My soul revealed....

Golden Gate Renaissance Faire Poster...

ladymier — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:52:01 GMT

Enjoy...

Woodside Horse Trials Offers Chance For Rising Stars

ladymier — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:23:50 GMT

In case anybody was interested in watching some upper-level eventing this weekend, the Woodside Horse Park will be hosting a three-day event, with Dressage Friday, Cross-Country Saturday, and Stadium (Show Jumping) Sunday. There is no admission fee, but the horsepark is charging parking of $10/vehicle. Some of you have expressed an interest in watching the upper-level cross country. Saturday’s (rough) schedule: 8:30AM - OPEN PRELIMINARY 10:30AM - OPEN INTERMEDIATE 11:40AM - *ADVANCED* A friend of mine will be jump-judging out there, but will probably be walking the A/I courses after the upper divisions end. He walked the course yesterday, and they’ve got some interesting tests in the course, the footing and jumps both looked clean. You are welcome to walk around the course and watch the jumping from inside the field, as long as you stay out of the way of the horses/competitors, and don’t yell anything that might be construed as advice to the riders (there’s a reason that eventers yell “Woo Hoo!” instead of “Go-Go-Go!” ;-). Best Viewing: Many folks love to stand on the edge of the “lake” and watch competitors splash through the water-complex of jumps. PRESS RELEASE — Woodside Horse Trials Offers Chance For Rising Stars Woodside, Calif., April 15, 2008 — The Adequan/USEA Gold Cup Series comes to the Woodside Horse Trials on May 23-25, and it will be an excellent opportunity for rising riders and their horses to earn valuable points in the year-long series at the advanced and intermediate levels of eventing. Woodside is the second of this season’s four events in the Pacific League. Although this is the first time the Woodside May event has been a part of the Adequan/USEA Gold Cup Series, in 2007 Woodside was a qualifying event for the Pan Am Games. Gina Miles, of Creston, Calif., was one of the Pan Am event competitors, and she went on to win the team gold and individual bronze medals on McKinlaigh in Rio de Janeiro last summer. Miles and McKinlaigh claimed this year’s first Pacific League event, at Galway Downs in Temecula on March 28-30, but the pair won’t be competing at Woodside because they’ll have contested the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** four weeks earlier, seeking a spot on this summer’s U.S. Olympic eventing team. With the favorite out of the race, Woodside’s advanced division will be a wide-open affair, a perfect spot for an upcoming pair to earn valuable points and prizes. The advanced riders will be aiming for $1,500 in prize money, and the intermediate riders will be aiming for $900 in prize money. At the intermediate level, Alexandra Knowles, of Auburn, the winner at Galway Downs, and Julie Ann Boyer, of Agua Dolce, who finished second there, are expected to be in the Woodside starting field. They’re standing second and third in the national rankings at the moment, and a blue ribbon at Woodside could vault either one to the top of the national leaderboard. Riders and their horses will be facing 26 fences that course designer Derek di Grazia of Carmel has either newly created or dramatically redesigned. These course improvements are part of the continuing revitalization of the Woodside equestrian facility on Sand Hill Rd. undertaken by event organizer Robert Kellerhouse since re-establishing eventing at Woodside in 2005. USEA-recognized horse trials hadn’t been held at the 280-acre Horse Park at Woodside since 2001, and Kellerhouse replaced almost the entire cross-country course. “I took over the event because California desperately needed an eventing facility in Northern California, plus it was a chance to start from scratch at a truly unique place. I mean, where else could you organize an event with such a fabulous view of the San Francisco Bay to the east and the hills of Woodside to the west?” said Kellerhouse. Kellerhouse runs three USEA-recognized competitions at Woodside each year—in May, August and October. Each one attracts scores of entries from Bay Area riders and attracts dozens of other riders from around the state, and from Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada. Kellerhouse expects to start 350 horses in May.

I'm getting a puppy...

ladymier — Thu, 22 May 2008 05:46:00 GMT

I’m in the process of getting an Afghan Hound puppy. Its been a lonely few months, feels actually like years. I need something, someone to keep me company. A nice large, furry dog should do it. If you’re not familiar with how Afghan Hounds look like the picture I included. I picked this one because the puppy I'm looking at has similar coloring. ’m working with a phenomenal breeder on choosing the pup from the litter. They’re a little older, now 15 weeks. I’m choosing one of the two boys. They’re both beautiful. One is a little more aggressive than the other, but both have fabulous personalities. The pup won’t be making it home will after Tahoe. No way am I going to put my guild or for that matter the puppy through the stress of adjusting through the faire season. I’m in the process of choosing the name for the little guy. Here are some thoughts. Wanna help me narrow this down? So, the choices are: Coinn Lotair - a magical hound of a legendary Irish chieftain. - My favorite… Coinn Lotair would be his paper name. He would go by Lotair. Neuri (PL) - hape-shifters of uncertain origins. They are said to be sorcerers that can take the shape of a wolf for one week once a year. Cu sith - Scots Gaelis “Fairy Dog” that prays on travelers. Cwn Annwn - fairy hounds who live in Welsh Underworld. They hunt wrongdoers and protect the innocent. Arctophonos - One of two giant hunting dogs belonging to Orion in classical mythology. He and his fellow were powerful enough to hunt down bears. Arcto would be his name. Wawel - Polish Krakow Castle As you can see I’m going after names that stem from mythology. If you have a suggestion, pass it my way…

Majestic Fashion Designs...

ladymier — Thu, 22 May 2008 05:29:33 GMT

I've been sewing for 15 years. I've garbed numerous ladies in the past, helped design numerous pieces of garb, helped make them. I recently started officially taking costuming commissions. One of my first clients is a member of Guild of Santa Maria. Last year he commissioned an blackworked shirt. This year he expanded his order to pin tucked cotton under doublet, embroidered leather over doublet and wool / embroidered leather venetians. Here is the pictures of the first three pieces of his garb. He will be presenting his leather over doublet at Fair Oaks.

GG Faire - Thanks...

ladymier — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:08:22 GMT

The site has been put to bed, last of the props has been stored away, garb has been unpacked, and the much needed decompression was finally reached. That was the most exhilarating Golden Gate Renaissance Faire to date. You guys were awesome. Courts pulled it off, shows rocked, street performers never stopped making a spectacle of themselves (I mean that in a positive way). Everyone seemed to band together and put out to make this a spectacular show. To everyone who was a part of this year's event, thank you. Thank you for making lives of our staff and volunteer crew much easier, for working within the boundaries the city set. My special thanks to everyone who participated on camera Saturday morning while others were still cuddling their pillows - it was because of you that we were able to reach and attract additional crowds. Also, special thanks to my Royal White Eagles who had to work double time to get the set - the pill ready for the shoot. You guys were under a tremendous pressure and you met it head on. Re Faire - Thank you all for taking my vision and giving your heart and making this a successful event. The interaction with the crowd was great. Vendors too pushed the mark on working the crowd. I loved the hawkers in the food court - I'd love to see more guildies working with vendors in this way. Liz, Megan, great job as Queens, Rydell, Greg and Johnny, please let your people know that the courts rocked this year. Mike, Laurie, great job with stepping in and rounding off the cast. Rydell, I want to learn some of those dances you guys danced! Let me know if I can join you guys sometimes. As I mentioned at notes, this was the last year for the Queens Jane and Mary story line at Golden Gate. Then again, as I noted, I'm known for changing my mind. Hell, with what I've seen at this year's event, I would not mind a repeat. But I also have something else in mind. Yes, it wouldn't be easy, but it is a subject most of you are familiar with and most of us as Renaissance Faire re-en/actors have a passion for. I'll let everyone know what the next year's show will be about after Folsom. Still, I'm up to any and all suggestions so if you have ideas you'd like to share, pass them on. Hope to see you all at International Jousting Championships - www.joustingchampionships.com and Shasta DragonsWood Faire - www.shastafaire.

GG Faire Thoughts and Survey

ladymier — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 18:51:13 GMT

Well, Golden Gate Renaissance Faire certainly turned into one heck of an event! We sported over 900 actors on site, a hard hitting joust, great array of food, and good variety of entertainment. I know I had a great time, but I’d love to know what you thought…. Would you have a few moments to answer a few questions? I’d love to make the event even better next year and your thoughts are very important to us. I’m including a few questions below. On a side note, if you enjoyed the joust and would like to see more of these guys battling it out for a purse and title of International Jousting Champion, I suggest you check out the International Jousting Championships that will be held at Angels Camp, September 21st through 23rd. For more info, see www.joustingchampionships.com Also, if Celtic faire atmosphere is more your speed, Shasta Dragonwood Renaissance Faire is coming October 6th & 7th. For more info check out http://www.shastafaire.com – I’ll send more info to those who noted interest in this event in coming weeks. Golden Gate Renaissance Faire - Your Thoughts: 1. Did you end up making it to the event? 2. What shows did you like the most? 3. Did you like the joust? 4. What other things would you like to see in the future? 5. What shows did you like the least? 6. How can we improve this event in the future? 7. Are you planning on coming next year? Thanks for your time. Hope to see you again in the future. If you ever would like to say hello, hunt down the big white pavilion with red and black stripes. That’s my home. Or, say hello to the gal battling the knights in the jousting arena… that crazy gal was me.

Golden Gate Renaissance Faire - Free Ticket Winners Announced

ladymier — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 05:10:50 GMT

Congratulations To Winners of Free Tickets to Golden Gate Renaissance Faire! Today’s drawing winners are: 1. Aaron from Mountain View 2. Beverly from San Francisco 3. Janice from Napa 4. Kris from Camarillo 5. Tracey from Fairfield 6. Wendy from Discovery Bay Lucky winners will receive two FREE tickets to the upcoming Golden Gate Renaissance Faire www.ggfaire.com, held in San Francisco’s Golden Gate, Speedway Meadow Park, August 25th and 26th 2007. Names for this drawing have been selected randomly from those who have signed up to our mailing list. We will be holding random ticket drawings every few days. Hope to see everyone at Faire!

Golden Gate Renaissance Faire - Ultimate bash in Heart of San Francisco

ladymier — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 00:14:23 GMT

Golden Gate Renaissance Faire Returns for a 4th Year to Speedway Meadows for the ultimate Renaissance bash with Feasting, Knights on Horseback, Magicians, Jugglers, Music And an Amazing Shopping Experience A Weekend of Theatrical Pageantry Turns Golden Gate Park into a One-Of-A-Kind Spectacle That Caters To Both Young, Old, and Everyone in Between San Francisco, CA – July 12, 2007: Brave knights clad in shining armor thunder down the list on their spectacular horses at ferocious speeds while trying to knock one another off their steeds. Stilt walkers, jugglers, fire- eaters and jesters perform over-the-top stunts. Swordsmen expertly wield their weapons in the daily sword tournaments. A court of justice dispenses punishment to children who did not mind their parents and husbands or wives who did not express their love enough times. Mud diving peasants kiss the feet of passing by patrons who happen to take the moment to peruse the scene. In sharp contrast, the Queen’s court makes a regal entrance dressed in incredible, colorful garments of golds, silks, and velvet. Voices and music announce the arrival and passage of her Majesty, and her nobles and ambassadors. The fourth annual Golden Gate Renaissance Faire, in San Francisco, CA., held August 25-26th is the ultimate Renaissance bash, a lively Dionysian party, where the guests enjoy turkey legs, exotic food, and drink as they banter with the myriad performers filling the streets. The event sports one-of-a-kind shows, music, and comedy. Just a sampling of the talent includes: · Myth and Magic, a two men comedy and magic show · Fowl Tales, a one man, three parrot and one dog extravaganza performance that charms and entertains the whole family. · Trey Cromwell, Professional Showoff, a one man danger show that combines combining variety arts like juggling, contortion and escape artistry into a seamless whole. · The Merry Praynksters, a country dancing group, will whirl and wind among the patrons with their period dancing while Danse Macabre will progress through the streets enthralled in their dance with death their hunting music and attire leaving patrons in awe. One of the Weekend’s highlights will be the Knights of Mayhem, a professional jousting troupe made up of actual jousting champions who will compete in duels on horseback twice daily showcasing their stunning horsemanship and skillful spectacles in Pas De Arms contests. The Knights of Mayhem boast the very best in jousting, showmanship, horsemanship and Medieval entertainment. The Knights come from as far as Utah and Michigan to perform their unique show and are not an experience to be missed. The two lead Knights - Charlie Andrews and Shane Adams both hold International Jousting Titles and are considered some of the hardest hitting Knights of the International Jousting Circuit. Their jousts are never scripted, but simply a way for them to keep fit for the time they face themselves again not as compatriots but as competitors. And as they never pull punches, an unhorsing is ever an imminent possibility. Contests will include spear throwing, ring spearing and cabbage cutting. And then, onlookers will be astounded by the action of the hard-hitting lance-splitting jousting. Hundreds of pounds of man, horse and metal collide and do battle right before your eyes. The cast of over a 1000 actors and groups come together from the four corners of the country and will be led by three talented and seasoned actresses performing roles of Queens Jane Gray and Mary Tudor and the young Princess Elizabeth. Queen Jane will be played by 18 year old Megan Fisher, resident of San Diego. Megan has been performing at Renaissance events for over three years as a member of St. Augustine’s Guild. Her supporting cast will be led by the Saint Marie, a renowned improv group from the Los Angeles area. Liz Martin will play the role of Queen Mary Tudor. Liz’ involvement in acting and Renaissance Faires spans more than a decade. Her supporting courtiers includes members of the renowned English court guilds: St. Stephens and St. George. "It happens live, right before your eyes and all around," says Bill Watters, organizer of the event. "The immersive experience of a faire is the one thing that everyone will remember. Many people may have seen jousting in the movies or on TV, but here you are in the midst of the action and spectacle." 100s of merchants will display various wares and one of the kind items and crafts for sale. They include clothing, jewelry, leatherworks and swords. There will also be food vendors selling everything from Turkey legs to crepes to Oriental food to scones, popcorn and other treats for every preference. A portion of festival profits will be donated to a local San Francisco high school. “We hope to continue to direct attention towards preserving arts programs as a part of the educational curriculum,” said Marti Miernik, performance director of the Golden Gate and Renaissance Productions. ”Studies have long shown the positive impact the arts have on children. And in that vein, we hope to help preserve and support after hours programs and the performing arts.” About 10,000 patrons are expected to attend over the two days of this year's Golden Gate Renaissance Faire. The faire will run August 25th and 26th. Gates will open at 10:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. The cost of admission is $15.00 for adults, $10.00 for seniors, military, and ages 13-17, $5.00 for children 6-12. Children under six are free. For more information, and directions to the grounds, visit www.ggfaire.com or call 415 354 1773. Media Relations Contact: Marti Miernik 415.354.1773 extension 140

Tahoe on Fire

ladymier — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 05:13:56 GMT

8:10 p.m. Update: Highway 50 reopened; Highway 89 remains closed. Some residents evacuated from the Tallac Village area of South Lake Tahoe may now return home after being evacuated Tuesday afternoon, a federal official announced this evening. Fire crews were gaining the upper hand on the blaze as winds died down after gusty winds whipped a back-fire out of control Tuesday. Two firefighters were forced to seek refuge in emergency shelters as the wildfire headed toward the upscale residential neighborhood of the Tahoe Keys. The firefighters were uninjured. Fire officials said they were optimistic about containing the fire tonight, but "concerned" about Tuesday, when forecast gusty winds prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning. By this evening, officials reopened Highway 50 to traffic, but kept Highway 89 closed. Earlier, authorities had stopped all traffic from entering South Lake Tahoe. 6:45 p.m. Update: Public information officer: At least one home burns following Gardner Mountain flare-up At least one home had burned in the Gardner Mountain area as a result of this afternoon's flare-up, Chuck Dixon, public information officer assigned to the Angora Fire, told the Tahoe Daily Tribune. The Northern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross has been asked to set up a shelter at Carson High School, 1111 N. Saliman Road, said Caroline Punches of the Red Cross. Volunteers are on the way to the high school, the shelter should be up and running by 7 p.m. Neither volunteers nor donations of clothing, food other items are needed at this time, however, monetary donations are needed. Donations are accepted at all Bank of America branches. Two U.S. Forest service firefighters are uninjured after surviving being burned over this afternoon fighting the Angora fire, said Chuck Dickson, lead information officer with Management Team I, stationed at Heavenly Valley. Dickson said the two firefighters deployed their emergency shelters, but were able to walk out after the fire burned over. The two where checked out at the hospital and are unhurt. Two U.S. Forest service firefighters are uninjured after surviving being burned over this afternoon fighting the Angora fire, said Chuck Dickson, lead information officer with Management Team I, stationed at Heavenly Valley. Dickson said the two firefighters deployed their emergency shelters, but were able to walk out after the fire burned over. The two where checked out at the hospital and are unhurt. The two firefighters were part of a group working to protect the Tallac Village development in South Lake Tahoe when the wind picked up and sent the backfire swooping down on them, Dickson said. The spot fire has erupted at the fire will amount to several hundred acres, Dickson said in a television interview. He said today's turning point came when winds picked up this afternoon. "I was looking at the weather forecast that called for light winds," he said. "Then an hour later the winds came up. It's tricky to predict those winds." Dickson said the El Dorado Sheriff's department said the evacuation is going well. He said as many as 500 homes, 2,000 residents are affected by the most recent evacuations. He said he is unsure if the reports of a structure fire near South Tahoe High School is related to the Angora fire or if it was a typical structure fire. The two firefighters were part of a group working to protect the Tallac Village development in South Lake Tahoe when the wind picked up and sent the backfire swooping down on them, Dickson said. The spot fire has erupted at the fire will amount to several hundred acres, Dickson said in a television interview. He said today's turning point came when winds picked up this afternoon. "I was looking at the weather forecast that called for light winds," he said. "Then an hour later the winds came up. It's tricky to predict those winds." Dickson said the El Dorado Sheriff's department said the evacuation is going well. He said as many as 500 homes, 2,000 residents are affected by the most recent evacuations. He said he is unsure if the reports of a structure fire near South Tahoe High School is related to the Angora fire or if it was a typical structure fire. 5:50 p.m. Update: Crews battle 200 acres fire A flop over from the Angora fire ignited a 200-acre fire at the intersection of West Way and Highway 89 on Tuesday afternoon, bringing the total acreage of the Angora fire at roughly 3,000 acres. Wind gusts caused the jump, said Barbara Rebiskie, a fire information officer. She said firefighters are "very comfortable" with handling the fire, which reportedly has not damaged any structures. Evacuations were mandatory for Gardner Street, West Way, 15th Street, Lukins Way and Venice Avenue, according to Rebiskie. Residents in the area though, crowded streets to get to their homes to water roofs and cram belongings in vehicles. Firefighters were concerned winds, projected to pick up significantly on Wednesday but not to the levels of Sunday's gusts, could fuel the fire, which has destroyed nearly 200 structures. Officials are still determining the damage count. Firefighters dousing hotspots within the Angora fire or catching some sleep were diverted to the fire at West Way, Rebiskie said. Five strike teams were initially ordered to attack the fire as firefighters also were on structure-protection duty. Five fire engines, each containing about five firefighters, consist of a strike team. "They hammered it," Rebiskie said. Small fires have been reported to authorities throughout the day, including a small blaze at Stateline behind MountBleu, along with people thinking there was a fire at Kingsbury Grade which turned out to be smoke from the fire at West Way. Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons and First Lady Dawn Gibbons will attend "Together for Tahoe," a Red Cross fundraiser for Angora Fire victims in Reno at 6 a.m. Wednesday. "Tomorrow’s fundraiser will provide clothes, food, and funding for the families affected by the devastating fire," said Gov. Gibbons. " I encourage all Nevadans to stop by and lend their support.” The Red Cross suggests contributing clothes, canned goods, or cash or a check payable to the American Red Cross. The fundraiser will be held at the Atlantis Casino Resort, 3800 S. Virginia St., Reno, in the west parking lot located on the corner of Peckham and Virginia. Update: 5:17 p.m. Highways 50 closed at Stateline, mandatory evacuations continue near Tahoe Keys, Camp Richardson evacuated, traffic snarled According to the latest fire update there is NO fire along Kingsbury Grade. As of 4:45 p.m. Barton Memorial Hospital received five firefighters for smoke inhalation issues. The following is from Linda Thompson, director of public relations, for Barton Memorial Hospital: "Currently Barton Memorial Hospital is taking a precautionary measure by tranferring our skilled nursing residents from the hospital, 38 residents, to Carson Valley Residential Care. There is no immediate danger at this time to the hospital. However we are taking this as a precautionary measure due to the time it takes to load the 38 residents to avoid crisis planning. We are also suggesting that non-emergency patients — patients who are experiencing life-threatening emergencies — please come to the emergency room. Non emergency patients are advised to go to Stateline Medical Center at the bottom of Kingsbury Grade. "We have 22 patients in our accute hospital and do not have plans to evacuate unless it becomes eminent. We will notify familes of accute patient transfer if that becomes reality. "Please avoid calling the hospital unless of an emergency to maintain open communications with emergency services." Update: 4:36 p.m. Highway 89 closed, Highway 50 closed at Stateline to all but South Lake Tahoe residents, mandatory evacuations continue, Camp Richardson evacuated, traffic snarled The road from Highway 89 into South Lake Tahoe is closed as well as Highway 50 at Stateline to all but South Lake Tahoe residents. Nonresidents are being advised to avoid the Lake Tahoe area. Mandatory evacuations continue for Gardner Mountain area, West Way, Lukins Way and Venice Drive and have been "strongly suggested" for surrounding areas. Update 4:15 p.m.: Mandatory evacuations underway at Tahoe Island, Highway 50 traffic clogged Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for residents along West Way, Lukins Way and Venice Drive and have been "strongly suggested" for surrounding areas. The Angora fire has jumped Highway 89 at West Way. Traffic on roads into the Tahoe Keys is clogged likely by people trying to grab possessions. Vehicle traffic is blocked at the "Y." Reportedly, no structures have been damaged. Evacuees were gathering at 15 Avenue and Highway 89 but are being told to leave the area, likely to the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center on Rufus Allen Boulevard. There is no report of acreage burned. Update 3:20 p.m. Mandatory evacuation begun near Tahoe Keys The South Lake Tahoe Police Department has ordered a mandatory evacuation of the Gardner Mountain neighborhood near Highway 89 in Tallac Village. Evacuations were ordered on West Way, Lukins Way and Venice Drive near the Tahoe Keys. Firefighters were going door to door telling residents to flee. A spot fire was reported at West Way and Highway 89. Evacuees are being asked to report to the rec center on Rufus Allen Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe. Fire officials have asked volunteers from the South Lake Tahoe Fire Department. Traffic was being halted at Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Highway 50, to prevent motorists from heading toward Emerald Bay. Update 3:10 p.m. Advisory evacuation begun near Tahoe Keys Firefighters have started notifying residents in the Gardner Mountain area of a voluntary evacuation plan, after a spot fire was reported near West Way and Lukins Way. The area, part of Tallac Village, is east of Emerald Bay Road, and just west of the Tahoe Keys residential neighborhood on Lake Tahoe's southwest shore. Numerous fire crews were headed to the reported spot fire. Update 2:40 p.m. Casino fire contained at 50 square feet; human cause suspected Firefighters quickly doused a small spot fire behind the casino corridor in Stateline believed to be unconnected to the disastrous Angora Fire 10 miles to the west. Officially, the fire was still under investigation. But firefighters on the scene pointed to empty beer bottles and speculated that the fire was caused by people drinking and smoking cigarettes. With so many firefighters already in the neighborhood in response to the Angora Fire, crews from Tahoe Meadows and the U.S. Forest Service were able to quickly extinguish the fire, which never exceeded 50 square feet. "There were so many firefighters there, they could have stomped out the fire," said Jarid Shipley of the Nevada Appeal. Update 2:11 p.m. Casino fire contained, unconnected to Angora Fire Fire crews from Truckee Meadows and the U.S. Forest Service responded quickly to report of a spot fire behind the casino corridor in Stateline, and quickly knocked down the fire before it had a chance to spread. Firefighters were unsure of the cause, but said they did not believe it was connected to the Angora Fire, which continues to burn about 10 miles to the west, according to reporter Jarid Shipley of the Nevada Appeal. The fire was reported about 100 yards from the nearest road and about 500 feet from the casinos, Shipley reported. "It's burning, but they have it under control," Shipley said. The fire had consumed just 50 square feet when firefighters arrived. The fire was located in a forested area directly behind MountBleu. Update 2:04 p.m. Fire reported behind casino Smoke and flames have been reported behind the casino corridor in Stateline. Fire crews have been dispatched to the scene. A reporter is in Stateline following the firefighters' reports, but did not report sighting smoke. Update 12:36 a.m. Wind forecast remains a concern With nearly 2,000 men and women fighting the Angora fire, the U.S. Forest Service says the chief concern today, tonight and tomorrow will be winds that are expected to pick up over the next few days. A fire weather watch has been issued by the National Weather Service in Reno. Today winds are expected to be between 10 to 15 mph along ridgetops. Tomorrow, the winds are expected to grow stronger. Southwest winds will increase, 20 to 25 mph, with wind gusts to 40 mph in the afternoon, according to the weather service. "It is a concern and things could change," said Todd Chaponot, spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service. Fire behavior today remains stable along the 4-mile ridge. There have been no reports of spot fires. It has been two days since a structure burned. Highways 50 and 89 are open today. Update 11:55 a.m. Donation Center changes The American Red Cross evacuation station at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center is no longer accepting donations at the center. Donations of non-perishable foods and toiletries only can be taken to Al Tahoe School located at Lyons and Rufus Allen Boulevard or at the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 3079 Harrison Avenue in South Lake Tahoe. At this time, there is no longer a need for adult clothing. People are being asked to not drop off furniture donations at this time.

Willits Renaissance Faire...

ladymier — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 22:23:06 GMT

Ever been to that one? Mark is trying to revive it - it used to be a splendid event. Last year I missed it, but I hear it was a blast. Hope to make it this year...

Pembrooke, Livermore & Valhalla Pictures...

ladymier — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:10:38 GMT

I uploaded pictures from Pembrooke, Livermore and Valhalla Renaissance Faires to Royal White Eagle site. Check them out at www.royalwhiteeagle.com

Knight training...

ladymier — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 20:40:30 GMT

All right, this is from a few weeks ago. If all goes well we will both be in Visalia riding with Knights of Mayhem. That is if..... See? I'm sharing!

10 New Ways to Make Money Online

ladymier — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 00:35:23 GMT

So you want to ditch your corporate cubicle and join the ranks of web workers? But you have a mortgage, maybe a dependent or two, and a taste for Venti Mochas from Starbucks? You can make money in the new economy, though it might not be as easy or cushy as keeping your old economy job. I’m not talking about advertising or affiliate marketing or selling your junk on eBay. Those are so last millennium! I’m talking about the new new economy. 1. Offer your professional expertise in an online marketplace.These days, you can do more than just sell your old books via Amazon and your old Coach handbags via eBay—now you can sell your professional capabilities in a marketplace. No longer are you limited to looking for a permanent or contract job on Web 1.0 style job sites like Monster or CareerBuilder. The new breed of freelancing and project-oriented sites let companies needing help describe their projects. Then freelancers and small businesses offer bids or ideas or proposals from which those buyers can choose. Elance covers everything from programming and writing to consulting and design, while RentACoder focuses on software, natch. If you’re a graphic designer, check out options like Design Outpost or LogoWorks–you don’t have to find the customers, they’ll come to you. Wannabe industry analysts might sign up for TechDirt’s Insight Community, a marketplace for ideas about technology marketing. 2. Sell photos on stock photography sites. If people regularly oooo and aaaaah over your Flickr pics, maybe you’re destined for photographic greatness or maybe just for a few extra dollars. It’s easier than ever to get your photos out in front of the public, which of course means a tremendous amount of competition, but also means it might be an convenient way for you to build up a secondary income stream. Where can you upload and market your photos? Try Fotolia, Dreamstime, Shutterstock, and Big Stock Photo. 3. Blog for pay. Despite the explosion of blogs, it’s hard to find good writers who can turn around a solidly-written post on an interesting topic quickly. GigaOM is always looking for bloggers with great content ideas and solid writing skills. How do you get noticed? Comment and link to blogging network sites. Write blog posts that are polished and not overly personal (although showing some personality is a plus). 4. Or start your own blog network. If you like the business side of things–selling advertising, hiring and managing employees, attracting investors–and have the stomach to go up against the likes of Weblogs, Inc., GigaOmniMedia, b5media, maybe you should make an entire business out of blogs. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ll get a lot of time to write yourself though. 5. Provide service and support for open source software. Just because the software is free doesn’t mean you can’t make money on it–just ask Red Hat, a well-known distributor of Linux that sports a market cap of more than four billion dollars. As a solo web worker, you might not want to jump in and compete with big companies offering Linux support, but how about offering support for web content management systems like WordPress or Drupal? After getting comfortable with your own installation, you can pretty easily jump into helping other people set them up and configure them. 6. Online life coaching. Who has time to go meet a personal coach at an office? And don’t the new generation of web workers need to be met by their coaches in the same way that they work: via email, IM, and VoIP? You could, of course, go through some life coaching certification program, but on the web, reputation is more important than credentials. I bet Tony Robbins isn’t certified as a life coach–and no one can argue with his success. For an example of someone building up their profile and business online as a coach, check out Pamela Slim of Ganas Consulting and the Escape from Cubicle Nation blog. 7. Virtually assist other web workers. Freelancers and small businesses desperately need help running their businesses, but they’re not about to hire a secretary to come sit in the family room and answer phone calls. As a virtual assistant, you might do anything from making travel reservations to handling expense reimbursements to paying bills to arranging for a dog sitter. And you do it all from your own home office, interacting with your clients online and by phone. You can make $20 and up an hour doing this sort of work, depending on your expertise. 8. Build services atop Amazon Web Services. Elastic computing on AWS is so cool… and so incredibly primitive right now. Did you know that you can’t even count on your virtual hard drive on EC2 to store your data permanently? That’s why people are making money right now by offering services on top of AWS. Make it easier for people to use Amazon’s scalability web infrastructure like Enomaly has with elasticlive, a scalable web hosting platform built on AWS. 9. Write reviews for pay or perks. If you blog for any length of time on a particular topic–parenting, mobile phones, or PCs, for example–you will likely be approached to do book or product reviews. You can get free stuff this way, but are you selling your soul? Is there any such thing as a free laptop? These are decisions you’ll have to make for yourself, because no one agrees upon what ethical rules apply to bloggers. Even less do people agree on services like PayPerPost that pay you to write reviews on your blog. Check out disclosure rules closely and see whether such a gig would meet your own personal standards or not. 10. Become a virtual gold farmer. A half million Chinese now earn income by acquiring and selling World of Warcraft gold to gamers in other countries. If you’re not a young person living in China, this probably isn’t a viable option for you. But what’s intriguing about it is the opportunity to make real money working in a virtual economy. People are making real-world money in Second Life too.

Black and White Club - Cut 1

ladymier — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 01:30:57 GMT

Noircir et Blanc Club in Paris, France. Definitely Jessica’s type of place. Sanctuary for every weirdo that considered him self or herself somehow unnatural, or in touch with the spirit world. Of all the places to pick, why did I decide to actually come here? Cause for just a second I was persuaded I wanted blood and Jess thought this would be a perfect place to get it. I should have known to expect a goth atmosphere, but I was taken by this darkly lit dungeon just the same. This was a pretty people crowd. All darkly attired, women mainly in Victorian corsets, rest of the attire and hair styles to match, crowded on the dance floor moving sensuously to an amazing repertoire of a euro techno – renaissance mix, some in latin and other languages that I did not recognize. They all gawked as we invaded their sanctuary; eyes piercing us as we moved deep in to the club to find a free table in one of the wing alcoves. The place gave me chills. This was definitely an “in crowd”, and we most certainly were the outsiders. And so here we were getting plastered and disturbing the atmosphere of the French spiritual underground. Jessica was totally drunk and now that the rest of her inhibitions left her, she was screaming her head off in French, English, and Latin, cursing up a storm about how little she thought of the male race. This most certainly did not sit well with the establishment. We were visited twice by the owner, but Jess would not budge. I did not either. Where the hell would I go at this hour? At least here no one would look for me. “Men suck” Jessica yelled again with a hiccup. “Bastards, you’re all fuckin’ bastards!” Her mascara blackened most of her face, she looked horrible. I actually felt worse for her than myself at this moment. If I could put her under, I could spend the rest of the night in silence thinking. I lifted my glass taking another sip of what ever it was she ordered for me last. It tasted awful, hot and spicy. Jessica brought it after her last turn with the bartender. He cut her off already but when he wasn’t looking she grabbed two bottles closest to her and smuggled them to the table. I wish I knew what she obtained before taking that swig. I almost choked on the burning liquid, but the taste improved with each sip I took. Now I was simply drinking it because the hot liquid actually kept me awake rather than drunk and staying awake was what I intended to do. Her drink? Vodka. “Damn light weight finish your drink and pass out,” I thought. As if on command, she smiled, raised her glass, gulped down what was left in her cup and promptly hit her head on the table. Done. I sighed in relief. “Finally.” I sat there looking at her thinking about the day, playing with a ring on my finger, re-visioning the spectacle I witnessed some hours ago. This was not how I envisioned spending my time in Europe. “May I join you?” The husky voice startled me. I did not hear anyone approach our dark corner. The fact that the unwelcome guest simply plopped himself across from me annoyed me. “I don’t believe I extended an invitation for you to sit down. So, ave atque vale.” I don’t know why I ended the sentence in Latin, but considering the surroundings I was pretty sure that the words were not lost on him. He positioned himself directly in the shadow, probably on purpose, so that I could not study him completely, but from what I did see of his features and his chiseled face structure, I gathered that he was one hell of a looker. I groaned inwardly. I did not need to be talking to studs now, not my state of mind. Unaffected by my words, he simply pushed himself deeper into the seat and darkness. He grinned, well I think he grinned – shadows can play tricks on the mind, and continued, “Your friend has man trouble? Anyone I can off? I’m offering my services” he had an accent that I could not place. It certainly wasn’t French, German or Slavic, but definitely European. Hungarian perhaps? “If you showed up a few hours ago, you probably would have gotten the job,“ I smiled in return, “ but, the more I think about it, I don’t think he is worth the trouble,.” ‘Isn’t it up to your friend?” Jessica always attracted men to her aid. They all wanted to fight her battles. For someone no one ever thought of me as the damsel in distress. That really annoyed me at the moment. “Actually no. I’m the offended party.” I think I noticed him raise an eyebrow in surprise. “Jessica is just taking it harder than I am. You see, she is my best friend. And a few hours ago my best friend and I have found her beloved sister in my hotel room with my fi…, ex-fiancé.” His eyes studied me intensely from the darkness. HA! I stunned him into silence. Eventually he simply settled on. “I am sorry.” I looked at the ring again. It was a pretty gold bubble set with diamonds and garnets, two of my favorite stones. It was still sitting on the appropriate finger feeling rather heavy at the moment and I was trying to figure out if I should give it back to Chas. And why no tears? I really did not know why I wasn’t crying. Perhaps it was because somewhere dip down inside I knew it wouldn’t last. These last five years seemed like such a waste of time all of the sudden. “He does not sound like someone who deserves you drowning your sorrows in liquor. You’re a beautiful, desirable woman, you deserve better.” Oh God, give me a break. There it was. Another jackass trying to take advantage of a woman by flattering her in her time of “need”, hoping for an easy lay. My knight in shining armor. Why can’t men learn to just let it be? I was really not in the mood for this. “I’m not drowning any sorrows. She was” I pointed at Jessica sprawled on the table, snoring. “Anyway, you’re wasting your time. I’m not falling for your sympathy pal. I’m not in need of your help, not ready for a rebound fuck, nor would you be my choice of partner anyway, so, please, just leave me alone.” Ok, that last statement was a lie. Maybe getting laid by a handsome stranger could do me good. Then again, unlike Jessica, I did not let go off my inhibitions easily. I picked up the bottle of my mystery fire, raised it to my lips in a defiant salute and took a swig. It took only a few second for me to realize what a stupid thing that was to do. Ever took a swig of Tabasco sauce? This was 50 times hotter. The liquid burned hard as it swept down over my insides scorching all the way down. I could barely hold the tears that were forming in my eyes in response to the burning.

Knight's new home...

ladymier — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 02:16:04 GMT

Azure Cross has been wonderful in helping me move Knight up to Milpitas last week. My big brat made himself the king of the pasture the moment he stepped into it; he left his mark on each of the Arab geldings and mares. Frankly, I was worried I was going to be asked to leave. He has settled in since. I've spent most of my evenings at the ranch, riding and taking him out for walks. I'm pretty pleased with the progress so far. I'm letting him pick the pace for now, letting him get used to the environment, learn to work in the hills. He is a little lazy, but he seems to be enjoying himself. Best part is that he seems so much more mellow than down in Fresno. I hope to put a lot of miles on him during winter and get him ready for next year. Its going to be a fun year…

Europe cont...

ladymier — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 04:13:23 GMT

From Oct 3rd The meetings went off really well. I love Nelson. They're the kind of an agency I love working with: professional, sensible, dedicated. Job is always made easier when you have a team you can count on. We held 12 briefings over the course of Monday and today. Michael is a pro. His manner is easy and personable. His straightforward, no bull nature resonates positively with the press. Sometimes I interject with a thought or two and he immediately picks up on my point and carries it over to the next briefing. It is so nice to work with a VP who's shin you don't have to kick continually because they run their mouth off with things we're not supposed to be talking about or one who rumbles on. I spent both evenings on the town alone and with colleagues. Remember when I said that nothing relaxes me as much as horseback riding? I need to augment that statement. As I walked through the park by Buckingham Palace I felt so in peace… It was a bit unnerving actually. I forgot what an amazing, rejuvenating effect Europe has on me. What a beautiful country. The atmosphere, the sites, the architecture. I spent most of my time craning my neck upwards examining gothic, Romanesque and Rococo designs or churches, law schools, palaces, and just this and that building that reminded me of a distant past I so very dearly tried to remember. I took so many pictures. In about three hours I'm off to Bath. We're taking a train there for another series of briefings, then back to Heathrow to catch a plane to Germany for a day and finally to France.

Joust and stuff

ladymier — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 04:11:07 GMT

From Oct. 4th, 06 So I'm laying in bed in London, reminiscing about the last few weeks. Jousting Championships last weekend were amazing. We had seven of the promised eight riders show up. Line up included Petter, Clif, Charlie, Mike, Tony, Ty, Jeff. I think the greatest surprise of the weekend was Ty. He is rather new at this, but the way he carried himself, the way he rode and jousted impressed the girls, other riders and of course the audience. The girls had a spectacular time playing with the knights. They gifted their riders with amazing repertoire of scarves and hankies, tied them to their arms so that all could see who rode for who. I think next year I want to shake things up a bit and let the gentlemen bid for the honor of riding for particular girls. Eh… will see. Some of the most stunning moments were the Joust between Petter and Charlie Petter and Clif and Charlie and Clif. May, being new, is not familiar yet with some intricacy of how to save a rider on her back. Makes it tough when that rider is riding in a new saddle for example and has to figure out a split second how to hold on when he is hit. When Charlie and Petter faced off this proved true. When Petter hit Charlie who was unused to the positioning of stirrups on his saddle, the horse spooked by his riders weird balancing act on his back spooked an exploded into a faster run, rather than slowing down for him, something that Britney is known for doing. Clif unhorsed Petter on the second day. I did not think I would ever see Petter come off. It was an impressive line up and site. When Charlie and Clif faced off, Charlie's lance slid off the grande guard and hit Clif on the head. This his shook Clif up quite a bit and he had to take off his helmet to recover. In the finals Charlie scored higher and was more accurate. In the end he won. He also took first in the games, followed closely by Jeff, who amazed everyone as well with his skill and accuracy. Knights were not the only ones who deserve kudos though. My actors were spectacular. It is always tough to get used to a new site and new way to doing things. And yet, they were amazing. The court, though understaffed, looked spectacular. Jeremy and Marcina strutted their stuff and played with everyone over the weekend. Dountless though barely making it, showed up and gave a grand show. My own group played like mad with the kids, feasted, rode on our hobby horses. It was amazing. I got my bow back from Galbraith. I wish I had more time to play with them…. Frankly I wish I had more time to play on Sunday… Oh, this takes dedication… I got a call that a press van was going to show up to site for live shooting Sunday morning at 6:30 am. I was worried that would not have enough actors for the shoot. People showed up in droves. I had around thirty people cheering and jeering for the cameras. Mike from Canada showed up too and so did Charlie. I felt so bad. I could not get the stirrups up for him and he fell right in front of the audience. Charlie as always was a great show and made the news. http://www.cbs13.com/video/?id=12061@kovr.dayport.com

Lesson from Libertine...

ladymier — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 04:08:12 GMT

You must acquire the trick of ignoring those who do not like you. In my experience, those who do not like you fall into two categories: The stupid and the envious. The stupid will like you in five years, the envious, never. Let me assure you. There are those who do not like me, but they are not be able to take their eyes from me. Having made my bed, I do not hesitate to sleep in it. And so they indulge in the show I provide.

Advice on life..

ladymier — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 21:53:39 GMT

One final paragraph of advice: Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am....a reluctant enthusiast...a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; It is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it's still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the grizz, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to your body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: you will outlive the bastards. - - Edward Abbey

Favorite pass time...

ladymier — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 04:07:17 GMT

My favorite pass time: watching and studying people. Each word or action offers another answer to inner soul of the person studied. After a while you beginning to notice just those discrete set with unique behavioral habits and personality characteristics of the person you are watching. You can learn so much from their behavior. The slightest nod, wink, turn of the eye, the forgotten, subconscious tick. You begin to capture a person's mental components: actions, beliefs, ideas, attitudes, patterns, habits. And all of the sudden you see beyond the façade and veneer of the smile, the words. Isn’t it interesting how much you can learn from a person simply by watching. How funny…

Soccer... Brazil, USA, Australia, Italy...ouch...

ladymier — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 18:05:09 GMT

How many here follow soccer? When I was in Poland I lived and breathed the sport, like the rest of the Poles do. Well, it was soccer and hockey, considering that my first major crush was a golly for a local hockey team. Over the years I stopped following the sport that closely. Life got in the way and also Americans here are not that much into the sport so finding it on TV is rather difficult. Until this year. As American standing internationally is advancing, coverage of the sport is becoming more prevalent. I’m sitting here watching the match between Australia and Brazil with my dad. Its Father’s day… and there is no better way for daddy’s little girl to spend time than sit side by side watching the game, commenting, screaming, rooting for your favorite team. Anybody watched the match between USA and Italy? The game was action packed, but not because either team played well. The drama dealt with the number of red cards that were presented to players; third in FIFA World Cup history to feature three red cards. There were 34 fouls, some of them disgraceful. In addition to the red cards three more yellow cards followed. There were two goals, two memorable saves from either goalkeeper, and a match of shame petered out. This turned into the first brutal and calculatedly ugly affair of the tournament. The Americans allowed themselves to be sucked in and within the first 47 minutes the players gave the Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda no option but to send off three players. The spite was established as early as the fifth minute. Not for the first time Francesco Totti, the playmaker, was the man to set Italy’s sour mood. The player banned for spitting at Euro 2004 blatantly tripped Clint Dempsey and accepted the yellow card with a shrug. Ok.. I could go on… but I doubt there are many here that follow soccer. Still, if one wanted to see how a real soccer game should have been played, you should have checked out the Brazilian team against Australians. That was a cool game.

Week's musings...

ladymier — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 17:19:28 GMT

It took a week to recover from Valhalla, though after the fact, there is still so much to do. It was an amazing ride. Things went so smoothly last weekend. Everyone got into their roles and just did their thing. I think the highlight of my day was when I pulled Meg from Sta. Maria to play my niece and join the Queen at the joust. I had some business to finish up before the end of the day and well and Megan showed up just in time. I love doing that seeing an opportunity to let someone shine and giving them a chance to do so. Megan stepped in as my niece, visiting from France. She and my Counselor and my ladies in waiting spoke French and interacted with her Majesty betting on the knights, etc. I cast Laurie last year at SF for a similar purpose as Princess Elizabeth, Queen Mary’s younger sister. She was amazing. She fell right into the part, took charge of the house, played with the court, I was wonderful to see. As a GM and faire producer I love giving people their 15 minutes of fame. I have an amazing group of talented people. I when they take charge and push with gigs when I’m not around and keep the show going; I could not be more proud. Like when Meghan last weekend just pulled out the writing box and started writing to various persons at faire causing havoc. But I’m looking forward to Faire Oaks. I’m looking forward to playing with my group. I’ve put them through a lot these last few weekends. It is tough for them to deal with me when I’m running faire and am supposed to play POP as well. They actually put guards on me when I went to the bathroom so that I return and actually get dressed. I cannot blame them… ;-) Looking at pictures from last weekend, one think is pretty clear. I need to loose weight. I’ve been talking enough about it. I looked really well in my gown, but when I looked at pictures of myself on Rainman, well, that was another story. I started running again and get back into archery – which I may add is going pretty well. Dancing too is fun, but I need to get out more to do it. All in good time… Hopefully by SF, I will be singing another story…

Golden Gate Poster - one more time

ladymier — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 07:39:08 GMT

Valhalla - Post weekend 1

ladymier — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 18:39:32 GMT

Well, the second weekend of Valhalla Renaissance Faire is quickly encroaching upon us. The first one went pretty well, with exception of a few major issues that sort of stalled us on Saturday. The fire compliance thing was a nightmare. Now, mind you, I know people would love to blame the fire marshal for everything, but if you look at it, it was their own fault, period. As an example, if a restaurant posted outside their establishment that they would not serve you unless you were wearing shoes and a top and you came in naked and were refused service, whose fault would it have been? The fire marshal gave me a series of notices that I passed onto everyone, but did people take note? Considering that I spent over 6.5 hours walking the site, doing a fire inspection, I have to say…. NOT BLOODY LIKELY. The other pet peeve was the issue of dogs. NO DOGS policy applied to everyone. I wonder how many pooches I would have had on premises if I just simply did not mention anything. I hope people are not surprised to see less of their comrades next year as we will be limiting numbers of guilds and vendors to those who actually care enough to ask and do their best to comply. As to the run of faire, well, I was impressed. There certainly was the feel of the old Valhalla in the air. My actors were spectacular. What a fantastic show. Harry has outdone himself, so has Rydell and the Queen. The meet and greet went well, Sunday better though; providing everyone with schedule helped. St. Simons has been so accommodating to all of the groups that were using their encampment as a staging place. It was really need to see Damian and Ted back. Myth and Magic presented their new show. Absolutely scandalous ;-)… Valhalla Fellowship signed up over 50 new members on Saturday! People had a ball with the Scavenger Hunt As to my own performance…. Well, I could have done better. I think I took on a bit too much. With guilds, PR, and my own guild…. I need a wrangler with whom I can work on guilds. I want to be in charge of the vision, but I’d like to get someone to help me wrangle things so that I can spend more time with my people. White Eagle did really well, though I had them staged in a very difficult place. Hopefully we will make it a bit different next year. The new dress is beautiful. I still have much to do on it, but I’m pleased with the current look at feel. The dress Laurie made for Christiana is splendid. OMG, it is beautiful!. Meghan and Karen too look really beautiful. I’m really proud of them. They took my vision and ran with it. Curtis looked so dashing in the blue Polish coat. Just yummy. Kids are gathering on site as I’m tying this. We are having the first of two children’s days today. Wish us luck… Oh, did I mention we had over 20 stories in the paper? ;-)

Blackwork

ladymier — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 16:55:33 GMT

For the last few months I’ve been getting acquainted with my embroidery machine. It’s a cool toy, but you need to put some time in tinkering with it to realize its potential. I have thought of taking lessons, but with time being as limited as it is I’ve resorted to reading the manual – something I’m not known for doing willingly. One of the things I wanted to learn how to do on this machine is blackwork. I seem to have patience to do all the beading in the world, but making sure that the stitch is perfectly uniform, well, that’s not my forte. I’ve done research on Elizabethan embroidery and blackwork designs, I pulled a whole bunch patterns and now came the hard part – moving the design to software and then to the machine. It took a while, and finally a breakthrough. I'm thrilled to say, I'm pretty pleased with how the first ones turned out.