My heartfelt thanks goes to Mr. Ron Tamburrino and the other Trumbull Township Trustees for reminding me and many hundreds of us just how special the Great Lakes Medieval Faire is. While the battle rages on between Larry Rickard, GLMF's owner, and the township, we the the vendors and playtrons have formed a much more cohesive bond. Our individual relationships have now melded together to form a more solidified union. We didn't scatter like roaches at the first sight of bogus legal documents being forced upon us. Instead, we behaved more like a herd of threatened elephants, protecting our own. We joined our bodies and our spirits together to ward off that which threatens not only our home and livelihood, but also our basic legal rights. It is you we have to thank, Mr. Tamburrino, for reminding us of just how much we need each other, especially in these hard economic times, when government steps in everyday trampling on the people because of its greed and need to fill its belly and coffers with that which the sweat of its citizens has built. But, we won't go quietly. We won't slink away with our tails tucked between our legs. NO! I say HELL NO! We won't go! However, should by some horrendous twist of fate, you and your evil empire steal our beloved Avaloch, I swear to you, the spirits of all who have entered her gates shall not rest! Nor shall these spirits give rest to those who would attempt to profit or live on these hallowed grounds. For you see, now it is not only our physical beings which enter six weeks out of every year, but our very souls, which in many cases shall return to Avaloch to play and share a special bond of love and admiration not found anywhere else on this earth! You may close the gates and lock them up tight, but there is no gate high enough, nor any lock strong enough to keep our spirits out. We will haunt this wood of the Great Lakes Medieval Faire forever! The spirits of our dearly departed are there now, keeping vigil over our home. You may fight us, but good luck fighting them! Those who loved this faire, who died loving it, and whose spirits we have memorialized there, as we never want to forget them when we come to celebrate our annual reunion. Avaloch will be haunted eternally by their spirits and ours, and you shall find no rest, nor peace, unless you forget your small-minded ways of thinking and stop trying to profit from something you had no hand in building. Leave the Great Lakes Medieval Faire to its people. The ones who built it with their own sweat and blood, and who love it enough to return each year whether it puts money into there pockets or not. You see, my dear Trustees, for six weekends out of every year, there is one place in this world where there is truly something more desirable and enticing than the almighty dollar. There is a sense of "family", of love, of fun, and acceptance, no matter WHO YOU are, as long as you come with an open heart, an open mind and respect for your fellow man. To all who read this, if you or someone you know is a Trumbull Township resident, please vote for GRIFFITH and KOVACK for Trustees! Tamburrino and Clay have played Dick-tator long enough! Take back your township and demand an accounting of your tax dollars! Politicians and diapers should be changed often, and for the same reason!

Since I wrote my last blog, things changed a bit.  I didn't do the first two weekends of the Kentucky Faire.  Chris called and asked me if I could do the ENTIRE faire for her, so of course, I said, "YES! YES!  Of course!", except for two weekends which I already had plans for that could not be broken.

I worked the first four weekends of the faire, then I spent a week (two weekends) at Disney World with my family and had a FABULOUS time.  Now it's back to Kentucky to work the last two weekends and close it up.  While it's not been easy by any means, I'm doing it and I'm ecstatic about it!  Now, I can't wait to get up to GLMF to enjoy my favorite weekend with all my Pirate and Ren friends.

FYI, I'm notorious for not limiting myself, so if you see me overdoing it, just gently nudge me and insist I sit down before I fall down!  OH!  No!  I'm not talking about DRINK-ing too much, *LOL*, I'm talking about "DO-ing" too much!  I still think I can do it all and I keep trying.  And, while I admit I do love my libations, I cannot imbibe, but I WILL still have a great time with you all!

Kentucky Highland Renaissance Festival

Finally, after 8 months of NO faires, I was able to test my mettle, and I do believe I was victorious over pain!  I at least smiled through it, and tried to walk so as not to make my handicap noticable.  I don't have a peg-leg, so being bent over and limping would cause people to question the strength of their Pirate Queen!  :)

For those of you who do not know, aside from having to pull myself off the Faire Circuit to tend to my ailing mother, who by the way, is stable and there's nothing more the doctors can do for her, I also severely injured my back, blowing out two disks in my lower back, pinching off my sciatic nerve.  I was literally unable to walk for quite a while.  But, with lots of physical therapy and really really good meds, I overcame and strengthened myself enough that I felt I could give the faire another go.

I asked Chris of White Pavilion if she needed my help, locally, as I didn't know how I would handle driving more than a couple of hours at a time.  I also really wasn't sure if I'd be ready to work a full faire before ORF in September.  I NEED to take it slowly, but I've been so depressed laying about at home, that I'm rearing to go!

She offered me a job for just two weekends at Kentucky, and I thought "I can handle this!", so I accepted, and I'm so glad I did!  It's become a good "Breaking-Back-Into" faire life for me.  I went down and worked this first weekend and I'll work next weekend for her, as she's going to the Blackbeard's Pirate Fest in Virginia.  I still have to be very careful about lifting, which I did farrrrrrrr too much of, and yes, I'm paying for it now.  But, I won't know what my limitations are unless I get my butt out there and try.  Trust me, I have learned.  Still, I'm able to work.  And that makes me very happy!  As long as I sit for an hour and walk for an hour, etc., I should do ok.

It was my distinct pleasure to meet many friends from different forums and websites in person.  I got to see lots of my Ren friends from several different states and faires, and many of my loyal Playtrons from Ohio, who drove down to the KY faire just because they knew I was planning to be there, bless their hearts!  While this faire wasn't quite what they were used to experiencing at the Ohio Ren Fest or Great Lakes, they still enjoyed a couple of leisurely days at a faire they'd never attended, and we had a good visit.

I, myself, look forward to this faire becoming successful.  While there were fewer than 1,000 people who passed through the gates the entire weekend, there are still good possibilities for this faire.  Everyone just needs to keep a positive attitude and do everything they can to make it happen!  Invade, People, INVADE!  Pirates, Wenches, Fairies, all creatures, great and small, come and make this a "FUN" faire!

It is a lovely setting, a few nice and easily navagable pathways under a canopy of trees.  Sounds like GLMF to you?  :)  Only the stones on these pathways are much smaller and easier to walk and roll upon!

Anyone wanting a gig and wanting to establish themselves at a faire really should try getting into this one.  I've seen this faire go from all tents the first year, to many hard permanent building this year, so they do plan to stay!  These people are willing to do pretty much whatever it takes, that they can afford to do, to make this faire successful.  This year, they put up four billboards; two near or in Lexington, one in Louisville and one in Cincinnati.  It would have been good had they put one up at Madison, IN on 421, since it's a 45 minute straight shot, but maybe next year.  They're willing to work with people and they're trying everything they can to keep everything in order and keep peace at this faire.  Why they're even willing to hire me on as Security there!  I guess my reputation as a ruthless, cutthroat Pirate Queen has preceded me!  Yarrrr!!!  Come on, give it a try!  We need you there!  See you there!  That's an order, Mates!

 

 

I MISS YOU!

I MISS YOU, MISS YOU, MISS YOU, MISS YOU!!!!!!

Who am I speaking to when I say "I MISS YOU!"?

I mean YOU, you who are reading this right now!  If we've met before, then I definitely miss you very much!  If we've not met before, it's only a matter of time, and I'll miss you until I meet you!  Then, I'll miss you again until I see you at the next faire, or the next season.

I wish I could have gone to Florida and gotten frustrated, and pissed off and irritated when things didn't go right while trying to set up the booth, the camp, and getting the inventory together.  Then, I could be tickled pink when I made a great sale, met someone really special and fun, and then gone to dinner with the gang before settling my aching body down to sleep, completely satisfied with my Faire Life!

I'm sick to death of being sick, and surrounded by death.  Tired of resting my broken and ailing body for months on end, but I'm doing it so I can get out there and do what I love most in the world to do...Work and play with all my Ren-Friends at the Renaissance and Medieval Faires!

I'm aching to get my butt out there right now, flirting with the guys and even some of the women to get them to notice my wares!

I'm anxious to fight the elements, heat, rain, snow, whatever Mother Earth throws at us!

I'm missing the sincere hugs from all my Ren-Friends, the kisses, smooches, laughter, tears, meade, loki, and ale that we share every year!

Oh I can barely stand the wait for my first chance to get out there and see YOU again!  I sure hope you'll be there when I get there!  :)

Once again, it's been too long since my last post, but it's been absolutely crazy here!  I'm going to start with the most recent events and work back to October, I think.

As of last night, I'm no longer planning an October Pirate Wedding.  I've postponed our plans for a year, and I just may decide to cancel altogether.  Oh, yeah, I got engaged in December at Christmas.  Oh well.  Stuff happens.  So, back to events:

I spent the past week in Chicago with family.  My 17-year old cousin committed suicide.  Questions...questions.  On the same day I got word of this, I also got word that my niece was murdered by her husband!  Again, questions...questions.  My heart is heavy.  These two bits of painful news came within one week of returning home from Oklahoma, after attending my son's wedding!  So, back further, in February I lost my great-aunt, totally expected.  In that same month, got news of the death of a very close family friend, totally UN-expected.

Of course there's always the holiday madness and my engagement in December, and what kicked off the holidays for me was Thanksgiving when my son and family came from Oklahoma.  We had 19 people in our little house here, but I loved it!  I LOVE my kids and grandkids!  I usually love getting together with my family.  ;)  The unfortunate thing that happened just after Thanksgiving and everyone was gone, I discovered I had shingles!  OMG!  And, on top of the two herniated disks and sciatica I got in October, life was hell for about 3 months!

So, there it is, pretty much in a nutshell.  I hope you're not too totally confused.  Right now, I'm DYING to get back to the faires.  I missed all of the Florida faires and I'm hoping I get to work at either Tennessee or Kentucky.  I know I'm working the Ohio Faire in southern Ohio.  I will NOT be working Great Lakes, but will be there Pirate weekend, for sure!

So, now, how's life been treating you, my friends?  {{{Hugs}}}