The "other" white meat..

[threadwalker]

And it was lamb and it was gooood!

Ha ha ha!

Collegium was splendific. I had zero expectations except I intended to lounge on the grass. My experience exceeded my expectations. But for me it starts the night before with a last-push sewing effort.

I failed to finish my 15th century outfit. I rolled the dice Friday night and decided I might pull it off so instead of doing the skirt on the 16th century white kirtle, I sewed like a maniac on the 15th century outfit. At 1 am I admitted defeat and reflected on my bad choices. Had I choosen differently...

1. The skirt on the white dress would have been done instead.
2. I would not have skipped working out Thursday and Friday for fruitless sewing.
3. I would have gotten enough sleep Friday night to get up early enough to do my run Saturday morning at 6 am. Instead I dragged myself out of bed at 6:30 and got ready for the event.
4. I would have looked and felt better at Collegium. As it was, I have the temp skirt on that dress and I hates it.

And yet I wanted to cry when I got to the event and didn't have my 15th century outfit. There's no way I would have choosen differently if I could go back and redo it. I'm so freaking driven. Ugh.

I took 2 classes (Aldiths = buttons, and Aleit's=Dutch clothing). Both excellent, though I'm sorry that we shanghied Aleit's several times. Unfortunately for her, Dutch/Flemish culture in the 16th century is something I've been reading about for some time now and I get soooo excited when I meet someone who's doesn't glaze over when you say "15th century Flemish inheritance laws". For her part, Aleit was very patient and waited for the galloping horses to slow down a bit before redirecting us back to her and her class.

Lounging on the grass happened. It was lovely to lunch, relax and chat with Le Chef and d_salie. We even got to lend helping hands to finishing livery for the feast. d_salie can claim to have put her hands down someone's legging if she likes, too. (lol) I only did a shirt cuff, but it was a well-timed shirt cuff.

And let's just say I've forgotten that just because I think it's funny, doesn't mean you should say it out loud! But it's a box of native soil... I was funny!! What travels in a box of native soil?!? And Her Royal Highness sort of laughed... a little. I think she knows I meant nothing personal by it. I'd have thought the thought regardless of who had the box of dirt and gladly joked at my own expense.

learnteach did a great intro to the "feast" class. I also know I owe him a HUGE debt of gratitude. I'm not sure how I can pay him back.

The feast was unlike anything else I've attended. E.G. When I heard "6 at a table" I assumed we'd be sitting on both sides. Nope; just up the one side facing the people on the opposite side of the hall. The prayers by Janosh were beautiful; he has a magnificent voice. There were so many new things to experience, like the trenchers were the size of a coffee saucer. The servings (which kept on coming) were small and bite sized (served from like a large spoon, but not a ladle or typical serving-spoon size). I didn't realize there was more meat to come and when the chicken was being carried off, I sort of protested... I think I squeaked, "But we haven't picked the bones". I thought we'd get hungry, but I should have flipped to that page of the program because the menu was all laid out. However, Le Chef's program slipped under our table (out of reach in this setting) and mine was in my basket, which was confiscated at the door. However, hunger was NOT a risk. There was a ton of food, all excellent. (Though, personally, I preferred the baked cheese to the plum pudding. Duchess S cleverly suggested spreading the plum pudding on top of the baked cheese... nom nom nom!) Anyway, I love food. There was lots of food to love. There was one carver and one server per table and we could not serve ourselves from the food in front of us. I kept impulsively reaching for it and then catching myself and clasping my hands in my lap. The TORTURE! It was so hard to behave correctly when all my impulses screamed to help serve or go get my own beverage or whatever. It was a very unique experience.

Our table company was excellent. There were many witty remarks and Duchess S inspired the royals to send the lamb our way and to the rest of the laurels in the hall. (Turns out that except for Duchess S's companion, our entire table was Laurels.. plus the first two at the next table down... how funny!) Then, as the feast continued, shenanigans started up. It's a VERY good thing learnteach warned us we'd be ejected from the hall for throwing morsels of bread (or other food). Baroness Cat was such a tempting target! I kept lamenting that I did not have a pocket trebuchet! And then I was glad I did not because I would have absolutely been ejected from the feast if I did. It would have been ear-re-sis-table!

And for the record, WE never actually asked anyone to dance on the table. I only suggested that the servers (in their cute leggings) could dance on the tables and we would not be offended. And when I looked learnteach in the eye and said that I had 4 witnesses to say that d_salie did in fact beg Ettienne to dance on the table... well, I've already gone to confession so my soul is clean. But the look on d_salie's face when Sir John interupted her conversation with Hirsch to speak sternly (about dancing and/or enticing other to dance on the tables) was priceless. (I'm still giggling.) But there was a lovely serving Pavane to come out of it.

However, Godric, our server, is a HERO. He let us use him to send water and ale to the sorority group 2 tables down. He was going to give them fish heads, too (for counsel and intelligence), but they'd already been thrown away. We did successfully send them the "sage" sauce for "wisdom", though. And he was such a trooper!!! I love Godric. I think he'll be at Erinwood. Maybe I can do something nice for him up there. His poor poor footies were very tired at the end of it.

Next time we shall bring parchment and quill to pass messages back and forth. OR maybe bring a scribe who can scribe them for us...so that we don't have to get our fingers inky.

We had to skedaddle before the Q&A section because Le Chef's son was with friends and had to be picked up. Since we live over an hour from the site, we did our quick costume change in the parking lot phone booth, putting on our daily, mundane disguises that we use to hide our Super Duper Italian Babe Identities. (cue theme music). And leap into the well-disquised ultimate mom-mobile (white volvo w/ proud school decals on the back) and, adjusting turbo boosters to stealth, fly home.

And, once home, I find my mom upstairs reading. The 4yr old Fashion Diva is passed out in her bed. My 7yr old is sitting in the office next to daddy with a laptop; both are playing computer games side by side and they wave at me as I come in. I watch as Daddy leans down to help our boy genius manipulate his adventurer.

Yes, I'm home with my biggest fans. And I had a great day! (cut)