Hi everyone, I figured it was time I posted an update to let everyone know I'm still alive.

As all Lochacians will know, the Easter weekend means Rowany Festival, which was (mostly) highly enjoyable. And the non-enjoyable bits (centring around other people not washing up their dishes so the campsite had many flies) weren't insurmountable. This year, I took 3 classes - Embroidery For Absolute Beginners, How To Do Effective Research, and The Brew That Fuels the SCA - a Brief History Of Coffee (the full title is important). The research one was greatly appreciated, and there were so many people at the coffee one they spilled out of the tent. So I got nervous and talked too fast, but everyone got a cup of coffee, and found the talk informative (I suspect many people turned up because the word got around there was coffee being handed out).

In the week leading up to Festival, I took a look at my wardrobe and realised I didn't have any cold weather clothing. I spent that week making a wool coat and a wool dress. I didn't need the dress as it turned out, but the coat was invaluable at night. Plus, it completely covers my jammies for the early morning toilet run. The Offensive Gumboots are still on display, but they wouldn't be Offensive Gumboots if they weren't seen. (They are Offensive Gumboots because they are Hello Kitty gumboots - our Baron really doesn't like Hello Kitty, and seeing as it's basically impossible to get plain gumboots for women where I live, I figured I might as well get a really offensive pair). The coat and dress still aren't finished, so I won't be posting pictures of them just yet. The seams aren't finished, they aren't hemmed, and the trim on the dress needs to be sewn down. But the great thing about wool fabric is that you can wear it without hemming it, because it doesn't fray much.

I've also been reading and enjoying the Sookie Stackhouse books, and am currently on my second read of Turn Coat, the latest book in the Dresden Files. Finished Twilight, thank the Gods, and am not going to read the rest of the books. I'm working on a review, but I can only write it a bit at a time, otherwise I start foaming at the mouth. I seriously wonder how anyone can like these books. I think it was a very effective marketing campaign, and Twilight will be somewhat like The Da Vinci Code - hugely popular for a while, then no one thinks about it anymore. I really, really hope so.