Intermezzo: Curious Tuesday III

1. If it was your birthday tomorrow, what would be on your wishlist?

Fabric. Loads of it. And maybe the World of Darkness: Changeling book of rules. And some more books. And – of course – a Canne de Combat mask and a bâton (we had bâton training last week and it was great!), new colours for my paint box and a clay kiln.

2. Do you look after your nails? Do you paint them? If so, do you have a colour that you keep returning to again & again?

Well, I tried to look after them. Really. The problem with painting (the only thing preventing me from biting) is that the paint wears off on paper and other materials when I’m crafting. Not so nice, therefore I just try to keep them clean. The colour I mostly use when I give in again to paint my nails is a deep, dark red that looks nearly black.

3. What star sign are you, & do you think it is accurate?

I am a Virgo. Sometimes it seems quite unrealistic, but I tend to get clean up frenzies from time to time. I’m also quite sensible and a book-worm and nerd, so I think it fits, even though I embrace many of my ascendant – Gemini – related features, too.

4. What is something you have recently learned to appreciate?

Sleep. Just this morning I woke up by the ringing of the door bell as a handyman wanted to check the heating. At half past seven. I also learned to appreciate fresh fruit, salmon and having people who care for me, not only me caring for others.

5. What is your favourite city in the world, & why?

Phew, that’s a hard one, isn’t it? I’d say at the moment it’s Marburg. It’s so small and fairy tale like and I met such wonderful people here. But maybe it’s Edinburgh, too as I really loved it when I went there some years ago… I don’t know. I think I’m too young to have a favourite city yet, I’ve seen far too few to decide.

Of Celts, Boats and Gold Treasures

As I told you I went for a university excursion last weekend. It resulted in increased knowledge, immense tiredness and loads of photographs that I won’t show all at once but in a kind of thematic an chronologic order.

We started our journey south Friday morning. The Satyr forgot his shoes and went barefoot all weekend long as he was too lazy to walk back home and get some (that’s five minutes of way). At the station we met the rest of us and that was where we left the Scoundrel, too, who came with us as his train to Kassel came twenty minutes later.

What can I say, the train rides were wearisome, six hours are not that few. I brought The Diaries of Samuel Pepys – which was on my reading list anyway and which the Historian kindly lend to me – with me to read (and I got through it during these three days) and lots of sweets, too, to survive.

In the early evening we arrived in Eichstätt, a very catholic city in Bavaria with lots of nice, sugary late baroque buildings where our youth hostel – and therefore base – was set. We spent the evening at a tavern with pizza and pasta and with a guided tour around and then fell asleep quite soon as we had no time to sleep all morning on Saturday!

When the bus stopped at Manching my first thought was that I didn’t even want to hang dead over a fence in this village. But the museum was really, really grand. They have quite fantastic exhibits there, amongst other two Roman rowing boats, swords form La Tène and a treasure of unfinished bohemian coins of pure gold with a weight of nearly nine pounds.

Make that more than 100 ounces...

Well, on Sunday we went home again but not without a stop in Aschaffenburg, the town of my childhood, to visit the Celts exhibition in Johannisburg Castle where the exhibits were not as many, but very interesting, too. There was the normal museum, too, just as I remembered from the days when I was still in primary school and spend hours to imagine what it was like to live there…

Reconstructed model of an assumed celtic boat

When we came home I was incredibly tired and happy to see my own dear chamber again, as interesting as this field trip might have been. But it’s definitely not a, experience I’d like to miss.

Favourite Words in June

1. Farina. The yellow stuff that blossoms seem to throw after you.
2. Drumlin. A wonderful word to describe glacial formed hills, derived from the Gaelic word for mound.
3. Boat. The thing in which Alice’s adventures were invented. I like the sound and now that it’s summer I eagerly wish to live on the other side of the street, right at the river and for a small nutshell of a rowing boat to drift by and read in more than ever.
4. Holunder. In English it’s elder and I simply love it.
5. Felix. Latin for lucky, glad, bliss bringing. I know several dashing young men who carry this as their first name and I always happened to like them.

Poupée and a Field Trip

For a certain time now I’ve collected the outfits of my poupée girl that I quite liked. Nothing special, I know, more like an archive for myself, but as I spoke of the pictures I can show them here, as well.

Deco Punk (rather not)? I don’t know, but I like it. ^^

Golly, I wish I had this dress in my real closet…

My last outfit, I just came home from savate training and wanted it to show (mind the fingerless gloves that are supposed to go under the boxing gloves, the wide pants, the trainers and the t-shirt).

A “rainy day” outfit. I think I need one of these in real to cuddle up with a good book and some nice, hot tea in my old armchair when the typical Marburg weather strikes again.

As for the field trip, I’m going on an Celtic Studies excursion tomorrow, so I won’t have any chance to write something here. On our way home we will come across my old home town, Aschaffenburg, and I think the whole journey will be splendid. I’m taking the Diaries of Samuel Pepys with me to read on the long train ride (it’s about six hours) and maybe some of my embroidery equipment. I’ll tell you all of it next week when I’m back.

Till then I’ll stay
- Truly yours -
The Hedgefairy.

99 Questions. No Reason. Loads of Fun.

1. Your name? The Hedgefairy.

2. When is your birthday? September.

3. Where were you born? Frankfurt/ Hesse.

4. Where are you now? In my lovely chambers in Marburg.

5. What are you wearing right now? Black bootcut jeans, brown climbing tank top, grey thick sports socks, pastel-and-red River Woods check shirt, a Scoundrel’s silver ring on a leather ribbon and leather supply belt.

6. Your most beautiful moment so far? Something like 4 AM, 2nd of April, 2010, and ever since.

7. What are you reading at the moment? Pride and Prejudice.

8. Have you got a favourite film? Big Fish.

9. Action or romantic movie? Romantic, I guess.

10. What is your favourite song? The Mummer’s Dance by Loreena McKennitt.

11. What are you hearing now? Beauty of the Beast by Nightwish

12. Are you in love at the moment? Yes.

13. The 3 most important things in your life? My friends, my family, my creativity.

14. What is home to you?　Marburg, Aschaffenburg and Frankfurt/ Germany and always there where my heart is.

15. Which languages do you speak? German, English, Latin (badly), Irish, Sengoidelc (old Irish – still learning).

16. Your favourite drink? Ginger ale.

17. Your favourite food? Cheese!

18. Your favourite country? The British isles.

19. What is your favourite pasttime? Being creative and martial arts.

20. CQ or Yahoo! ? Yahoo.

21. What have you been doing last night? Reading until I fell asleep.

22. Summer or winter? Mostly autumn.

23. Windows or Linux or Mac? Windows.

24. What would be the name of your son? Liam or Basil.

25. … and your daugter’s? Lovis or Gwendolyn.

26. What is your favourite colour? Green and red.

27. When was your last vacation? Where? Summer 2006, Scotland. Or alternative: Study excursion, September 2008, Tuscany.

28. Your graduation? Art specialised A-levels.

29. Best age so far? 20?

30. A worldly wisdom? Cheese is one of the primal supporting pillars of the western society.

31. 3 things for the island? The scoundrel, a knive and cheese.

32. 3 things for a good life? A rocking chair, friends and family and a job that I can live by and that I like.

33. Future wishes? Working as a celticist and illustrator or make a living out of my creativity.

34. What would you need for a perfect vacation? My friends, an old house by the sea, some mountains for climbing and really, really good food and books.

35. Money or love? Both, but love a little more.

36. Your hair colour? Henna red, naturally dark blonde.

37. Your eye colour? Mossy green amber mixed with honey.

38. Do you have a nickname? What is it? Otter, Wild Rose (Scoundrel exclusive ;)).

39. Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter? Harry Potter when it wasn’t totally screwed yet, but LotR, also.

40. Continue as you like: “Lost in…”: “Wonderland”

41. First word you think of beginning with “S”! Sea.

42. Favourite web site? Natron & Soda.

43. Film or book? Book.

44. Favourite school subject? Arts.

45. Have you been to university? I am, at the moment.

46. If yes: Where? What? For how long? Marburg University, Celtic Studies, for two semesters so far.

47. How much time do you spend in the interwebs per week? For hours.

48. Have you got the light on at the moment? Yes.

49. What time is it? Three minutes after 10 PM.

50. Favourite activity at the PC? Writing and surfing.

51. How do you vote? Not telling, sorry.

52. Are you satisfied with the government? It would be great it Mad Capt’n Tom was the prime minister of Great Britain.

53. Are you reading the newspaper? No, sadly.

54. Interested in positics? Not really, I’ve got to confess. Not anymore.

55. Interested in parties? Sometimes.

56. How did you spend your last weekend? With martial arts training, relaxing at the riverbanks with my friends, finding a new name for my band and reading.

57. Smoking? Definitely no, for ever.

58. Have you got a mobile? Yes.

59. How’s the weather? Blue skies with some small clouds, not too hot and it’s getting chilly tonight, I think.

60. Are you part of a club or association? Does Savate and Canne at university sports count?

61. Have you ever been to a hospital? Only for visits.

62. When was your last phone conversation? Some minutes ago when I called my mother for the weekly update. ^^

63. When did you write your last E-mail? This afternoon, concerning the Marburg dragon boat race.

64. Have you got a brother? Name? Kind of, if Bambi counts.

65. Have you got a sister? Name? No. I’m an only child, in fact.

66. Who’s the older one? Father or mother? Father.

67. Drinking? If yes, how often? Hardly.

68. Are wonders real? Sure.

69. Are gosts real? Definitely!

70. The meaning of life (in your opinion)? Being happy without harming anyone due to that.

71. How are you feeling at the moment? Very good, thank you.

72. What’s your opinion about the recent TV programme? We don’t have a TV.

73. Talkshows or court drama? None.

74. Have you got a role model? Several. Loreena McKennitt in singing, one of my university elders in academical matters, different illustrators in arts.

75. Munich or Berlin? Berlin!

76. Continue: “In Munich…”. What a stupid question, I’ve never been there!

77. Would you like to migrate to another country? One of the British Isles would be nice…

78. What makes a man wealthy? Being loved and happy.

79. What does nature mean to you? It’s great. It always helps me to calm down and get new energy at the same time.

80. Your dreams? Are vivid and sometimes irritating.

81. Your favourite car? Vintage with loads of packing space.

82. Where did you grow up? Woods, a puppet theatre and in books.

83. How tall are you? 159.5 cm.

84. What’s better, work or school? Hard decision. Depends on work and school.

85. Land of birth? Germany.

86. Drawing or singing? Both. ^^

87. What is extraordinary to you? Thoughts outside the patterns.

88. What are you addicted to? Honestly? Books. Oh, and cheese.

89. Have you got any hobbies? Which? Sure! Music, sewing, arts, reading, books, writing, cooking, singing, history, languages, dancing and sports, especially martial arts.

90. What was your last meal? Uhm… Toffifee, I guess. Or pasta con pesto for lunch.

91. Your last film in the theatre? Sherlock Holmes.

92. How would you describe yourself in one sentence? “I’m a thoughtful bundle of energy, often mistaken for an otter, presumeably with fair folk blood, always inspired and inspiring and I love books and cheese.”

93. Are you naïve? Sometimes, I fear, but seldom.

94. The best age group is…? Every age has it’s pros.

95. Lucky number? 19.

96. Inside or outside? Depends.

97. Do you prefer the coutryside or the city? I’ve tried both and I liked both.

98. What is the most important thing for you in this world? Doing what feels right.

99. Your opinion of the last 98 questions? Unnecessary, but somewhat fun to answer.

I thereby challenge my readers to answer these questions in their blogs, too. If you do so, please link back to your list in the comments!

Farina and Riversides

As I didn’t tell you yet about the Sunday of Lilibeth’s visit, here it comes: Part II.

It was really hot outside, so after a nice breakfast in my room we decided to go to the river Lahn where I wanted to show Lilibeth some of my favourite places, anyway. There’s a wooden way leading over sandstone fragments near a meadow to enchanted places down at the river, where the tides play with the boulders and stones accompanied by the noise of the nearby weir.

I’m a kind of tomboy, I fear, so it was not avoidable for me to take off my shoes and wade into the river to collect stones and shells and feel the flow while my toes entangled in the hydrophyte grass under my feet.

Lilibeth stayed on save land and kindly took some photos. ^^

Oh, and yes, the hem of my skirt got wet. What a surprise. ;)

On our way back I collected some elder blossoms and got myself covered in farina all over but what’s this small sacrifice for good tea?

Well, soon after that (but not before I’d made a lasagna for lunch) Lilibeth left, not without the promise that I would return the visit next month. I’m really looking forward to it!

Daisychains and Petticoats

A week has passed now since Lilibeth had been here for a visit so I think it’s pretty much time to write about it.

My dear guest arrived on Friday afternoon and soon vanished for a couple of hours again to visit another friend of hers who lives in Marburg, too. In the evening we watched Stardust (I love Captain Shakespeare! And it’s such a wonderful film!) after a typical spaghetti-con-pesto student dinner. Before we started the movie, Lilibeth taught me nålebinding (aka. knotless netting), an ancient needlework that she’s been doing for a while, matching her reenactment hobby. She also left a ball of great yellow-orange, fiery wool with me to practise, but it’s been to hot during the last week to touch wool, anyway (plus, I’ve got to whittle a needle for myself yet, too).

On Saturday I showed her my favourite places in my city of stairs, and this is the point where I’m going to show you pictures instead of showering you with text (but, of course, with several notes). As I’ve got PS since last weekend, too, I tried to let the pictures look like illustrations from an older children’s book or older photographs like the ones of my mother and her brother that my grandmother keeps in her boudoir.

This was my outfit for saturday, featuring my Ugly Duckling dress, some lace, Danish Duckfeet shoes and a petticoat, necklace and parasol Lilibeth kindly lend to me.

Lilibeth’s outfit contained a self-made skirt and lace collar, an Emilie Autumn t-shirt, brown leather heels and my brass-coloured birdcage necklace as it matched too well! She bought some black tea flavoured bonbons at the tea store that were really refreshing on our way up to the higher parts of the town.

We went for ice cream at the best parlour in town and then headed for the castle garden to pick some flowers and make daisy chains.

Lilibeth with her daisy chain crown

Another close shot, I couldn't decide which picture to use.

My daisy chain

The chains ended up as street art, mine on a lantern, Lilibeth’s on the wall of the Historian’s house.

The institute for Religious Studies, again ^^

We had lovely shoots at the park and at the institute, so here are some impressions.

Sadly, there are more pictures of me than of Lilibeth. Oh, those hobby photographers... :)

I've got to admit that I really, really like this one...

Well, the evening came we went to the park and took the laptop with us to watch Anne of Green Gables. We only got through part one, but I’ll the second one with me on my visit at her house next month.

I’ll show you the pictures of Sunday tomorrow, I think that’s enough pictures for one day. ^^

10 Pleasures in June

Before I’m going to lavish you with pictures and stories about the past weekend, here are my ten pleasures in June (containing way more water than usual):

Picture taken by Lilibeth

1. Mischief Brew. I found this Philadelphia centered “Carnivalesc Punk Rock” (I’d like to add “folk”, too) band via Last.fm and I really, really like them. My favourite songs are Gates of Hell and Nomads Revolt.
   
2. Glow in the dark Stars over my bed. I used to have them when I was little, but I’m building a firmament again. At the moment it consists of five stars and the glowing mouse (or is it a rat?) I bought some moths ago. ^^
   
3. A cold shower right after training. Just when you’re heated and all covered in sweat, it is not only healthier to go showering instead of walking home as you are. I truly learned to appreciate the cool rinse on my skin that is provided by the showers in the institute after the Savate training (especially after our trainer wore us down like he did last time…).
   
4. Spinning on ideas for photo shootings. It’s a thing that I mostly do with Jules from time to time. At the moment we’re planning a fairy tale theme with Snow White, Snow White and Rose Red, Little Red Riding Hood and some more. Oh, and that Dandy shooting I want to do since like ever.
   
5. The Water Music by G.F. Handel. I got the CD from my father when I was ten. I love the thought of floating down a river, dressed in lavish robes, my boat decorated with flowers while an orchestra is playing for me on a ship nearby…
   
6. Crosspatch Crow, my new fashion and lifestyle blog. It’s a space to post all the silly things about style, street art and shopping sprees that don’t belong here.
   
7. Markets. All the fresh fruit, the parleying with the market folk, flowers and stall wagons produce a picture of times past with jolly mothers in circle shirts and aprons with their red-cheeked children, just like in an Enid Blyton book.
   
8. Feet under water, especially now that it is that hot outside. Just fifteen minutes down the stream there’s a really nice place to sit and read a good book (for me it’s Pride and Prejudice at the moment which the historian kindly lend to me).
   
9. Rye Bread. Just the smell…!
   
10. Laura Ashley. Her wonderful flower patterns are bewitching me since I first saw them in a book about British culture. Maybe someday I’ll be able to get one of her dresses…
    

Intermezzo: Curious Tuesday II

1. Would you ever get cosmetic surgery? If not, why not? If yes, what would you want done?

No, never. Even if I sometimes don’t like the way my nose looks like or my thighs or the fact that I’m pretty short in statue, it still is MY body. I guess somebody or something wanted it to look like that when he, she or it created me and I rather like it, anyway.

2. What is “your drink”?

Ha! Tea. At the moment it is blood orange green tea, fruity green is perfect for hot days, anyway, just like ginger ale (that’s another one). When it comes to alcohol I think it’s a good whisky or whiskey.

3. What are your five fashion essentials?

Aww, that’s a hard one. Rouge, leather supply belt, combat boots, different earrings (mostly ethno silver creole hoops) and my honey drop-look alike amber pendant on a black cotton ribbon.

4. Do you have any tattoos? What are they? If not, do you want some? What would you like to get?

No, I don’t have any but I’d like to get some some day. One thing that can’t be realised that easily is a nautical star on my left hands back near the little finger as it’s not really likely to increase job chances like that. Maybe something LaTéne or Book of Kells inspired according to my field of study or something steampunky…

5. What is something most people don’t know about you?

When I asked my flatmate, he said that “I weren’t as mean as I looked like”. That may be true, but another one is that I really wanted to learn ballet when I was in primary school.

Tanwen and Roses

Just one night until Lilibeth’s visit! I’m pretty much excited and the weather is said to be going to be good, so it will be splendid to take walks and show her the city.

As I told you before we started a new The Dark Eye RPG adventure yesterday. We are a group of six heroes with the Satyr as our game master. Starting in the city of Angbar (pretty inspired by German Augsburg) the group consists of horasian roofer-with-special-interests-in-reallocation-of-properties Titus Brigonetti, played by Bambi, garethian rapier and poison specialised assassin Liskaju Fuxfell who’s the alter ego of our newbie Luna, Simon’s (he’s also entirely new to the system) mathematically gifted thief Thoma Mueller who is incognito as an accountant, the Elfin as Ysilt von den Weiden, beauty- and powerful witch of the circle of the Seeresses of Today and Tomorrow and her raven familiar, horasian charming equilibrist-from-a-good-family Giavan Karisia, character of the Scoundrel, with his well-mannered dog Claudio and finally my character Tanwen Finnsdaughter Nendrum, priestess of Tsa, the everyoung goddess.

Tsa is the goddess of life and everlasting change, of birth (and rebirth), learning-by-doing, the fairy folk, children, beginnings and creation. Her signs are a lizard biting its own tail (for the circle of life), eggs, rainbows and dawn. I chose her for the challenge of playing a character who is bound to hurt nobody, especially not with weapons of any kind, as someone who is open-minded and always eager to try new things (especially crafts).

Tanwen Finnsdaughter Nendrum, uncoloured

Tanwen was born as the only daughter of Ynlais Nendrum, a witch of the circle of the Beauties of the Night and Finn Phileasson, a thorwalian (kind of a viking) bard in Havena, capital of the Principality of Albernia where witchcraft and magic are strictly forbidden – the reason why Ynlais left for good when her daughter was four years old, leaving her with her father to sail to Thorwal where she lived until she was thirteen.
She returned to Albernia and met her mother once again who sensed the gift of magic in her, just to send her to a monastery of Tsa to hide it. Tanwen herself never noticed these abilities but grew into the community of debonair goddess-winsome crafters, artisans, adventurers, healers, midwives and (most of them being all of it) clerics. She mainly concentrated on her talent of goldsmithing and precision mechanics as well as cooking, sewing, everything concerning instruments and singing, souls and acrobatics (uhm, well, it may seem a lot but it isn’t for a priest of Tsa). She’s a little bit spleenish and may appear like a child sometimes, but she feels no need to show off her skills as a soul-healing, well-educated cleric when there are robins or sparrows to watch.
Her most reliable companion is a little wooden toy mocking a sea serpent that an old carver from her fathers Ottajasko (a kind of tribe) made for her when she was a child. One of the rare things to make her angry are stagnancy and lethargy as well as unjust behaviour (or what she sees as such). By the way she’s a synesthete smelling, seeing and hearing colours.

At midnight the Scoundrel left as he was bound to catch his train to Kassel as he went to a rock festival pretty early today. It’s only four and a half day but I’ve got to admit that I miss him. While he is gone I’m taking care of his tree (Steve II’s like a pet with photosynthesis) and he brought me a single rosebud that slowly opens its petals. I think it will be in full bloom when he returns.

Plus, my gloves, shin pads and gumshield for Savate finally arrived but this is something I’ll tell you another day. I’m pretty tired and tomorrow morning there’s a call at the doctor’s waiting for me. And, of course, a day of waiting for Lilibeth.