2012 - Musings
As we get ready to go out to dinner at our local favorite restaurant – Café Gibraltar, I was thinking about this last year. It was a bit of a roller coaster ride but for the most part we have been very lucky. It is time to count our blessings as they say.
January was a bit of a rocky start to the year for Robin. Dietary changes happened and health balance was achieved. Unfortunately no weight loss has resulted so more changes will be made (grumble mumble…).
Robin has taken on the job as chair of the Greater Pacific Region (GPR) Embroiderer’s Guild Region Seminar for 2014 (June). She is spending lots of time beginning the coordination and jump starting a usually 3 year process in 2 years. Happily it is now on track after a flying January trip to Reno to secure a site.
Robin also is working with the team to put on Bouchercon 2014 (November) courtesy of her sister in law. Of course that means Will is on the committee too. So off to see how some of the smaller mystery conventions are done including Left Coast in Sacramento 2012 and in Monterey in 2014.
April saw us in Los Angeles for the Interkingdom Needlework Symposium. It started out as an opportunity to learn about the wonderful historic Elizabethan gloves; from making the gloves to the decoration. It ended with a full round visit of all the LA area relatives and a great visit to LACMA.
We have been doing some of our medieval events. In March, Robin was offered a lovely honor – to be Laurel Counselor to the Queen’s Artisans from May – August. It made for a nice 1 year anniversary since Robin received her Laurel (highest arts achievement award). In May Will was able to fight again in our favorite event – a private invitational tournament in the California foothills. Truly renews our medieval spirit each time.
This years’ GPR Seminar was in Tacoma. We opted to drive up so Will would have the car to visit with his relatives in Seattle. It was held at the lovely Hotel Murano. The trip was a bit a whirlwind with Robin in classes, lectures, banquets, and visiting friends and relatives who were kind enough to come to Tacoma. Managed to spend a fascinating hour at the hot shop at the Art Museum, and see Chihuly glass along the way. It was good to be away and see a lovely part of the west coast.
Then up to Alaska for their summer Coronet in July. It was very rainy, wet, muddy, and not a Robin friendly visit, but it was still good to see friends and MOOSE! Our visits to Alaska will probably be fewer going forward as our good friend has moved back to California.
Have you ever wondered about the exhibits of art that you see at airports? At the end of 2011, Robin loaned 21 items from her collection of sewing boxes to the SFO Museum for an exhibit. It was a great exhibit with Robin’s ribbonwork etui being the oldest item (1780’s) and her boxes showing the evolution of hand sewing among the wealthy. Here is a link to the exhibit write up (http://www.flysfo.com/web/page/sfo_museum/exhibitions/terminal3_exhibitions/north_connect/sewing/sewing.html), which in turn has a link under the picture to items from the exhibit. Number 6 is a picture of one of Robin’s boxes.
When we were at LACMA, Robin and a couple others started geeking out over the embroidery. To assist the curators, they wrote up their findings and were invited back to LACMA to do some more. In August Robin went to LA to spend 3 days viewing and taking notes on the items in their collections with 3 other ladies. Over the next few months the notes will be turned into work that LACMA can use for their database of information on their objects. AWESOME time!
September 8th, Will injured his right shoulder at one of our medieval wars. Yup rotator cuff. Surgery was October 11th and fortunately was successful in reattaching the tendons and muscles. Recovery seems slow, but is actually proceeding as expected. 5 weeks in an immobilizing sling, 2 months of passive stretching physical therapy, and now with the new year 3 months of active strengthening therapy. With the help of good friends we were able to meet all our obligations for events, but it did put a crimp on our activities. We still managed to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary with style at Navio restaurant.
Along the way we have done a bit of dancing in different centuries, visited many of the special museum exhibits as they have come through, gone to a Dead Can Dance concert, spent time with family, and a few special costumed events. Some weekends it is what century are we doing which part of the day – whew!
In between, Will has continued to work full time. Robin has had more arbitration cases and actually worked more days this year than usual in San Francisco. The kittens are now about two and a half years old – not kittens any more. Pickwick, is the strong silent type and keeps them in line. However, playtime is enjoyed by all except the parents who cringe with the fast runs through the house and bouncing off the furniture.
It has also been a year of loss. Robin lost her embroidery mentor Linn Skinner in the first half of the year. In addition, we have lost a number of friends, coworkers, and relatives. Fortunately the close relatives are all in good health and enjoying life.
You can find us on Facebook and Robin still has her blogs on Blogspot and Live Journal.
Wishing you and yours a happy healthy 2013.
Robin and Will
All rights reserved. 2013 Robin Berry and William Ringer