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badseed1980I will NOT try to do what I was doing last year, which was to have a detailed and well-written description of every day at Stones. But here, for those interested, is a general description with some highlights.
So I met![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
pierceheart at the airport on Tuesday. Got a bit teary-eyed, I was so happy to see him. Hopped in a cab (with a very polite cabbie) and went to the mall to get the skinny one some new clothes. Then he met up with tisana while I headed to Sunset Grille and Tap to get the party started. The next day was all packing, cleaning, and preparation. Then we went to storage. Oy vey. What a nightmare. FINALLY, we left and went to Connecticut. Spent the night there. We got to walk on the beach by the light of a just-past-full moon. Oooh.
Stones on Wednesday. Yay! We had a lot of traffic, and ended up getting there a little late, but still had time to get set up and eat dinner before the opening ritual. It was great to see people again. People who I still have to add on my friends list! Many hugs were exchanged. Thursday was fun too. As with last year, I spent the hottest part of the day on a shadeless hilltop, trying to poke holes in ground as hard as rock. The finished labyrinth was worth the effort, though. Then I swam for a bit. Mmm..skinny dipping! I went to one of the evening rituals, and then the boy went off to do his own private ritual with some people while I just paced back and forth in the stone circle for an hour or so, connecting with my gods and the stones. Cried a lot. I needed to. I also got some stuff to look for and work on, from my patrons.
Friday was the first "real" day of the stone work. I think that was the daypierceheart and I got to go swimming together. There was a ritual that evening, beautifully designed for such a large group. I was a bit disappointed in the labyrinth working portion, though--it was rushed and crowded, and I felt less power from that than I felt from the walk up to the hill in the pitch dark. After the ritual we had the first of three stone pulls. It took a damned long time, because we were still getting used to some new techniques and tools. But we did it. Yep. And then afterwards, we had a bardic circle. I sang one song and listened to many more. Heard war stories and other stories. I fell asleep in my chair eventually, and then we went to bed.
Saturday we did The Long Pull. About 75 people pulled a stone weighing just about 6,000 pounds over a distance of a mile and a half, which distance covered several long and steep hills. It took us about four hours and a lot of sweat in the hot sun. Kind people gave us pickles, fruit, water, cookies, and M&Ms. This was followed by Happy Hour with the Bottom Dwellers. Yay! Mead, food, friendship, and fun. That night was the Warriors' Vigil, an all-night vigil done by military veterans and their auxiliary supporters (of which I was one). Neither [Unknown site tag] nor I stayed up all night, but we stayed long enough to hear more stories, and to spend some time with some great people. All night, the flag that flew over the Capitol AND over a fort in Tikrit sat on the stone we had pulled in, waiting to be given to the farm. Doc gave us good scotch. Mmm.
Sunday was the day of the Rising. We lifted the first two stones up into position in the circle, straining and sweating and swearing. We pulled in the third stone, and lifted it too. All the new babies of the year got passed in through the hole in the Mother Stone, from their mothers into the waiting arms of their fathers. It was beautiful. That evening, we consecrated the stones, old and new. Then,pierceheart and I were invited to the yurt, the home-away-from-home of elissa_carey and p_firesinger and their spawn. It was a lovely quiet evening of shared mead and chips, and gifts and hugs exchanged. I love those guys. :)
Monday was very moving. We had the closing ceremony, which started withpierceheart handing off the flag he'd brought to Doc, representing the Farm. I got a tear in my eye as he described how it flew over his fort in Tikrit on behalf of the Farm, which has always supported veterans. There was singing and crying and hugging, followed (of course) by eating. Mmm. Then we finished packing up and said our goodbyes to all the wonderful folks there. We drove into Maryland and hit the RenFest with several hours to spend there. I bought a bodice chiller (not as phallic as that awesome one that used to be on ebay) and a new belt for the boy. He bought me a pretty shirt to wear under my bodice. We sang along with the Pyrates Royale and said hi to the boy's old friends. That evening, he took me to The Royal Mile for my first REAL crabcake, fish and chips, and gooood scotch. I had 17 year old Bowmore, and he had...mmm...what was it again? Some nice Speyside.
Tuesday was longish, but seemed like a rush. We left in the early morning, and reached Connecticut in less than five hours. We said hi topierceheart's mum and dad, and then we drove into Boston. We got my stuff inside, said a quick goodbye, and then I ordered food. I was starving. I started to watch LOTR, but twice fell asleep. I went to bed around 1am, and slept in this morning. Now to get cracking on stuff I need to do.
And that was my weekend. I'm heading for the shower now. Bye.
So I met
pierceheart at the airport on Tuesday. Got a bit teary-eyed, I was so happy to see him. Hopped in a cab (with a very polite cabbie) and went to the mall to get the skinny one some new clothes. Then he met up with tisana while I headed to Sunset Grille and Tap to get the party started. The next day was all packing, cleaning, and preparation. Then we went to storage. Oy vey. What a nightmare. FINALLY, we left and went to Connecticut. Spent the night there. We got to walk on the beach by the light of a just-past-full moon. Oooh.Stones on Wednesday. Yay! We had a lot of traffic, and ended up getting there a little late, but still had time to get set up and eat dinner before the opening ritual. It was great to see people again. People who I still have to add on my friends list! Many hugs were exchanged. Thursday was fun too. As with last year, I spent the hottest part of the day on a shadeless hilltop, trying to poke holes in ground as hard as rock. The finished labyrinth was worth the effort, though. Then I swam for a bit. Mmm..skinny dipping! I went to one of the evening rituals, and then the boy went off to do his own private ritual with some people while I just paced back and forth in the stone circle for an hour or so, connecting with my gods and the stones. Cried a lot. I needed to. I also got some stuff to look for and work on, from my patrons.
Friday was the first "real" day of the stone work. I think that was the day
pierceheart and I got to go swimming together. There was a ritual that evening, beautifully designed for such a large group. I was a bit disappointed in the labyrinth working portion, though--it was rushed and crowded, and I felt less power from that than I felt from the walk up to the hill in the pitch dark. After the ritual we had the first of three stone pulls. It took a damned long time, because we were still getting used to some new techniques and tools. But we did it. Yep. And then afterwards, we had a bardic circle. I sang one song and listened to many more. Heard war stories and other stories. I fell asleep in my chair eventually, and then we went to bed.Saturday we did The Long Pull. About 75 people pulled a stone weighing just about 6,000 pounds over a distance of a mile and a half, which distance covered several long and steep hills. It took us about four hours and a lot of sweat in the hot sun. Kind people gave us pickles, fruit, water, cookies, and M&Ms. This was followed by Happy Hour with the Bottom Dwellers. Yay! Mead, food, friendship, and fun. That night was the Warriors' Vigil, an all-night vigil done by military veterans and their auxiliary supporters (of which I was one). Neither [Unknown site tag] nor I stayed up all night, but we stayed long enough to hear more stories, and to spend some time with some great people. All night, the flag that flew over the Capitol AND over a fort in Tikrit sat on the stone we had pulled in, waiting to be given to the farm. Doc gave us good scotch. Mmm.
Sunday was the day of the Rising. We lifted the first two stones up into position in the circle, straining and sweating and swearing. We pulled in the third stone, and lifted it too. All the new babies of the year got passed in through the hole in the Mother Stone, from their mothers into the waiting arms of their fathers. It was beautiful. That evening, we consecrated the stones, old and new. Then,
pierceheart and I were invited to the yurt, the home-away-from-home of elissa_carey and p_firesinger and their spawn. It was a lovely quiet evening of shared mead and chips, and gifts and hugs exchanged. I love those guys. :)Monday was very moving. We had the closing ceremony, which started with
pierceheart handing off the flag he'd brought to Doc, representing the Farm. I got a tear in my eye as he described how it flew over his fort in Tikrit on behalf of the Farm, which has always supported veterans. There was singing and crying and hugging, followed (of course) by eating. Mmm. Then we finished packing up and said our goodbyes to all the wonderful folks there. We drove into Maryland and hit the RenFest with several hours to spend there. I bought a bodice chiller (not as phallic as that awesome one that used to be on ebay) and a new belt for the boy. He bought me a pretty shirt to wear under my bodice. We sang along with the Pyrates Royale and said hi to the boy's old friends. That evening, he took me to The Royal Mile for my first REAL crabcake, fish and chips, and gooood scotch. I had 17 year old Bowmore, and he had...mmm...what was it again? Some nice Speyside.Tuesday was longish, but seemed like a rush. We left in the early morning, and reached Connecticut in less than five hours. We said hi to
pierceheart's mum and dad, and then we drove into Boston. We got my stuff inside, said a quick goodbye, and then I ordered food. I was starving. I started to watch LOTR, but twice fell asleep. I went to bed around 1am, and slept in this morning. Now to get cracking on stuff I need to do.And that was my weekend. I'm heading for the shower now. Bye.
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no subject
Date: 2004-09-08 10:42 am (UTC)-C-
no subject
Date: 2004-09-08 11:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-08 10:45 am (UTC)I'm glad it was such a healing time for you and
I'm glad you had a grand time.
And now, I'm glad you're back. I've missed you.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-08 11:01 am (UTC)no subject
no subject
Date: 2004-09-08 11:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-08 11:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-08 12:47 pm (UTC)Scotch
Date: 2004-09-08 11:25 am (UTC)I am glad it was a good week for you.
Being with you made it all that much better.
My healing is not finished. I am getting new challenges everyday. Some from places that merely say "you can't", knowing I will be challenged to prove I can.
I know what you mean about the rituals being rushed. I felt the Rising itself was one of the best things I have ever felt.
Thank you so much for all you do, and all you are.
Love you!