People I miss

Baldwin of Erebor
Mark Lasie of Westminster
Sigmund Traeskaeg
Elinor Aurora of Rosewood (though I see her mundanely sometimes)
Aldred Colson (I see him too, and it's always nice)
Simonetta d'Ambrosini (I rarely, but always gladly, see her)
Richard the Strange (who talked and thought faster than I ever have and was overflowing with music)
Ferelith, Rhonwen and Jerilyn, when they were a team and a set
What I really miss is our youth and exuberance when the world as we knew it was newer.

Sigfried von Hoflichskeit
Henrik of Havn
I miss the days when I had access to their knowledge and company, their thoughtfulness and good counsel.

Tadashi
Kano
The landscape changed when they were gone.

Then I think of those in my life I would miss so strongly if they were as out of touch one way or another, and I try to think of nice things to do for them. Gunwaldt, Artan, Balthazar, Helena, AnneAliz, Martino, Cathyn, Matilda, Dermod. Some other friends are growing on me, and I would be embarrassed to name them (for fear of embarrassing them, I think). And I know the time is now to smile and touch and gift and thank. Yet I often fail, as the days swirl by, to be as close and as soft and as warm as I wish I could be for them.

And none of that approaches the kind of love I feel for my children, all so much like Gunwaldt in so many great ways.

So I think of laughter and smiles shared with those people up at the top of the list and inventory again what I can do today to create memories while I still have time—memories of my loved ones in me, and memories of me in them.

To have another profile, I needed a new blog

For the Outlands History project I've just set up, I wanted another profile. To have another profile, I needed a new blog.

It's not a bad idea, though.   Each of the blogs I have has a stated purpose and audience.  This one can be for me, my friends, my students, and anyone else who's interested.

I've been in the SCA for over thirty years now, sometimes extremely active and busy, holding two offices, publishing, attending tons of events, and sometimes hanging back and sewing and cooking for those who are going to events.  As I write this, I'm in a VERY active phase, but not attending events, and so I've taken a persona change I've long considered.  That's detailed here:  
sandradodd.com/sca/aeanchoress

Sometimes I have the urge to express something that's too deep for a discussion list, too personal for ThinkWell, and too philosophical for the history blog or list. On those I feel a responsibility to keep to topic and not rock the boat unnecessarily. Here I can have rough seas that affect no boat but my own, I hope. I still do have students and associates, some of whom are more easily shaken than others, so I'll keep them in mind.

Sometimes there will be no storm at all, I'm sure, but seeming hibernation and boredom. I've come to treasure days when nothing is happening, nobody calls, there's no personal mail. I used to seek busy-ness, but I'm settling down into being happy just being happy.

It might seem busy to others, but compared to my own busiest seasons, I'm living a very quiet life.