RESCU Rally Bristol ‘08 Tuesday, Aug 26 2008

23 August 2008

After a terribly muggy day at faire, at least we all had the RESCU Rally to look forward to on Saturday night.

“The R.E.S.C.U. Foundation is a non-profit organization established to promote and maintain the health and medical well-being of the participants of Renaissance Faires, historical performances and other artistic events through financial assistance, education, advocacy and preventative programs.”

RESCU is five years old this year, and now has a presence on both myspace and facebook.  I even just found out that there’s a web search engine—www.goodsearch.com—where money from Yahoo advertisers goes to the RESCU foundation without the user having to spend a dime!  It’s a remarkable organization born out of the need for a community to help its own.  And at almost every Renaissance faire, everywhere, at some point during the run of faire, there’s a Saturday night rally, with raffles and silent auctions and live auctions, all for the purpose of raising money for the foundation.  One of the food merchants donates a spaghetti dinner and the five dollar donations go straight to RESCU.  Anyone can donate stuff or money; anyone can buy raffle tickets, anyone can volunteer to help with the event; one massage therapist even set up a table during the rally and donated the money folks paid for their massages!  East Wind Games and Pendragon Costumes both usually donate product, as do dozens of other merchants.  It’s a great cause, and the rally is a great party!  Sunday morning we learned the rally earned over $15,000 for the foundation!

I snapped this photo from my roof, which overlooks the Pig and Whistle Pub, where the rally is held, after I’d given in to being tired, and the rally was winding down.  Imagine this same space, only with elbow to elbow people, laughing, drinking, eating, shouting, bidding on stuff, and just generally enjoying life! 

~MB

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Tubes of Beads Sunday, Aug 24 2008

22 August 2008

Pretty much everyone thinks I’m crazy ’cause I’m spending time and energy beading a bodice and skirt for a nine-year-old.  I don’t care.

I’m determined to make my beautiful little niece feel like a princess and knock the socks off of everybody who sees her at the Kansas City Faire.  These are some of the tubes of beads I bought to complete her outfit. 

I worked only a little bit on the beading tonight.  It was late before I got started!  I got the bright idea to try to get a head start on the morning work by doing all my lacing and buttons tonight . . . wow.  I unpacked my boxes, checked everything in, laced everything, hung most of it, and did sixty or so buttons . . . and after most of five hours had passed, I was well and truly reminded just how nice it is to have help with all that stuff!

So, this post is dedicated to Kyle, and Stephanie, and Ian, and Donny and Mary, and Wendy and Bill, and Kat and Sean, and Starr, and Gregg, and Little Mary and Kelly, and my mama, and absolutely anyone who has ever helped me get the booth ready on a Friday night!  Thank you.  I cannot imagine my last fourteen years without you!

~MB

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Kelly and Ginger Sunday, Aug 24 2008

21 August 2008

After an entire day of not feeling very well . . . by evening, I was recovered enough to attend an onsite shindig labeled a “Vintage Masquerade.”  The Masquerade dance has happened for a couple or three years in a row - - - the “vintage” part was new this year due to Shannon’s and Ginger’s influence.  There were precious few swing songs played, although the DJ, Ton, was quite adept at keeping the dance floor active.

I wore a crazy little polka dot outfit, and fabulous shoes . . . with very little warning about the party, most folks did the best they could, but the theme was only loosely adhered to by the majority.  We did our share of dancing, though, and even managed to squeeze in a makeshift shim sham!

My photo is of Kelly and Ginger, about midway through the evening, when our mojitos had made us all just a wee bit silly.

~MB

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Muh, Muh, Muh, Muh, My, My-’Tia Saturday, Aug 23 2008

22 August 2008
This is my baby ‘Tia. She looks sad because it’s bed-time. She doesn’t like bed-time very much.

Cheers.

~KR (Written on 23 August 2008 )

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 10 mm
ISO Speed: 250
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Flash fired, auto mode, red-eye reduction
Software: picnik.com

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The Bottlecap Saturday, Aug 23 2008

21 August 2008
Another implement of destruction and its victim.

Trista got this church key for me years ago when O’Dwyer’s was still open. It’s a treasured item.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 23 August 2008 )

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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A Corkscrew Saturday, Aug 23 2008

20 August 2008
Implement of destruction.

Interestingly it’s overly complex & heavy. I have many other corkscrews that I prefer.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 23 August 2008 )

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.2 sec (1/5)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire
Software: picnik.com

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My Lump Saturday, Aug 23 2008

19 August 2008
Years ago my wife started taking lessons from the Gaffer of Faire Maiden Glass at Bristol. This is one of the first pieces she made and the first piece she made for me. It’s a paper weight that I use at work, she calls it a lump.

Cheers.

~KR (Written on 23 August 2008 )

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.3 sec (3/10)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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Close-up of McKenna’s New Outfit Thursday, Aug 21 2008

20 August 2008

I always wanted to be the coolest aunt in the world.  Unfortunately, I live too far away to be a regular part of McKenna’s life.  And, I guess I’d say that I’m a bit more of a disciplinarian than her Daddy is.  So, I guess I’ll just have to settle for being the wacky aunt who has the crazy cat and who sews cool stuff.

McKenna and I had a fabulous time together last September, when she accompanied me to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival.  I put her in a makeshift costume, and she liked that so well, that I bought her one from a shop onsite that same day.  She enjoyed that one so much, that she wore it again for Halloween, and still loves it.  So, I came up with the bright idea that I could make her an even better outfit for next year.  And, now, it’s next year!  In only two and a half weeks, she and I will once again visit the renfaire together.  And today, I finished the main bits of her new outfit.  I still want to make her a little pink chemise, and some sort of hat or French hood.  But, the bodice and skirts are done, and the hoop is on order!  She’s going to look like a real princess!  I only hope I can dress to complement her!  Perhaps I should simply plan to look like her nurse!

My photo today is of her fabrics and trims; garments  piled on top of one another.  I want to add beads to the underskirt, like I did to the bodice, and when that’s all done, I’ll take another photo.

Dinner tonight was at Larry and Denise’s.  Kelly has just completed one of the new gowns Denise will wear this year at Dickens.  And, Larry and I finally organized our thoughts and finalized the design and fabric choices for an outfit we’ve been talking about me making for him for way too long.  I’m hoping to get it done for him for debut at TRF.  Anyway, the need to see them, and the love of their company, meant Kelly drove us up there and Larry cooked us dinner.  Yum.  As always, his cooking was much appreciated!   We even brought home leftovers!  And we got the extra bonus of enjoying a visit with his mom and dad, too. 

Hump day gone . . . the remaining weeks fly by.

~MB

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Playful Cat Thursday, Aug 21 2008

19 August 2008

Artemis and I have a new game.  It turns out that a 60-inch bodice tie, when inserted between the cushions of my loveseat, makes for no end of pleasure for my crazy cat.  She literally dives between the cushions to retrieve the string as it disappears from her view.  Sometimes, she seems to wait purposely until it is out of sight, to try to grab it.  I have giggled more over this, than I have in a long time.  So, I figured she deserved to be the subject of the KRuMB once again.

She really is a great little companion.  This is another of her newer tricks.

We’re going to squeeze another night of mah jong-playing into our lives tonight.  I expect there to be much fun for the humans, there.  And port!

~MB

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Monday Night Moon Thursday, Aug 21 2008

18 August 2008

I must confess I’m not really sure if the moon was totally full Sunday night for the music jam, or if it’s technically tonight.  I only know it’s beautiful, and I have this whole “An American Tail” moment when I think of Kyle being 1000 miles away and looking up at the same beautiful moon I see.

After spending his entire day in the Milwaukee Airport, Kyle is finally at home.  And while I was taking this photo, he called me, and we chatted, and we told each other we were lonely.

The details of Kyle’s travel glitch can be read in his post from this day, in the form of his Twitter feed, which amuses me greatly.  I have somehow resisted the urge to go in and correct the spelling errors that resulted from a combination of eighth-inch keys on his Treo, and what I know was a building frustration over the situation.  But, finally, he did get home, and he did reclaim our pups from the kennel, and hopefully, tomorrow will go smoother for him.

I spent part of my day at the airport, as well, thinking I might get to keep him for another night.  But, ultimately, I left and he stayed, and although I was ready to go back and get him at a moment’s notice, that didn’t happen.  I erranded my way home, and had a great visit with Gregg, and then Gregg and Susan, where we watched the recent Joss Whedon project called Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog.  OMG!  Hysterically funny, yet shockingly dramatic stuff.  Loved it.  I recommend it, highly.

And, now, tonight, I sleep with only the cat for company.

Thanks for a fabulous weekend, Kyle!  I love you.

“Somewhere, out there, beneath the pale moonlight, someone’s thinking of me, and loving me, tonight.  Somewhere, out there,  someone’s saying a prayer, that we’ll find one another, in that big somewhere, out there.

And even though I know how very far apart we are, it helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star. And when the night wind starts to sing its lonesome lullaby, it helps to think we’re sleeping underneath the same big sky.

Somewhere, out there, if love will see us through; Then, we’ll be together; Somewhere, out there, out where dreams come true.”

~MB

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