14 April 2010

This is a week of catch-up work in my workshop and housework every other waking moment. We are eagerly anticipating the visit of our dear friends Larry and Denise from Milwaukee, and today I tackled the cleaning of my guest bath. I won the battle, and The Privy of Dragons is once again safe and sparkling clean.

My photo today is representative of one of the highlights for me of our opening weekend at Scarborough Renaissance Festival. I was fully staffed enough, to be able to step to the front of the shoppe for the parade. I took up my usual spot—standing on my bench under the tree—and had the camera ready. I had outfitted three performing company members in entirely new ensembles, and I wanted pictures!

As it turned out, neither Dan nor Glenda walked in the parade that day, but undaunted, I was prepared to snap photos of the queen. I knew she couldn’t avoid the parade. Then, as she got close, and I readied the camera, she stopped walking. “Perfect,” I thought as I framed the perfect photo. But, then, she came toward me. And she was calling for me. At first I thought there must be some problem with her gown … then, I realized she was holding a lovely bouquet of flowers and urging me to hurry down from the bench and take them from her! I did so, of course, bowing appropriately as she handed me the flowers and a parchment note, folded and sealed with wax and a purple ribbon. She hugged me, and went on down the lane to catch up with her King.

I stood by the side of the road, flowers and note in hand, smiling after her. Crazy, wonderful girl. The note, which brought tears to my eyes, is probably the most beautiful thank you note I have ever received. I shared it with many folks, starting with Kyle, and then placed it in the showcase in the shoppe, right next to a photo of the queen in her last new dress. That’s when I realized the photo I had set out to take had never actually happened. I had to laugh … I didn’t get any of the three photos I needed! Hopefully somebody else out there … Frank or Clay or Kim or Dana or Paul or Lys or somebody … will take those three photos for me!

In the meantime, I have a beautiful bouquet of little pink flowers and this one glorious pink rose on my dining room table—a gift from the queen.

~MB

Tags: Bench, Bouquet Of Flowers, Company Members, Dear Friends, dragons, Ensembles, Glenda, Housework, Milwaukee, New Dress, Parchment, PHOTO, Photos, Pink Rose, Privy, Purple Ribbon, Queen, scarborough renaissance festival, Showcase, Wonderful Girl