the past couple of weekends

[anotheranon]

Been meaning to update, just... hadn't. So:

Last weekend dustdaughter and I went to Revealing the African Presence in Renaissance Europe, an exhibit up in B.more. I mostly went for lots of 16th century portraiture that I'd never seen, but as ever with history that's new to me the larger story was interesting too - how could it be possible that, for example, a Congolese delegation visited Elizabeth I's court, or Ethiopian priests studied in Rome, and I'd never read about it before? Recommended.

Also went through a round of veterinary visits with both cats. Kisia was diagnosed with high blood pressure, which explains why her pupils have been dilated for the past 2 months. We caught it before it could impair her sight and she's on medicine, which she doesn't like but has made a huge difference in her eyes and her friendliness in just a week.

Yesterday I competed at a moderately scary local fencing competition, and against all odds kept my head on and got to do 2 direct elimination bouts! I finished in the middle of the pack, and am pleased that I stayed loose and smart. Next weekend, doG help me, I'm in a regional Very Scary event, in which I'm sure to get slaughtered but I figure it's a good "managing the anxiety" exercise.

The library is coming along. The books are all on shelves, now it's just getting them on the right ones. And D. set our first fire last weekend :)

Sewing was/is on hold as I discovered that silk charmeuse facings just aren't stable enough on their own. I got some Touch o' Gold lightweight fusible interfacing, and will give it a go this week. Hopefully I can still do the rolled hem finish.

Still jumping rope 4 days a week, plus some weight exercises for fencing. I think I may have lost a bit of weight.

And after typing all this I'm suddenly very tired...

Comments

[flummoxicated.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the fencing advances! That exhibition looks like it was super interesting too.

[sealwhiskers.livejournal.com]

I want to go to that exhibition so badly...

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

FWIW, there is a catalog (http://thewalters.org/store/purchase1.aspx?p=1828)....

[danabren.livejournal.com]

how could it be possible that, for example, a Congolese delegation visited Elizabeth I's court, or Ethiopian priests studied in Rome, and I'd never read about it before?

The same way the Japanese were visiting Europe in the early 17th C but no one seems to have heard of it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:San_Juan_Batista.jpg

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Man, it seems American history classes are really focused on the "American" and it's European origins. The longer I go along the more I realize how many huge gaps there are in my knowledge.

Any recommendations on reading re: Japanese in europe?

[danabren.livejournal.com]

There isn't much out there, so I don't have any suggestions beyond a history of Jesuits. Wikipedia has some general stuff, which may lead to greater things, but the JML list tends to just quickie-link to Wiki.

Can you guess the sort of arguments that have raged through the SCA regarding Japanese personae? I bet you can!

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

That exhibition sounds wonderful! Love that kind of thing. To add to your clues that there was far more international visiting and interaction centuries ago than was ever mentioned in your history textbooks ... Shakespeare's "Othello" ;-)

This title might interest you: The Travels of Dean Mahomet (read the blurb to see why, click on the "Text" link to go to the free ebook)

Congrats on the fencing results! And glad to hear that the fuzzy co-bosses will continue to rule the house in good health.