Anahita herself

When i was 50 i joined the SCA in May 1999, because a close friend of mine needed a consort so he could fight.

TEACHER:

I teach classes in costuming, cooking, and aspects of Near & Middle Eastern cultures. Since Spring 2000, i have taught at most Kingdom Collegia and Kingdom Arts and Sciences Tourney. I have also taught classes for several branches and in other Kingdoms.
COOK:

Since Spring 1999 i have assisted at quite a few feasts, mostly cooking, sometimes doing scullery work, and sometimes serving too.

Since Fall 2000 i have been Head Cook of:
  • two Province of the Mists Boar Hunt feasts,
  • two Principality of the Mists Bardic feasts,
  • two Principality of the Mists Fall Investiture feasts,
  • an outdoor feast for 150 at Kingdom Purgatorio camping coronation,
  • a private feast for Cynaguan Principality royalty,
  • a public sweets table offered by Mists royalty,
  • a private feast for Mists Principality royalty,
  • a private feast offered by West Kingdom royalty at Pennsic for Royals of other Kingdoms.
  • And i ended up heading the West Kingdom team at the Great Western War Iron Chef competition - which we won (Go, West!)
 OFFICER:
  • Shire of Crosston Web Minister;
  • Province of the Mists Exchequer;
  • Principality of the Mists Gold Key (reviving the office after there had been none for 5 years);
  • Principality of the Mists Minister of Arts;
  • Principality of the Mists Minister of Sciences;
  • Principality of the Mists Arts and Sciences Minister (A&S merged in late 2010);
  • Principality of the Mists Silver Spoon (cooking competitions);
  • Principality of the Mists Web Minister;
  • West Kingdom Needleworkers Guild Web Minister (i created the web site and maintained it for many years);
  • West Kingdom Gold Key;
  • West Kingdom Deputy Web Minister.
Anahita in prototype Persian garbAnahita in prototype Ottoman garb

A West Kingdom event just before the start of Court, Summer 2001.

I'm standing, wearing a sort of Persian outfit, and talking with my friend Mistress Catherine Lorraine who is seated. The site (Fort Ord, near Monterey CA) is very windy, so i've tied my head veil on tightly. Normally, i wear it loose, about halfway back on my head, held by the fillet you see. But in this case, if i'd done that, it would have blown off.

The blue and yellow coat is shorter than I'd like it The damask fabric had borders on both selveges and it was narrow to begin with, so there wasn't quite enough of it to make a proper coat. It's a silky synthetic. I prefer natural fabrics, but an affordable one that looks Persian is hard to find. The coat sleeves, longer than the hem of the coat, have slits in the upper arms through which i've put my arms. The cuffs are just wide enough for me to put my hands through, so i can wear them like "normal" sleeves if i'm cold.

College of St. Katherine feast, Spring 2003.
My mouth looks funny, 'cuz i'm in the midst of saying something.

I'm wearing my prototype Ottoman outfit. I'm happy with the fabric of my kaftan - although i think it looks more Persian than Ottoman. After i washed it, it was still too stiff to make into an entari, so it's a kaftan, lined with poison green, which you can see under the short sleeves. Under it is a golden damask chirka, a short tight jacket, lined with red and with red "frog" fasteners. You can see a bit of the sleeve of my first gomlek dangling out of the long tight chirka sleeve - my new gomlek has longer fuller sleeves.

I have butt length hair, but i'm not good at doing anything with it. Also, as you can see, i was hat challanged...