Category: Personal

A New Year – A New Peer (Still)

A clarification regarding the title of this post before I get started… No, I haven’t received another Peerage. I just consider myself to be a “New Peer” still as it’s only been 11 months since I became a Member of the Order of the Pelican. Most especially since I’ve only been able to attend a few events due to the ongoing pandemic.

Also, I needed a catchy/rhyming title for this post, so here we are!

Last year the Board of Directors re-opened the SCA for events starting May 31st. The Kingdom of Atlantia held 16 in-person events between June and December of last year. Many other events were cancelled or moved online due to continued concerns surrounding Covid-19. Of the 16 in-person events that were held, I was only able to attend three. Now, 16 in-person events might seem like a fair number. But, for comparison, the Kingdom of Atlantia held 68 in-person events in 2019, before the pandemic began. I attended 24 events that year!

Of course, because the pandemic is ongoing, a lot of activities remain virtual. The monthly Chatelain meetings that I run as Kingdom Chatelain are all virtual. The bi-weekly Great Officers meetings that I attend are virtual. All of the classes that I take and teach through the University of Atlantia are virtual. In fact, we are still having virtual courts, as Kingdom 12th Night was recently cancelled due to the Omicron variant.

Virtual SCA is still very much a thing.

And it is likely to remain so, on and off, as new Covid variants rear their heads. While I will continue to participate in Virtual SCA as I have been these past (almost) two years now (!!), I am very much longing for the day when we can gather again at big events and enjoy each other’s company. I truly believe the SCA is an event based organization and we are all hurting a bit from the lack of in-person contact.

Now that 2022 is off to a start I’ve been giving some thoughts to my resolutions for the year. While I don’t usually do New Year’s Resolutions for myself, I do like to make SCA resolutions as it helps me with goal setting. However, one (of many) unfortunate side affect of the pandemic is that it makes planning very difficult – as events can be cancelled and/or rescheduled rather last minute. This, in turn, makes goal setting very difficult. Additionally, I’ve been experiencing a lot of pandemic fatigue – as have we all! – and I’m not very motivated to start or finish projects. With the above in mind, and being a big believer in not setting myself up for failure, I’ve opted not to set any new SCA resolutions or goals for this year. Rather, I’m going to list my ongoing “projects” for the year and focus on the progress of these.

But before I do that, here’s a recap of my goals from last year with commentary/completion notes:

For Me

  • Update blog with posts about projects and events from 2019-2021
    • wrote and published two new posts in 2021
    • kept CV and events list updated
  • Commission scrolls for the three awards for which I did not receive scrolls
    • commission request sent
  • Complete five UFOs (unfinished objects)
    • completed one UFO – a sideless surcoat

For Others

  • Finish and gift Master Grimm’s Pelican cloak (write corresponding blog post)
    • progress on the cloak was made
    • additional details are being added as Master Grimm was awarded his Laurel in October 2021
  • Organize and support Pennsic Newcomer Activities as applicable (TBD due to COVID)
    • Pennsic was cancelled again in 2021
  • Continue with efforts as Kingdom Chatelain
    • done!

For Fun

  • Attempt brewing again
    • nope
  • Practice calligraphy – maybe even make a scroll!
    • nope
  • Attempt silk banner painting again
    • nope

I clearly wasn’t interested in doing anything for fun in 2021 😅

Now for the projects that I have lined up for 2022 (with some carry-over from 2021):

  • Finish and gift Master Grimm’s Pelican/Laurel cloak (write corresponding blog post)
  • Organize and support Pennsic Newcomer Activities
  • Continue with efforts as Kingdom Chatelain
  • Fulfill my role as Head Chamberlain for the reign of Cuan IX/Adelhait III

While there isn’t much on this list that usually falls in to the categories “for me” or “for fun”, I’ve realized that with the ongoing pandemic I am stretched relatively thin. Completing or progressing on the projects that I already have in motion is much more manageable than attempting to take on anything new. It’s a rather sad admission, but I remain hopeful that I can find fun and creative outlets when I have more bandwidth in the future.

I’m also eager to get back to attending SCA events regularly as a Peer. In some ways, because of the pandemic, my Peerage still doesn’t feel real to me yet. Once things are more “normal” again, how will being a Peer change my SCA experiences? Will events feel different now? Will expectations or responsibilities be different? Will my interactions with other SCAdians be different? I know what other Peers may say. I also know that it’s not the same for everyone. I want to be able to discover the answers to these questions myself. I’m hoping this year I can do that.

SCA in the Time of COVID

A Review of 2020

As is the tradition of most humans, in January of 2020 I wrote out a list of goals for the year. I organized that list into four categories that were important to me at the time: personal, financial, health, and SCA. There was only one goal listed under the category of SCA: Take a break!

Pause for laughter.

Of course, I wrote that goal after the end of 2019 – the year in which I spent 75 of 365 days of the year either at an SCA event or travelling to/from an SCA event. Yes. Twenty percent of my year was spent outside of my home just attending SCA events… That’s not including the time spent at meetings and practices during the week. Or the time spent online during the day helping to coordinate a Royal Reign, or keep up with my duties as a Regional Officer, or organize my classes and volunteers as a member of Pennsic Staff. To call 2019 a busy year would be a bit of an understatement.

So yeah, I needed a break. And thanks to COVID-19, I certainly got one!

From the beginning of March through September of 2020, I didn’t do much. Events were cancelled and everyone in the SCA was struggling to adapt to a virtual environment. Fortunately, the Kingdom of Atlantia responded and evolved quickly. By the end of March, the Virtual Atlantia initiative had hit the ground running. Since then, there has been a plethora of online meetings, classes, events, and other gatherings available on a near daily basis.

Some members of the populace were able to jump into this new virtual SCA with both feet. Others needed a bit of time to adapt. I fell into the latter category since I was initially more preoccupied with a number of other changes that had taken place due to COVID. I transitioned to a full-time remote employee due to office closures and subsequently moved to a new area of Virginia (and a new local SCA group).

But by June I was getting back into the swing of SCA things, hosting a Regional Chatelains’ meeting for my local officers and attending the Summer session of the University of Atlantia. I was also getting ready to submit my letter of intent to serve as Kingdom Chatelain – a goal that I had been working toward for three years.

Happily, my letter of intent was accepted and I stepped up as a Kingdom Officer on September 19th. My break was over!

Testing out the camera prior to taking my virtual oath of fealty to the Crown as a Kingdom Officer.

Since September I’ve been finding my footing as a Great Officer of State (GOofS as they are called in the Atlantia) and as the Kingdom Chatelain. I meet with the other GOofS every two weeks, with my local Chatelains and Deputies once a month, and submit reports on a quarterly basis – all virtually, of course. I am fortunate to be able to work with an outstanding group of people who are all committed to keeping the populace engaged during this time when events cannot take place.

Goals for 2021

Now that I’m in my fourth month as Kingdom Chatelain and feeling more comfortable in this role, I’ve taken some time to write down my goals for the year of 2021.

I’ve decided to organize my goals in a similar way to how I organized my goals for 2019. Those goals were organized into three categories: For Myself, For Others, and New to Me. My goals for 2021 will be organized into three categories as well: For Me, For Others, and For Fun.

For Me

  • Update blog with posts about projects and events from 2019-2021
  • Commission scrolls for the three awards for which I did not receive scrolls
  • Complete five UFOs (unfinished objects)

For Others

  • Finish and gift Master Grimm’s Pelican cloak (write corresponding blog post)
  • Organize and support Pennsic Newcomer Activities as applicable (TBD due to COVID)
  • Continue with efforts as Kingdom Chatelain

For Fun

  • Attempt brewing again
  • Practice calligraphy – maybe even make a scroll!
  • Attempt silk banner painting again

When I organized my goals similarly in 2019, I was successful in completing everything in the category For Others. I was not so successful in the other categories. However, I think that due to the current hold on events through (at least) May 31, 2021, I will have more time to achieve the balance I am seeking.

Coronets, Diadems, and Bling – Oh My!

On Wednesday, August 7th at Atlantian Great Court at Pennsic 48 I was made a Court Baroness. So, that’s cool.

Anyone who has ever asked me why I joined the SCA has received the same answer – I like to play dress up. And the exciting thing about playing dress up as a Court Baroness is that now I get to wear a fancy hat 🙂

Taken after Atlantian Great Court. The coronets pictured were a gift from Her Majesty Adelhait, made by Mistress Seraphina Maslowska.
https://www.facebook.com/itsaseraphina/
Myself and my Peer, Her Majesty Adelhait, at Stierbach’s Baronial Birthday – September, 2019.

Since Pennsic, I’ve commissioned two additional coronets and one diadem. Yes, I am extra.

My diadem was commissioned for Rip Rap War – an event held every September in the Kingdom of Atlantia. I typically wear a lot of Roman garb in the Summer due to the warmer climate of this Kingdom and so I needed a diadem to match.

This brass diadem was made by Lord Cataldo Querini and features amethyst stones and seven pointed stars to match my heraldry.

I was silly and forgot to take a picture of my entire outfit, not sitting in a vehicle. But the amethysts and stars can be seen clearly here.

My second coronet was made by Mistress Michel Almond de Champagne. It is a field coronet made from leather, wood, silver leaf, rabbit glue, pigment and clear coat. The total weight is under 13 ounces, which makes it perfect to wear outdoors over head coverings and hats.

This coronet also features my heraldic colors – purple, black, and white – as well as my seven pointed stars.

My third coronet was inspired by the funeral crown of Queen Agnes of Antioch, first wife of Béla III (1172-96), and was also made by Lord Cataldo Querini.

The funeral crown of Queen Agnes from the Hungarian National Museum. Photo credit to Kotomoi_
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kotomi-jewelry/
Another car photo, yes, but the details of the coronet are best seen here.
A photograph of me wearing the coronet with German Landsknecht in matching colors, with the talented Lord Cataldo – maker of said coronet and all around nice guy.

I’m very pleased with my coronet collection so far – they are all distinct in their makes and styles. I do have plans to commission one more in the near future, about which I am very excited! Pictures will be posted here once the coronet is completed 🙂

A Review of 2019

On January 2nd – 322 days ago – I wrote a post outlining goals for the year of 2019. I opted to try a new goal setting format this year, breaking my goals down into three categories: things to do for myself, things to do for others, and new things to try – an activity to break me out of my comfort zone.

The year isn’t *quite* over, but since I won’t be attending any more garbed events until January I think now is a good time for a recap!

For Myself

❌Work to complete unfinished embroidery and sewing projects. Completing small tasks will give me a sense of achievement and motivate me to continue working on A&S projects.
✅Acknowledge that in the past, deadlines that were set to complete new garb were a source of stress. Plan future deadlines more carefully and/or commission or buy garb when possible in order to relieve that stress. Sometimes time is worth more than money.
❌Continue to update my blog with projects and event recaps.

For Others

✅Volunteer to help in the kitchen, serve, and/or wash dishes for any feast I attend.
✅Support my Peer, Her Highness Adelhait, & His Highness Christoph during their Reign as needed – retaining, donating largesse, etc.
✅Organize Pennsic Newcomers University Track & Newcomers Point

New to Me

❌ Make progress on learning to play a plucked/string instrument.
❌ Perform said instrument and/or sing at a bardic circle.
❌ Enter an A&S competition using a new skill. New skill still TBD.

In reflecting upon the goals that I was able to accomplish this year versus the goals that I was unable to accomplish, I can see that I fell victim to one of the classic blunders. While I didn’t get involved in a land war in Asia, I did underestimate the amount of time and effort that is required to support a Reign.

From the time that Duchess Adelhait and Duke Christoph stepped up as Their Royal Highnesses of Atlantia last November until the time they stepped down as King and Queen this past October, I attended 25 events. That list of events includes both Gulf Wars and Pennsic, which totaled three weeks of time. It’s also important to note that the majority of these events were not day trips, rather entire weekends – Friday through Sunday.

The effort required to attend this many events left me exhausted during the week. That exhaustion led me to spend my time resting and recovering, rather than working to complete embroidery projects or learning a new skill as I had intended at the start of this year.

It also does not escape my notice that while I was able to accomplish all of the goals assigned to the category of “For Others”, I was only able to accomplish one of the goals assigned to the categories for myself.

Despite that disparity between the categories, I learned a lot from this exercise. I gained a new perspective on the timing and effort of goals – “big” goals versus “small” goals – and I was able to recognize in myself the tendency to prioritize the needs of others over my own.

And so my goals for next year – 2020 – will focus on balance.

Stay tuned for a blog post in January with my goals for the next calendar year 🙂

Happy New Year!

Last week there was a post to the Kingdom of Atlantia Unofficial Discussion Group (Cheapside Tavern) on the Book of Faces. This post addressed setting goals within the SCA, breaking them down into the following categories: something we do for ourselves, something we do for others, and trying something new – something that will help us break out of our comfort zone.

I rather liked this idea. As I am a very goal oriented person, I decided to try setting my goals for 2019 using this format. I decided on three goals for each category. Here they are (in no particular order) with explanation as needed:

For Myself

  • Work to complete unfinished embroidery and sewing projects. Completing small tasks will give me a sense of achievement and motivate me to continue working on A&S projects.
  • Acknowledge that in the past, deadlines that were set to complete new garb were a source of stress. Plan future deadlines more carefully and/or commission or buy garb when possible in order to relieve that stress. Sometimes time is worth more than money.
  • Continue to update my blog with projects and event recaps.

For Others

  • Volunteer to help in the kitchen, serve, and/or wash dishes for any feast I attend.
  • Support my Peer, Her Highness Adelhait, & His Highness Christoph during their reign as needed – retaining, donating largesse, etc.
  • Organize Pennsic Newcomers University Track & Newcomers Point.

New to Me

  • Make progress on learning to play a plucked/string instrument.
  • Perform said instrument and/or sing at a bardic circle.
  • Enter an A&S competition using a new skill. New skill still TBD 🙂

In past years I have used the SMART criteria for goal-setting. While this method has been beneficial in other areas of my life, I found that setting hard deadlines for projects that were meant to be fun rarely worked well. Most of the goals I am setting this year are more broad and less time-related. I’m interested to see how well this format works!

The Beginning

A portrait taken by Mistress Celia of Rosedale at All Saints Church in Maryland, during the 20th Anniversary Concert for Laydes Fayre.

I first learned of the Society for Creative Anachronism in 2007, while attending the University of Florida in Gainesville. Growing up, I had always loved Renaissance & Medieval Fairs. My parents had taken me to the Sarasota Medieval Fair every year during middle school and high school. When I was old enough to drive, I dragged my friends to the Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Tampa. Then, after I left home for college, I would go to the local Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville. One year, the local SCA group set up a pavilion and demo at Hoggetowne and I was thus introduced to the world of recreating Medieval life.

Despite my introduction to the SCA in 2007, I didn’t reach out to my local group for another six years. Then, in 2013, after I had relocated to the Washington DC metro area, I found the Barony of Storvik in the Kingdom of Atlantia.

And that is where my story begins.

This site will be ever-changing, as I write new blog posts on events I’ve recently attended and also catch up on posting about past events and projects that I’ve already completed. Feel free to scroll through and post questions & comments as you like.

Baroness Margaret Lad