A revelation

I just realized why I feel more and more drawn to Nordmark (SCA principality that covers Sweden). It is not that my original society, Nordrike, isn't good anymore or anything like that. It's that I need the company of fellow costume fanatics. Although there is a high material standard in Nordrike, many have good re-enactment group standard, especially those who do late 15th century, there aren't any people who are interested in costume the way I am. People make good clothes so they can wear them while they do other things they're passionate about, be it period sword fighting or crafts, or even partying. But they're not passionate about costume. They can be good and meticulous researchers for their specific period, but the costuming is a means, not an end. And they don't have a broader interest in costuming or dress history.
Outside my local group there was two women who shared this passion for costume and who I talked a lot to before, but Caroline is very ill and Julia has left our society to do late 14th century re-enactment with this group. (BTW, seeing this guy in armour or period clothing, still makes my heart flutter, 8 years after I first met him. I'm not in love or anything like that, I just think he looks so good in his gear. There are lots of pictures of him and other people under "Bilder".)
There were others too, but they were not as interested and have narrowed their scope to only one period and place and are not interested in anything outside this period.
So I need new costuming buddies. They don't have to do more than one period, just be interested in learning more and have an open mind about other people's interpretations. And to still be curious about costume, I hate this feeling of "I know everything I need to know" that I feel among many people in Nordrike. I want to be able to discuss sources, construction theories and practical tips with other costumers.

And yes, I should be working.

Why do they return?

I am currently reading an article on the story of Griselda, a very disturbing medieval story about wife and child abuse that was used as an exemplum of wifely obedience in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It is even hard to read because there are so many cases of this everywhere in the world.
And it reminds me of the fact that my cousin has decided to move in again with her abusive partner. I was told two days ago and I have a hard time grasping it. He's not physically abusive when they're together, or at least i don't think so anymore, but very psychologically abusive and the first time she tried to leave him he jumped in through the window of her mother's house where she was staying and when she and her son hid in the bath room he tried to hack his way in with an axe. This winter she decided to leave him again and then he got his dead fathers gun which was kept somewhere else and hid in the barn together with ammunition and then tried to break down the door to the room where she and their little son were hiding. the police had to come and get him.
And now she's moving in with him again. I don't know what to say, I don't know what to do. We're the same age and used to be good friends as children and still enjoy each other's company when we meet, even if it's too seldom.
I don't know what to do.

Pictures from Visby medieval week

My (and two of Lia's) pictures from the medieval week are now up at Nylöse's site.
This is one of the favourites, you see helwig and Maja sitting there in renaissance clothing both of them and both clapping their hands.