Lilies War: A Journey of Chaos and Joy

Even with several storms, forgoten meds, and unintended dog food, I found joy at the 2025 Lilies War. It was full of surprises, laughter, and perfect moments in all the chaos. Read about the classes, vigils, and a few “oops” moments that made it unforgettable!

Packing Adventures (a.k.a. “Why is my hip mad at me?”)

On Tuesday, one of my packingk days, I got overly ambitious—a classic move of mine—I overdid it. My hip immediately filed a complaint so I slowed down. I tackled the rest in smaller bits and alternated between shoving gear into tubs and applying heat to my cranky hip. It helped, sort of.

The good news? My piecemeal packing system actually worked. Everything I needed at the motel was right there when I wanted it. The surprise? I also brought the food, treats and meds for my two kenneled dogs. Oops!

My work-around would be calling my stepdaughter to take it from my house and deliver it to the kennel. Not good, but doable. I was lucky to have such good adult stepkids.

Dodging Storms Like a Pro

I hadn’t planned to arrive on Friday June 6th, like many do. This decision turned out to be genius. A nasty storm rolled through Smithville, Mo and wrecked a ton of tents. Some folks lost their entire tent setups. You were fortunate if you only lost your fabric.

Later in the week, I was lucky again. On Wednesday, a second storm tortured camp. This happened just after I left the site for the motel. Have you ever been blessed like that? I sure hope so.

My friends Michael and Dolan from Lonely Tower each lost “roof” fabric. Michael de Lundi lost his tent covering and Dolan Madoc of Haarlech lost his awning covering. Thankfully, I was still safe at home, totally unaware, sipping tea.

But my winning streak was about to change.

The Missing Mediset: A Saga

Saturday night, after settling in, I realized something else was missing… my week’s pill organizer. I tore through every bin, bag, and box—nothing. I even did that more than once. This wasn’t fixable by phone like the dogfood was.

So Sunday morning, June 8th, I zoomed back to Omaha to get my meds. I was also able to drop the pups’ food packets off at the kennel myself. I tried to act like I had everything under control. (I didn’t.)

My new plan was to drive back to site the same day—but I was exhausted. I hadn’t slept well the night before with all the issues I created for myself. So I decided to miss opening court and Lonely Tower’s birthday bash hosted by Baroness Kathleen and Baron Charles.

It seemed this quick trip home was catching. I also missed seeing my apprentice Astrid, who had to return to her home, too. Her husband had an acute health problem. He needed her to be around. She wouldn’t be able to return.

Have you ever had to leave an event for something so important? Geeze, I hope not. It jangles your nerves and throws other things out of kilter in a trickle-down effect.

There was a silver lining. When I got back to Smithville from home, Astrid’s tent was available to share. With both the tent and motel we had planned to divide the sleeping arrangements between the three of us. The tent was perfect for Michael to use. That left Tanneke and me the motel, all to ourselves. Peaceful. Quiet. Air conditioning. Shower. Bliss! We would be glad for the chilled room later in the week, for sure.

All that was the beginning of the war. There was more to appreciate. Hopefully it would go better than this.

Let the War’s Fun Begin

Here’s the quick-and-chatty version of the rest of my week:

Monday, June 10th
I took a RUSH class on “Wigs and Hairpieces Before 1600” by Luna di Caterino Tofani. It was fascinating—so many clever period tricks and excellent resources. She showed us her creation of medieval hair extensions, and even Roman “wiglets.” Honestly, I left inspired and slightly jealous of the centuries of hair drama. And now I have yet another project to pursue.

I seemed to have my situation back in control. We’ll see if that word “seemed” throws a spanner in the works.

Tuesday, June 11th
I went to Tanneke’s class on making pomanders. They smelled divine. Tanneke taught us their enchanting long history and gave us a basic aromatic recipe we could expand.

We each took turns experimenting with the steps, by passing the mortar and pestal around from student to student. The small round blob incorporated cloves, cinnamon, and other spices. Each step changed the scent the pomander’s mash wafted.

Before noon I grabbed lunch from the BBQ food truck (honestly… meh).

Later that day I saw Mistress Nessa put on vigil for her Laurel. I also got to visit with friends from Lonely Tower. One of the highlights was chatting with M. Jalali of Salamis, who flew in all the way from Ansteorra to support M. Nessa’s elevation. Talk about dedication!

Last but not least, I worked a two-hour gate shift in 89°F weather. But hey—it was shady, full of great conversations, and I love people-watching. After my gate shift I caught a (golf)cart ride to the parking lot and headed to town for the night.

Wednesday, June 12th
The long grand day! Mistress Nessa’s elevation and the “AI in the SCA” roundtable, which I co-organized with M. Ma’az. He did most of the talking because he’s great at it. I herded cats, answered questions, and made sure everything ran smoothly. Tanneke took fantastic notes which I plan to write up to share with Calontir’s Kingdom Arts & Sciences Minister. I will also share it with the proper SCA Board member.

I squeezed in a little shopping. Because of course I did. That was golden too. An evening storm shut down the “Moonlight Madness Sale.”

Thursday, June 13th
This day was the best for me. My friend M. Geraude was placed on vigil. She was a Laurel but was preparing to receive the Order of the Perlican. As always, her vigil table was full of delicious snacks and drinks. Drunken pears, sugared nuts, and cheeses I remember from a previous life. It included mead tasting courtesy of her husband HL. Gianlupo. Yes, I tasted the meads, all of them. I thought the original was the best. It did not have fruit infused in the mix to mask the honey taste. The warm honey wine taste really came through .

Then came the order meetings, Grand Court, and the first round of packing up.

I had two order meetings to attend. The Order of the Lily and then the Order of the Laurel. Both were conducted in a friendly, organized style to speed things along and keep all of us quiet. Remeber, we don’t share what happens here.

At 6:30 PM Grand Court was held. This was my favorite because my sister from another mother was being welcomed into the Order of the Pelican. A list of her service to the Kingdom of Calontir is extensive. It would also be impressive for her contributions to the Shire of Cúm an Iolair. She is widely known for her many labors.

Court ended just as the giant red sun set. I would have missed it if the carts hadn’t waited to help us after court’s end. That was a new extra the volunteer drivers wanted to do. The cart service ususally ends at 8:00 PM. Tomorrow would bring another big day of a different type.

Friday, June 13th (I hope it’s not scary.)
I finished packing, loaded the car, and hit the road. The best part? I didn’t have to take down Astrid’s tent. Michael wanted to stay another night, so he took it home for her. Thank you, Michael!

And so my 2025 Lilies War ended. While it started off with a bit of chaos somehow, it still turned out perfect for me. It gave me many memories to go over.

Why The War Was Still A Joy

Sure, I missed a few things. And yes, I had to make a surprise trip home. But…

• I avoided both of the bad storms—one before I arrived and one after I left for the motel.
• The dogs had their food and had a blast at the kennel.
• I found the second mediset (finally).
• Our AI round table discussion went over beautifully, even with my tardiness.
• Ma’az had a blast leading the discussion , and Tanneke’s notes are gold.
• I didn’t have to take down and pack Astrid’s tent.

And honestly? I loved every bit of it. Even with a missing pill box, stormy weather, and two surprise dogfood bags Lilies 2025 turned out great for me.

Most of all I took my friends – both longstanding and new – into my heart. With our room together I’m even more excited to welcome Tanneke into our Bening family soon.

Driving home I realized this Lilies felt like a turning point in all the best ways. Mainly, I wasn’t overly tired. (We’ll see how that goes in the next few days.) And while packing things to come here had its hickups going home did not. It was fast, safe, and easy.

Have you ever had a great feeling like that after an big event? I’d love to know about your SCA friends, classes, and amazing courts. Please, share your stories below.

So that was my Lilies 2025. It affirmed that even with hiccups, it’s the joy that lingers.