blueeowyn | Recent Entries

Death is one of those things that a lot of people don't want to think about or talk about. It is big, scary, and unpleasant. However, dealing with death goes a LOT smoother if there is preparation ahead of time. At the very least having someone with organizational skills and the ability to focus during the stress is very helpful.

Here are a few things that I have seen/learned over the last several years with regards to dealing with death. I am not a lawyer, I am not a clergy member, I am not a doctor, and I do live in Maryland. Different people will have different thoughts and different areas may have different rules. Feel free to email me (username AT dreamwidth and logical extension) if you don't want to comment with your name.

( Before death medical )

( Before Death logistics and legal )

( After a Death )

( Helping someone with death )

What I Want - link to a post that lists what my personal preferences are regarding my body post death.

So as it should have been expected DOGE and Trump have turned their hatred on the the the humanities.

From an email I got today from Cathy Gorn (head of NHD)

Yesterday, our Board President wrote to you to let you know that funding for NHD from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) was in jeopardy. This morning, that became a reality when we learned that our grants from NEH were terminated. This means a loss of more than $336,000 over this year and next. As we noted yesterday, part of these funds were designated for the 2025 National Contest. We are committed to proceeding as usual, providing an unparalleled experience for our young historians, so I am coming to you for your help. In the next few months, we need to raise $132,000 for this year’s contest alone to make up for the loss of NEH funding. Can I count on you to help?

DONATE TO NATIONAL HISTORY DAY -- https://nhd.org/en/get-involved/donate/

In the meantime, please continue to exercise your civic right and responsibility to make your voices heard. Thank you so much for supporting National History Day. It is because of your support that we can continue to help the next generation become engaged and thoughtful citizens.

Bubba was one of the older horses on the farm. He was a new born foal when I met him when we had taken Dancer up to be bred (the first time) in 1994. He passed away 12/6/23 at a respectable age of 29.

He was given the barn name "Bubba" due to his size at birth (around 200lbs). For comparison, most foals are around 100, Echo was probably between 60 and 65 but she was tiny (the vet commented on how tiny she was).

As Dede described it, when he was about 6 months old he pinned his ears and they never came forward agaon. He did have his ears forward at times but it often took some coaxing. When he was first born they thought he was potentially stallion material. I think the fact that his sire threw a LOT of foals (around 1/2) that had OCD removed him from consideration independent of anything else).

He was Peter's main riding horse for years, he was successful competing as a young horse at Dressage at Devon. In his older years he was ridden by assorted people and carried them all with dignity and grace in spite of his oversized build.

Bubba in a Halloween Show in 2002 (Erika on board) as a clown

He had been retired for several years due to getting stiff with age but had a good retirement. He was getting a bit grey around the temples but enjoyed treats (I made him put his ears somewhat forward to get treats from me).

I saw him a few days before he was put down and he was fine. He didn't show any issues when they put him out but had Problems when he came back in. They don't know what happened but at least it was clear that he wasn't going to survive what was going on but at least he wasn't in pain. The best guess is that he had a cancer tumor that ruptured.

His grumpy yet charming attitude will be missed and we were respected friends for a LONG time.

Last weekend, Java and I went to ChessieCon. For those of you who may not know it, it is a small Science Fiction/Fantasy convention in the Baltimore area. The prime iteration of it was called Darkover and when the person who had permission to use that name died, the group had to rename it (Chessie being the Chesapeake Bay's version of Nessie).

The last in person convention was 2018 and we attended (well I did, Java spent most of his time in the room studying) though he did go to a couple of things. 2019 the hotel that had been booked got sold and the new owners pulled out. 2020 they had a new hotel but there was this pandemic going on. 2021 the pandemic was still a problem (the hotel was rented by the city due to the pandemic). There were virtual cons but they didn't have the same feel and had some small con issues.

Now we are in 2022, the con is at a new hotel but a lot of people have forgotten about it (I suspect since memberships carried to 2022, people forgot that they already had a membership). The staff is thin (and no con for 3 years means no recruiting new staff) and I think could have done a bit more in the email department (not trying to blame since I had hoped/planned to volunteer this year but...). What ended up happening is that the Con rented space (a lot of space) in the hotel but had a tiny number of people show up and some of them didn't book rooms (or shared rooms) so the con didn't meet their obligation to the hotel. For those who don't know, hotels will 'rent' their meeting space to groups for a very high rate BUT if the group books enough hotel rooms, the rate either goes way down or becomes free. Due to the tiny attendance, the con didn't rent enough hotel rooms and owes the hotel a LOT of money (which they didn't get in from few attendees and very few vendors).

The GOH helped set up a GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/f/friends-of-chessiecon-unite?utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer) to raise money for the con so that they can hopefully get back on the rails and do a good con next year and come back. If you want to donate but don't want to go through Go Fund Me, you can send a check (marked donation for accounting purposes) to them directly (addrss etc. on the con membership page) https://www.chessiecon.org/chessiecon/membership/

Feel free to share as you want (entry is public)

The day I have been dreading at some level for 26+ years arrived. I've been actively dreading it for 5 weeks. Echo has dealt with so many physical challenges over the years and finally had one we couldn't overcome. It was time. I am the entire reason that she existed in the first place and I made the call to end her life. It is the last gift I can give her and her mother. A peaceful death before she is in another major crisis (in pain and/or scared). These last few weeks she has been happy, playful, insistent on treats. It has been a wonderful yet painful few weeks but it was time.

This morning Java drove me up there and I just hung out with her, offering scritches (she had VERY itchy cheeks) and treats. Then when it was close to the appointed time, I took her out to let her hand graze and eat some apple. She felt good enough to jig her way out of the barn and during some of her circling while grazing there was a brief trot. I told her how much I loved her and how sorry I was for all of her problems and how wonderful and good she was. The vet was very good, he gave her a mild tranq to keep her calmer and then when we were all ready gave the double injection. She stayed up longer than I expected but not long at all (and seemed mostly unconcious when she went down). Stubborn girl's heart took a little while to catch up but she was at peace and had peppermints while the drugs were going in.

We had gone to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical last night (tickets bought several months ago) and one of the lines really hit me. "It is hard to say goodbye but harder to not be able to." I wasn't able to say goodbye to Dancer really but I had a few weeks of loving on Echo and giving her treats and over an hour today to really say my final goodbyes.

It is hard on me and hard on the farm. She was conceived there, she was born there, and she died there. They felt horrible when they found out that her sire threw OCD babies (they found out about a month before Echo was born) and have worked with me and her for so many years trying to get her healthy and sound.
( Echo History )

Echo at 1 day -

6 weeks -

2 1/2 -

This is rough to type. I worked with Sharon for around 24 years which is just under half of both of our lives. First she was a GA in the office I used to work in, then a staff member, then my boss for 15 years, then uberboss for the last 7. I had planned to wait until the day of the funeral to write but I couldn't sleep so here I am.

Sharon was one of those people who could be described as the King in the King's Stilts. When you work, you really work and when you play you really play.

Once we moved to the current department, she would bring her dogs (first Jack, then Simon, and more recently Harry) to work and they would wander around the office and ask for attention (big dog leans and thwapping tails). When she was presenting at a regional conference she was coming straight from vacation and she needed someone to watch the dog while she spoke. I had that honor and he and I were in the back of the room while she did her speech (he even had is own nametag). My mom was asked once to dog-sit Harry when he was just a puppy and she needed to go to meetings in another building and he was not at all happy being left alone (and not much happier with someone he didn't know very well but it was better than alone).

She was supportive of friends, family, co-workers and the university. Her inteligence and ability to be able to really scan the landscape and see changes in trajectory so that we could be ready to adapt to the changing environments was impressive. Her focus on us as individual people with individual needs and interests was huge. She led us through a massive undertaking of redoing multiple systems in multiple ways. While she wasn't able to prevent some changes, she did mitigate their effects on us.

She was generous and when she was my direct boss, provided thank you gifts that were very me (vs. generic). Obviously for the last couple of years, the end of year gifts were more generic but she made sure that everyone got them ... even brand new people. She supported you as a person not just a generic employee and did that with everyone. She understood that while the work we do is important, it isn't a life-or-death type of job (no babies are going to die because of this) and that perspective is so rare and such a gift.

She loved going to Broadway (and got Hamilton tickets before they were hot) and Bruce Springteen concerts (one reason I wanted to see Blinded by the Light was her love of Bruce). She told about being at Macy's when the cast of Kinky Boots went shopping after a bunch of people wanted to boycott the store because of allowing them in the Thanksgiving Parade. Before she got so sick (and the pandemic) she would go sailing and be so relaxed and alive. She would tell amusing stories about the dogs (like when Harry went and sat where his crate lived after she had packed it for his first trip).

She continued our first Uberboss's tradition of working to create an office family with pot-lucks, picnics, chili-cookoffs, and some truly amazing office retreats where we worked hard on getting an office plan together for whatever we were dealing with but also had a fun component (bowling was interesting). She believed in celebrating people for their work and their personal things (weddings, births, graduations, etc.).

Of all the people in the office, she was one who honestly lived one of the healthiest lifestyles so it seems so wrong and unfair that such a health, big-hearted person would be taken down by her heart. She did everything she could to protect her family and friends as she got sicker. My understanding is that she had all the documents taken care of, all of her wishes crystal clear and while she was hoping that this most recent procedure would move her toward getting back on the list, she made it easier for the family to be OK with taking her off lifesupport when things really didn't go as planned.

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that she had helped choose the music for her celebration of life.

I hope that if there is a heaven that Jack & Simon were there waiting for her and that she is at peace with blue skies, gentle waves and a nice boat while waiting (patiently) for her partner and Harry to join her eventually.

Jackson Evans Ireland was a grumpy irascible, lovable, huggable true gentleman. When we first met (30ish years ago) he described himself as a grumpy old man. His love of sea and history and humor were clear from the start. He is the person who dragged me to judge my first History Fair. He taught me a lot about working with the kids and being supportive of them. Making sure that we insisted on good history while respecting them and their work. His joy in their work was wonderful. Over the years we would see each other at various competitions and swap stories of the projects we saw. One year I was doing performance at State and he had done it at County and naturally I saw one of the ones that had advanced and after judging (and scoring), we compared notes on the project (that kid could perform!).

I first met him through the Longship Company and working with him on Fyrdraca and sailing under his captaincy was a magical experience. He insisted (correctly) on being safe first, fun second, and still be educational. He was patient with beginners but had not a lot of patience for people who refused to learn or refused to listen.

He was the captain on one of my favorite "let's mess with the locals" voyages. We were in Annapolis in the summer of 1992 (shamelessly coattailing on the replica Columbus ships) and had docked with them at City Dock. One evening, Captain Van had taken Draca out for a row around the area. At the time across the channel from City Dock was a swanky restaurant so we headed over there. Along the side of the restauant (where the wall to wall windows were facing us) were signs that said no docking. Van, warned us of what he planned so we were full speed ahead (well as full speed ahead as 6 oars could do). When we were close to the dock he said, prepare to hold water (hold the oar in the water so the boat comes to a stop) and back water if needed on my command. Hold water in 3 ... 2 ... 1 - HOLD Water so we stopped rowing, put the oars in and held and the boat came to a fairly quick stop. Ivan (our dragon) was looking over the shoulder at the meal of one of the diners. His companion had seen us coming and was pointing at us (we were all craning our necks to see the show), he turn over his shoulder and was facing a very cute dragon. He jumped, we laughed, waved, and then Van had us do a 180 around where the mast was (half rowing frontwards, half backwards) and we rowed away. We obeyed the letter of the rules, we did NOT dock ... we didn't even touch the dock ... just got Veerrrrrry close to it.

He was also an instigator at having the boat at a fund raiser for the local marine museum and we were paying as we went. At the time he worked at a bank so he found out about how much we were going to donate and got a lot of in in half dollars and at intermission of the concert, we rowed over to the dock, dropped of some sacks of money, 'kidnapped' the opening act, and rowed away. The opening act thought we were fun and asked to go with us. Before we went to the dock, we rowed around the other boats that were anchored out listening to the concert and suggested making a donation (holding a basket on the end of a spear).

One of my favorite memories (and one I never let him live down ... and will never be able to tease him about again) was a feast we went to. He decided to make a period soup. He had friends who hunted and gave him some venison. He got some period vegetables and made a lovely broth with small bits of Bambi and the veggies. He decided it was a little thin, so he added barley ... an entire box of it. 10 minutes later, it still looked thin and he added a second box of barley. What ended up being served was slices of barley with shreds of Bambi. It was delicious but very high in roughage and you could slice this and grill it like a burger.

He could tell stories and provide wisdom and even when you hadn't seen him for awhile, he was always glad to see you and it felt like no time passed.

Unfortunately, we both mostly dropped out of Longship and I stopped doing county history fair and he stopped doing state. I wish I could have dragged him to see National and wander the exhibit hall with him. With my life going differently, I haven't seen him in several years but always thought foundly of him.

Sail true my captain of captains, may the fair winds bring you home.

Warning, this post may (should) piss everyone off who reads it. ( Political Ad - Holocaust )

So, like many other entities, Pay Pal has been suggesting for months that you add a mobile number. When I tried to log in last night, I couldn't get in ... they now REQUIRE a mobile number (new since mid-July) and they couldn't be arsed to let their users know it was going to be a requirement until AFTER they implemented it and to make it worse it sounds like (reading the page) it is still voluntary (by adding your number you are agreeing to this, that and the other as well as adding your number increases security blah blah blah. How does this help people who either don't have a mobile phone OR have an emergency use only phone OR have a plan with no Text or Data?

I was able (fortunately) to get in via an invoice I was paying off over time and have finished paying that invoice, sent the money I was trying to send yesterday, and have now removed all my $ info from PayPal. This pretty much sucks because a) I liked the cashback I was getting this quarter, b) I had been planning on selling some models and accepting $ via PayPal (I guess I really should have done that a few months ago), c) it is a good way for me to pay things and not have my credit card everywhere.

When is the world going to realize that not everyone is marching to a given drum and that COMMUNICATION BEFORE CHANGES IS A GOOD IDEA.

So, the state of Florida is sometimes known to have some really crazy and/or stupid things going on in it. This particular set of things is really taking the cake from my point of view.

Florida HB233 (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/233/BillText/er/PDF)
Which says (in part)
The State Board of Education shall require each Florida College System institution to conduct an annual assessment of the intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity at that institution. The State Board of Education shall select or create an objective, nonpartisan, and statistically valid survey to be used by each institution which considers the extent to which competing ideas and perspectives are presented and members of the college community, including students, faculty, and staff, feel free to express their beliefs and viewpoints on campus and in the classroom.
Which on the surface sounds pretty good, I mean, being free to have your opinion is a good thing and part of academic freedom, right? However, do we really believe that the board of education will select or create an objective, nonpartisan, and statistically valid survey (completely ignoring that statistical validity depends on samples and analyses and not the questions).

Then they add this gem:
[A] student may record video or audio of class lectures for their own personal educational use, in connection with a complaint to the public institution of higher education where the recording was made, or as evidence in, or in preparation for, a criminal or civil proceeding. A recorded lecture may not be published without the consent of the lecturer.
And once the student uploads it, how does that work?

Oh this is how:
(a) Against a public institution of higher education based on the violation of the individual's expressive rights in a court of competent jurisdiction to obtain declaratory and injunctive relief and may be entitled to damages plus court costs and reasonable attorney fees, which may only be paid from nonstate funds, reasonable court costs, and attorney fees. (b) Against a person who has published video or audio recorded in a classroom in violation of paragraph (3)(g) in a court of competent jurisdiction to obtain declaratory and injunctive relief and may be entitled to damages plus court costs and reasonable attorney fees, with the total recovery not to exceed $200,000.
So, the students who publishes a video illegally may have to pay up to $200,000 but the professor or staff member who is convicted has an unlimited amount of damage that they can pay, in spite of the fact that the damage to a professor may be well over $200,000 (loss of grants over 10 years). Compound this by the publication of a recording being a problem is limited to a recorded lecture and does not include discussion sections, seminars, etc..

Then, at about the same time the Florida Board of Education (at the behest of the governor) passes a ruling on teaching history (https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/19958/urlt/7-2.pdf) which says in part:
[M]embers of instructional staff in public schools must teach the
required instruction topics efficiently and faithfully, using materials that meet the highest standards of
professionalism and historical accuracy. [...] Instruction on the required topics must be factual and objective, and may not suppress or distort significant historical events, such as the Holocaust, and may not define American history as something other than the creation of a new nation based largely on universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence. (c) Efficient and faithful teaching further means that any discussion is appropriate for the age and maturity level of the students, and teachers serve as facilitators for student discussion and do not share their personal views or
attempt to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view.

In Maryland, Higher Ed (i.e. colleges and universities) fall under the rules of the State Board of Education for many things. Which would mean that a college course that taught that not all men were treated as created equal even through the Jim Crow laws of the 60s would not be permitted. Furthermore, a teacher saying that they thought that this was a bad part of US history (which is their opinion) would not be permitted. Thus they may well feel like their intellectual freedoms are not respected and report that in the mandatory survey.

Any bets on if a reasonably large percentage of people report that they don't feel comfortable stating their opinions that the Governor, Legislature, and Board of Ed will be absolutely convinced that it is the Left squashing the Right instead of the other way around?

Java and I bought an EZ pass to share across our cars (which other people I know did in the past) since we don't always use the same car for everything that might want/need an EZ pass. However, when it came, it looks like you glue it to the windshield directly rather than glue a holder and slide it in/out as needed. Now that Maryland doesn't charge a fee for not using the thing and with more roads being EZ Pass only, it became a necessity for us.

So, if you know, please explain to this luddite how to safely and effectively mount and unmount an EZ Pass. Java and I have a trip to the eastern shore coming up soon and we need to have this working for that.

This is a Maryland EZ Pass if that helps.

Several years ago, after Echo's sire had moved out, they got a new stallion at the barn (Mack). Mack's owner brought in a bunch of other horses, pregnant mares, young stock who had been running loose since being foaled.

One of the youngstock was a yearling filly. Light bay with a strip and uneven socks. When Dede saw her move in the indoor, she was really impressed. This young horse was mostly feral but was still sweet to work around. With various issues around Mack's owner (not paying his bills), he eventually moved out leaving a large bill (i.e. hadn't paid board in awhile) and the deal was that any horses that the farm could sell would profit the farm and any that didn't get sold would revert to Mack's owner. Dede had fallen in love with this sweet mare and so we bought her and moved her off premises as sold and Mom started calling her Skye. We sold her back promptly but always considered her partially ours. Dede said that she would be left to us in her will if anything happened to Dede because we loved Mollie and she loved us.

Molly was registered under the name Sign the Card (which is a dressage judge's job) but was always called Molly (though I don't know if Dede spelled it Molly or Mollie). Years passed and we would visit with Molly every time we were at the barn. She loved when we had food but she also wanted us to come over and just hang out with her and scritch her on the withers. She knew Mom's step and knew that it almost always had a peppermint or other treat attached.

Several years ago, she did something in the pasture and really messed up a front leg. There is a saying that horses are looking for a way to hurt themselves and it does have a certain ring of truth. It is possible that being in the pasture with the other horses as a youngster affected her in unknown ways. She did a major tear to her suspensory and that is a really critical bit of structure for a horse. The suspensory is part of what holds them up and you can't give it full rest because a horse has to be on its feet most of the time. She was treated, bandaged (to provide some extra support) and so forth. It started to heal and she was allowed to leave the stall to be hand walked a short distance, then longer. Then turned out in a tiny paddock with a tranq to keep her from getting too silly. She grew stronger and had a more normal turnout then she started playing and the leg to re-injured.

I know that on Wednesday she was out with Bella as her babysitter. She was bright eyed and happy to see me that night (even without a treat). When I talked to Dede yesterday everything was fine. I called this morning to check on weather and was told not to come up at all, they put Molly down last night. I don't know the details but I suspect that she reinjured the leg and from what Peter said, there wasn't anything else they could do.

In many ways she was Dede's heart horse. Her sweet attitude, gentle expressions of requests for attention (very quiet nicker, lots of cute looks), and friendly demeaner will be missed. As the first stall in the barn everyone knew her and would speak to her. Having her gone will leave a huge hole in my heart, a larger hole in Mom's heart and a chasm in Dede and Peter's hearts.

I hope that if there is an afterlife she is out with Dancer, running free and playing without pain or risk of injury.

Run free Molly, you were loved and will be missed.

Maryland Humanities took some inspiration from something called the #30DaySongChallenge and set up a #30DayBookChallengeMDH

Since I don't Insta or Tweet or most of that sort of thing, I decided to do it as a meme.

Day - prompt
01 - book with a color in the title
02 - book with a number in the title
03 - great summer read
04 - book the reminds you of someone close to you
05 - great book to read aloud
06 - book given to you as a gift
07 - book about a trip or journey
08 - book related to eating or drinking
09 - book that makes you happy
10 - book that makes you cry
11 - book you can read over and over
12 - book from your teen years
13 - book by an author outside of the US
14 - book with a love story
15 - an adaptation or reinterpretation
16 - book that is considered a classic
17 - book made into a movie you like
18 - book from the year you were born
19 - book that makes you ponder life
20 - book with many meanings for you
21 - book with someone's name in the title
22 - book that inspires you
23 - book you think that everyone should read
24 - book with illustrations that you love
25 - book by an author no longer living
26 - book you were obsessed with after you read it
27 - book with an author from Maryland
28 - book by an author you love
29 - childhood favorite
30 - book that reminds you of yourself

( my answers )

The State of Virginia is in Phase3 of reopening (I think). One of their rules is no outdoor gatherings of more than 1000 people. As a result of this, Kings Dominion has announced that they will not open this year at all. Busch Gardens is having a beer event with some rides but limited rides. I don't know if the 1000 includes employees.

Given that KD has 59 rides (14 are water rides) and most rides require at least 2 ops (most more, handful less). Assume they need around 120 ride ops to run just the rides at any one time, 250/day is more likely with breaks and the number that have 3 or more (not counting the water rides which often have extras). Then figure an equal number to do food, games, janitor. That is 500 employees (I suspect it is more like 750) which may count against the total ... even if it doesn't, I can tell you that MDRF feels empty with only 1000 people, KD would feel frighteningly quiet. There is no way that the income from 1000 people (some of whom would be pass holders and likely only buying food) would cover the salaries of those 500-750 people.

What is currently boggling my mind is that there is a limit of 1000 in a large outdoor venue but schools can open. My graduating class (just my class) was 998 alive and 2 seats held for the 2 who died while we were in highschool. Thus the student population was probably around 4000 ... indoors ... spread across 1 main building, 1 annex (everyone in the Annex was in the main building 1/2 of the day) and maybe 2 temp buildings with lots of class changes. Even with 1/2 of the population home, that is still twice what KD is allowed and I can assure you that KD could have social distancing much more easily than the school could.

NHD is National History Day. It is an educational contest were kids in 6-12 grade compete in 2 division (junior and senior) in one of 5 categories (documentary, paper, website, exhibit, performance) and in most categories can compete as groups or individuals. They do research for most of year on a topic related to a theme then present it at competitions culminating in the National competition usually held in June in College Park. This year it is virtual but still happening. In the midst of everything going on, the Executive Director of NHD Cathy Gorn made a statement. I am sharing this (with permission) because I think it should be repeated. It can also be found on FB

STATEMENT FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CATHY GORN

Over the last week, I have watched the events, protests, and unrest taking place in cities across the country. I understand the frustration and anger expressed in response to ongoing incidents of brutality and deadly violence against African Americans. They are wrong, they are tragic, and my sorrow and sympathies are with the families and communities of those who have lost their lives.

Our country has struggled for centuries with the very issues confronting us today. Black history is American history. Its place in providing an unfiltered view of action and inaction in the face of inequality deserves to be scrutinized to enact change for the future. The dangers of ignoring the consequences of our shared history and reluctance to grapple with the difficult parts of our past create ripples that reverberate into systemic social and economic inequality.

Historians seek the truth, and part of that means asking tough questions not only of the subjects we study, but of ourselves. We cannot pick and choose to examine only the stories of history that make us feel safe. We must also confront our own biases and prejudices, implicit or explicit, to understand their influence in our work. Good historians continue to ask questions of each other, and of history, to pursue the truth in order to shape a better future.

Students, when you see injustice, take a stand; but don’t just stand there. When you turn 18, run, don’t walk, to register to vote. Democracy works best when “We the People” are engaged and informed. The figures and movements of history which you have addressed in your projects provide crucial lessons to be heeded in this moment. How were systemic inequalities broken down in the past? How did leaders galvanize and unite their people in times of darkness and strife? What motivated individuals of privilege to speak up and take action for the oppressed? Who were the agents of change, and how did they hold their leaders to account? I hope your answers to these questions will inform your words and actions beyond the classroom as you face the world and establish the role you will play in it.

This is why we study history. This is why we do National History Day.

I keep seeing references to watching streaming versions of plays. Unfortunately, with FB's lovely posting logic, I can't find a way to keep track of them. I can't watch all of them but some would be nice. Is there either a single place to find them OR can people post where they find them. I know I have seen people talking about Globe Theatre, Broadway, and I think National Theatre (UK). I will put what little I have found in comments. Feel free to add to comments OR email me things to add.

BTW - public

Ray Partenheimer was Hans for the MD Ren Fest. He was one of the guards for the royals for more than 20 years. His wife was a camp follower character for years (providing water to the court at photo-op) and for the last several years has overseen the display of the Crown Jewels. They would arrive together and he would help her get her stuff set up and she would help him get dressed. Their daughter played a very young Princess Mary and a very young D'Artagnan in 3 Musketeers. She did lots of stuff around the festival and met her husband there. The 3 of them were in many ways the ultimate fest family both unto themselves and unto the festival as a whole.

Hanging out with Maria while she worked the chapel and waited for Hans to come back, I got to see him more through her eyes and her love and respect for him while acknowledging his foibles and loving him because of them.

His joy at his daughter's engagement and wedding and love for his new son-in-law were palpable.

Hans took his guard duty very seriously. His grief at standing guard over the body of Bill and his determination to protect and guard his king until the very end (i.e. the crematorium) was heartbreaking and commendable. He would not allow anyone cast or patron to insult his charges but while he was a forceful personality he was a kind and gentle man.

Many people have commented on his greetings and how much they meant. I suspect he and Bill knew pretty much everyone at the festival by name (which is more than I can say for most of us). He would greet you with a smile, your name, and a big hug. His easy laugh at a joke and quiet support in a time of stress were constants. His intelligence and dedication to his roles there and elsewhere. He would play jokes but they were the right kind of jokes that didn't hurt anyeone (even the target).

The year that Java got dragged off to be beheaded, watching Hans was a eduction in quiet power, determination, respect and dedication to duty. His way of handling the situation made it more alive for the audience in subtle but effective ways. He would joke that he had a limited contract (only X number of rehearsals) but he made the most of them.

He was always a constant quiet support for the cast and I suspect in other groups he was in. When I would see him at another reenactment event, he was always glad to see me, open for hugs, and willing to chat but not by ignoring the patrons. His knowledge of history and way of bringing it to life were wonderful.

The world has lost a wonderful, gentle man who will be missed by all who were priviledged to have him touch their lives.

Noch Weiter

Current Mood: sad

I started a post several years ago and have just posted it (https://blueeowyn.dreamwidth.org/875146.html). If people have advice, thoughts, ideas for dealing with a death, please feel free to contact me or comment on it.

We took a mini vacation and our fabulous cat sitter got a picture of all 3 cats. From the top they are Touchstone, Feste, and Schlau. I think this is the only photo with all 3 of them in the same frame.

At the farm, they used to have foals and foals need babysitters. They bought a donkey (intact) with the idea of him fulfilling that role. After they got him home, they learned some of his traits (like he didn't lead ... they were told he lead like Mary and Joseph and it was true if you had someone on him urging him forward). He did learn to lead nicely and was gelded.

Many of the horses were NOT happy about his vocalizations when he first moved in, then they put him out and they saw his ears ... since ears are part of equine communication, his ear movements were "screaming" and if you added the braying of a donkey it was pretty intense. After awhile they all got to accept him.

For many years he would be out with the youngsters when they were weaned to give them company until they got big enough to push him around. Later he was a turn-out friend for Alvin. When Alvin died, Jacob started going out alone.

His braying was loud and he learned to try to nicker a bit (he tended to not be able to for long before giving into that great HHHHEEEEE-HAAOOOWWWWW he had. He had been quick to nip when they got him but learned over time to take his treats gently. He loved having me visit and give him scritches and treats and since for years he and Echo were in the same barn, he saw a lot of me. He got lyme disease and was a bit stiff after that. A few years ago he had a minor stroke and became rather one-sided but had good quality of life. Then he developed a tumor and it affected him as well but he still had good life and waited almost patiently for his turn when I visited the back barn.

Yesterday they had to put him down and it was time. They don't know for sure how old he was but they think he was upper 30s or even early 40s. They often referred to him as older than dirt.

He was sweet, intelligent, and a bit of a rascal at times. At least once he was playing keep-away with Peter but let me catch him. He was a fixture on the farm for decades and we will all miss him.

Farewinds Jaccky ... may you rest in peace.

Jacob circa 2000

Current Mood: sad

From

twistedchick

Keywords: Dancer Running
Comment: Picture by Orkney

This is the photo of my first horse Dancer Registered Dancing Lorraine who was an opinionated intelligent wonderful mare. She died in 2004 (my memorial to her is https://blueeowyn.dreamwidth.org/178381.html). She was the first horse my Mom really bonded with and one of the ones who will teach you a lot about yourself if you let them. She would go from being fiery to being cute in the blink of an eye. This photo was taken at the farm where she lived at the end of her life and we put her in the field where pretty much any of the horses would run to get this picture which was used as an inspiration for a gift in 1996 to me of a pastel of her.

*******

Keywords: fall gloom
Comment leaves & grey sky; picture & icon by me

The picture was taken the first fall in our house and I was playing around with mood and color. The Japanese Maple near the driveway was so vividly red with the grey sky. The contrasting colors sort of got the beautiful colors and the dread of the cold and the sort days into a single image.

*******

Keywords: Oh No
Comment: ganked from rimrunner

This one was on the LJ of a friend of a friend and the whole people running around going Oh No is so appropriate in so many different situations (some are the proverbial Chicken Little and some are the realization of horribleness). The icon amused me and I Rimrunner had said it was available if given credit.

1. Comment to this entry saying 'Ooo Shiny!' and I will pick 3 of your icons/userpics.
2. Make an entry in your own journal (or just reply if you prefer) and talk about the icons I picked!

If you have questions about or want me to natter about other icons I have, feel free.

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

I haven't done role playing in the traditional sense but I really enjoyed what the DH wrote.

Just sit right down and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful night
That started when the clock struck eight
with the dimming of the light.

Well I was a mighty gaming man,
My spouse was brave and sure.
Some buddies joined the table round
For three hours or four, three hours or four.

No keyboard, mouse or video screen,
Not a single luxury,
Like Arneson and Gygax
Twas primitive as could be.

The adventure began on the outskirts of this uncharted haunted ruin
With Bob the gnome,
The wizard too,
A holy man and a thief,
A minstrel bard,
Some cheese puffs and Mountain Dew,
Here at the table round!

The adventure started plain and pure
with goblins, orcs, and gnolls
A cavern that was filled with gold
and then we found the trolls...

[sound of lots of dice hitting the table]

The adventure started getting rough,
as we delved the dungeon deep
then Bob was turned to a popsicle
as the frost dragon woke from sleep

The grandfather clock chimed one then two,
As Bob started to defrost.
If not for the case of Mountain Dew
The adventure would be lost, the adventure would be lost.

The gnome named Bob and the wizard too,
along with all the rest,
swore to stay 'til break of day,
to prove they were the best.

So this is the tale of the table round,
They played for a long, long time,
Adventures, tales, and snacks and laughs
a great way to unwind

They join us here each week to play,
where no worldly cares are found,
We are diehard roleplayers,
Here at the table round!
6/4/16
Shared with permission

( Day at KD )
6.5 hours
1 meal
1 snack
2 non-coaster rides
12 roller coaster rides
so doing something every 24 minutes. That includes bathroom breaks, water breaks and walking from point A to point B. If you assume that we spent 1.5 hours at lunch (probably not unreasonable) and .5 hours at the snack (again not unreasonable) and at least .5 hours doing the bathroom/water fountain routines that drops it to something every 17 minutes ... including walking through queues, loading, riding, and unloading. Pretty amazing day.

We hit a nice Chinese place on the way home and enjoyed the $1 large drinks at a McD's in the same parking lot for the rest of the drive. I listened to music and DH slept. We got home around 9 (long dinner stop), puttered around and went to bed.

I am moving over here. I am planning to continue reading at the other site because there is a lot there that I like. I am interested in help with doing some things and I'm hoping someone here can help.

1) How do I set up an RSS? I have been reading Elizabeth Moon's blog posts (Paksworld and Universes) elsewhere having set up the RSS over there. I've also been enjoying the notalwayswrite that someone else had set up.
2) Those of you who have been actively over here longer, any suggestions?

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Eowyn's Ramblings

Wanderings of a bizarre mind

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