Last night, Wednesday the 19th, was Guild Night. It was very fun, but nerve-racking. I was in the Monks, Nuns, and Imams Guild. I was a nun. I really like making and how my costume turned out. It was kind of hard to stay in character the whole night, especially when my mom pulled her phone out to take a picture. I had to act like I had no idea what it was, but it was fun the act confused about an iPhone. I was surprised how I had changed most of my monologue while I was talking to people. It was a little annoying when people asked questions throughout the whole monologue, instead of just the end. I was very scared at first, but I was confident with my family watching and at the end. I was surprised how fast the night went by. After a while I gave up trying to get people to eat the molasses mixed with mint, so after a while I just had them smell it. One of my favorite parts was when a 5th grader smelt the mixture, their eyes went very wide, and they made a disgusting face. Before I knew it, it was time for me to become an abbess. By the end of the night I was exhausted, but then I was full of energy because I was holding it all in. I was a very weird feeling; a cross between tired and energetic. I was sad that I only got to see one other guild, the Medicine Guild. Overall it was a very fun and exciting night. Thank you Lynne for being my guild master!
-Noelle
We went to Saint John the Divine in New York City. It is the 4th biggest cathedral in the world, and we climbed to the very top of it. We took the train uptown, and when we got there, it was an amazing sight.
The View Of The Front
We walked inside those two big middle doors, and came into the huge cathedral. I got some good pictures. The stained glass was the most amazing. It was just so breathtaking.
The Stained Glass Window Behind Us
Our guide then came, and we started climbing the stairs. We stopped on a flying buttress, and we were able to see the windows a little better. Walking up the stairs made me dizzy because they were so steep, small, and spiralish. We got up even further, and I got this picture.
Picture from 2nd floor stop.
We learned that each pair of windows had a theme. Some were education, some were medicine, ect. In medieval cathedrals the stained glass windows would show the story of The Bible, because most people couldn’t read. We kept going up, and stopped at the rosettes. We went up to the roof, and the view was amazing. There are no words to describe it. We went down again, and I looked at the pews that nuns and monks would sit in to sing and pray.
Overall, this was by far, my favorite field trip ever.
Time to confess my sins. Oh no. I cannot do this. Yes I can. I am just glad I got past the bathing. Am I really going to say it? I can’t, my dreams of becoming a knight will crumble. Oh, here is my escort. Don’t look scared, Millicent, don’t let him notice. He wants my name? Say Allard, not Millicent. Get in the carriage. I can’t really confess I am a woman, surely. Should I? Lying is a sin so then I am not confessing that I am lying about being a woman, and that is a sin. One day I didn’t fast. I have also committed the sins of anger and pride. Relax. Don’t think about sins. Huh. Will I go to a tournament or will I go to war? Tournaments are very entertaining, and I could get really famous. But would that increase my chance of being found out? Maybe if I am a great knight, I will get more land. What will my coat of arms be like? Will it be weird to be chivalrous to women if I am a woman, or will it make it easier? Calm down… I will be alright. I will be alright. I will be alright. I will be alright. Uh oh, there is the church.
Wow. I have never been to this church before, it is beautiful. There is stained glass mosaics on every wall and beautiful cavernous ceilings. There is the priest. Just don’t blow it. Just admit everything except that you are a woman. Slowly say the sins, Millicent. Slowly, almost done. Don’t get nervous and blow it. This is your whole life. Just think of the future… Thank the Lord! I made it. I am really doing it. I am ready to get my chainmail on, get my sword blessed and become a woman in the disguise of a knight!
Ashokan is a very beautiful place in the fall. For example, as soon as we got there, the trees were all turning different colors. Everywhere you look there was a beautiful sight. On the Gorge Hike, we were in a canyon. There was water running down the sides and everyone said that it was gorgeous. This means that it wasn’t just me who thought it was amazing, but everyone else did too. But it wasn’t only the Gorge Hike that was amazing. When I woke up and went outside, I just become happy at the sight. All I saw was an abundance of colors on the ground, on the trees, and then I saw the woods and the buildings. I felt like I was part of nature. I love fall, and being at Ashokan in the fall is amazing. It is very easy to understand why everyone else thought that the Gorge Hike and the whole Ashokan Center was beautiful; there were amazing animals, cool artifacts, and stunning sights. I could see the pond and the waterfall. All the animals were so calm and beautiful. I can imagine that Ashokan is very beautiful all year round, but fall is definitely the most stunning time of the year.