Firstly, way back in March of 2014 I submitted my device, which you can see and read about here. It passed without any issues, along with my name, in December of that year. However, the more I look at it, and looked at more period devices, and use the colors, etc. the more I felt like it just wasn't *quite* me. It was close. I was in love with the bear and the wild garlic flowers, but it felt a little sloppy to me and just not quite right. Using the resources from www.heraldicclipart.com I came up with a new configuration using a more period image of a bear, and elements that feel more cohesive. The switch from or (gold) to argent (silver), the move from a per fess (split in half horizontally) to a chief (smaller border at the top) and a move from wavy to embattled division looks a lot better in my opinion. I'll be submitting this later in the month once I get my paperwork colored and sent in. What do you think?
Finally, on March 5, last Saturday, my husband and I attended our kingdom's coronation celebration in the Barony of One Thousand Eyes I volunteered to serve on the new Queen Veronik's retinue when she asked for people in our area to step up, but I have a feeling it will be a very different experience than my first time around with Duchess Clare. I am beginning to see how deeply I dove in and how gleefully I took on a full-contact experience. I was really hungry for a deeper view of the SCA, and I surely got it with Clare.
Damon and Veronik, who were on the thrones when I first started playing, seem to be fairly low-key, with good senses of humor and the knowledge of experience, as this is their third reign. In any case, I did not hear from Her Majesty or anyone on her retinue after her email asking if I would serve, didn't have any duties on Saturday, and wouldn't be surprised if she couldn't pick me out of a lineup, though we did meet once last summer. In any case, I'll be here to help at the events they attend in our Barony, and hopefully we will get to know each other a bit too. This commitment level is a better fit for my life right now, and the longer I play the more variety I see in how different people approach this game. It helps me remember how much of what we see in the SCA is just convention, habit, etc. I saw queens from my area, like Duchess Kortland and Duchess Clare, who had long courts, naming retinue, giving favors and tokens, and filling long stretches of time with pageantry. A king and queen who stepped up, were brought the regalia by members of their own household, put it on themselves, accepted oaths, and left it at that was something new to me. We'll see what the future holds.
For now, here's a couple photos of the day. The first, by Mistress Jacquelinne of Cobalt Dragonfly is the oath-taking. I'm in my blue bliaut and white silk veil, my husband behind me in white shirt and green cap.
The second is a selfie of my husband and I. We're both making odd faces, but I share it because the trim on his hat was woven by yours truly. I had just enough for the hat, with a bit left over for the cuffs of some future sleeves.