Since we had been late last night with our quest for Northern Lights, I hadn’t had much sleep when I got up at 06:00. Even so, I had enough energy to accomplish everything I wanted to do before the party:
- Bake cookies
- Bake Garlic Bread
- Make a pot of chili
- Clean the kitchen (with help) after both my cooking, and Keldor’s cooking (he’d made sil and potatis, as Mary had never tasted pickled herring, and was curious enough to try it)
- Cut out and work on fitting for Daniel’s cloak.
- Helped with rolling and pinning the hems on her Cinder’s black tabard
- Moved my computer desk out of the living room and arranged my computer recliner chair and rocking chair to better create a circle like space in the room.
- moved my hammer dulcimer and bas moraharpa to the living room
- tuned the dulcimer and started tuning the moraharpa.
At this point Mickel Räf arrived, and when he learned I was tuning the moraharpa he offered to help, which assistance I cheerfully accepted. Then he tried playing it, and did a good enough job that I had no problem recognising the tune he played, though he commented that it would take time and practice to be able to play it smoothly Then Albreda tried it, and also got recognisable tunes straight away.
Then Keldor showed off his musical instrument collection, and Mickel showed him how one plays his Bunne bygelgitarr, the odd square four-stringed guitar with a movable lever to get the three chords that it will play (A, D and G).
Soon thereafter Gerdis arrived and she and Mickel took out their violins, which they played off and on all evening, sometimes just playing music, sometimes playing along with something the rest of us were singing. Once I even played my dulcimer (Ridom) and they played along.
Albreda borrowed a violin briefly, and then picked up some crocheting, while Daniel worked on his chain mail art, Cinder and I did sewing, and Keldor worked on armour.
The evening was a delightful mix of music, song, and conversation, and even a little dancing. Even our neighbours, Rizza and Sture dropped by for a while, and seemed to enjoy it, and expressed interest in joining Reengarda. I love having company, and having company that sings and or plays music is even better! 100% recommend, will do again.
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