Greetings, Shirefolk,

I hope those who went to Pennsic LI had a lovely time despite the rain and the humidity. Now that there has been time to recover from that annual pilgrimage, we can focus on new projects and arrange for new locations to have classes. 

Known World Cooks & Bards X over Labor Day Weekend had two teachers representing the Shire. Yours truly taught about Cantigas de Escarnio e Maldizer, and Lord Drake Oranwood held forth with Home Recording 101: Is this Thing On?, Home Recording 102: Can We Fix It in Post?, and Developing Stage Presence as a Bard. This event is only held every other year (the pandemic had put it on pause regardless), in varying locations, but nine kingdoms from across the known world converged on Aethelmearc this year to share and gain knowledge of many things culinary and cultural. This was my third time attending, my first time teaching there. I highly recommend sojourning there when the time comes back around in two years, wherever that may be.

My last missive spoke of the University of Atlantia’s fall session. The last day to register to attend classes is 09/18/2024. The full roster of classes is up on their website: https://university.atlantia.sca.org/  They have virtual sessions on 09/22/2024 on a wide variety of subjects. Were I not traveling that weekend with my lord husband for a prior commitment, I would be attending the virtual session.

Closer to home, the first three weekends in September after Labor Day, the Shire has a demo presence at the Sparta, NJ Renaissance Faire. Our being there helps make it possible for us to use the site for 100 Minutes War. The weekend of 09/07 – 09/08, the arts and sciences were represented with the help of the noble Valentine Ambrose‘s demonstration of rigid heddle weaving, noble Elliot de la Marche‘s showing of oil painting, and lady Ana de Roma came from the Shire of Midland Vale to lend a hand with her inkle loom. 

There is one more weekend to help with that. If you are so inclined, please contact Lord Georg von Neumaier via email to 231532@members.eastkingdom.org, or Jason Neumayer via the Messages from the Tome of Visages to add your name to the roster of attendees.

It has already been mentioned that the Shire will hold a 5th Monday Potluck on 09/30/2024 at the Lakeland Unitarian Universalist Fellowship hall at 231 Parish Drive in Wayne, NJ, starting at 7:30 PM. I repeat this because I will attend to look at the place with my own eyes and see how good a place it may be for future Arts and Sciences endeavors. I will be comparing that space with my local library’s in Hawthorne, NJ, and make future plans from there.

At the service of your honors,

M. Ana de Guzman

Rusted Woodlands Arts & Sciences Minister