Greetings to the Shire,
It had been a while since my last post. I offer apologies because at about the time we were wrapping up the last Arts & Sciences gathering, I was in the process of interviewing for, and eventually accepting an offer of, gainful mundane employment.
The April gathering, during the week when Holy Week and Passover coincided, centered around a Christian cantiga about two women who despised each other reconciling through the intercession of Mary, and the heroism of Doña Gracia Nasi, a Sephardic Portuguese woman who saved the lives of Sephardic crypto-Jews by helping them flee the Portuguese Inquisition in the first half of the 16th century. Feel free use these links to access the Cantiga de Santa Maria 68 handout and that of the life of Doña Gracia Nasi.
At this writing, the Shire’s Dumpling Fest will have come and gone, with many full stomachs rejoicing. Whether such an event will be repeated will remain to be seen.
With the coming of the spring and summer months, and preparations for such events as Novice Day and Pennsic moving apace, I have arranged that we may have use of the Lakeland Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Wayne, NJ twice a month, on the second Mondays and the fourth Thursdays, beginning in this merry month of May, the better for those of us who wish to attend to make use of this space to see to whatever projects you wish to undertake. The gatherings will be from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM.
Lakeland Universalist Unitarian Fellowship
231 Parish Drive
Wayne, NY 07470
A gap in communication, for which I again offer my apologies as a result of my employment search, has resulted in the next class not being confirmed at this writing, but I shall update this page if that changes between now and Monday 05/12. If there is no change, I will be bringing fabric, paint, scissors, a cutting board, and a fabric marking pencil to begin putting together the Queen’s Favors for this reign’s upcoming royal progresses. See the link for an idea of what this would entail.
I will be cutting two yards of black fabric into the appropriate measurements, and we can either begin to construct the favors or at least trace out the design, and you can take the individual pieces home to finish and send to Her Majesty’s favor procurer at the address in the link above. I will be bringing one or two white fabric pencils, but you may bring your own as well.
If there is a confirmation of the original proposed class (on the making of French hoods), the favor-making class will be moved to the Thursday 05/22.
Arts & Sciences Doings in Surrounding Areas
Across the great river in the Crown Province of Ostgardr, in partnership with the Scandinavian Museum, the Viking Day Demo will take place on 05/10/2025 at Owls Head Park in Brooklyn. The following weekend in that Province’s Canton of Lion’s End, their annual Lion’s End Schola: Pride of Lions will happen on 05/17. See the respective links for details.
The student registration deadline for the University of Atlantia’s virtual summer session 119b opens on 05/13 and runs through 06/12. The summer session virtual class day is Sunday 06/15.
At the service of your honors,
M. Ana de Guzmán, Rusted Woodlands Arts & Sciences Minister