![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I have never eaten hot chips at an event before, not for 25 years, and I was holding a tray of them for literally 10 minutes. I even joked that this would happen to my friends, and laughed that I made it there and back without being seen, but...
The horror! THE HORROR!
I was getting chippies for everyone which we never do at events, and BAM! Photographed! Two more chips are in the basket, but there wasn't room for the third lot so I had them in my hand.
*sad reenactor final event noises* 🤣
Photo to add
The horror! THE HORROR!
I was getting chippies for everyone which we never do at events, and BAM! Photographed! Two more chips are in the basket, but there wasn't room for the third lot so I had them in my hand.
*sad reenactor final event noises* 🤣
Photo to add
Litmus test
22 August 2026 09:18 amFun With Friends at Southern Realm Festival 2026 was horrendous.
My social media is showing the best part of the event, because I kind of have to do that, and the friends part was nice. The event itself, per se, was nice. But...
I used this event as a bit of a litmus test for the future. Could I enjoy going to events without a display or my own little spot to put my own things? The catching up with people part was fantastic but a thing went down that I'm not going to emotionally recover from anytime soon, so there's that.
I had to shrug it off as being no real big thing as it didn't come from a place of malice, so I wouldn't seem petty and unhinged, but I'm so, so unbelievably hurt. I really wanted to just turn around and go home, but it wouldn't have been fair to my travelling companion for the day who was looking forward to having a nice time.
More details in a Friends locked post, because I need to tell someone and hope I find some understanding and not get told it was no big deal, and I am making a mountain out of a mole hill and that my feelinga about this aren't valid.
More details in a Friends locked post, because I need to tell someone and hope I find some understanding and not get told it was no big deal, and I am making a mountain out of a mole hill and that my feelinga about this aren't valid.
Tutorial help
17 August 2026 07:05 amWell, an entire day yesterday editing things it might have been easier to rephotograph (and will need to be rephotographed anyway to better explain what I mean.) Looks like most of the clothing tutorials will need to be rephotographed better.
The finishing touches are all up and running again though! And the cleaning a muddy hem is live too. It's one I know for sure was pretrty popular and got a lot of nice feedback.
QUESTION! I know ads are annoying on websites, but it suddenly occurred to me that I *could* have a few ads for my own stuff sprinkled here and there on selected pages only, not right through the whole site. If ads are images with a text link in the body, there's no collecting data or tracking concerns from third parties. Like ads in a magazine!
I've had enquiries about ads before but have not wanted to do clicky links for businesses. The links page and where to shop page aren't going back up (where I posted up recommended businesses for free as a text link,) so PERHAPS I could include some other paid ads if I personally recommend them, BUT I'd be wanting to design the ads myself to fit the vibe of the page etc which others are unlikely to want. I could have some style guides if people were interested so they could see what sort of thing I mean and how their ads would look. I worked in advertising for newspapers and print media for a looooong time, so I'm not hopeless. Ads would need to fit the colour scheme of the individual page so as not to be wildly intrusive. No video. No pop-ups.
This is all assuming anyone I like would also like to advertise on my site.
I asked fb yesterday but haven't checked all the comments from overnight, but people are having a lot of feelings, so I'll read them today and report back.
May I have honest feedback about this?
A. No ads at all.
B. Just my own ads
C. Outside paid ads but be super picky with the placement, vibe and colours so they don't take away from the content on the page. No video. No popups.
More website thoughts
16 August 2026 06:45 amWell, the feedback was overwhelming in favour of put the Rosalie's Medieval Woman part of my website back. And now it has begun!!!!!!. Here's the updated updated landing page now with myself in colour and the link to the Rosalie's Medieval Woman sitemap, most of which has inactive links as of yet.
I've had a good, hard look at my old website and have worked hard all afternoon to upgrade... 2 pages and 2 menus and 1 graphic. wahahaha! Some of the pages won't be returning, and everything else will be looked over a page at a time before reloading. If I put it all back as is, I know it will seem too big a job to update, but if I load a page at a time as it's done, every page will feel like an achievement!
I still need to rephotograph some experimental archaeology and redo that page but perhaps by the end of tomorrow, the tutorials may be all up again at least! They seem to be the things used most!
More behind the scenes
15 August 2026 06:37 amUpdated the landing page for my website (again) to include the recent pic in the red dress. I've spent a little time updating pages that are there, but need to rephotograph some of the experimental archaeology pages.
In other news, I tried to google something about medieval women and the utter shite I had suggested was breathtaking. I've had a lot of communication asking for me to put the rest of the website back, or at the least, the general info pages, and I'm torn. If my site helps anyone to avoid the AI crud I had suggested, maybe it does need to go back up. To try and do my bit against the horrendous misinformation.
The site was never aimed at historians and very serious researchers (like my books are also not) but aimed at newbies and those starting out who would enjoy good info that wasn't overwhelming in complexity. And 25 years of building "my brand" for want of better words, did come up fairly high on the search suggestions.
Hmmmmmmmmm.
There's just so much crud out there. So. Much. Crud.
Thoughts?
Second thoughts
14 August 2026 10:29 pm
Updated the landing page for my website (again) to include the recent pic in the red dress. I've spent a little time updating pages that are there, but need to re-photograph some of the experimental archaeology pages.
In other news, I tried to google something about medieval women and the utter shite I had suggested to me was breathtaking. I've had a lot of communication asking for me to put the rest of the website back, or at the least, the general info pages, and I'm torn. If my site helps anyone to avoid the AI crud I had suggested, maybe it does need to go back up. To try and do my bit against the horrendous misinformation.
I asked for thoughts and so far there was a lot of support for "Please put it back, there's so much bad stuff out there," and I've got to say, there is. My website is aimed at beginners, but I guess that's where people need help the most. Historians and researchers don't need my site as it's too basic, but for newbies, apparently, it's helpful to get started. After 25 years of building a brand, as it were, it always ranked pretty highly in the search results too.
Hmmmmm.
Waste not the spices!
13 August 2026 04:20 pm
An actual top tip!
"When crushing spices and bread for sauces and thick soups,
grind the spices first and take them out of the mortar.
In this way, you won't lose anything because the bread
that you pound up afterward takes up what is left of the spices."
grind the spices first and take them out of the mortar.
In this way, you won't lose anything because the bread
that you pound up afterward takes up what is left of the spices."
We all have read or head about how expensive spices were in the medieval period, so this is an actual wonderful piece of kitchen advice to maximise the spice use and reduce wastage, and having tried this myself, I can assure you, that this is a brilliant idea.
Helpful advice from my latest offering: "Medieval Household Hints: Advice on Running a Household From The Middle Ages Which You Still Need Today!" From les Mesnagier de Paris, 14th Century. It's available from InHouse Publishing right here in Brisbane.
Garden day chill
12 August 2026 04:29 pmIt's winter here in the Southern hemisphere and although we are actually having some chill wintery weather, someone seems to have forgotten to tell my back garden which is enthusiastically embracing early spring vibes. Since that was happening, I spent the best part of the day clearing and pruning and reshuffling some potted plants.
The biggest job was the removal of the backyard screen which I put up about 12 months or so ago. It's a great screen and hid an ugly fence behind it, but it really didn't make my cat happy. I know, I know, I know. Crazy, right? She's never been a fan of it since it went up because, and please don't laugh, it's because the screen actually screened off the horizontal part of the fence where the native rats run. She can still see the very top where the possums walk, but the halfway horizontal beams is where the little rodents scurry late afternoon just before dusk on their way to the chook house behind to the left, and back to the direction they live to the right. I started by cutting the screen lower, but oin the end, I decided what the heck. The whole thing can come down.
It might seem such a ridiculous thing, but my best girl is getting old now, has early rheumatism and is an inside cat for the most of the day. It really was her joy, in summer, to sit outside in her little blue harness and hope for a glimpse of some wildlife.
She is extremely delighted the screen is gone and has recommenced her vigil at the back screen door, something she has rarely done these last months.
The biggest job was the removal of the backyard screen which I put up about 12 months or so ago. It's a great screen and hid an ugly fence behind it, but it really didn't make my cat happy. I know, I know, I know. Crazy, right? She's never been a fan of it since it went up because, and please don't laugh, it's because the screen actually screened off the horizontal part of the fence where the native rats run. She can still see the very top where the possums walk, but the halfway horizontal beams is where the little rodents scurry late afternoon just before dusk on their way to the chook house behind to the left, and back to the direction they live to the right. I started by cutting the screen lower, but oin the end, I decided what the heck. The whole thing can come down.
It might seem such a ridiculous thing, but my best girl is getting old now, has early rheumatism and is an inside cat for the most of the day. It really was her joy, in summer, to sit outside in her little blue harness and hope for a glimpse of some wildlife.
She is extremely delighted the screen is gone and has recommenced her vigil at the back screen door, something she has rarely done these last months.
Up, up and away with TAA
9 August 2026 04:15 pm
New to my library!
Trans-Australian Airways, aka the Flying Kangaroo was an icon in Australian skies for a solid forty-six years, and I remember seeing planes arrive at the airport and I remember the jingles we heard on TV so often.
TAA was one of our biggest airlines back in the day, and this book of explorers published by them starts with a few pre-Flinders Europeans who charted parts of our coastline. I still remember Social Studies in Primary School marking their voyages on a map. Dirk Hartog in the 1600's was first recorded, I believe (from memory), followed by Vasco da Gama, Van Dieman and Ferdinand Magellan.
Looking forward to reading this. Love the bonus newspaper!
International Cat Day
8 August 2026 04:47 pm
Obligatory cat pic for International Cat Day, featuring Gummibear the Grey. She's a little slower and older now, but still loves to play with her ping pong balls, string and stalk her plastic lizards.
Books. Are. Not. Disposable.
4 August 2026 04:53 pmI'm having a lot of feelings about vintage books being bought up, scanned in for AI training and then shredded.
So. Many. Feelings.
Apart from the obvious destruction of lovely old books, it makes sure other people can't access these books, and the information it's using to train AI on is vastly outdated. I mean. If it's out of copyright, it's old. I like digital books. I'm not against them, but I know people who have bought ebooks have had their libraries cleared after they ended their subscriptions even though they paid for the books. Digital books can be edited to better reflect the policied and beliefs of whomsoever has access to them.
It's way up there with the Flock cameras competitor which can digitally alter footage later with (apparently) no way to track that it's been edited. Although that's a whole other thing I won't go into here.
I have a library of old books and I love them. Numerous of my friends are bookworms and book hoarders, and now those old sci-fi movies where the people who have books and can read them are hidden and treated as dangerous is getting less and less like a bad movie and more and more like a potential reality in some parts of the world.
Hopefully, this won't happen. But just in case... read. Build a library.
So. Many. Feelings.
Apart from the obvious destruction of lovely old books, it makes sure other people can't access these books, and the information it's using to train AI on is vastly outdated. I mean. If it's out of copyright, it's old. I like digital books. I'm not against them, but I know people who have bought ebooks have had their libraries cleared after they ended their subscriptions even though they paid for the books. Digital books can be edited to better reflect the policied and beliefs of whomsoever has access to them.
It's way up there with the Flock cameras competitor which can digitally alter footage later with (apparently) no way to track that it's been edited. Although that's a whole other thing I won't go into here.
I have a library of old books and I love them. Numerous of my friends are bookworms and book hoarders, and now those old sci-fi movies where the people who have books and can read them are hidden and treated as dangerous is getting less and less like a bad movie and more and more like a potential reality in some parts of the world.
Hopefully, this won't happen. But just in case... read. Build a library.
Website revamp
26 July 2026 06:34 amHad a very busy day redoing all the links and headers on my website. I needed to consider what I wanted to put back up and what I didn't. I'm still on the fence about a lot of it, but at this stage it's mostly author stuff and author-related stuff.
I updated my talks & presentations page, as I have a number of talks with slideshows completed on a few topics, and I need to re-photograph my hygiene things now that my beautiful mirror has arrived!
That's a job for another day, as the big clean out continues and the flat is a bit of a disaster zone again, which is how it goes when I'm half way through a clean. I may replace my blog link photo with a more recent one. I got a few really nice ones at the last event I went to, so I'll have a think about that.
I updated my talks & presentations page, as I have a number of talks with slideshows completed on a few topics, and I need to re-photograph my hygiene things now that my beautiful mirror has arrived!
That's a job for another day, as the big clean out continues and the flat is a bit of a disaster zone again, which is how it goes when I'm half way through a clean. I may replace my blog link photo with a more recent one. I got a few really nice ones at the last event I went to, so I'll have a think about that.
Find me in Oslo!
23 July 2026 08:26 am
Spotted in the Historical Museum in Oslo. The Secret Lives of Single Medieval Women, by yours truly! It's always a huge surprise when my books turn up in far-flung places, and I really appreciate it when people tell me or send a photo so I can tell others where to find it too!
Thank you Nicki Dobson from Melbourne for the photo!
Shiny, shiny.
20 July 2026 08:25 pm
Finally got around to spending some hours polishing my brass lavarbo and jug which too a solid few hours, but they both look great! Also did the pewter and the brass dishes I use in my display.
Better late than never, I guess.
The big clean out continues
19 July 2026 08:32 pmCleared out the shed and put other things that have been cluttering up the laundry into it. Tidyied up and watered the plants and garden at the back, and did some more unpacking from the festival. The pile for the dump is getting bigger, and the post-Abbey reenactment gear pile to sell is getting bigger too.
The tendon is my hands are sore again but I suspect I'm getting early onset arthritis also as the cold weather is definitely making it worse.
Gummi is still being very clingy, and is for the first time enjoying her heated pad, so I can only guess her arthritis is flaring up a little in the mornings. She's often a bit slow and stiff until she has her meds, poor sweetheart. Frolics like a kitten afterwards, though, so that's great!
The tendon is my hands are sore again but I suspect I'm getting early onset arthritis also as the cold weather is definitely making it worse.
Gummi is still being very clingy, and is for the first time enjoying her heated pad, so I can only guess her arthritis is flaring up a little in the mornings. She's often a bit slow and stiff until she has her meds, poor sweetheart. Frolics like a kitten afterwards, though, so that's great!
History Alive 2026
19 July 2026 03:19 pm
History Alive is our showcase multi-period event, and you can find me inside the hall with my hygiene display!
It's been a while between events, and last year we were sharing the event with the Abbey Museum on their grounds. This year we are a part of the Ipswich's Galvanized Festival held at the Ipswich Showgrounds in Brisbane. It will be the first of what we hope will be a long and happy partnership.
The Queensland Living History Federation is running the event and is also our insuring body, so we usually have a good turnout of groups from various time periods. Many use the event as a recruiting weekend, as it gives members of the public a good look at what time periods are active locally and what sort of thing each of the groups do.
Photos from Abbey
17 July 2026 08:28 pm
I'm really pleased with some of the photos I took and was in over the festival, and spent a lot of time today avoiding the rest of the unpacking by cropping and adjusting the light and saturation on them. This is one of my several top favourites from the Sunday in my display
I've still got quite a few to go, and a bunch of back posts about the festival and some photos to share as well.
I'm trying to half pack for the next event as I unpack from this one, but lots of things need cleaning or washing, so it's taking longer than planned.
