Renaissance Faire!

My friend Rachel went as a mage, that's my staff, though it worked for her well enough. I'm technically, Grace O'Malley, but none but I knew that, and that's all which really matters!


This is "The Purple Lady" according to one small admirer. Kristen as our Fey companion we made an interesting trio.

We met and watched some lovely costumes go by. Jesters, Harlequin, ladies of Her Majesty's Court, they were as varied and original as those wearing them.











Then, my favourite part of the Renaissance Faire, The Joust! We had wandered up near the tilting field only to catch the tail end of a show. The king was holding a tournament to determine who would marry his daughter, only to find that the winning knight was his daughter! Her love was cunningly disguised as her double.






Then we caught the real joust. First off, the knights rode around the ring trying to catch small circles of metal on their swords, these were no bigger than four inches in diameter. Next was spearing a "wild boar", made of three bales of hay, with spear, and blade.







This knight was the only bowman among them. He was amazing to watch as he passed, he didn't move up and down like the other knight, instead he was steady in his riding. Lovely to watch.



Then the actual riding-at-each-other-with-a-thundering-roar jousting. These horses run as an average of 15mph. Just imagine that smacking you in the chest!


This is the Hungarian Knight, laughing at his fellows. He was the "pretty boy" of the bunch, rearing his horse and flipping his hair for the ladies.


Can you tell I didn't like it? Nope. I liked Scotland seen below. His horse was HUGE, and he had the long hair but none of the amusing vanity of Sir Hungary.


Between the jousts, the Jester came out on a little pony to try tilting at the quintain. He hassled the M.C. before falling off his plucky ride.







After all that jousting and dust in our mouths we wandered down to one of the food stalls and bought a haunch of ham, despite it being billed as turkey, it tasted like ham! I got to polish it off!




Yummy!





This, is Commodore Norrington. I first wondered why on earth Jack Aubrey had the audacity to show up at a RENAISSANCE Faire. We're talking the 1500's people. Jack didn't sail around until at least 1770. Well, it turns out our friend Norrington here was chasing Jack Sparrow. I told him not to cross the bridge without reinforcement lest he meet one of the many Jack Sparrows roaming the faire. This comment was met with astonishment ("There's only ONE Jack Sparrow!"), then resolution, "I must first re-claim my hat, before hunting down Sparrow". Delightful.


All in all, it was a wonderful day spent with friends, good food, and excellent entertainment. Before we left, Jack Sparrow had to say good-bye to our Purple Fairy!

I should become a psychiatrist . . . .

Do you know that funny little feeling you get when you're reminded by your sub-conscious that something, one little thing, is not quite right? I often put this off as being hormonal, or due to lack of sleep. It can't be true. Silly girl. This is not the case. It IS something. The challenge is whether you pay attention to it and find out what it is, or leave it lie by the wayside. Often I don't address the sub-conscious, primordial warnings, however, when I do things are often solved or revealed.
I even learn things about me from listening to, me. I'm feeling down and acting rather whingey, I could remedy the problem with buying something, but that will provide momentary solving. It won't make me feel better. I found that I draw my creative energy from being around people. EVERY DAY. That's the hitch. I need to be among my fellow man each day for a time in order for this creativity to work. Elsewise I become very despondent and utterly bored. It's silly, but true. The longer I leave off being around people the more despondent I become, the less I feel like I am an artist and as a result, I've no art to produce. No energy to make something. No joy in picking up my knitting needles and just, knitting. Even if I don't like the project, or am under stress, it's the creative energy drawn from people that fuels me under it all.

Ren Faire Update to come tomorrow....

...I'm too worn out to navigate such a long post right now, and besides, you'll have the benefit of more photos that will come later! :)

She also makes costumes....

Its the Gig Harbour Ren Faire this weekend, and I'm going as Grace O'Malley, mostly, but it's been a long haul already to simply figure out what I wanted to be. So I rummaged through Value Village not only turning up a pair of pants, shirt, and, vest for the character, but a smashing Swiss infantry jacket at a steal of $10.

Back to Grace:




The light was awful, but you get the idea. I'm going to wrangle my Da into taking more pictures as the costume evolves.