The Ballad of Evil Betty

Several years ago, I volunteered to be the gatekeeper  for a large medieval reenactment event (Diamond Wars, SCA).  Yes, I did call myself Zuul all weekend.    My campsite, and the campsites of my nearest and dearest friends, was set up near the building serving as the "gate". 

In my guise of Zuul, the Gatekeeper, I befriended a feral cat.  He was black, and seemed friendly enough, so we began to ponder names for this cat.  The night was long, but there was laughter and snacks!  Delicious cheese and crackers!  When the time came to collapse into our tents, though, a large hunk of the cheese remained.  I put it in a bowl , wrapped it up in a linen veil, and left it on the picnic table since it was pretty cold out, and I would likely be back up in about two hours anyway.

When the cold light of dawn spread over the camp, the cheese was in the paws of the cat, the bowl was still on the table with the veil wrapped around it, and the veil had a huge gaping hole gnawed through it.  Thus, the cat was dubbed "Evil Betty".  Mainly because we are a bunch of nerds, and we had been talking about Kung Pow: Enter the Fist the day before.

This was about 4 years ago.  Why on earth would I keep a linen veil with a hole gnawed through it by a feral cat for four years?
Memories, man.  Memories!  Plus it was linen, and that stuff's not cheap.  Plus linen feels good, and I compulsively keep things "just in case".

This veil with a hole gnawed through it made its way to my kitchen towel drawer, and I'd used it on several occasions as a bar towel.  Then yesterday, when I pulled it out of the dryer (all the while marveling at its softness and whiteness), I thought, ...SOON.  Soon you will be more than a veil with a hole gnawed through it!

 

 

 

 

And, Lo, it came to be that the Veil of Evil Betty became, through the power of sewing and desire to 'get stuff done' over summer vacation, the Apron of Evil Betty.