Potluck delight

Each winter the Lonely Tower holds a cold weather indoor revel to find the Baronial Arts and Science’s Champion. To shake our revels up a bit the HL Cristina la Ambeler – organizer and current A&S Champion – gave it an Alice In Wonderland theme too. She asked you to reflect the theme through your period attire or potluck food. 

Competitions are the greatest learning and sharing opportunity you have but at this revel you found more than that. Cristina gave you fun and imagination if you played along. The spread was a sight with delightful sweets for your eyes and palettes including a magical tea sandwich checkerboard.

The Mad Hatter visiting from Mag Mor visiting with Their Excellencies.

By tradition, the current A&S Champion sets the challenge for the competition. This year the challenge for each entrant was: 

submit two entries–a sample of something you excel at, and a sample of something you are just learning. It doesn’t have to be the first thing you’ve done in this area, but the closer the better.

Cristina did not specify a documentation requirement. In the Baronial newsletter she gave her reason saying:

 “Any art, any skill, is worth the time and effort to engage in. For this reason, I have left off the documentation requirement for the competition in a lure to remind people that there is joy in learning and a thrill in creating, no matter the origin of the exercise.”

Because of this year’s duo challenges, I chose to enter along with three other creative artisans. Lady Wulfþryð Maynes, Lady Batilda Rabbitt, and Lord William Radulfus. Three competitors with strong entries. A tough challenge for each of us.

Lady Wulfrith’s embroidery and block print  with her handcrafted cheese.

Lady Batilda’s handmade beads and cord

Lord Williams gameboard  and painted picture.

My calligraphy and clove skin-care experiment.

Lord William Rudulfus and his Lady-wife Krystin i Lund playing a board game.

While the populace members socialized and worked on projects …


















….Cristina with the Baron and Baroness – Augustin le Blind and Aleit de la Thomme – looked at each entry carefully. 

But wait there’s still time before court for games and door prizes. Perhaps just to keep you on your toes a search for white rabbits, large and small. And is anyone up for indoor Flamingo Croquet?

By tradition, our revels are highlighted by a Baronial Court. A time Their Excellencies present awards and make announcements. Sadly I missed its photos because I was standing in court too. 

The Baron and Baroness announced their Baronial Fighting Champion would be Sir Bjarm Rorikson. And they asked me to serve as their Arts and Sciences Champion for the coming year. 

That was quite a shock to me. I thought my clove experiment had totally gone awry and tanked my chances. You just never know how a competition challenge will turn out. Or a Baronial Revel for that matter.