Back From War!!!

For eight days my husband and I went out to Pennsylvania to camp with about 11,000 of our friends (well actually we don't know them all but we know a lot of people) at the Pennsic War I have to say, I like seeing all of my friends, doing crafty things and hanging out....but there are some things I don't like about war.

1. The heat. I do not like to be hot. Cold is much better for me, I like to be cold. I like to bundle up and breath cold air. Hot weather makes me tired, cranky, headachy... and did I mention cranky? It was hot at Pennsic.

2. Setting up and taking down camp and organizing my stuff. We rented a pavilion, as we did last year. This year it took the set up guy four hours and three trips to get tools, poles and fittings to get the F-ing thing up so we could live in it!! Then it took me three days to get things where I wanted them, clothing hung up and the living space comfortable. Four days of just living in the tent and two days of packing up to get ready to go home. I guess if I were there for two weeks like my camp-mates it would be different. But the last time I went for two weeks my brain fried in the middle of the two weeks and I had a major emotional meltdown.

3. There is no way to keep your feet clean! Unless I wore socks and shoes all war, which I can't do because it seems to make me more overheated, it is not possible to keep my feet clean.

4. Blue toilet water! I try not to think about the blue toilet water, but it's there. It is on the ground, all over the inside of the porta-potties, and it gets on your clothing no matter how hard you try to keep your dress hem up and pants from touching anything. At war, there are germs everywhere and people walk about without shoes! I want to yell at everyone who is without shoes "Hey! Your getting germs all over your feet! Your walking in potty drippings!" But I don't, and instead I try to think thoughts of showers, bleach and clean, non blue things.

5. It is not really a vacation for my husband. He is in charge of fencing for our kingdom and will get up in the morning and go out of camp and go go go all day. When we return from war he is not rested and needs a vacation from what was supposed to be a vacation.


So I think between the things I like about war and the things I don't like about war there is a balance. Next year will be harder because it is an East year and Adam will be running around doing lots more than he did this year. I will see him less, he will be more tired and there will be more to do.

Ok, enough crabby ranting! I found this and it made me laugh.

On another note, my friend Anne talked me into starting a Live Journal. I am staceyspins and am having fun with it!

I have some Pennsic photos to share.

Here is Ronan

















Pasqual, pre OGR














My sweetie, Antonio














And a few random shots from fencing champs




















On the gardening front...

I have a new orchid in bloom














Lots of other orchids that are loving the heat and humidity
















Some very sad brussle sprouts that were my experimental container plants this summer. Brussle sprouts do not like being in containers.














A very tiny Key lime














And last of all I will leave you with photos of my first attempt at making Nann (bread) I was inspired by Jennie/Mylasant who made the most delicious Nann at war in a wood fired oven.














And some lovely, tasty rice in the rice cooker we got from Adams sister Dayna as a wedding gift. Why am I showing you my rice cooker you ask? Well, it was there and I was in the mood to take photos. As this is a Blog read by more than just my close friends I figured I should refrain from photographing my body parts! Oh, and we ate the rice with the Nann, so there is a connection there (o;














Nothing new on the fiber front. Still working on Pasquals sweater, some random baby socks, and carding Stu's wool for spinning.

I was bopping around the web and found the site for where my dad works. I have vivid memories of going there as a child and seeing all of the HUGE machines (that are still huge even though I got taller) and riding in the even HUGER trucks. My dad is cool!

I found this really cute sheep card that I wish someone would send me! Maybe I will send it to me and make my day. I also found this SWAK bag that I would get if I needed one more freaking tote bag to fall on my head when I opened the closet. It IS a cute logo though. If they had a sticker I would put it on the car (o: I also found this sheep and lambs note card online that is waaayyy to sweet.

That is all for now. I am off to water the plants, put away more camping gear till next year and repot some orchids!

Stacey