March 2023

David worked more on the Frankenstrat. 

I went (on my friend Alex’s) recommendation to a nursery called Thanksgiving Farms with mom for her birthday (a late trip). 

I got a gooseberry bush in hopes of filling out my medieval garden offerings. 

As I’m making more of those old recipies I am having a hard time getting ingredients so I’m hoping to just grow my own more often. 

On the recommendation of one of the guys that I am learning from during blacksmithing I went to an SCA event called Kingdom Arts and Sciences. 

It’s basically a science fair for arts and crafts. 

Each person displays the historical thing they are working on and they put out some documentation. 

Things as small as lace and as large as a kayak. 

There was music and food and even an entire room for people who specialize in brewing. 

I made a lot of soup in March. 

I made both not- borscht and actual borscht. 

Kiernan and I worked on our water bottles. We ran out of beeswax. 

They look pretty good and all the seeds are out. I tried both staining and burning in a pattern. 

We got ready to start the garden. 

The gooseberry started showing some life. 

I started printing a big horse skull but it didn’t work. 

In this month we lost Mr. Scearce. 

Erena drew this of her American grandma and grandpa. 

He was able to stay home as he wanted and wasn’t in much pain and it was peaceful. 

He was a great grandfather figure to my kids. He was an inspiration as a scientist. He was generous and funny and deeply clever. 

We will all miss him. 

Hug your family is a good lesson to take from death. 

I took David out on a date. I’m going to do that more. 

Two neat developments the first is that my pilgrims passport for the Camino came. 

The next is that I got invisiline. It’s making my mouth look weird. 

I got to see, after a billion years, my excellent stepmom. Her best friend Jan brought her to meet me at work. As you can see my mouth is unnatural. 

I hope to have a beautiful not crooked looking smile and to eliminate food traps and keep my teeth longer. 

The reason we got to see the fabulous grandma Mary is that we had a family reunion with my grandparents Rumford in N.C. 

We haven’t had one for years and years. My uncle had a birthday and my sister had a birthday and the stars aligned. 

When we got there someone showed Megan how to drive the golf cart. 

She was not to be separated from it for the rest of the weekend. 

 

She took us all for rides. 

I got to see my sweet sister. 

The kids got to hang out with their cousin. 

We got to take a huge number of family photos, eat chili, have cake and be musical. 

There was always someone by the fire pit and often bocce and archery. 

A grand time was had by all. 

We got especially to hug grandma and grandpa. 

Mary and Dad got to visit Milo, the dog who didn’t make it to Hawaii but instead found a happy life with Rumfords. 

Megan is going to be a great driver. 

I wish we could do more family stuff. Everyone was so relaxed and happy. 

Kiernan made lunch for everyone on the last day. He’s amazing. 

I got to do a song with my dad and uncle. 

Highlight of my month. 

Every night we got to eat with my sister and the cousins hung out at table and pool in our hotel. 

It was great. 

I got home and started hiking for serious. Camino training seems doable. I got shoes that fit my orthotics. 

Erena graduated from elementary school. 

Inspiration for my life and traveling happened too. My excellent friend Mariam went to Jerusalem. 

Her pictures and bravery made spain seem more desirable and attainable in equal measure. 

Also I now want to go to Jerusalem. 

Erena also took her next Karate belt test. 

This girl is in a roll!

Most of the Camino group got together and did a c&o tow path hike. 

It was my first really long walk since my foot shot. 

We heard a raven and I took it as a lucky omen. 

It was a beautiful day and the bluebells were blooming. 

Our group got another addition. Chris will join us too. 

I think he will be a fun addition. 

I like the time and the movement of hiking. I like the air and the sun and the mental space it gives. 

I took lots of pictures. 

We did around 5.5 miles (half our daily Camino distance) in two ish hours and were tired and hungry but pleased by the end. We hiked to Beans in the Belfry and that was brilliant. 

There was a cool planetary alignment. We used Davids sky map app to identify everything then drew pictures. 

The planets were so bright, brighter than all the other things but the moon.  

The weather turned nice again and David put a new trampoline surface on. We all watched and hung out and we’re grateful. 

Pax is no longer peeing blood but she still has the stones. She’s a little old for the surgery. They will check her again in a few months. 

On the night before April foods day Meg set her alarm to put a sticky note prank outside Kiernan’s door. 

It says “Good morning suckers”. 

She is very proud of herself. 

Ha!