Baron Wars Ten...hoo boy.

[merimask]

Wow.  This weekend I suddenly realized it's been TEN years since the Summer Of Liberation.  Ten years since the divorce.  Just...huh.

Baron Wars X, 2007.

Ten years ago I was freshly separated from my ex and struggling like hell to make ends meet.  I was doing every single SCA event within driving distance...it's a wonder everyone wasn't sick of me by the end of that summer.  Anyway I recieved a phone call from a fellow named (aptly) "Cowboy" who was planning a start-up event near Toledo Ohio and he loved my masks and would I pleeeeeze come merchant since he needed cool merchants to help draw a crowd?   Not being one to pass up any opportunity that year, I said "sure".

So, I packed up my stock and left the kid and the dogs (my Aussies Tucker & Ruby were still alive then) with grandma, and drove five hours to Toledo.  The event site was (and remains) the coolest I'd ever seen, Fort Meigs.  A real 17th century fort, complete with earthworks and stockades...a lovely site.  One could almost completely suspend one's disbelief in the modern world in a place like that, especially at night with the torches lit.   Baron Wars one was a huge success.  I got hit upon frequently enough to become convinced that my life was not "over" (and in fact was beginning all over again).  Cowboy was swamped with people...he expected about 300 and over 800 came.   I sold many masks and had a wonderful weekend and made a ton of money.  I drove home on Mother's Day (I remember this distinctly) feeling pretty good about myself and my ability to care for my little family. 

Even though it was a scary, uncertain time, I always look back on that year (and especially that one event) with fondness.  I was at my strongest, most determined best that year.    It was, oddly, a very happy time in my life.

So, fast forward past many other Baron Wars.  Many many things change.  Fort Meigs remains the same...in fact due to renovations it is perhaps better than ever.  Maybe (throwing humility aside) I can say that about myself and my artwork as well.  :-)

Some pictures:

The front stockade of Ft. Meigs...coolest site ever.


Before a battle.  Everyone's milling around discussing who is going to kick who's butt.  And just how that butt kicking will go down.


Commencement of the butt-kicking!  It was a bridge battle...the hay bale lanes = bridges.  Oh, just shut up & squint!  See?  Bridges.


I REALLY love all the period tents...there were hundreds at this event.   Doesn't it look neat?  That's hand-painted, by the way.


Merchant's Row...some of the larger period tents.  Those things cost upwards of 2,000 dollars.


My row...I'm down there somewhere.




My own Not-Period tent.  Eh...at least it's waterproof.  Plus I use it at regular Art Fairs...because the period tent look really doesn't float at the Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art Festival.  :-)

My stuff looked pretty good on the new grid walls...

The new Kirin...

the Celestial Dragon & the Spriggan masks...

Fire & Frost!

Mask sales were so-so.  *shrug*  It was great just to have them out in the open where people could see them.

BIGGEST difference between my first Baron WArs and this one; I'm married to a good guy who is an excellent provider.  If I have a so-so event, it's not the end of the world.  Being able to really enjoy an SCA event without fear of forclosure hanging over one's head...that's priceless.

AND!  Because I'm honest:

I don't know what the worst thing about this picture is.  The lighting?  The cheap hotel room?  The glasses (yes I wear glasses)...or the fact that I'm NOT WEARING PANTS?

I think it's the no pants thing. 

Comments

[shvetufae.livejournal.com]

Whoo, happy anniversary of your freedom! And the site looks great. :)

*HUG*

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hon. :-)

Sorry I had to run earlier...we'll chat again soon. I felt so rude!

*smooch*

[moko-moko.livejournal.com]

First of all, I am so proud of you for making it through and having the strength to not give up. Although I didn't know you back during this time, if you had not, You wouldn't be the wonderful, super talented and friendly artist and person I know and adore today :3

Second, those grids are amazing! Everything looks so bright adn clean on them; they really pop out at you.

Pfft. Pants are just a suggestion, like roads.

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Aww... You'll never know how glad I am that we're friends, and that we get to share eachother's adventures here on LJ. I swear, whenever I read your journal (even if you're in a crappy mood) it cheers me up because I LOVE what you're doing with your life. It's like I made all these wrong decisions & messed things up for myself...but there you are doing all the right things and making good choices and being strong and smart. It makes me so HAPPY to be able to talk to you & share stuff and watch you rock, and I'm so curious to see how things go for you because you remind me of ME without the mistakes.

[a-hollow-year.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous display. Also woot, anniversary! VIVA LA REVOLUCION

(The worst thing is that you are still wearing a shirt. That's the worst thing. Duh.)

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It's funny that it never occured to me that so much time has passed until I got to the event & started thinking about why I was at the first one. Hmm!

I love your Che icon! “Better to die standing, than to live on your knees.” You betcha.

"(The worst thing is that you are still wearing a shirt. That's the worst thing. Duh.)"
lol! Oh honey...after about 35, things up top started going all "National Geographic" on me. You have no idea. Sometimes, discretion IS the better part of valor. ;-)

[ermine-rat.livejournal.com]

wow, funny to think that I've known you that long....

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Much longer than that, even! We go way back. :-)

[rumdiculous.livejournal.com]

Worse thing about that picture: I think I've seen that same blanket in most hotel rooms. O.o

Wah, I wish I could have went to this event. It looks amazing. (And finally, so that's what the darn hay bales were for! I was wondering...)

Maybe next year (if you go) I won't be doing a stupid play. XD (btw we've put the play on four times and I still have four more to go. ughhhhhhhhh)

[merimask.livejournal.com]

lol...it was a clean room anyway. I can only complain about the decor (and the bed that was like a slab of concrete!!).

I wish you could have gone too! It was so beautiful, weatherwise, and the fort is simply amazing.

There will most likely be a next year, too. It's such a lovely event. I hope you can come! :-)

[rumdiculous.livejournal.com]

Oh I hate those hard beds. :( They make it so the floor is more comfortable.

[ramblinsuze.livejournal.com]

Congrats on your liberation anniversary. I can empathize. Only three years since mine, but I'm definitely doing the happy dance, despite all the hardships since. Still thinking about changing my name, btw. I just keep thinking about the hassle of changing all my accounts, etc., not to mention letting everyone know about the change. But, I would *really* like to leave that chapter of my life behind, so... Hmm.

Your display looks absolutely gorgeous. Do you have a schedule somewhere of what events you are going to be at? I'm about a day's drive away, and would like to come take a look in person!

Lastly, would it make you feel better or worse that I am dressed exactly are you are in that picture? Pants, schmants... ;)

[indigos-angel.livejournal.com]

I changed my name, the whole darned thing!

I don't know if you were just talking about your last name, but seriously, for me it was soooooooo worth it! I won't lie and say I don't miss my old name sometimes, and people are kind enough to mess up and call me by it, but really, I only had one person be a pain, and I hardly knew the woman.

"Well, I knew you as *bleep* so *bleep*'s the way it's going to stay."

And it's not that big of a hassle really, btw. I live in Canada, and most people didn't even need to see ID, like at the doctor's office and stuff.

Good luck if you decide to do it! XDDDDd

[merimask.livejournal.com]

I highly recommend changing your name back because it feels WONDERFUL and it's like getting an ugly tattoo removed...you just feel unblemished by your former life when you do it. It's free, too...just bring your divorce papers to your local city hall Dept of Records and they'll do it for free (otherwise it costs 200 dollars!).

It's not too awful, changing everything. The big things are your DL and your SS card...but you can take care of all that in one afternoon, really. Do it! You'll feel so much better when you do.

You know, I never really know when or what I'm doing at any given time when it comes to SCA events. I sort of wing it, really. There are 3 or 4 big ones that I plan on every year and the rest just happen if I have time & energy (or a burning need for a whack of cash).

There IS one SCA event up near Kittery every February. I might attend if it doesn't overlap another event I do around the same time in Kalamazoo. I'll be sure to let you know. :-)

Pantsless People, unite! (if they're drawstring pants, then; "pantsless people, untie!")

[indigos-angel.livejournal.com]

*pees self laughing*

Okay, now THAT was a good post. I'm wearing pants just cause we don't have blinds on all the windows and my kids are awake, but yeah. There's something nice and sexy about walking around in skivvies!!! XD

And the masks really did stand out nice on the grid with the tent!

*love*

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Hee! My husband is going to be SO scandalized...he doesn't even know I took that pic (he was in the shower).

The no-pants thing would be much less embarrassing if I was as cute as you. :-)

[indigos-angel.livejournal.com]

*opens arms wide and receives*

Thanks honey!!!!!!!!

~_____^

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

I am completely careless about my state of dress when I take pictures. If anything scary pops up, I just crop it out...and all I can see is your legs from the knee down! I think I'd take a pic with my undies actually SHOWING and still not feel weird about showing it to people...it's no different from a swim suit and I'd be totally okay with that, so... :)

Anyway, I like that picture. Bad colour of course and a bit blurry, but otherwise, I think that's the cutest one I've seen :) (I like photos that don't look overly 'posed'.)

[merimask.livejournal.com]

lol...thanks. :-) I was just sitting there watching the weather channel(hoping for more sunshine because Baron Wars tends to experience volatile weather...May, you know) and going through my purse...and there was my camera. Click!

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Ohh! Just wanted to let you know that your package arrived SAFELY today. Yayy!! Everything is simply lovely and I'll probably do an entry about it later today or tomorrow (the colors are PERFECT) but I just wanted to set your mind at ease & tell you the Eagle has Landed. ;-) Thank you, thank you!

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

Oh good! I do worry about them. Damn customs jerks. I hope it didn't look like it had been thrown down and stomped on, like the one that was returned to me did. I can't believe how badly they messed it up!

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

PS: Glad the colours are right. I figured they'd be pretty close to your favourite combo :) I hope the necklace isn't too long...but since you said 18 inches at least, I took you at your word :) It's one of those cleavage-dippers. Of course you can always shorten the dangle...

[zannachan.livejournal.com]

I realized this weekend that I must have met you not long after your divorce. I met DB 10 years ago this fall, and my first Pennsic was the following August (1998). My how time has flown.

Your new display looked fantastic--I love the grid walls. I hope I didn't scare away too many customers by hanging around chatting. I really enjoyed talking with you.

I love your pictures. Mine are still on the camera, though I'm kicking myself that I never got any pictures of the equestrian activities. I love horses, and they looked incredible. I always carry my camera at events but I am terrible at remembering to take pictures.

And, as promised, this is your official reminder to add me to your friends list :)

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we've known eachother for a while, now. :-) My work got much better after the divorce. You wouldn't have liked me much back then...I was a very sad person.

That was a lovely event, eh? I should have taken more pictures. I have none of the interior of the fort, & it's so neat. The "tavern" always tickles me.

The horses ARE getting prettier at SCA equestrian events. They used to be kind of sad, like "He's 25 years old & I saved him from becoming glue" but lately I guess there are actually some Scadians with money.

You've been added! I did it as soon as I got home (I remembered!). :-D

[zannachan.livejournal.com]

Whoo hoo!

I don't remember equestrian activities at events until recently, so I can't compare. There aren't very many events in Pentemere with equestrian activities, though there are people trying to change that. I've always loved horses--I even took riding lessons when I was a child--but I decided when I was about 10 that horses my allergies were too bad for me to continue. But I still enjoy watching them.

I didn't get any pictures of the tavern either, and I should have.

[kls-eloise.livejournal.com]

So if it's been ten years since the divorce, we've known each other for...

I am SO not going there!

Let's see... ten years ago I was moving out of my parents house and up to Syracuse to be with Bob. I made my mother cry when I told her. But it all ended up okay. They're either really fond of him, or really good actors.

The picture is cute. The strategic placement of the purse makes it look far more scandalous than it really is :-)

Have you pre-registered for Pennsic yet? I worry about you in singles.

[merimask.livejournal.com]

lol! I met you shortly after getting married...the first time! Seriously kiddo, it's been almost 20 years.

Oooh...you're right. I better pre-reg right away. I'm SO bad with dates. *scuttles off to transfer money* Last year they let me camp with my group (in spite of the fact that I didn't pre-reg) and it was SO much nicer than fending for myself. Everyone made me promise to come back this year.