The Greenwitch's Garden

Woo hoo!

Sun, 02 Oct 2005 21:02:42 GMT

Behind the cut for those who haven't seen Serenity yet:

You scored as River Tam. The Fugitive. You are clever and dangerous, which is a nasty combination. The fact you are crazy too just adds to your charm. They did bad things to you, but you know their secrets. They will regret how they made you.

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River Tam

100%

The Operative

94%

Simon Tam

94%

Zoe Alleyne Washburne

88%

Capt. Mal Reynolds

75%

Hoban 'Wash' Washburne

50%

Kaylee Frye

50%

Inara Serra

44%

Shepherd Derrial Book

38%

Jayne Cobb

13%

Which Serenity character are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Help!

Sun, 02 Oct 2005 16:01:15 GMT

Hello all you early period garb experts out there!

I need your advice about this particular illumination - especially the leggings.

I'm trying to recreate this garb, and I need to know how they would work. How did they connect at the tops? The document is a French Sacramentary from the first half of the 11th century, and I understand that therefore it dates from before all-in-one leggings.

Also, I don't know how to interpret the decorative elements on the leggings. It certainly looks like they've got straps crossed around them to keep them on, which I've read about before - but how do I interpret the detail around the knee? Here's a closeup of the area I'm talking about:

Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Botany I

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 18:50:12 GMT

I had my first class yesterday evening, and while it looks to be a fairly challenging one, it also looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. It's Botany level I, and will consist mostly of lectures and contour drawings of plants. Fortunately my Bunny has been giving me quite the refresher on contour drawings this summer.

The teacher is really nice, very (ahem) down-to-earth. She has arranged for one of the other students to take notes and email them to me in order to give my elbow a nice rest so I can concentrate on the drawings, and she is going to arrange for me to take the final exam a day or two early, as it is scheduled for Winter Solstice and there is no way I'm spending Yule writing an exam, even one on botany.

Here's some way cool stuff I learned in class last night:

- clorophyll isn't green; it absorbs red and blue light and reflects green light, hence it only appears green, just like the sea only appears blue.
- even way clever biochemists don't actually understand the whole process of photosynthesis.
- there are two different ways that leaves change colours: in one way, all the clorophyll breaks down into tannin, revealing the other two pigments, carotene and carotenoid, which appear yellow or red - this his how birches work; in the other way, clorophyll breaks down on warm days into sugar, which is trapped in the leaf on cold nights and changed to the bright red pigment anthocynin - this is how maples work.
- in the tropical rainforests, there are carnivorous plants that grow pitchers large enough to decompose rodents and birds. These pitchers develop at the tip of a slender extension of the midrib (centre line) of the leaves of the plant. There's a pretty good picture of one here:http://www.omnisterra.com/botany/cp/pictures/nepenthe/pics/neog3.jpg.

Elbow News

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 18:38:11 GMT

I went to see the orthopedic surgeon about my elbow yesterday morning; Bunz came with me. He had some very interesting things to say.

For starters, my GP shouldn't have sent me to see him in the first place. He apparently breached some major point of medical etiquette by sending me to a new surgeon instead of to the surgeon who operated on it orginally. He also shouldn't have sent me to have an MRI, to a consultation with a sports medicine doctor, etc - he should have left that to the surgeon in charge of the case. Now, of course, this is all just the opinion of this particular surgeon - but as he's really the Ottawa equivalent of what the English call a "Harley Street expert" I rather think it nails the last nail in my GP's coffin. buttongirl, could you email me the name of your doctor so I can try to make the switch?

He also said that the only mistake that was made at the Civic at the time of my original operation was in telling me that I would have a 100% recovery. He said that with any other joint, that would have been the case; but that with elbows, by the time the bone has healed (6 weeks on average) the joint has seized, and the patient ends up with only the range of motion that I have (I can bend my elbow from almost straight to about 90 degrees but no further - and it's my right elbow, as well). Since my pre-operative talk was given by an intern, he may have been unaware of the difference between elbows and other joints. I'm mad about that - but I no longer have to worry about being a victim of a surgical malpractice, and I no longer have to worry about needing further surgery, both of which are HUGE FUCKING RELIEFS.

He took a look at my x-rays, and agreed that I do have some bone growth, which is a result of my osteoarthritis. He debunked my GP's pronouncement that my arthritis was pronounced 2 to 3 times beyond the stage it should be, but said it was exactly where it should be. He agreed that I need pain management, but as he's not taking my case on, he couldn't prescribe anything. He said the pain in the joint and in my wrist were normal, but that he didn't know why I was getting deep tissue pain as well.

So that's where I stand. I don't need surgery, I might follow up on massage therapy if FC's benefits will cover it, and I need to find a new doctor who will help me with serious pain management (none of this Tylenol 3 and a pain journal crap). It's nice to be less confused.

Huzzah!

Thu, 08 Sep 2005 16:33:17 GMT

Commission #2! Courtesy of ambiviolent, and it looks to be a nice, chewy, challenging one. I'm going to spend the next couple of days finishing the setup of my studio and the adjacent guest room so I can be ready for fredsmith's visit this weekend and for consultations next week. Plus I've done an inventory of all the items I have leftover from the old days.

I'm not sure if I'm going to use Ebay to sell things - they seem to be a good venue for items under $50.00, but not such a good idea for large items like the ladies' houppelande I found 2/3rds finished in my fabric horde and which I intend to complete and sell. I'll probably try out Etsy.com at first and see how well it works, backed up with a "Mythmaker Custom Designs" livejournal with a gallery. I can do lots of online advertising - and I want to ask Cristabell if she'd mind if I did a single advertising post on the Caldrithig discussion group.

It took forever to get to sleep last night - my brain was full of ideas for things I could make to sell at Feast of the Hare. When I stopped selling things I was just getting into doll-making - I have an awesome idea for dolls that I think would sell like hotcakes to people in the SCA. I hope so, anyways!

Current Events

Sun, 04 Sep 2005 16:36:47 GMT

On a purely selfish front, I just got my first commission - making fencing armour (heavy-duty clothing, no metal-working required, for all you mundane types) circa 1530 for one of my friends who attends the dance practices.

On a more global scale, for people who are looking to help out the folks in Louisiana, my favorite online fabric store, equilter.com, is as usual doing their best to help out. This doesn't surprise me at all as they usually donate part of all sales to a number of charities including Doctors Without Borders. For more info, go to http://equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/katrina_charity.html.

Small Victory

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 17:12:12 GMT

So last night I had a bit of an adventure - I may have been a little petty, but I certainly enjoyed it.

Tuesday nights are my date night with the superloverly Bunny, and we decided to invite Foxy along as well to hear GuyGrrl at the Lookout. They're a wonderful duo who do great cover songs, stuff from the 70's up until now, including what we have deemed a "better Alanis than Alanis." They play every Tuesday and I definitely recommend them.

We had also heard through the grapevine that it was my ex-lover Peter Pan's birthday and that he would be celebrating at Zaphod's, where he is one of the Tuesday night DJ's. So the three of us got extra dolled-up. I wore my corset, zip-up skirt (with my new tattoo showing), fishnets, etc. Bunny wore her new pin-stripe suit, a white linen shirt, a tie and a black fedora (she was so hot she almost didn't make it out the door). Foxy wore a little black dress and a hat that made her look like the mysterious dame in a 40's detective story.

We went to the Lookout and had a few drinks - one of the regulars was having his birthday and bought us a couple of rounds of shots. Then in the break between sets, we strolled over to Zaphod's, where we ran into Oninofro, and where I made a point of introducing Bunny and Foxy to Red Tinkerbell, Tiger Lily and Peter Pan. It was awesome! We looked so great, and they looked so surprised, and really, things are going so well for me that it felt really good to go in there and show off a little. I'm really proud of myself for pulling it off and not having an anxiety attack or anything.

It was wierd seeing Peter Pan, though - I wish we were still friends.

Some Clarification Seems to be Called For...

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 00:33:42 GMT

Last night while I was at the August Hare Ball (of which Cortejo took some loverly photos - darling, did you post them somewhere that all comers can see, or only on the Caldrithig Yahoo group?), the significant other of one of my dearest friends was surprised to discover that I had two girlfriends. This quite amazed me as it's been the case for over 6 months now. Anyways, I thought that perhaps it was time to outline the details, especially as there have been a few newcomers added to my lj in recent weeks.

I am thrilled to say that the fantabulous cortejo is my girlfriend, and has been since November 2004. I am equally thrilled to say that the luscious gingerbunz, sometimes known as Bunny, has also been my girlfriend since January 2005, and is now my second primary. I am head over heels in love with both of them and overjoyed to be finally out as a bisexual after years without female companionship.

My male primary is, of course, my darling husband finalcut999. We've been together through good and bad for over 7 years now, and married for just over 3 years (our anniversary is Midsummer Eve). He is the light of my universe (something that would surprise him given his continued campaign for the forces of darkness).

He and I live in the Glebe in the building sometimes known as Fool's Rest, which we share with our group poly family/nefarious cohort consisting of the aforementioned Bunny and her common-law partner jacomothefool, and the stunning foxyfiles, who dates Bunny, Jacomo and Final in turn and makes my life a whole darn lot easier to boot.

Not to mention the constant visits by Cortejo and her toddler/secret evil genius bent on world domination, the charming Miss Lydia Lynch, and the even more mysterious and charming j_v_lynch.

Plus the non-human members, Jack the Pumpkin King, Dominar Silent Bob, Monsieur Nopo and Huntress Tabitha Twitchit.

There. Any more questions?

Clean Slate!

Sun, 28 Aug 2005 05:08:05 GMT

So today Bunny and I worked very hard to clear out and unpack my workroom and guest room, so that I now have, amongst other things, a workspace and my own computer with internet connection set up for the first time since moving into the new house. Yay!

This is particularly important since I have chosen to make a major change in my life. I have quit my government job and gone back to school. Right now I am enrolled part-time at Algonquin College in the Horticulture and Landscape Technician program - I will be taking Botany and Herbaceous Plants this fall.

The trick will be finding a way to make money to cover my share of rent, groceries and bills now that I will no longer be working my fancy-schmancy government job. I'm going to talk to temp agencies, but since I will need time to study for school, I don't really want to be working full-time in offices, or there won't have been much point in my quitting work in the first place.

I also intend to restart my business, Mythmaker Custom Designs. If anyone wants clothing made this fall, whether costumes for Hallowe'en, garb for Feast of the Hare, or mundane clothes for any purpose from a comfy shirt to a formal dress, please consider asking me to take on the job. I can also make soft furnishings, and even have enough experience now with my basement workshop to make some hard furnishings - chests, footstools, etc.

I will also be using this livejournal in the future to advertise clothing, fantasy dolls, and other items that I will have for sale, as well as looking into options such as Ebay, Etsy.com, flea markets and craft sales, etc.

Banksy

Sat, 13 Aug 2005 17:12:54 GMT

This URL: http://www.banksy.co.uk will go towards solving a mystery for FC. Thanks to g42, who recently friended me out of nowhere, for the link.

Computer Blue

Wed, 10 Aug 2005 17:33:18 GMT

So it has been the move from HELL. I would like to tell you all more about that, but the most important part of the hellishness that is the move is that FC's computer has decided to go on strike. I'm wondering if any of you computer-savvy people out there would be willing to take a look at it in return for some kind of favour. Basically what seems to have happened is that when he installed the wireless card for our wireless router in his machine, his computer stopped recognizing his A or C drives - and an attempt to install his OS on his D drive has met with failure as well.

I'm a seamstress, a painter, a half-decent cook, a basic woodworker, and a darn good baker. Anybody willing to barter?

It's really happening!

Thu, 28 Jul 2005 23:37:22 GMT

We're about to shut down the computers. The move is really happening! Keep you fingers crossed for us! See you again soon!

A Call to Arms

Tue, 26 Jul 2005 14:43:47 GMT

We are moving to our new home this coming Friday, July 29th. We have movers coming to handle the actual move, but we still have a lot of things not yet in boxes.

If anyone is available to help pack on Wednesday or Thursday, we'd be very grateful for the help. We'll be happy to provide pizza and beverages and lots of good company for the volunteers.

Please? Pleeeeassse?

Monster-in-law

Sat, 23 Jul 2005 03:26:35 GMT

Dinner with my Mom-in-Law tonight, and I was of course dreading it. Officially it was in honour of FC's 36th birthday, but of course the real point was for her to show off what a good Mom she is (not).

In the end, though, it went pretty well. Crazy as my MIL is, she's doing quite well these days, and she always seems to attract friendly and interesting people. One of her regular buddies is a civil servant at Health Canada, and he wanted to know about my "stress leave." I was a little embarassed to be discussing it, but once I explained about the pressure I was under with Daboss before I walked out, he was incredibly supportive - said that he had seen the same thing many times in his career, and that I should take extra care to make sure that I didn't return to the same situation again. It was really nice to hear such supportive sentiments, and especially to have my needs emphasized by a relatively uninterested party in front of FC.

As an aside, though, what sort of a crazy person signs a card to her son from herself and HIS pets? Wierd...

I'm missing my Bunny - the Warren are in the States, returning the Kits to their Dad for the school year. However, I've been reconnecting with Cortejo in a really positive way in the last week, and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's event in the Incipient Canton of Offangaard - we are going together, and there will be archery!

Congratulations, by the way, to my bestest friend Fred Smith, who is now a genuine bone fide Lawyer! I'm really proud of her - she's so cool!

BLOODY FUCKING HELL - AGAIN!!!

Thu, 21 Jul 2005 14:40:21 GMT

Oh fercrissakes!!!

Poor London.

"First Reaction to the News This Morning"

Thu, 07 Jul 2005 13:27:03 GMT

BLOODY FUCKING HELL!!!!

Remember Me?

Mon, 27 Jun 2005 14:00:20 GMT

If you read this, even if I don't speak to you often, you must post a memory of me.
It can be anything you want, it can be good or bad, earliest or recent, just as long as it happened.
Then post this to your journal.
See what people remember about you.

Woops!

Thu, 14 Apr 2005 18:32:00 GMT

Happy Belated Birthday to fredsmith!

Sorry it's late - you are my bestest friend and I love you very much. Hope you had a wonderful day!

New Aardman Animations Flick

Mon, 28 Mar 2005 00:06:02 GMT

As per Codpiece Boy's comments at fencing practice today: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Starring Wallace & Gromit!!!!!

October 2005 - mark your calendars, people!

Chasing Bunnies

Sun, 27 Mar 2005 13:07:03 GMT

A song in honour of my "wild weekend":

INNOCENT HARE
or SPORTSMEN AROUSE
from the singing of the Copper Family

Sportsmen arouse, the morning is clear
The larks are singing all in the air
Sportsmen arouse, the morning is clear
The larks are singing all in the air
Go tell your sweet lover, the hounds are out
Go tell your sweet lover the hounds are out
Saddle your horses, your saddles prepare
We'll away to cover to seek for a hare

We searched the woods the groves all around
The trail being over, the game being found...
We searched the woods the groves all around
The trail being over, the game being found...
Then u-up she springs, through brake she flies...
Then u-up she springs, through brake she flies...
Follow, follow the musical horn
Sing follow, hark follow, the innocent hare

The huntsman blows his joyful sound
Tally ho, me boys, all over the down
The huntsman blows his joyful sound
Tally ho, me boys, all over the down
From the woods to the valleys, see how she creeps
From the woods to the valleys, see how she creeps
Follow, follow the musical horn
Sing follow, hark follow, the innocent hare

All along the green turf she pants for breath
The huntsman he cries out for death
All along the green turf she pants for breath
The huntsman he cries out for death
Relope, relope, retiring hare
Relope, relope, retiring hare
Follow, follow the musical horn
Sing follow, hark follow, the innocent hare
This hare has led us a noble run
Success to sportsman, every one
This hare has led us a noble run
Success to sportsman, every one
Such a chase she has led us, four hours or more
Such a chase she has led us, four hours or more
Wine and beer we'll drink without fear
We'll drink a success to the innocent hare

Gang Agleigh

Thu, 24 Mar 2005 16:42:20 GMT

So last night was poker night at the Warren, and since I'm not happy spending time on my own right now, FC and I agreed that I would come home, watch my taping of Deadwood, take Jack on his walk, do an hour or so of housework, and then go to Foxy and Bunny's to join in the fun.

FC and Cortejo had done me a huge favour, picking up some roughtotes and a pack of Canesten for me in the afternoon.

I'd watched about 2/3rds of Deadwood when my doctor's office called, letting me know that if I wanted my new prescription I needed to come talk to him at 5:10pm. This was at 4:30pm. Oh dear.

Rushed the dog to the park, where he only got about 20 minutes instead of his usual 30-40 minutes, rushed him back in the house and penned him in the kitchen (he eats things he shouldn't if we give him the run of the house when we're out), and rushed off to the doctor's.

Of course, I had to wait a half hour to see him. And then I had to walk to the nearest open pharmacy to get my prescriptions. I got home with enough time to leap in the shower but not to eat or do any chores.

And the dog had eaten the Canesten.

Panicked phone calls to the vet, much running around all stressed out, and fortunately Bunny and Foxy are totally cool with Jack coming with me when I visit them, because I didn't want to let him out of my sight. The vet finally came to the conclusion that it wasn't dangerous, so long as he continued to behave normally. Which he has, thank goodness. He was tearing around the Warren with Jacomo, who is fast becoming his second favorite playdate (after Lydia Lynch, who won his eternal loyalty by hand-feeding him pizza).

Poker was fun - and by then I'd had so much to deal with that the idea of learning to play poker for the first time with people I don't know didn't seem so much of a challenge! I did pretty good until about 10pm, at which point my brain shut down because I was TIRED.

The problem with being organized and planning your time is that there is always something unforseen! Oh well, at least the dog's okay. That was a tad scary.

!!!

Wed, 23 Mar 2005 18:55:00 GMT

One of our contractors was just on the phone - he wished me a "wild Easter chasing the bunnies."

I don't think he knows what he just told me!

ROTFL

Miscellania

Mon, 21 Mar 2005 16:33:07 GMT

Blueberry pie makes a great breakfast. :-)

My favorite incarnation of Catwoman, complete with thigh-high boots (as drawn by Jim Balent): http://www.super-highway.net/users/altoot/inmiami.jpg

Driving school I want to use: http://www.riteondrivingschool.com

Trumpets

Mon, 21 Mar 2005 12:05:05 GMT

...he had not been awake more than ten minutes when he heard feet running along the corridor and Mary was at the door. The next minute she was in the room and had run across to his bed, bringing with her a waft of fresh air full of the scent of the morning.

"You've been out! You've been out! There's that nice smell of leaves!" he cried.

She had been running and her hair was loose and blown and she was bright with the air and pink-cheeked though he could not see it.

"It's so beautiful," she said, a little breathless with her speed. "You never saw anything so beautiful! It has come! I thought it had come that other morning, but it was only coming. It is here now! It has come, the Spring! Dickon says so!"

"Has it?" cried Colin, and though he really knew nothing about it he felt his heart beat. He actually sat up in bed.

"Open the window!" he added, laughing half with joyful excitement and half at his own fancy. "Perhaps we may hear golden trumpets!"

Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

Question about Rate-of-Pay Increase after Salary Negotiations

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 20:29:47 GMT

Okay, so our new collective agreement was signed today. Under the terms of the agreement, we get retroactive salary increases as follows:

Retroactive to June 21, 2003 – 2.5%
Retroactive to June 21, 2004 – 2.25%
Effective June 21, 2005 – 2.4%
Effective June 21, 2006 – 2.5%

I get that as of June 21, 2005, my salary will increase by 2.4%, which is a whopping huge $20 per paycheque, which after all does add up quite nicely to around $500.00 more per year.

What I don't get is how the retroactive stuff works. Does it mean that, for instance, they would look at how much they paid me between June 21, 2003, and June 21, 2004, and give me an additional 2.5% of that amount, less deductions?

The mind is boggling, here.