A Trip to the Georgia Renaissance Faire with Fae, Arndor, and Geri

Introductions Are in Order

So, a couple of Sundays ago, I was was preparing to go the Georgia Renaissance Festival, an event I have attended since the mid-1980s (yes, I'm really that old), and heard a knock on my front door. I was surprised to discover some family members who are technically fictional waiting there. They wanted to go to faire with me.

Fae, my Fictional Daughter

Fae stepped through the door first. Fae is my fictional daughter who is a surgeon and is now married to a young squire. She informed me that that she and the squire, Arndor, were on a sort of holiday after their recent marriage (actually, this marriage happened back in the fall. I did not get to attend. Serious timey-wimey problems.). They had heard of this faire I attended in the spring, and wanted to tag along. I worried since this was their first time in this time period, but then I saw that Geri was with them, and figured they could handle it, especially if he could.

Some of you remember Geri from previous posts. He is my fictional son, and has visited me several times. He has even been known to attempt playing on the Internet. Behind them was Arndor, my fictional son-in-law. I like him---a lot. He's  been very good to my children.  

Geri, my Fictional Son

Going to Faire

So, anyway, we went to faire. The first obstacle was the car. Geri and Arndor were certain that my red PT Cruiser was a demon of some sort. Fae was less afraid, but still did not like the idea of riding in such a thing. I had to show them that it was not alive and had no desire to take them to the underworld or kill them. There is, however, a scratch on the back of my car where Geri tried to hit it with his axe. :(

Fae was excited because she got to dress up a bit more than when she is home. She wore a corset (which she loves) and dressed herself up a bit. 

We made it to faire safely and without incident (although Geri and Arndor spent a lot of time yelling and waving weapons out my windows at the other cars. Thank goodness no cops saw us). We then parked and made it to the gate without incident. When we got in, I took some photos to mark their appearance at the faire. 

Marriage in the 11th century is an odd thing. This is not a marriage of love, necessarily, but more a marriage of political expedience. What I learned watching these two, however is that sometimes, political expedience can lead to something more. Arndor is devoted to Fae, and Fae would gladly stand by his side and fight with him. It's an extraordinary kind of thing, really.  

As the day progressed, this fact kept cropping up in their conversations and in how they acted with one another. 

After photos, the young couple, and Geri were ready to explore the fair and all it had to offer to us. We met Leonardo da Vinci (got hugs from him---made my day), and looked at many crafts and met several friends. 

The day was sunny but cool, which made them feel at home because Ottland is usually coolish (at least from what they've told me). 

Soon, the men were hungry, but because it was a faire day, Fae was not obligated to cook (cooking is actually something she loves to do, and is, according to the men, she is quite accomplished at this task0. I suggested my favorite dining experience at faire, the Peacock Tea Room. It was there that they had tea for the first time, as well as assorted cheeses, fruits, and breads. 

They all warmed to the place really quickly, which was a bit of surprise to me. I wasn't sure that the men would care for the place, but I think all it took was a little smile from Fae and some tea, and they became comfortable. Fae even relaxed and took her head covering off for a bit. It was a warmer than their home, and I'm sure she was getting hot. Arndor and Fae spent a good part of lunch teasing one another, and Fae was particularly excited because she could actually read the menu. She's only recently learned to read, so it was a treat. The were also a unsure about the forks at first, and decided they were weapons of war! 

Geri managed to see many, many beautiful women this day, however, the fact than none of them spoke his language made it difficult to for him to get to know anyone. Still he seemed to enjoy himself at the tea room. He also discovered that he loved tea. He loved it so much that he filled his drinking horn with the stuff and carried it around with him the rest of the afternoon.

After lunch the group sort of goofed around and looked at pretty things (Fae likes pretty things). We came upon a hat shop at one point, and things got a little crazy. I have to wonder what was in that tea...

Soon, it was time for us to leave, and we were all tired, but sad to do so. We had a lovely time at the faire. I was also sad to see this group of travelers go back to Ottenby, and hope they come to the present again soon. 

Easing into My Summer Vacation

End of Term

I finally, finally made it to the end of the spring semester, posted my grades early, and kicked back, hoping to focus on writing (particularly writing the novel that Melissa and I are continuing to work on). So far, I've learned some things, but haven't gotten a huge amount of writing done. 

What I've Learned Thus Far

1. Writing at the house is hard. No one means to distract me. No one means to make me feel closed in. I know this, and yet, I find myself being frustrated because I have no place to sit and feel like I have my own space right now. This is mostly because we live in a small 1960s ranch home with five people. We are pretty much on top of one another at all times. There is no retreating to my den or hiding in my "living space" (my way of getting around using the term bedroom). I can close my door, and it doesn't matter because there will be a knock on the door within a few minutes and questions about my well-being. I know none of this should matter. I should be enough of an adult to muscle through this, and maybe, eventually, I will. So far, in the last three days, I've managed to write, all total, about 3000 words. I'll get into a groove, be in the forest with my characters, and then...Mom walks through the scene telling me about someone I don't even know and their back problems. You can go ahead and tell me just how bad of a child I am at this point.

2. It is easier to work on anything else except what I want to work on. So. Many. Distractions. A friend messages me on Facebook which leads to a twenty minute discussion on creeds. My son texts me begging to be released early from school. I have a new class I begin teaching in three weeks and I discover that I need to do a major overhaul of the material I've been given. My knitting calls me from its basket by my bed. The sunshine calls me outside to read.

All I want is to write. When I do manage to get going on a chapter, my brain is screaming about all the other stuff I need to do.

3. I need a routine. I managed to get a routine during Spring Break (some of you recall that glorious time). This routine has been lost. I still have a routine, but it is mostly like what I've been doing. Get up. Wake up my son (who is graduating from high school very soon). Make his lunch. Eat breakfast. Either leave the house or attempt to work there in spite of everything.

4. Sometimes, people don't get what it is you're doing. It is a funny thing. My family is a family of creatives. We do all sorts of artistic things. We paint. We make furniture. We sew and bake. We make knives and do leatherwork. We write and make music. Still, there are times when I don't think and don't really get the creative work that others in the house do. We understand our own creative things, but not the creative work or space needed by others in the house. 

I often times wish I had a shed or a wing of the house or that the basement was a finished basement instead of a storage space worthy of Warehouse 13 status (the kids are convinced that there is a portal to Narnia AND a portal to the underworld down there). I wish there was space where Mom could have a sewing room and Dad could have a shop away from the house (the fumes. man. The fumes!) and Stuart could do leather work and Gina could paint and I...I could close the door and write for three or four hours a day. We live so close to one another that sometimes I think it's hard for us to understand that we need that space and time from one another.

What Then? What Should I Do?

What I'm learning is that I have to make a way for my writing to happen even if the only writing I do for the day is write a blog post. I write so I don't doubt myself. I write because it is the only way for me. Will I finish that latest chapter? Probably. In time. Will I get to that script I promised Thomas two weeks ago? Definitely. Do I have to complete all of it right now in the moment. No.

Maybe this is what runners and bicyclist learn as they run and bike. Maybe this is what "Just do it" really means. I just write. The rest will work itself out. Each project will come as it comes (even with a deadline). Even if I have to write in my house. Even if I have to drive to Hiram and sit in a slightly busy Starbucks for the next two weeks. I need the writer's life too much to sit back and let it go. This is my endurance test, and I plan to pass it.

Thanks for letting me ramble today. I promise my next post will be pure fun. Promise. It will even have pictures (some of you know what is going up next, but don't tell).