The lyf so short

Normally Jörg and I shun all those Dance-into-Mayday/ Walpurgis Night/ Beltane (because Walpurgis apparently isn't hip enough for modern German pagans, we need to steal the British name!) events because they are rarely nice traditional dancing things but rather just another excuse to get violently drunk and, after that, drunkenly violent. Technically it's a lovely tradition - just like Easter bonfires or Solstice or even Carnival - but in their modern form they're no fun unless your idea of fun is getting drunk, vomiting into a ditch and, after midnight, stumbling and falling into said ditch altogether.

(Yes, I realise I am probably walking into the Romantic trap here, and back in the Good Old Days they got just as desperately drunk (if they could afford it) and just as violent (but at least they got a flogging for it) and pissed in the bushes, too.)

Anyway, we normally avoid these events.

Now good friends of ours got tickets for the Walpurgis Fair at Satzvey castle and asked whether we'd like to come along, seeing how it was my birthday eve and I liked medievalish stuff and all that. So we said yes. As the tickets are relatively expensive, we could hope that the kind of people who use such events for getting drunk and making trouble will be at other events, like those of the auxiliary fire brigades (don't ask me).

Of course we dressed up for the occasion. Even though I still haven't managed to make proper garb for the husband (Gondorian ranger, because I CAN. Or think I can, at any rate) and he had to make do with the good old pants-shirt-tunic combo again.
But on the way home from work it suddenly hit me:
I'm a married woman now.

Not that these occasions have anything to do with, you know, authenticity or anything of the sort. But still. I'm a married woman. I cannot go bareheaded unless I'm being an elf anyway (I'll know, if nobody else does.)

So I needed a last-minute bonnet, or at least a veil. I never made one before and I look dreadful with any kind of headdress, but that's not going to stop us, is it?
I went for the easiest and fastest way and made a very simple veil without looking for any authentic designs. On minus side, I keep thinking it looks vaguely Egyptian or Arabic (or cliché Arabic, at any rate - like something you'd catch the Three Kings from your nativity scene wearing). On plus side, it took less than two hours, it cost me nothing as I used leftovers from the Éowyn shieldmaiden dress I made years ago (the dress turned out shite, but the fabric is awesome) and the border I used on the blue dress anyway, and it basically has the same flow as normal hair so it goes ok with my headdress-incompatible head. So yeah. Works well enough for me.

The event as such was nice albeit too expensive for what you got. Schelmish used to be better IMHO, some of the market stalls had good stuff but most were unexciting, but the bonfire was very lovely. Regina and Patrick had managed to smuggle a chocolate cake and some sparkling vine onto the castle premises so we could have a toast and a slice of cake when it was midnight, and of course I couldn't stop them from singing. I fell asleep on the way back home (sleep deprivation + mead + sparkling wine = goodnight Lyra) but managed to get up reasonably early today so I could prepare the presentation handout and mail it to the professor (he wants to see the handout by Friday noon preceding the presentation week so he can offer feedback) and accept the phone calls by various relatives, all gone for the weekend except for my dad who dropped by on the way to my grandfather's celebration. Feel, strangely enough, not at all sad about not having had a celebration of my own. Feel kind of bad about not feeling bad. *rolls eyes*

( Pics for those who're interested )
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EDIT: And what a birthday gift! Darth Fingon provides a list of words you would've thought Tolkien wouldn't have invented Elvish translations for because you, like everyone else, keep confusing "Catholicism" with "Puritanism" - but in fact he did. Some of them I stumbled across myself while working on the Tengwar karuta, but some are new even to me. Am not at all surprised about Elvish words for sexual organs. Am, however, surprised about "lawyer"... and "hermaphrodite">. Am inordinately amused that apparently the Quenya (Elf-Latin, for you non-Tolkienists) word for the female breast is... titte.
Which happens to be a rather derogatory term for the same thing in modern German slang. Pseudo-proto-indo-european enjoying a private joke, eh?

So I went to the autumnal hunting LARP in Balduinstein.

I turned out to be the second-best archer (and best archeress, if that word exists) of the hunt (which, to be honest, speaks less for me than against the others); I have danced with half the nobles (and some not-so-nobles) of Elves and Men, including two sons of Fëanor*; I have managed not to get myself killed for my quick tongue, and I received praise for my drawing and my home-made ball gown.
Also, Maedhros owes me a favour. :D

Oh, and back at home I helped to clear away a bit of earth and rubble, and cut back about 2,5 meters worth of brambles.

*rubs hands* It's been a most productive weekend.

More (possibly) tomorrow.

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*And this, me hearties, is why you should all learn to do historical dances, and do them well; because you never know when there's a Finwëan desperately looking for a dancing partner.**

**In fact, there were so few capable women at that point in time that in the end Fingon and Maedhros had to either dance together or not dance at all. They decided for the former option.***

***Fingon danced the lady's part, in case any of you were curious. >:D

That won't happen in April, they said.

HAH!

However, this castle had a) a fireplace in the great hall and b) properly insulated dorm huts. Thus the weather was, on the whole, quite bearable.

The GMs were a lot better this time, too; there was an actual plot that worked well. As Canard (one of the GMs) said, it was basically not that complicated and could've been solved within a few hours if everyone talked to each other, but as most characters didn't talk to each other (not, at any rate, about the relevant topics), it got to last. And when it turned out that the plot as it was planned could no longer get to a satisfactory end because of people being people, they adapted it within a short time. This is how it should work!

As per usual I don't feel up to writing a long report now. There will be photos later on and comics in a week or so, though. As for the story, well, you had to be there ;)

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( Lasst uns das LARP nicht im November machen, haben sie gesagt. Da könnte es schneien, haben sie gesagt. )
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So, I'm off for the choir weekend. Be good; don't do anything I'd want to take part in! See you on Sunday or Monday!

Today 'náro tried to make off with a bottle of whisky, a twelve-year old Bowmore. Pushed it off the shelf (it fell onto a heap of my papers, fortunately, so it survived) and then rolled it across the floor trying to open it.

I should be worried, shouldn't I?

In other news, I went to Bochum today. Bochum isn't exactly on your must-see list of cities; the most poetic thing that has been said about Bochum, I believe, is that it's where the sun collects dust.
My going there was for two very nice reasons, however: Firstly, I met Simmi again, a member of the ancient Elbenwald fellowship from the old days before the movies came out; secondly, we were going to visit the "Skies of Middle-earth" show at the local planetarium.
"The Skies of Middle-earth" has been created by students from Bremen, who collected the astronomy-related stuff from the Silm, the LotR and the HoME and recite it in the star-dome* accompanied by fitting music, illustrations and ambientic light.
Beautiful.
They had simplified some stuff which made me go "Ainur! It's AINUR, not Valar!" but it made sense considering most of the audience probably was confused enough as it was. Fortunately, they had decided for the correct pronunciation of the names instead of the German one (which isn't nearly as bad as the English, but turns all the th into ordinary t, so Lúthien ends up LOO-tee-an (or, if you're really unlucky, LOO-tsee-an) rather than LOO-þee-an, and the like).
It was basically The Silmarillion 101, with the Ainulindalë (except it was the Valalindalë really, see above), the Beginning of Days, The Silmarils, Beren and Lúthien and the Voyage of Eärendil retold, plus some extra information on the legends of certain constellations (such as Menelmacar/-vagor (i.e., Orion) or Wilwarin (i.e., the Cassiopeia)).
It was very ambientic and very nice. Probably kind of confusing for people who only know the movies and never even heard of the Silm, but highly enjoyable for people who have.
^_________^

Will update on the LoCreMo progress tomorrow. I hope.

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*star-dome, as you may or may not know, would be elrond in Sindarin. Which explains the subject line.

Because here be kittenspam.

Not now. I have a headache.
Ooooh, something's moving in there!
Does this position make me look fat?
*slurp*
Forced perspective is fun!
Not listening.
I don't have a short attention spa--- oooh, shiny!
Yes, this is comfortable, actually.
*streeeetch*
Yes, this is comfortable, too.
My secret hide-out.
Brotherly love.
Unless we fight.
What do you mean, your bed?
You're comfy, you may stay.
Phantom?
You're not travelling anywhere without me.

Nos 3,4,5 and 6 by ladyelleth, who came to visit for the weekend to go to the game fair in Essen with me. It was fun; she got a drawing of Ner and Fëa meeting and a Fëa-chibi by Jenny Dolfen (which I'll totally post when I get her permission [EDIT: There we go!]), and I got a signed comic book by various inunfamous German artists and a t-shirt that says "Make LARP, not war", plus the obligatory new dice. AND there'll be a Drachenfest in 2007! ^_____^
Elleth's on her way back home now, which is why you got the kittenspam above.

In other news, what do Lyras do when they have to finish an art project and a writing project for Ring*Con, two assignments for university and the autumn clean-up?

She makes faily jewellery, that's what.
(Actually, I just wanted whether it was possible without any professional tools. The answer is Yes, if you don't mind it looking kinda crooked.)

Today it was Tolkien Day in Cologne, and I finally managed to go there again. They haven't changed much since my last time (except that there were less books and more computers this time, as the usual book-bringer had just moved, and so many of the more obscure things (such as the HoME beyond book 2) were missing. But it was really nice. I took part in the quiz as always and was among the first prize winners as always (I'm among the people who are somewhat notorious for always knowing everything. That's not actually true, I usually only know where to look things up) and got the German Silmarillion audiobook. Now I'm not too fond of audiobooks, or of the German translation of the Silm, but you take what they throw at you. And I listened into the Ainulindalë on my drive home, which were nicely done once the speaker had decided which syllable of Ilúvatar to put the stress on. It's read by the guy who dubbed Gandalf for the German edition of the LotR movies.
Tehto was there, too, who is now living in Karlsruhe instead of Hannover; I hung out with the embroidery group; but most of the usual suspects (like Néniel or Aditu) sadly weren't there. Ah well. It was nice anyway.

Meanwhile, Jörg took a look at a house. Ever since we saw a house for sale when we went on a walk with ladyelleth last weekend, he's been obsessed with the idea of houses. Now the house that we saw was almost our dream house; fairly old, but newly renovated, fireplace, wild wine etc; but above all, it was in Bellinghausen. Now Bellinghausen is a village that I like to call our Lower Tadfield - not because the Anti-Christ is living there (I don't yet have children, after all!) - but because it's been relatively unchanged for the last decades, and it's a "Boy's Own" (or Girl's Own, too!) dream. It's just this beautiful rural village with lots of adventures around the corner. At any rate, that house would have cost about twice as much as Jörg could possibly afford, so sadly, that'll hardly work.
Now there was another house. The house itself is actually somewhat disadvantageous - in fact, very, now that Jörg has seen it - but the premises are a dream. 3000 m² of garden. There are concrete building to the South, higher than the trees, but to the North, East and West - only landscape. (Actually, the North, East and West are a landscape conservation area, so it'll remain this way, too!) Rolling hills, meadows and patches of trees. All this only five minutes by car from where we are living now, which is the city center. Only five minutes from the highway that takes us to work. The same twenty minutes to the train station as our current flat. It's perfectly central - but nonetheless rural. The cats would have endless room for running and playing. The apple trees on the grounds bear more apples than two people can eat. Jörg would have all the room he could ever need for all crafty projects.

If we had world money enough, and time - this would be it. With time and money, we could either knock the horrid old house down and re-build it, or at least re-design it. But as it is now... tiny, low rooms, the bathroom outside of the actual house because it was added way later, and the entire house is divida in partes duae. Practically everything would have to be changed. It could be changed - but one would need a lot of time. Which we don't have. Or money to have other people do it - but we don't have that either. Moving in first and changing things bit by bit is impossible because the rooms are too small even to hold our furniture, as it is.

A dream, then. But wouldn't it be nice if it could actually be done.

[Speaking of dreams: I've been having insanely mad dreams this week. First I wanted to go to the Middle-earth Festival by train and pick up ladyelleth in Schaberg (for those who know Solingen, and I know you don't, Schaberg is even more ass-of-the-known-world than the rest of Solingen. You only get off at Schaberg if you want to walk to the Bridge at Müngsten, which looks a bit like someone took the parts of the Eiffel Tower and built a bridge from it [actually, the bridge is older, though] and is therefore a tourist attraction, but still.). Then, I was an optician-in-training at Hogwarts and had to console ickle kids terrorized by Umbridge (which didn't have anything to do with my optician-in-training job). Finally, I dreamt of Firefly, except that they had Nerdanel on board instead of Kaylee. Can my brain please stop with the "random fandom" mode now?]

Firstly, I Am An Idiot.
I was just frying some fries, and then putting them aside, and in my usual grace managed to pour some still-boiling oil over my hand.
Yes, that is not really a good idea.
Also, that is not a good time for the cats to beg for anything, because I'm (hopefully understandably) pissed off and don't need incessant meowing and the usual "What do they want now?!" game on top of it.
*whimpers*

I have a talent for making even good days end badly.

Because otherwise this was a lovely day. I did another sort-of-holiday thing and went to visit ladyelleth up in the north on Saturday. Even though the drive there took way too long (three major traffic jams, two of them due to blocked streets, one of those due to the tarmac having melted off the street - next one to suggest that I have no right to complain about the heat will get kicked to Antarctica, thanks - which meant that the trip of normally 4 hours took 7 instead), we managed to make something of our time. After a late lunch, we drove to the medieval market at the fort in Cuxhaven. It was smaller than the big Spectaculum, but quite cozy and very nice. Especially adorable were the many small children running around everywhere. They're so blond they're almost white-haired (Teleri kids!). One little girl with curly hair simply ran into the "stage" area during the belly-dancing performance and - just imitated the dancers, not even badly! Too cute.
At some point, Elleth and I wondered whether one could make a Fëanorian straw star. (Two hours and a lot of straws later we knew that yes, basically one could.)

We had a lot of fun during the absurd performances (there even was slash!), were treated to some very good wine and juice, and I bought a book and a clasp for my cloak. We even found the prickly pear mead in bottles for sale (they only had it in a barrel at the Spectaculum)! In the end, we stayed so long that there was no time left for Dead Man's Chest after all. Oh well. Luckily, we'd both seen the movie earlier in the week already.

Instead, we watched the RingStars video and penned down a tracklist (mwahahahah!). We eventually finished and fell asleep sometime past 2 am.

In the next morning, we slept until Laurelin woke us. (Another sentence I always wanted to be able to truthfully write! - Laurelin is, in this case, ladyelleth's beautiful but snobby cat.) It was just the right time to go walking in the tidelands, so that's what we did. We found out how very sharp shells can be when you unsuspectingly wade through the mud (one tried to take off my thumb toe! No, really! There's a veritable cut, half a centimeter deep!). We ended up sunburnt and very muddy (due, in part, to the general nature of the tidelands, and in part to a little incident which involved mud being abused as projecticles) and had to spend a long time under the icy showers at the shore to get mostly clean again. When that was accomplished, we went to the pool, just for the artificial waves. Fun!

By the time we were back at Elleth's, we only had time for a HIGHLY amusing Captain Jack Sparrow fanvid, some Adventures of Young Boromir comics and lunch with a horrifyingly bad desaster movie (but it had John Noble in it!). And after that, I already had to leave. ;_; The drive home luckily didn't take nearly as long as the way there, even though there was an impressive rainstorm towards the end. The air is nice and cool here now, and I hope it'll stay like this for a while (I likewise hope it won't rain like this on the Drachenfest, though!).

And now I'll go to bed and hope the hand will heal quick.

I don't want to work tomorrow. :p

On Saturday I met up with ladyelleth and her mother to haunt the Spectaculum in Dortmund (the Spectaculum is roughly comparable to a RenFaire, only less serious). I picked them up at the main station (driving there, I already had the chance to notice that the directions I had were total crap). After a few circles around the station - remember, the directions were crap - I just turned right at random, which turned out to be a street that actually led to where we were headed. We found a parking space from which there were already arrows towards the market. Yay!

Except that it was a walk of about 20 minutes from there to the Spectaculum. Oh well. We eventually reached it in the sweltering heat - and it was yet getting warmer.
It was, if I remember correctly, larger than the one in Gelsenkirchen around Easter - the camps of the non-selling folks, at any rate, took a lot more space. They had lovely tents (and lovely decoration) and were cooking their suppers over open fires. And there were bands and fools, and a tournament... (for which we didn't want to pay the admission, though, so we watched from the adjacent playground *cough*)

We tried our hand at archery (I managed to hit the black once in my five tries, which won me a red jasper) and were tempted with wonderful fruit wines and excellent sheep's cheese and wild boar salami and venison salami (yes, of course we succumbed both times). I was also tempted by a very beautiful dress (which I didn't buy after all) and jewellery cut out of coins (which I didn't buy either). After the football game (Germany vs. Sweden), the market grew a lot fuller, but it was never overcrowded.

The dream spectacle in the evening was wonderful again (though, again, I didn't care much for the Iron Heinrich), especially the firedancers of the formation Spiral Fire.

It was past midnight when we made our way back to the car, heavily laden with bottles of berry wine, and made our way back to Solingen. Back home, ladyelleth and her mom admired the kittens properly. Darcy especially seemed to have taken a liking to Elleth's mother. They were their usual adorable selves and at once turned to conquer the makeshift bed for the visitors...

We had a small bottle of cranberry wine and then gave in to tiredness. We slept well into the next day, had a lazy hobbity breakfast (including the above-mentioned sheep's cheese and deer salami), went through the photos and the (highly embarassing) film material Elleth's mother had shot. After that, alas, it was already time for them to catch their train home...

Later on, I picked my parents up, who were just returning from their two-week vacation. The bastards expressed their astonishment at the sun setting at 9 pm (and they'd missed the thunderstorm earlier on, during which it was dark as night in the early evening) and had a lot of stories to tell from their trip to make me nice and jealous. They brought me a CD of nifty Finnish music, Moomin troll cookies and a seat cover made of reindeer fur (which was originally meant for my brother, but as he at first expressed no interest in it, I managed to snatch it *shifty eyes*)... of course, I had to look at half their photos right away.

You, however, will now not be shown their photos, but ours. (wow, wasn't that a smooth transition?)

( Spectaculum Picspam! (And there will be kittenspam further down, so stay tuned ;)) )

all courtesy of ladyelleth.

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( And the kittenspam. )

--- how cruel. The Italian team just won in the 94th minute against Australia. 94th minute! That shouldn't even count! *cries for Australia*