[Sca-cooks] Balancing in SCA

[Philippa Alderton]

--- Generys ferch Ednuyed <generys at blazemail.com>
wrote:
> Wow, you've hit the nail on the head for exactly how
> I feel... which is very
> conflicted about even what
> *I* want to do in the SCA... part of me is very
> service / authenticity
> oriented, and then part of me is rather, well,
> party oriented... and I have friends, like myself,
> that try and balance
> both... and it really doesn't work out that well...
> How do you all balance this? Not in terms of time
> wise, but just in terms of
> getting priorities straight in
> your head... because on the one hand I want to be as
> authentic as possible,
> but on the other, sometimes it's
> just not that fun to be...
>
> Generys

Different people approach their activities in SCA
differently.

I have several interests, and while I don't pursue
them exclusively, that's what I focus on, while
learning what I can about other aspects which will
fill out my persona.

For example, I'm very serious about period cooking,
and with that in mind, I study such resources as I
have available- Cariadoc's collection, Platina,
Apicius,, Sabina, Curye, etc, as well as those made
available to me on line (I play in the Florilegium
frequently, and have bookmarked or downloaded quite a
bit of stuff) and, now that I'm living at Margali's,
reading her books (1000 Eggs, Soup for the Qan, among
others), as well as studying modern cookery, and
modern chefs and foreign cuisines.

This also branches me into gardening and husbandry, as
well as butchering and hunting.....

Because of my interest in Smithing, I've also been
lately looking at making various types of open fire
cookery equipment and documenting it, with intentions
of reproducing it in iron or mild steel- my current
project for this summer is a reproduction of the
portable Viking grill from the Mastermyr collection,
although Anahita's spork has aroused my interest
strongly, too.

I also spend a fair amount of time with my
leatherwork. At the moment, I'm using modern materials
and dyes, but I'm learning about period methods as
well- particularly graphic designs. I'm also looking
at armor design- I think I can make armor out of
leather, which looks period, and protects as well or
better than the metal used by so many fighters in SCA,
and is significantly lighter- with that in mind I'm
also listening to the fighters- not because I
particularly want to fight, but because I will need
to, some, to test out my designs.

And, as far as Service, I work as a Chirurgeon- I
usually do 4 hrs per day at Pennsic. This is the
easiest of all to fit in. If I work the Noon to 4 PM
shift, I can unwind and eat well that evening and be
ready to go out and party that evening, if I want to
(seldom do, but do take my notions....) A reasonable
night's sleep, a good breakfast and a gallon of
coffee, and I'm ready to work again at Point and
hydrate myself all day, so that I have enough resrves
that I can indulge myself that evening, if I choose.
Seldom leave camp in the evening, though- we usually
have too many interesting things going on- tastings,
bardic, like that....

Find what you really like to do, and focus on that,
and don't worry too much about trying to do it all.

Phlip

=====
Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....

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