Virtual Brush Box

Foto Friday: Spotted at American Village

The American Village Citizenship Trust is a collection of purpose-built, repro 18th century buildings: “A nationally-pioneering classroom and American history and civics education center that engages and inspires 35,000-40,000 students annually from Alabama and Southeastern states in experience-based academic programs related to American history, civics and government.” Mission & Goals

A noble effort, but a bit of a giggle to anyone from the Northeast. I don’t mean to swan about their campus in a condescending fashion, but I’ve sheltered from the rain inside the Capitol Building in DC, walked the Freedom Trail in Boston, and gotten lost looking for the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. American Village is, what’s the word I’m looking for? Hmm, cute.

The Spot heard round the world. Spotted at the Concord Old North Bridge. — The Spot heard round the world.
Spotted at the Concord Old North Bridge.

On a more philosophical note, what is the difference between the thing itself and faithful replica? Why does it matter? At least for broad educational or entertainment purposes? If we can’t distinguish a real 18th century tavern from a rebuild, why travel all the way to Colonial Williamsburg for dinner? Is there an experiencial difference or is it magical thinking? Of course, I come down on the side of the authentic, but is this a reasonable attitude or historical snobbery?

(Did you catch the BBT reference?)

Colonial Williamsburg posts
Foto Friday: Horses of Colonial Williamsburg
What Price Authenticity?
Why Bother? Worthy Cause I (WC II was not related to Wburg)
I’d go back in a heartbeat. Loved the place.

Author making friends with Cavalier, a 5yo American Cream Draft. Photo by Karen Smith. — Author making friends with Cavalier, a 5yo American Cream Draft.
Photo by Karen Smith.

Update: experiencial difference – a difference in experiencing a thing. Been listening to Bryson’s book on Shakespeare. Decided to delve into neologisms. Instead managed to create a new spelling for experiential.

Hold This Space

Working on paying gig.

Hi There!

“Surely I can arrange my life to say something, even if it’s ‘Hi There’ each day.”
Where Do We Go From Here?
December 20th, 2012

Rodney Is Awesome: Attack of the Swimming Noodle

After reading about a groundwork competition in France [Equifeel Championnat Départemental], we decided to try Rodney with the turn on the forehand in a circle. The idea is to put the horses forefeet (or hindfeet) in a prescribed area, then do a full orbit while keeping the two feet within the circle. We (the barn “we”) joined two swim noodles into a ~3′ circle.

I held it up for Rodney to sniff. No big deal. Since he has proven amenable about the noodles in the past [Noodling, Weekend], I upped the ante. Slid it right over his head. I do NOT recommend trying this with most horses. Previous Horse would have had a litter of kittens. Mathilda would have zoomed backward out of the barn before you got close.

As the noodle ring settled around his shoulders, Rodney’s head came up and his eyes bugged out. But he stayed put. Despite reservations, he let us spin the ring around his neck. We slid it back and forth. We took it off. We made him reach through it for a treat: cookie! going under weird thing! cookie … weird thing … maybe if I make my nose reeeeeally long I can reach the cookie.

He never got blase about a noodle in the air above his head, but he handled it extremely well. When we finally got back to the original exercise, it was a bit of an anticlimax.

Equine ring toss. Who knew.

Beads. Free To Good Home.

For a project later in the year, I am collecting inexpensive letter beads of A, D, E, G, N, O, R, S, Y. Unfortunately, beads come in units of alphabet. (Oddly, two sets lacked the letter E. Weird.) So, I have a pile of 17 letters for which I have no need. Want ’em?

To repeat, the beads are of costume quality at best. Some are decidedly cheesy. One bag was $1 at Big Lots, a discount resale store. We’re not talking Murano glass here. If you are interested, please email me (Katherine) at rodneyssaga@gmail.com. Unless you have a work-around for the postage, offer limited to the US.

If you wish to trade these beads for ones with required letters, or with horse themes, that would be lovely. The goofier the better.

Project to be revealed Sunday, August 31, 2014. At least one person out there knows what’s up … (waves hi) … insert suspense music.

Life Hacks: Can Opener

You have cats? Dogs? Critters who eat food from tins? Have you tried a safety can opener?

I would have sneered at the idea as a useless fad until my father gave me one. I now use it on every can. If it is not to hand, I’ll tear the kitchen apart, ignoring our traditional can openers in my quest.

The mechanism uncrimps the rim of the can, leaving a smooth, harmless surface on can and lid. Cat food cans are given to the dogs as clean-up treats. Lids are rinsed off without slicing fingers in a sacrifice to the gods of recycling. Plus, the unit never touches food, so no grungy cutting wheels.

It takes a while to get the angle exactly right. For the longest time, I had my dexterous, non-catperson Chef open the nightly cat tuna. I remember my father pulling it out of his suitcase during a trip to Chicago, so I know we’ve had it since 2007. No sign of wear or failure.

Mine is a Zyliss, but any brand would work.