For me, it is finally, officially Spring when I can attend the Newman Renaissance Festival. I wasn't sure if I was actually going to be able to attend this year since we have had a very wet Spring culminating in nearly constant rain last Wednesday afternoon and evening. The location of the RenFaire is at the lowest possible point on the Newman University campus, so I pretty much knew it would be a swamp, however the Faire staff did an excellent job of pumping out as much water as they could and putting down straw to deal with the rest. A couple of pals and I chanced it yesterday, and we were happy we did. One area near the jousting arena was a huge mud bath, but Naomi and I were able to navigate our wheelchairs through the majority of the Faire grounds -- much to our delight since we desperately needed a break from the stress of impending finals (two weeks of classes left) and life in general.

My weaknesses are essential oils and unusual jewelry, and I was able to add more of each to my collections. My first stop was Heavenly Airs Fragrance Shop (of Rose Hill, KS) where I picked up some very nice frangrance oils to use in homemade soap or to just dab behind my ears for a scent that always seems to make people ask, "What perfume is that?" Next was Creekmore Jewelry (of Norman, OK) where I finally found the perfect bloodstone ring for me. Ever since I saw one owned by a friend several years ago, I have wanted one but have never found the right size (the stones are often too big to look right on my finger) or the right setting (too embellished, thus taking away from the beauty of the stone). Most of the rest of the day involved eating and visiting with SCA friends and vendors who have become friends over the several years I've attended the Faire. Since I was in garb, I was able to engage in a few behaviors I would not likely do in mundanes, namely flirting with perfect strangers in kilts. I have not developed the persona of a wench, so the flirting wasn't shameless and "wanton," but it was quite fun. I was called within the perimeter of the Royal Pavilion, which was a first and made me nervous for a couple of minutes -- I have not yet become versed in Court ethics, so I resolved to bow my head and say "Your Highness" a lot. Toward the end of the day, I found my Mecca of amber. A Polish couple currently living in Wellston, OK, had a booth selling all the shades of amber I've ever seen (butterscotch, lemon, green, cognac, and honey) plus a new one (blue), and the prices nearly made me faint in joy. I added two pendants (one blue and one two-tone) and one ring (lemon, green, honey, and cognac in silver) to my collection at prices that were a steal. My last stop was to visit my friend T'ger of T'ger Toggs, to admire his clothing (and not just those on the rack -- OK, so maybe I do get a little shameless once in a while).

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and neither Naomi nor I got stuck even once. All in all, it was another great Faire, and I'm now ready to face final exams.

A few words to ponder, thanks to the band Creed:

Affirmative may be justified, take from one give to another
The goal is to be unified, take my hand be my brother
The payment silenced, the masses sanctified by oppression
Unity took a back seat, sliding further into regression

One the only way is one

I feel angry I feel helpless, want to change the world
I feel violent I feel alone, don't try and change my mind

Society blind by color, why hold down one to raise another
Discrimination now on both sides, seeds of hate blossom further
The world is heading for mutiny, when all we want is unity
We may rise and fall, but in the end we meet our fate together

I was just now listening to this song, and it hit me how it applies to my friends and myself during the last few weeks. We've been oscillating from being angry and picking fights with each other and our significants to feeling helpless and out-of-sorts. I think it has a lot to do with the current world situation, which makes the last verse seem to play a little more loudly.

Not to get all metaphysical (or maybe I am, so you'll just have to deal with it), but that might be why I bought a couple of herb gardens this weekend. I've had about all the death I can handle for a while, now I want to try to help a little life burst through. I bought aromatic herbs (chamomile, lavender, and lemon basil) which all also have medicinal qualities (chiefly calming for the chamomile and lavender), and I also bought my favorite cooking herbs (basil, parsley, and oregano). If I can get these going, maybe I'll buy some more. Lately, I've gotten great pleasure out of watching my Mother of Thousands plant form babies on the edges of her leaves, and I was tickled pink to see my Jade plant growing taller and branching from the two tiny stalks it had become. Obviously, I've rediscovered a simple joy in playing in dirt and watching something grow.

I finally received that third rejection letter at the end of last week. I'm trying not to be bummed about it, but sometimes that's a little tough. I have one friend that is trying very hard to contain her joy that I'm going to be here another year because she really wants my help to start her assistance dog school. Between contacting graduate school personnel and writing a business plan, it's looking as though it's going to be an extremely busy summer.

OK, it's no secret that I am NO fan of George W. Bush, but I'm discovering that some people who don't like him are becoming as fanatical as those who support him. I'll admit, all these steps he is taking to curb our civil rights are appalling (and don't even get me started on THAT topic), but c'mon folks -- let's not allow our paranoia to get the better of our common sense! I received an email this morning from a friend with panic sirens a-wailing because she discovered that you could input into an Internet search engine (such as Yahoo! or Google) a person's phone number (a listed phone number, please note) and pull up their name, address, and a map to their house. Well, duh!! Do she and these people who were still listed at the bottom of her email not realize that someone can look up your name in a phone book and locate your address and phone number, then use the grid map in the front or back to get a general idea of how to get to your house? How is the phone book feature on the various Internet search engines any different? This feature has been available for quite sometime -- and it's a good thing, too, since I frequently forget the number to my closest Pizza Hut or my assistance dog's groomer.