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Thruðheim Kindred Ostara Blót
April 23-24, 2005
Strong storms rolled into Knoxville on Friday ahead of a cold front and plunged the region into what the locals call a "Dogwood Winter". All the rain caused a last minute change in plans so that camping at Ted and Beth's property was canceled in favor of gathering at Herbert and Suzanne's homestead.
It was a small group that gathered Saturday evening for sumbel. Before going outside folks fortified themselves with heavy appetizers including various cheeses, salmon wraps, chips, and Steve's famous Jarl's Bane (tm) bean dip. The wind was really whipping as the group settled around the fire pit to toast the gods and ancestors and to express hopes for the future. After sumbel, it was back to the house for various desserts and merriment. On the way home, some people were treated to snow flurries. Such is the temperamental nature of spring weather in East Tennessee.
The next day dawned bright, clear, and cold. It was early afternoon as the kindred again gathered at Herbert and Suzanne's to celebrate the feast of Ostara. Beth presided over her first blot for the kindred which included a blessing and traditional rune egg drawing. Toasts were made to the goddess of spring for a fruitful year. After the blot, an egg hunt was held for the children followed by the feast. No one left hungry as the kindred dug into the numerous salads, deviled eggs, roast chicken, and Suzanne's Viking Long Noodles (aka spaghetti). The final treat was a blast from the past as Herbert played a music video from his
days in a rock band.
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