Tag Archive | admin

Ki no Kotori info from the Calontir Wiki

Ki no Kotori

portrait_full_3
Photo by Master Edward Hauschild, 2019

Ki no Kotori　紀小鳥
aka Tace of Foxele, Maria Katerina von Adlerhof, Szabo Maria, Kári Gilsson, Ægileif in kyrra

Persona:

Ki no Kotori 紀小鳥 is a 10th century (Heian Era) Japanese courtier who has taken Buddhist vows（Heian Era). She is my primary Persona.

01122017_moi_kosode_kawaii_large
Momoyama-era garb, 2017. Photo by Lord Alfgeirr skytja

moi_uchigi
Kamakura-era garb, 2008. Photo by Lord Alfgeirr skytja.

Tace of Foxele is 12th century Englisc lady living in Norman-occupied England, at Foxele (modern Foxholes), in Yorkshire, 9 miles south of Scarborough.

Anglo-Saxon Garb 2004
11th century Englisc garb, 2004. Photo by Lord Alfgeirr skytja.

Maria Katerina von Adlerhof is a 16th century Austrian, in the service of the Habsburg Imperial Court in Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

moi_austrian_garb_dragoncon
In Austrian Garb, 1996. Photo by Richard Gilson.

No photos yet for my other persona.

Link to Calontir Armorial – http://armorial.calontir.org/Pages/KiTorame.htm

History in the SCA:

war_bitches_1993
Summer’s End Tournament, Barony of the Flame, Midrealm, 1993. I’m on the left with the red bandana.

Timeline:
* I started in the SCA in 1991, in the Barony of the Flame (Louisville, KY), Middle Kingdom
* Originally I was a heavy-weapons fighter. Injuries have sidelined me.
* AOA awarded by King Jafar and Queen Catherine, Midrealm 3/12/1994 for Service as Chronicler and at Demos.
* Became Squire to Sir David Dragonhawk, 9/24/1994
* Baronial award: Order of the Flamberge by Baroness Cordelia Tichy, Barony of the Flame, 1995, for Service at Demos.
* Moved to Calontir after I met my husband, Alfgeirr skytja. We lived in Coeur d’Ennui from 1998-2001.
* We moved to Dubuque in 2001 and started the Riverwatch contact group in mid-2002. It disbanded in 2006. After that, we were honorary members of the Shire of Deodar.
* Golden Swan awarded by King Valens and Queen Susannah for Calligraphy & Illumination 5/24/2003
* Torse awarded by King Joe-Angus and Queen Phaedra for service to the Riverwatch contact group 1/31/2004
* We moved to the Kansas City metro area in December 2012 and live in the Shire of Cum an Iolair.
* First event: Summer’s End Tournament, Barony of the Flame, Middle Kingdom, Sept. 1991.
*Granted entrance to the Order of the Calon Lily by King Xerxis II and Queen Belanna for Japanese Poetry and Research 9/15/2018
*Apprenticed to Ylva jarlkonna Jonsdottir 2/2/2019
* Link to Calontir OP is here.

sca_cinci_oct_1994
Fighting in the snow, Barony of Fenix, Midrealm, 1994. I’m in the Red and Green armor.

Groups and Affiliations:
* Current Group: Shire of Cum an Iolair, Calontir.
* Previous Groups: Shire of Deodar, Riverwatch contact group (Dubuque, IA), Barony of Coeur d’Ennui (all Calontir), Barony of the Flame (Midrealm)
* Guilds, Households, etc: Scribal guild, Bardic guild (Calontir), apprenticed to Ylva jarkkonna Jonsdottir 2019-present, squired to Sir David Dragonhawk (Midrealm) 1994-present, House Drachenstein (Midrealm) 1992-1994.

Getting my Golden Swan award,Horse and Falcon, 2003
Being awarded the Golden Swan by Queen Susannah, Barony of Forgotten Sea, 2003. Photo by Verla Herschell.

Being Elevated to the Calontir Order of the Golden Lily
Granted entrance to the Order of the Calon Lily by King Xerxis II and Queen Belanna, Queen’s Prize, Shire of Crystal Mynes, September, 2018. Photo by Edward Hauschild (Vilhelm Lich).

Offices:

* Local Offices: Past: Exchequer (Shire of Cum an Iolair) Talon Herald (Shire of Cum an Iolair) Chatelaine (Shire of Cum an Iolair) Deputy Seneschal, Chronicler (Barony of the Flame); Contact person, Herald, Knight’s Marshal, Exchequer (Riverwatch)
* Regional Offices: Assistant Signet (Southern Oaken Region, Midrealm, 1994), Lanner Herald Committee (Calontir 2016-2018)
* Kingdom Offices: None
* SCA-wide Offices: None
* Other service: Autocrat of five events: Summer’s End (1993), Collegium (1994), Christmas Tourney (1993, 1994) in Barony of the Flame, and Triskelion at Riverwatch (2004)

moi_riverwatch_tower
The Riverwatch Contact Group, Dubuque, Iowa, 2003. Photo by Lord Gaston le Mieux.

Singing at Feast of Eagles 2017
Members of the Shire of Cum an Iolair singing at Feast of Eagles, 2017. Photo by Verla Herschell

playing_at_shire_party_roderick_margaurite_kotori
Roderick Noise Maker, HE Margaurite des Baux, and Ki no Kotori playing at the Cum an Iolair Christmas Party, 2018. Photo by Mistress Lilian Bowyer

Classes Taught:

* Basic Calligraphy: Carolingian, Insular Majuscule, Insular Minuscule, Half-Uncial, Shodo (many times)
* Scroll layout (many times)
* The Medieval Middle East (Collegium, Barony of the Flame, 1994)
* How to do Documentation (Riverwatch, 2002)
* T-Tunic Tutorial (Riverwatch, 2002, 2003)
* Let’s Renga! (Riverwatch, 2003)
* Let’s Tanka! (Riverwatch, 2004)
* Successful Event Planning (RUSH, Le Grande Tent, 2003; Flynthill 2005)
* Panel: Design Elements of 16th Century Japanese Clothing (Clothiers, 2017)
* Kosode Construction: Stitches, Tips, and Tricks (Clothiers, 2017)

Anglo-Normal Clothiers 2016
Displaying hand-made Englisc garb, Clothiers 2016. Photo by Verla Herschell.

Gratitude Scroll for the Busted Lift, a pub that let the Riverwatch SCA contact group meet in their building. 2002. It was later destroyed in a fire at the bar.

Other Information:

* My SCA blog is Foxeholly
* Some Scribal Examples can be found here.
* Documentation for past projects:
* Song: The Iowegia Song 2003
* Akikawa Nikki (A Poetic Diary) 2005
* Notes from Successful! Event Planning (2005)
* Wimples and Zukin 2008
* 20 Poems from the Shōyōshū (小葉集 Small Leaf Collection) 2015
* Song: Kestrel’s Lullabye 2015
* Poems from Daisougen Nikki 大草原日記 The Great Prairie Diary 2016
* An Examination of Zukin 2016
* Kosode Construction: Stitches, Tricks, and Tips 2017
* Song: The Falcon’s Cry 2017
* Composing and Designing a Japanese SCA Scroll 2017
* Kotori no Uta Hyakushu 小鳥の歌百首 (A Little Bird’s Song 100-Poem Linked Sequence) 2018

takauji_finished_scroll_detail
Calon Cross for Saito Takauji by Ki no Kotori (detail) 2017

At the Turning of the Tide

Mar20

It always amazes me how small things can just turn life on its side. In this case, this Costochondritis or whatever–life has been reduced to managing the pain and trying to get simple things around the house accomplished. One day I’m all ambition, going to do ALL THE THINGS!, and the next, I’m just trying to make it to the next minute. Life suddenly shrinks to simple daily needs.

I was hospitalized last Tuesday with severe chest pain and breathing problems. There were further complications when I had an allergic reaction to some medicine they gave me. I was released after a day, with a tentative diagnosis (Costochonritis–the inflammation in the joints between the cartilages that join the ribs to the breastbone), some pain pills, and instructions to follow up with my primary doctor for further testing next week. The pain is still there, but tests ruled out cardiac issues, so I got sent back home.

I should be grateful that this isn’t a heart problem, but OTOH, people are more understanding about a heart attack than about some weird-ass chest joint inflammation virus which just feels like a heart attack.

I’m seeing the doctor on Wednesday, probably for more testing to make absolutely sure this isn’t a kidney issue. The nurse said that this is physical therapy that can help and since I have decent insurance, I might give that a shot. I’ve had other issues in the past (usually injuries) that physical therapy has improved.

NEW!! EDIT: Doctor’s diagnosis is Tietze syndrome, which is Costochonritis’ mean cousin. The two are quite similar and both involve chest inflamation, but Tietze’s has some localized swelling as well. Further testing determined that this is NOT a kidney issue, for which I am grateful, but dang, I still hurt. I’m scheduled for Physical Therapy until this thing runs its course. Life’s going to slow down for a bit while I recover.

What gets me is that this pain which reduces me to tears and foul language is called “benign.” Supposedly, Costochondritis is usually caused by injury (a fall, a car accident, overtraining at the gym), but none of that applies to me. I walk a bit and swim about three times a week, being very careful NOT to push things because it’s easy to get injured when obese.

However, the doctor said it could also be a virus, which might make more sense, as I get all the weird ones. And somehow this ties in with anxiety, which yes, that definitely has been a big factor in my life lately.

Extremely depressed about all this. I felt like I was starting to make friends around here, make some progress, but now? Who knows? My biggest concern is stupid: I don’t know what to do about my new tent. Should I try to sell it? Should I just wait and hope things even out in the next year or so? First I suppose I need more information from the doctor. Besides, it is tough making good decisions while writhing in pain.

Anyway, hobbies are being shifted into low gear for the time being. I was already starting to pull back from my SCA-stuff because I know I will be needed down in Texas more due to my father’s illness. I can still do local things (and since we’re central, local includes several nearby groups), and keep playing with my little projects, but I’ll be more of a background presence. I’ve had to do this before (which no doubt explains my lack of awards) but real life comes first.

Incidentally, these kind of regular life mishaps are one of the reasons why I encourage SCA newbies to NOT focus on awards, peerages, and other such things. Life happens. To Everyone. To some of us, it happens a bit more. If you are in this hobby for more than a few years, there WILL be times you have to step away. Marriage, moves, new jobs or your current job gets busy. Money troubles come up. People have kids. Parents get sick and require care. That’s just how life works. And the SCA is a HOBBY. A game. And when Life gets Real, you put the game aside and deal with what you need to deal with. The game will still be there when you get back.

Unfortunately, the way the SCA works, there can be set-backs for stepping away. People forget you, they forget what you have done, no matter how hard you may have worked over the years. It is what it is, and honestly, most social hobbies are like that. Which is why I tell people to find what makes them happy in this hobby and cherish that aspect. There is so much to love about what we do, and those things will still be there when you come back.

As for me, I’m not leaving, but just slowing down for awhile. And don’t worry, still writing my poems and doing research!

Admin Note

Jan8

I beg pardon for any new people who got hammered with posts this week. My previous blog was on Livejournal, but because it was set up as a community, it would not import directly into WordPress, so I was manually cut-and-pasting my old entries. I am now caught up and so the pace will slow down!

At some point, when I have time or insomnia, I’ll go back and make note of the dates of the original LJ posts. Right now, though, I’m going to play with the layout and appearance–what I originally set up was very bare-bones.

I have noticed some likes and follows. Thank you, and I will take a look at your blogs as well.

Admin Note

Jan2

For any new readers, please forgive all these posts. I am moving this information over from Livejournal, but since it was set up as a community and not a journal, WordPress will not import my entries. So I will be posting a lot over the next few days. ごめんなさい。