Miscellaneous musings

[alex_beecroft]

It’s been another week of illness at the croft of bees. The children went back to school but Mr. B and I got it instead, so the blog posting schedule remains in a mess, and the house remains uncleaned. I did some writing on Elf Princes’ Quest, but not as much as I would have done, sans sickness.

Even what I did do rather got away from me – there was no shower scene in the plan! I console myself with the knowledge that when your mysterious guest has an open cut, and has been lying unconscious in a muddy gutter, it would have been irresponsible not to wash the wound, so some form of shirts-off-and-warm-water scene was necessary to the plot.

Sudden change of topic:

On Tuesday evening I nobly dragged myself out of my sick bed to help the Riot teach the First Ely Guides how to do this dance

and noticed as I’ve noticed every time we’ve gone to do one of these things that children don’t seem to be able to skip any more. I’m sure I could skip at that age. I’m surprised it’s even something that people need to learn. I always thought it was innate, but so few of the scouts and brownies we’ve tried to teach can even grasp the stepping that it can’t be. Too many Nintendos, not enough skipping ropes in the playground, I guess.

Sudden change of topic again:

Note to self, when handling the knives and scrapers you made during your “how to make flint tools” workshop, do not rub your finger along the edge, trusting that it’s only a stone so it can’t do you any harm. It turned out it was actually so sharp I didn’t even feel the cut until it started bleeding. Never underestimate stone tools again!

And the last one:

I’m glad to say Sceaftesige Garrison’s website has been taken over by someone who is not me, and who has done a great job of making it look much more up to date. Though I’m also glad to say that my reading of Caedmon’s Hymn, the article I did about Saxon medicine, and the vid I made of Julian playing my hearpe is still on there. Who’d have thought a Saxon lyre would make such a good guitar?

http://www.sceaftesige.org.uk/group.php

Mirrored from Alex Beecroft - Author of Gay Historical and Fantasy Fiction.

Comments

[sharpiefan]

You are obviously no skinflint.

Said term comes from the fact that in order to spark (and thus for your pistol or musket to fire), the flint generally needs to be sharp. If you can run your thumb along the edge of the flint, not cut yourself, and still the weapon will fire, you're skinflint because you're too mean to change your flint before you have to!

I have never yet met a re-enactor who's not cut themselves on the flint of their flintlock weapon at least once.

(And when we've had the skipping-rope out at work for the school-kids to skip with, they've taken to it like a duck to water. Bearing in mind I'm talking Junior school age kids.)

(I kind of miss doing Brownies and Guides. Not that I'd really have the time these days, what with my re-enactment and other activities.)

[alex_beecroft]

Oh, I didn't know that was where that was from! How interesting :) I'm actually more used to having a flint and steel for making fires, and there you can bash the flint until it's quite blunt and can be carried around loose in a fabric bag with no mishaps. I do love reenactment despite (or because of) the injuries - you learn so much!

I'm sure some children, like some adults, are just less coordinated than others. Now I come to think of it, between my own children, one skips as a matter of course and the other doesn't do anything dancelike at all.

Heh, I have to admit to hating having to do anything with children. My own are OK, but I can't cope with other people's.