LaGuardia to Boston and before that Wisconsin...

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(I am working off an iPad and unfortunately can't select the correct location so I am choosing Anchorage which I can select easily)

Sitting in LaGuardia airport waiting for my next flight that will take me to Boston and a week of touring cemeteries in search of ancestors. On another plane flying north is Mark...we spent the last few weeks together traveling over 2000 miles from Chicago to Winnipeg and back. This airport is set up for business and professionals. Comfy chairs, outlets for electricity and USB. Ethernet connections too. Even the decor is business oriented. Etched glass, "Make a profit" "Check your investments" I wonder what an airport lounge for educators would look like? I thought I would be  able to upload this blog today from the airport but wifi costs here...I think I'm spoiled by free wifi in Anchorage!

A little backtracking now. After we dropped Aqua and Scott off in Ashland we stayed one night and then the next morning we drove to Stevens Point so Mark could pack...a long bow, tent poles, a fantastic picture of two dueling dragons and other assorted things that need to be with us in our home. Of course we also packed up his Renaissance cavalier outfit in preparation for the Ren Faire the next day in Bristol. After packing and saying good bye to Mark's Mother we headed to Pleasant Prairie and our hotel for the next two nights. Mark and I went to the Ren Faire last year, he dressed up while I was in an outfit that was okay but not as fun! My goal this year was to find something to begin putting together a wonderous outfit. With that in mind we stopped at Goodwill to see if there was anything there that might be of use. I found a belt...

Aqua and Scott joined us later that night after dropping off their two dogs in Milwaukee. Aqua also picked up her Ren Faire dress. We sat up talking and laughing and reliving the Cirque du Soleil show a few days previously. The next day dawned and we proceeded to transport ourselves back to the Renaissance time! M'Lord Mark and M'Lady Aqua looked so wonderful in their outfits. I felt like a peasant beside them and not at all in the spirit of things. We wandered around the Faire which was in its 24th year in the same place. It has been built up and is a permanent landmark now. 

Vendors selling wares of all kinds, food and drnk aplenty. Knights in shining armor jousting, a falconer who not only was a professional but also looked the part, peasants, belly dancers, roving musicians, jesters and of course the royal court of the Queen could be watched and learned from. Some of our favorites: sautéed mushrooms-which we now make at home, especially on camping trips, honey mead wine, sour, crisp pickles... 

And I had decided to find something for my own outfit so we browsed our way through every clothing vendor around. At Pendragon I saw a most lovely maroon brocade skirt. I also tried on a corset...hmmm...not sure about that. We wandered on though and saw gowns made of material that looked and felt like liquid velvet. I was very tempted by that till the man selling the dresses said they made them for women 5'2"-5'4", that being the average heights they found! I would have to have something made special. Needless to say there were many, many choices in many colors. Then we went in Casta Divas. Beautifully stitched clothes, tops, skirts, shirts and more. A saleswoman, Tammy, came by and we chatted about the different tops, yes, corsets. Each made a bit differently, each fitting a bit differently. The one I had tried on at Pendragon was also too short. Tammy fitted me and suggested I go to their other store near the jousting arena. The head seamstress had just perfected a corset that covered a bit more, was a bit longer and was very comfortable. Mark, Aqua, and Scott all approved and so I walked out with the first piece of my new Ren Faire outfit yet to be. 

Being in Ren Faire clothes changes one's whole perspective, not only do you enjoy what is being offered you become a part of the experience. It makes for a very enjoyable time. We split off again from Aqua and Scott, we tended to take longer looking at everything that could be looked at. There is so much to see and take in. I especially enjoy watching the nymphs, satyrs and fairies that wander around the grounds. Sometimes they interact with people, at other times they just do their own thing and perch on various trees. They are in full costume, including face and body paint. They remind me of the Cirque du Soleil. One of the fairies spins a web and it stretches out across a few trees. She adds in various things that get "caught", a feather, a ball of string, even a goblet. When she is not at her web she carries yarn and spins it as she walks around. 

The Faire opened at ten with us arriving shortly after. Aqua and Scott took off mid-afternoon but Mark and I stayed till seven in the evening when it was over. About an hour or so before seven, folks start to congregate in the middle to form a drumming circle. Both the musicians of the Faire and those who had drums as part of their outfit, or purchased them that day were there too. One drummer led the group and many people danced to the music. This was not a planned event in the beginning but has developed to be one of the last things to see and participate in at the Faire. The  day ended with the Queen and her entourage parading out of the grounds and then she stands on the balcony waving fare thee well to all. It was a great time to stand and watch everyone as they passed by and I took lots of pictures of the outfits passing by so I might get some more ideas for my own that I'll begin to work on very soon. 

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