And God said, "Let there be tomatoes".....

...oh no wait, that was me. I had despaired of having a garden this year, because despite my best intentions, there just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do. BUT, when I stopped at the local fruit stand yesterday, I discovered that not only did they still have tomato plants, but they were really quite healthy! So today Preston tilled the garden, under the watchful eye of the bull-who-has-no-name, who before I took this pic was following Preston back and forth along the fence like he was hoping for a handout.

I was hoping for some squash and peppers, but there were none to be had. I did get tomatoes, though, and that was the important thing. I also got beets and sugar-baby watermelon, along with several annuals that I never heard of and cannot pronounce, but they were pretty. And of course, the requisite marigolds. Can't have a garden without marigolds! Now all I have to do is plant them, but the black clouds are coming in from the west and I can hear the thunder rumbling ominously so I think instead of playing in the dirt tonight I shall wait until tomorrow and play in the mud. Ya know, I took the day off today so I could catch up on my sewing and that just didn't happen. I don't know which is worse, my procrastination or my disorganization. Someday I'll get around to figuring that out. But not today.

I Survived Magstock

Well, it's over...I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I did both at various points yesterday! First of all, the bands were just amazing. They really gave it their all, even though the turnout was way less than spectacular. And they sounded fantastic. We got to hear PJ's band for the first time, and they were very, very good and I'm not just saying that because he's my son! They were very well received by the audience, judging by the screaming, so it's not just me. I'm just sorry my camera doesn't survive for more then 10 minutes off life support, so I couldn't take any pictures. There was supposed to be someone filming it, but like many people who said they'd help out, he didn't show up. It's so hard to plan something like this on a Saturday, during the summer...there are just so many other things going on for people to do, it's hard to convince them that they should come to yours. Oh well.

So now I have the week off from Second Cents (not that I work that much there anyway!) and I am going to use it to catch up on all the sewing and cleaning I didn't do for the past couple of weeks!

And then I am going to make many, many ribbon shirts. Looking forward to that!

Magstock Eve

Well it's been an interesting week...one of our bands dropped out of Magstock, but The Flashing Reds stepped up to take their place so that was a minor disaster at most and actually may have worked out for the best. The Chariho Times did a nice article about us, but they also said "there is no charge for the event"...are you kidding? On the plus side, everything else seems to be falling into place very well. I'm also excited to be able to play in front of people again; since our last gig in February my band kind of fell apart and because of all the time I've spent planning Magstock I haven't really devoted any time to getting a band back together. After this is over, that will be my plan.

Personally it was also a big week for me...the Mashantucket Pequot Museum contacted me and wants to sell my ribbon shirts in their gift shop (pinching myself, don't wake up! don't wake up!) That would be my dream job, there's nothing I like making more than ribbon shirts and fancy regalia. So now I have to make up some shirts because I haven't had time to make any other than the specially-ordered ones. Many, many thanks to John Cutnose, who put them in touch with me!

So back to Magstock, it's tomorrow, so all I have to do now is 20 million little last minute things. Wish us luck!

Hell Week....

...is upon us. It started off with the news that City Confessions, one of the bands who had asked to play at Magstock, has had to drop out, leaving open the 3:00 slot which none of the other bands were able to fill. Mind you, the concert is 5 days away. When I could breathe again, PJ and I discussed the possibilities for a replacement and decided to go with The Flashing Reds, out of Providence. As luck would have it, I was able to contact and get a response from them by the end of the day. Catastrophe averted. Also by the end of the day, some good news came our way; we now have a framed limited edition photo and original Woodstock ticket donated for the raffle. I know where MY tickets are going!!

Other than that, the weekend was as it usually is, full of yard sales and baseball and sunny weather. Preston's Little League team is out of the playoffs, which I think is kind of a relief for him. It was kind of a stressful season, players not getting along with each other, etc. Sunday night we took a ride to Aunt Carrie's for chowder and clamcakes, just in time to see them closing their doors. Fortunately George's was still open...not as good as Aunt Carrie's, but it was late and we were hungry.

Carol has a new project in the works, which I hope will turn out to be profitable for her; after much fiddling and figuring--and I suspect more than a little cursing--she has come up with a small day planner specifically for SCA people to use at Pennsic next month. I need to get them listed on Ebay so she can sell them! I should probably do that today, although can't imagine when...have to do some Magstock-related errands and get some sewing done. Maybe I should be doing that instead of THIS!

Go to the Magstock concert!!

I can't stress this enough. This project has occupied most of my waking hours, and some of my sleeping ones, for the past few months. Details can be found at www.magstock.net. 6 bands, including Preston's and my band, will be performing for one outrageously low price of $10. Such a deal! Most of the bands are young, original bands; ours is made up of old people, (over 40!!) and we are playing our favorite Beatles songs.

PJ and I have been coordinating this concert to raise money for his friend Maggie, who is in a coma after having suffered a stroke at the tender age of 22. It really makes you stop and think, if it could happen to a perfectly healthy, fit young woman like a bolt out of the blue, it could happen to anybody. If I take nothing else away from this, it will be to appreciate every day for the gift that it is. Lots of people say that, but not too many of them actually live it. I'm going to try.

Is this June, for real?

....well I thought it was, until yesterday! I spent the late afternoon running the scoreboard at Dow Field, in my flannel jacket with a nice hot cup of Tim Horton's Cafe' Mocha. What screwy weather! Today's not much better, I will have to consume many cups of tea in order to be able to go to work this afternoon.

So finally I have a blog. I have been looking around for a site, and have signed up for a couple only to discover that I don't have the patience to figure out how to use them. I have the attention span of a mosquito. This one seems to be designed for dummies, though, so maybe I can manage it!

Powwow season is in full swing, and I am blessed to be asked to sew so much stuff! This week, among many other things, I decorated a shirt for artist John Paul Cutnose; usually I make the shirt, but as time was short he bought a shirt and I added the ribbons and the buffalo.
All the sewing keeps me so busy, I have not had time to plant my garden yet! I know, I know, July is right around the corner. But I haven't given up yet, Preston borrowed a rototiller (no, it hasn't even been tilled yet) but he is also busy so there it sits. I, with my girly arm muscles, can't start the bloody thing because it's one of those yank-the-rope situations. Girl power my butt, sometimes there are things that just require a man to get done. I'm not ashamed to say it.