking, building, tools, etc. Quite a long ways from blanket merchants at Pennsic!

Saturday morning we managed to get to North Andover, to the sale at the Museum of Printing. Found some type we wanted and became members as well. Made it back in time for Fitzw to finish putting things together for rite (with some help from me of course, finding things). Then off the men went their way, and off we women went another. They did whatever they did, and I and my friends stayed up waaay too late talking :D

Sunday was the grove's study group meeting, and then Fitzw and I went off to choral practice. It was a little rough this week, but we still made progress on one of the new songs.

Oh also, I have a new computer. Got it last week, and I'm working on it right now. Still have some work to do with figuring out what's going where, as I may be leaving some things on the old computer and we'll just network everything. Unfortunately the old PC just couldn't keep up with all the new software and was getting too slow to work on. Once we move some things over to the new PC, we can probably get the old one working properly again.

I have to get new email software. Um actually, we downloaded some but I haven't looked at it. Bother. Maybe I'll fire up the old PC later today and see what's come in over the past few days...

Oh, the PC is an HP. p6230y. It's really quite nice. The keyboard is taking a little getting used to, but not too bad. I have a flat monitor now, which is 20" wide. This will be handy for doing web site work, so I can have the site in one window side-by-side with the window where I'll be working on the nuts and bolts (HP 2009m). And it was a package deal, so I have a new printer as well. We think the ink for that is cheaper than for my good printer, so I don't mind having it. Overall, I now have better performance, a computer that will have enough space for me for some time to come, and the setup uses less energy than my old setup. My primary way of saving energy with the old PC and monitor was leaving them off; the equipment is 10 years old, so it really probably was time to get a new PC. I can leave the old one off except when I need something off of it, so it's a net gain.

Things were a little unexpected in the morning. Good thing we worked on the text last night -- Scott the Renoferret showed up not only to pick up the last of his stuff but also to finish up the last of the work on the outside. So we now have the second ext. light fixture up, the weathervane, last bit of gutter, gutter covers, and he also fixed a down pipe on the uphill side of the house that's been giving us trouble.

The 'house' warming went well. Eight people, including the Renoferret and his lady Laura F and our two uphill neighbors JJ and Heidi. Looks like some folks might come back to try things out and/or just hang out and chat - it's all good.

Everyone who wanted to go to try their hand at printing on the proof press got to, and got to bring home a print of their own. And they learned something about weaving, esp. as fitzw had a bit more warping to do first thing, and then the startup process for making a rug. Renoferret helped me wind rags onto a couple of the better shuttles so we could all see how things work. SCAdians got to meet non-SCAdians, which I think is also good -- whether or not the non-SCAdians are interested in joining the SCA, we're all one community.

After Yule I'm hoping to start work on warping up the table loom. I haven't warped up a loom in twenty years, so I'd like to start off small. fitzw will probably have to help me, at least at first, since I don't always get what the books are saying. Magnus is kind of interested in learning, but wants to wait until after NS/BB. So if I can get through some weaving on a small loom first, I'll be up to speed for beginner lessons by then. That way either fitzw or I can get him started. M's quite taken with the idea of weaving napkins for the Runnymede 2008 dinner, with baronial devices embroidered on them -- I suggested we should probably get help with the embroidery, which he's open to, there being so many groups :P

Concentus practice was both intense and silly. If laughter truly is the best medicine, we are all healthier after last night. We dropped a number of songs for Yule that weren't gelling, but will try to have one of them ready for EK 12th Night. Because of issues with the house we didn't start up choir practice as early as we usually do, so we simply didn't have enough time to learn everything. We did replace those songs with a couple of old rounds that we already know, and will be doing one of them with a silly twist (and then probably running away).

Talked to my mom on the phone as usual on Sundays. She's having yet another bout of vertigo. The meds are only helping so much, and they make her sleepy so she can't get anything done. Going to the doctor today, I think -- hopefully they have something useful for her. She's been doing some research and will be bringing some of it with her to the appt. Among other things, the emergency doctor, who knew my mom was on meclezine, also prescribed valium. My mom found out online that the two should not be taken together. grr. So, she's just on the mec now, since we're not even sure why the doctor prescribed the valium. _My_ doctor always checks his book on meds to see if they will all go together in a good way. Other than the vertigo she sounded pretty good on the phone - tired, but no stuttering or struggling to find the right words. One of the things she found online was that for certain type(s) of vertigo there are exercises that can help. She's hoping she has one of those types, and so do I.

EDIT:
ellid had forgotten her music book at home, so as "punishment" I was going to have her take on hemming the last of the servers' napkins I working on for Yule. But this morning I found that not only do I still have that one, but I have her 5th, partially finished one here :D Found them on top of the shelves that are temporarily next to the fridge...