um... WOW!

Okay...

Let it never be said that God doesn't have a sense of humor.

First, let me set the stage for this so you get the full effect.

I've been trying to reach the Prince and Princess for weeks to see who their herald is. I have to know for two reasons; 1) I'm the herald in charge at the event, so I need to make sure their herald has anything that he needs. and 2) I hoped that I could get some backup heralding time in fopr me and the few court heralds up here who might like the chance to call a Royal court.

Let me be clear, I am the herald in charge, so even if Gunther came up with his own staff who turned around and say, "we don't need anything", I was going to have a full few days ahead of me. As much as I would have loved to herald even a few lines of a royal court, I knew better than to ask, I have my obligations already.

So...

Today (its Thursday, I just actually posted this after the event) I went out to site with my wife to set up out Tent so that their was that much less to do on Friday night. I got back late (long story), and didn't check my e-mail until close to 11:30 PM.

Imagine my reaction when I read the following (Link Added).

"Ivo,

I've been trying (and failing) to line up a herald for the Prince and Princess at Moonshadow this weekend. Would you like to do their court? I've recommended you for it if you'd like to.

Cordially,

Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin"

If ever their was a slack-jawed moment for me, this was one of them...in spades.

Lord Ivo Blackhawk
Province of Mooneschadowe
Kingdom of Ansteorra
"God Save the King!"

Something to think on.

Well, with Mooneschadowe Triumph coming up, I'm going to be taking a stab at managing overall event heralding for the event, a new thing for me. I'm confident I can do it, I just need to make sure I don't get too many people mad at me.

However, looking back at the past nine months-I started this blog in January-I have noticed something; While I set out to be a better court herald, and I still do want to be a better court herald, I have noticed that while people can name really good Court heralds, its hard to name any really prominent site or list heralds.

I've already made a name for myself doing that, people across the northeast of Ansteorra already know me and know what I can do. In other words, within the list and site heralding worlds, I am the bigwig for the north.

Part of me *does* want to leave it there. I'm the authority, the big guy, the best...whatever you want to call it.

But what's the point then. I'm good, but I'm only one person, if I get sick, hurt, have to move away... then the next people in line have to start from scratch just like I did.

Like I said *part* of me wants to soak up the idea that I am the best at something.
But that's not what I'm all about. I'm all about teaching, doing, leading... and learning as well.

I still want to be a court herald. But the more I think about it, the more I think that the north needs a a bunch of really good list and site heralds more than they need another court herald.

I'm not giving up on my dream, not by a long shot.

But if I'm in this for kingdom and the north, than addressing what is needed now is more important than what I want for myself.

Lord Ivo Blackhawk
Province of Mooneschadowe
Kingdom of Ansteorra
"God Save the King!"

Redtape.. and a lot else

Okay... I don't have the time or energy to be elegant or pretty or anything like that.

First of all, I lost my job earlier this month (the 11th is memory serves me. Anyway, it was a Monday, I remember that for sure). So with that went a host of other things, not the least of which is my traveling money. Long story short...the freelance herald is a little less freelance at the moment.

Okay, on to other things.

Redtape...

Well, Redtape was local for me (Mooneschadowe was running it, it dosn't get much more local that than). So, I went there and did my thing; which in this case was manage the setup, breakdown and cleanup of site at the Stillwater community center.

Setup went well, and we got enough help to make it happen without too many hickups.

Oh... small detail about the day too.

I'M WARRENTED!

I sat in the on the class, and effectively learned how to sit down and look up the answers to administrative questions, and not too much more, but hay...

I'M WARRENTED!

Anyway, on to other things.

I sat in on the plenary (correct me if I misspelled that) meeting for the College of Heralds. It was interesting, I hadn't been to one before, but this one was productive.

2 major points:

1) I pointed out the need for a newcomers page for Heralds; a page that gave a working breakdown in laymen's terms.

2) I did something rash, I volunteered to head up the list heraldry for the tournyment at 30th year next year. (What in the &^## was I thinking?)

Anyway....

A few more odds and ends.

HL Emma De Featherstone agreed to come down with me to my Herald's classes at Skarrgard and talk with them on some of the admin heraldry stuff, which I think will be awsome. Thats set for the weekend after triumph (which I am head herald for, sighm how did I get so busy)

So, life is hell, hectic as all get out, and overall, I am still trucking along.

Small miracle (make that not so small...)

More to follow... whenever I get my head screwed on solidly again.

Lord Ivo Blackhawk
Province of Mooneschadowe
Kingdom of Ansteorra
"God Save the King!"