s e v e n i s a j o u r n e y

Well, the Elmwood Farm SCA Flophouse [TM] had its first official guests this past weekend. The weekend before was Crown Tourney up in Auckland (you’ll recall we took the better part of valor and went to an A&P show instead), and there was a contingent of Aussies over for the festivities. They spent the intervening week touring, but returned to Wellington and crashed with us for the last couple days.

Saturday, we had another Day O’ Fun, with about 20 or so people engaged in SCA heavy list fighting, live steel fighting, fencing, archery, embroidery, spinning, beading, etc., finishing up in the ger, which we set up in the side yard off the living room. We’d got a little brazier from the Warehouse( AKA the “Wuddy Fuddy”, AKA “The Red Shed”) and had a fire and everything. Definitely need to sort out the seating — get some carpets and cushions and stuff. We had fantastic weather for it (thank you again, Tawhiri !).

Sunday we said goodbye to our visitors and scooted up to the Pauatahanui plant sale, where we picked up a bunch of flaxes for a dollar each. Score ! Plus some of the sweet little native irises — the leaves are this amazing stripey orange all year, and then in Spring they pop out these pretty little flat white iris flowers. And mucho thanks to Yvonne for putting us onto it. We then rather optimistically set out to find the old magazines on the Waitangirua farm at the top of the valley, but I pooped out less than half the way to Round Knob. This bronchitis has really knocked me back. Grrrr. I’ve got no stamina at all.

Monday, Sharon came over and we watched Laputa. Sharon brought us some kiddie books back from the Miyazaki museum ! (She went to Japan right as we were coming back from the States.) They were all from short film they only show at the museum, including one about little Mei from Totoro and the adventure she has with the Kitten Bus (!), going to the Nekobus Convention. Double-decker cat buses ! Cat trains ! And the Big, Old, Very Intimidating Grandmother Cat Bus, who apparently has a soft spot for little girls who bring her caramels. Awwwww !!!!