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Back update: It hurts, but feels like a mildly pulled muscle. I’ve been taking it easy, and I have another chiro appointment tomorrow morning. On the mend, and I’m very pleased about that.

So, the weekend!

Amy/Maren arrived just after 2 p.m., because we haven’t seen each other in six months and wanted some quality time. We hung out, chatted, and then played Fluxx with Ed & Marian. It was so good to see her! She really needs to move to Darach.

Caterine, Emrys, and Eleanor arrived at about 4:30, I think, and Ken got them sorted (since they were staying the night). (Just for the record, they totally need to move back to Darach.) I think Morgana arrived around 5 or so, and Caterine showed off all her stuff that she made for Pentathlon, which she won, because she kicks ass. (And I made her enter. )

Not sure what happened when after that. There were many, many wonderful people. There was much good food and a huge variety of alcohol, including absinthe. I’d wanted to try it, just, well, because, but then I found out it was anise-based, and the very thought of anise makes me want to run screaming in the opposite direction. (I had a bad anise experience in sixth grade.) (What? Why are you looking at me like that?) But it showed up, and I figured I’d try it, and lo and behold, it didn’t suck! I sipped it at various times throughout the night, and actually got a really cool picture of my little gold-etched glass. (I’ll try to post pictures somewhere soon; I took a lot today, too.)

There was Spark in the Dark, and laughter, and friends, and talking about writing and Meg’s alien baby (okay, I saw her stomach roiling, and it was just too creepy!) and movies and oh, I can’t even remember it all. Just much goodness.

We have an embarrassment of leftovers now, of both the food and booze varieties. Including that bottle of absinthe (thank you, Lynn & Bill!)…

I didn’t get a lot of sleep, but woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep, and thus the day started. We all sort of lounged around and ate leftovers, and after C/E/E left, the rest of us had a small lunch before heading to Albra’s for her garden tea.

The theme of the tea was “silly hats”, and up until Friday, I didn’t know what I was going to do. Maybe just stick a stuffed animal on a straw hat. Then it hit me: I’d seen smished fairy hats at Great Western War (inspired, no doubt, by Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book. Ed said he could paint it. We picked up a few supplies on Friday, including small white butterfly wings with tiny rhinestones so the fairy could have 3D wings. She’s draped over the crown, her legs on the brim, a bit of blood oozing around her. Around the brim it says “Wheeeeeeeeeeee!” in a spiral followed by, right up to her body, “Oh. Poo.” And we (I didn’t do much more than borrow the idea of the hat, really) won the silly hat contest. :-) A hatbox containing a Peter Pan fairy ornament, wind chimes, and floral notecards. Very cool.

Albra also gave me my birthday prezzies, which included a garden ornament, Victorian picture frames, and pretty earrings.

Ed and Marian wore their very spiffy Edwardian outfits and impressed everyone with the blackwork they’re working on. I made off with some thyme and the promise of a bay laurel and a Spotted [Something] rose bush. I indulged heavily in scones and lemon curd, and took an arty shot of tiny pomegranates on Albra’s pomegranate tree.

After we came home, Ken and I succumbed to short naps, we ordered pizza for dinner, and introduced E&M to the joy that is “Kill Dr. Lucky”.

I got no writing done over the weekend, between the back pain and the busy-ness (and there was some decision today that I wouldn’t write, rather than it being because my back hurts), so I’ll have to focus in tomorrow. No carpooling because of another chiro appt, but I’ll make do.

I got the page proofs for Teresa’s and my collab story, “On His Honour”, to appear in the British anthology Sex…at the Sports Club. We were SCA geeks and wrote about fencing. (We got it down to that, sailing, or auto racing. Neither of us any real knowledge of normal sports…)

And with that, I bid you good night.

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Currently Reading: Buried Deep, Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Lately Listened To: Blackmore’s Night, Fires at Midnight

Recently Watched: roses and lavender and gazing balls, oh my!