Kung Fu, ceremonies, birds, dogs, and all sorts of things

We had another broadsword seminar last Sunday, where we completed the form. Again I had to bring my wonky Haku along with me, and everyone was very patient with him, and he was a pretty good boy.

This week also marks the return of a training brother who was around when I first started; I mean like, very first started, my first few months, when I was a white-belt. After a few years away, he's back again and that's really nice. Let's name him Kiros after Kiros Seagill, because that was the first thing I thought of when I met him. (He had similar hair and, well, was similar.)

And I guess it's all right to say this now, because it's out of the bag and the whole school now knows about it. Sifu is planning another Bai Shi ceremony, which is where a Sifu "adopts" certain Kung Fu disciples into the lineage. He did one a few years ago, and one many years before that. This will be the third one, which makes it pretty rare. Well anyway, I was one of the students he chose for the Bai Shi. So that is pretty fly! Because it's quite an honor / responsibility. Also he chose Lady Chrysanthemum, Snarklit, and a few others (whom I've never really named because a few of them are still new to me, even if they've been training for 8+ years. Remember that our old school closed and we moved to the bigger school last Autumn, merging all the classes.)

If you're wondering about Empress and Gold Dragon, they were Bai Shi'd a few years ago. :)

Not sure when the ceremony is going to be, but I'm looking forward to it! All sorts of Sifus from all over the place are going to be there. And after the ceremony, we all go out and party. I like getting together with my training family in any context, so it's going to be quite the experience.

So that's why I've been sort of tight-lipped about Kung Fu lately, because I didn't want to spill that news before everyone in the school knew, and since lots of them read this LJ (*waves*) I was practically sitting on my hands, waiting.

Anyway, at the sword seminar I think I pulled every muscle I own. I thought today maybe I'd broken my femur or something and was walking around on a compound fracture. Like in that, 'you dread sitting on the toilet' kind of way because you know it's going to hurt like hell. But then I went to class and my broken femur felt much better while we were doing kicks. By the time I came home, my femur was broken again.

But I still had fun showing the sword form to a training brother who hadn't done it yet.

( Pics of this. )

That there is my shiny new blade, the weapon-grade one. It's lots of fun learning to use it without cutting off my ear.

Now then, what else? Oh, I know. My beautiful Handsome Bob died a few days ago. Don't know why or how, except that when I got him the manager warned me that he might already have been a bit old. Still, I don't seem to have any luck with bettas, do I?

And apart from that, my Gran's dog Belle is looking worse and worse. Some of you know Belle, the mastiff that my Gran left behind when she died. Belle's about 12 now, which is ancient for a mastiff. It's getting to the point where she can't walk. She needs a sling to go outside every time. But it's a tough decision, because when she's hungry, she still gets up to eat. I always feel like if an animal can still eat, they still have something to live for.

Still, I can tell it's getting close to the time. That's going to be a tough one.

However, I've finally got some birds too! Remember a few weeks ago when I had that "sparrow" named Jack? Yeah, I have lost my touch big time. That was no sparrow, that was a Cardinal. So now his name is Jack Not Sparrow, and he's gone to live with my lovely bird-friend, Crow-Lady.

After Jack left, I got a message from my beautiful friend Jennel from The Bad Place, saying that they had a few birds for me, if I was willing to take them. One of the vets there, I've remained friends with. Let's call her Dr. Gillian because she looks like Gillian Anderson. Dr. Gillian brought 3 birds in cardboard carriers to my shiny new job. I was so happy to see her, and she told me how glad she was that I was working in such a beautiful and mellow place these days.

The birds are lovely, too. One baby robin (which I later found out they'd kept for weeks and weeks instead of handing it over to a rehabber, wtf?) and a robin with a broken wing. And also one that mystified everyone which was supposed to be a grackle, but instead is a wee baby redwing blackbird. BB RWBBs are such a treasure. I haven't had one on years, and I'm thankful he's with me. His name is Reid, after Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds. The fledgling robin is Penelope, and the broken-wing robin is Hotch. Remember I had a rescue budgie named Derek? But I gave him to the kid next door.

Here are some pics of this year's babies and rejects. ( Here are some pics of this year's babies and rejects. )

In doggie news—my doggies, that is—Sano is totally off pred. Huge joyful hurrah for that, and knock on wood. Haku's got all 4 feet on the ground and has less of a limp. He actually tried to do his Saluki run the other day. And he kind of did it, too. Hesitantly at first, and then with an obviously remembered joy. I was like, "HAKU, NOOOOOO!" but my heart was like, "HAKU, YEEEESSSSS!" Still I had to put a stop to it, though, because really he's still on a broken leg. So. Soon though, I hope.

Jo-chan has been spending lots of time over here, helping mind the Boychild. I'm grateful for the help, but really I'm also grateful to see her so often these days. She and Boychild are so funny together, too. They remind me of me and SB, when he was that age. Fun times. ^_^

I think that's all the news that is fit to print. There is stuff that's unfit to print, of course – or at least unfit to print in an unlocked post. I may or may not print the unfit stuff in a locked post. :D