Medieval Living

Most students enjoy putting puzzles together – so I figured it would create a few lessons which would appeal to the puzzle-builders. One of the building techniques used in Medieval Europe was timber-framing . . . a construction method that is still used today. Students will receive a pre-fabricated kit and instructions that will allow them to build a simple table-top structure. It will be a good lesson on geometry, physics, history and art – I will keep everyone posted when I have these designed and ready for the first class.

The second project will be a table-top model of a trebuchet. Don’t worry moms and dads, they won’t be able to launch boulders through your walls at home! Similar to the timber-frame project, the kit will be a pre-fabricated project that can be easily assembled in a single meeting.

The third project will be a multi-part model of a Medieval castle. I don’t have all of the particulars figured out yet, but I am confident that I can produce a fun and educational activity. I hope to have a some prototypes to photograph and will place them here and on the website shortly after the Santa Fe Renaissance Fair.
All of these will be available to students who attended our classes (probably beginning in November) free of charge. However, I will also offer them online, available to anyone but for a fee – all proceeds will be used to defray the costs of production. I will keep you informed on this – but I think it will be really exciting and popular.

Well, I can’t believe the summer has gone by so fast . . . and now we’re only a few days away from September and the Santa Fe Renaissance Fair. The “fair” will be held September 18 – 19. Here is the link for their website – Santa Fe Renaissance Fair.
We will be locate in the SCA village – just look for the yurt, that large round tent with the red door. There will be signs posted: “Medieval Living – Resources for Homeschool Families” or something to that effect. Just come on in and see what we have. This is a good opportunity for homeschool families and co-ops to visit and find out more about our services. We are looking forward to meeting everyone and talking about the future of Medieval Living and what we are hoping to accomplish.

Well now that summer is officially over and school has started here in Albuquerque, it’s time to get our classes back in session for the homeschool community. You can click on the Calendar page to see what’s up, but here is the basic rundown: Two introductory chainmail classes, September 7 and September 14, the first at Cherry Hills Public Library, the second at the “Gazebo” at Haynes Park in Rio Rancho. The meeting in Rio Rancho is outdoors, so weather will need to be considered. Then on September 21 and 28 there will be inkle loom weaving classes: again, one at the Cherry Hills Library and other at the Gazebo at Haynes Park.

I’ve been struggling to find a good meeting place in Rio Rancho. I don’t want to say anything negative about the city library, but I felt very “discouraged” from hoping to hold classes there. However, the park is free and the weather in September usually agreeable, so an out-of-doors class seemed like a good idea. The “Gazebo” is on a first-come, first-served basis . . . I’m hoping that a 3:00 pm meeting time will put us at an advantage for using the gazebo – if not, I do have an easy-up that I can set up.

Recieved a comment from David Andrews, local author . . . as soon as I finish “Catching the Stone”, I will publish a full review. Let me say that so far, I have enjoyed the book – the story line is well thought out and is an easy read. One comment for the homeschool families . . . there is some mature (not graphic) situations in the story which may not be quite appropriate for younger readers. Otherwise . . . it’s a nice story.

And in an unrelated bit of news . . . today is my birthday (ugh getting old is really annoying sometimes) – I will be at the Toro Bar and Grill sometime after 5:00 for dinner with family – if you find yourself in the neighborhood, please stop and say “hello”!

I’m going to revisit some of the classes we held in the spring this year. I’ve had several people contact me who have an interest in the inkle loom weaving class and the chainmail class. I also think I will have another go at the pennywhistle class. For me, school begins in a couple of days . . . so although I know it adds alot of work to my schedule, it also means that I will have a better chance at planning activities.

It looks like we will be losing James in a couple of weeks. I appreciate the classes that he taught and the contacts he made for us. Hope things work out for him in the future.

Garage sale this next Saturday, August 21 – 805 Cerro de Ortega, Rio Rancho . . . I don’t know that we will have a large amount of “stuff”, but all of the proceedings will benefit Medieval Living.

It sounds like the Saint James Tearoom will be holding a fundraiser for some undisclosed charity (I know that Medieval Living has been mentioned as a possible recipient!!!) There will be a ginger bread house contest among the employees . . . with a silent auction open to the public, with the proceeds going to some charity. I know that it hasn’t been decided yet, and perhaps I am being a little greedy about the prospects of Medieval Living being the recipient . . . but since so many of the younger workers at the “Tearoom” are homeschool kids, it would surely seem appropriate. Added to the obvious financial benefit, we would also receive a significant amount of publicity, which is very important to our ongoing success. Dunno . . . will have to wait and see.

I had to order “Cathing the Stone” online . . . the book by a local author that I mentioned in my previous post. Once it arrives, I will give it a read and review on here. Looking forward to it!

Well enough for now. I really do hope to have some dates for events scheduled very soon. Please leave a comment or email me – I would love to hear from all of my readers.

Scott
Medieval Living

Well, it’s August, and I said in July that this is when I would get back to blogging and developing programs for Medieval Living. So . . .here I am.
I enjoyed a recent article in the Rio Rancho Observer about David Andrews. David is a 52-year-old author from Rio Rancho who recently published a book about 18th century Scotland. According to the article, Catching the Stone “is about men who are willing to die for their integrity, their honor, and their way of life. It is about the evil men do and the good which they’re capable of doing. And it is about men who value their heritage as a living thing they only wish to see passed on to others when they go.” What a wonderful story line – especially for us here at Medieval Living, as we are very much interested in promoting the spirit of chivalry and civility in our world.

I plan on heading down to the local Barnes and Noble and picking up a copy – the online price is under $20, so the in-store price shouldn’t be too much more. I will post a book review after I’ve given it a read.

So . . . tomorrow I will begin scheduling some activities for Medieval Living – looks like my schedule will force most classes to be held in the first part of the week, as I’m obligated during Thursday and Friday. What am I obligated with? Well, I’ve been moonlighting over at The Saint James Tea Room, working in the kitchen doing a varity of things – mostly baking, which I seem to have a natural knack for. What I enjoy most about the “tea room” is . . well, actually there are several things . . . the concept for the “tea room” is to recreate a sense of civility, to create an environment where people can eat in a relaxed, peaceful, and elegant manner. I like that! They also are extremely supportive of homeschool students – in fact, many of the servers are from homeschool families. It is a great place for them to develop some employment skills and to learn how to interact with people in a professional setting. I like that too! It’s very refreshing to have a business that is truly intersted in social responsibility while at the same time providing a wonderful dining experience for the community. Actually, it’s a four-star dining experience – I would encourage any of my readers to contact the Saint James Tea Room and make a reservation for a wonderful meal.