Progress, Slow and Steady

The Viking and I spent most of this weekend helping Kitten and Ysar move Ysar's stuff into Kitten's house. I think at this point almost all our immediate circle has done a major moving/shifting in the last year or so and maybe, just maybe, people will stay put for a while.

The projects are on a roll -- or maybe a small biscuit, at least. The tally for the last week: two linen hoods (one, with buttons and embroidery for me; the other, with Spike trim from Calontir Trim, for the Viking). One linen hangerock is well underway; the apron part is assembled and the straps are started. I should have the straps finished and the whole thing hanging so I can sort out the hem tomorrow. Oh, and let's not forget the essays marked, exams written, exams marked, and whinging and whining endured over the last week, too.

A little progress for the event as well; our traditional site isn't going to be available, but another location is looking promising and will be a good site, if all works out. I also have a coordinator for children's activities lined up. No head cook yet, but I'm working on that. My goal is to be able to present a bid at the February meeting so I can get the event registered and on the calendar sooner rather than later. Then I can focus on things like organising activities and getting tournament prizes which don't suck.

I encountered some frustrating attitudes at fighter practice on Friday. Someone suggested to me, in all seriousness, that a good activity for the evening would be to get a TV and DVD player into the hall and show The Thirteenth Warrior. OK, it's not a bad movie (not a great movie, either), it does depict the Anglo-Saxon/Old Norse heroic ethic, and it is loosely based on something like Beowulf. But I have this idea that the point of SCA activities is to do mediaeval things, and sitting around in the hall watching a DVD isn't a medieval thing.

There were a couple of other points where I met some resistance to the idea of doing period things. The Viking's theory is that this is coming from people who haven't experienced the 'mediaeval moment' when things come together and you feel transported back in time. There may be something to that. Unfortunately the only thing to do is hold my ground and throw an event which will give them a mediaeval moment, while they fight me all the way. I have a bad feeling that it's going to be a long haul.

So, my loyal readers, if you have any clever ideas for things to do at an Anglo-Saxon/Viking event which will be period and fun, and give the attendees some medieval moments, feel free to send 'em along. I'm going to need a full arsenal.

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