writing – Sir Seved Ribbing, SCA

I am still here, although I have had a few setbacks. I am no longer fighting hardsuit since I found out I had a stroke (not sure of the timeframe), and somewhere before that, I had a minor heart attack. Add the Valley Fever I had several years ago and other ailments (some of which are bonus prizes from having served in the U.S. Army), and I feel that I have put my body through enough abuse and need to take care of myself a bit better.

I turned 59 this year and, despite the issues mentioned above, I am in pretty good physical condition. I lift weights 3 – 5 times a week and am active in many other pursuits (some may say I do not look my age…but my wife will definitely agree that I do not act my age). I do have longevity in my family, with most of them living into their 90’s. That being said, I want to be physically fit up until I die and do not want to linger for years unable to do what I love. I hope to have at least another 21 years so that I can make it to my 50th wedding anniversary. But who can tell? I could be gone tomorrow. With that in mind, if you ever have any questions, you should reach out to Mistress Tetinka or most anyone in Atenveldt.

Despite the doom and gloom. I am slowly getting back into doing more SCA/medieval fun stuff and will soon be picking up archery and rapier.

If you search my site, you will find an updated links page and a new paper cutting I did recently for the former B&B of the Barony of Twin Moons (Atenveldt). I hope to add more art soon as I am slowly restocking my art supplies.

Sit back and enjoy!

Not much has been going on in my little corner of the world since I last updated my page…other than being elevated to Laurel almost two weeks ago; doing a Knighting scroll in under two weeks; a scroll or two; and some cut work scrolls for HRM Elizabeth. Oh, and I stepped down as the Baron of Twin Moons Signet (didn’t even know I was as the Signet, did you?).

So, to put things in order…

I briefly stepped up as the Signet for the Barony of Twin Moons. The old Signet had some health issues, and there were no other available volunteers, so I took the job. I cannot say it was fun while it lasted, since it did add unnecessary stress to my life. There was a lot of calligraphy and a few scrolls to do, and it just made my personal life a bit overwhelming, so I decided it was time to step down.

Just when life was slowing down again, my wife and I were requested to do a Knighting scroll. Originally, it was just going to be me, but with a short deadline and a lot of things to do, my wife stepped in on the creative side and designed most of the scroll and helped with some of the painting. It was a collaborative effort that kept us up past midnight for two weeks; painting was finished with just 2 days to spare. The calligraphy, in its entirety, was finished the night before the elevation (about 5 hours from start to finish).

I also had a scroll that I had sitting around for someone with a specific persona in mind. That opportunity presented itself, and I was able to find a Cyrillic-to-English font approximation that was exactly what I was looking for.

And then there were the Queen’s Cyphers that I was tasked to do. Given that my preferred style of scrolls is cutwork, and I had recently found evidence of 14th-century cutwork scrolls, I had the perfect opportunity to do a little paper cutting (19 scrolls in total, including calligraphy).

And finally, I was recognized as a Laurel at the Kingdom of Atenveldt’s Meet the Masters A&S event on Saturday, April 19, 2025. TRM Morgan and Elizabeth asked the question, and since I had previously indicated that any more peerage offerings did not require a vigil, I was given a shotgun ceremony. It is a good feeling when they call for the Laurels, and everyone cheers with excitement. What amazes me more is that I always figured my wife, Tinka, would be aware of my elevation; she was not until a slip of the tongue about a week out from my elevation. By then, it was too late, and my friends had come together to make sure I had the accoutrements of the rank (cowl, medallion, and Laurel wreath). It makes me a little teary when I think about my friends coming together to do this for me.

Here is a link to the Facebook page with my elevation: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1NYwoYGNPv/

So all in all, despite all the crap going on in the world, in my little corner I am having a pretty good time. I have achieved the 2 things I have set out to do in the SCA; anything else will be icing on the cake. I will not become a dissa-“peer”…I have too much artwork to create and too many memorable battles to be won.

Cheers!