Lost_Warrior

Yea but I'm not going to college, at least not now. When I get home I'm going almost immediately back to work (which is fine by me; but this time I'll be in a job that I like.) Someone in NEPA pagans suggested an e-zine. I hadn't thought about that one, but he used to run a pagan e-zine. It's a thought...but I already have my blog to keep up with. I would need more contributers than just me. (I forgot to mention...I did manage to squeeze in another essay at Love Hope and Life over the weekend).

On Saturday I didn't get to go to the horse show, so I went to the Farmer's Market with Kathy. I am sure glad I did (I'm not disappointed at all about missing the horse show anymore. I was there for a little bit.) I met three people who I could talk about paganism with. The first was the salesgirl at a clothing store; she approached me and asked about my jewlery. It turns out she's Wiccan and we talked for about fifteen minutes on the subject of religion. The second was Robin who works at Brigid's House (a pagan store). We talked for at least an hour and a half about all sorts of things, and then I found out that someone we know is also pagan. More "wanna-be" than anything else but it was still cool talking to her. Such a warm and open pagan community here leaves me longing for such contact when I return home. There are many pagans where my dad lives, but when I still lived there I was not able to appreciate it. On Sunday I was parusing around Witchvox and I ran into the NEPA pagan group. I quickly joined, and I'm hoping that through the NEPA group I will make lots of real life pagan friends in my area. I've actually considered writing pagan essays for the local newspaper and seeing if they'll print them. It's probably not a good idea to do that (I live in a very conservative area) but I feel it's really a step in the right direction towards tolerance and acceptance. I'll have to think about it for a while (am I prepared for all the hate mail? Or I could always write under a pen name.) One person came back to a pagan forum that I'm a part of, and already is trying to bait me into something. I'm flat out not taking the bait. If she wants to play that game, she can play it in private. I will not be baited into a public argument if that's what she wants. I'm hoping it just blows over but I think she'll cause more trouble if someone else takes her bait. I finally finished the bird bath stand for Kathy. Boy was it ever a pain in the ass! The leaves I forged kept breaking off...I overworked the poor things...and they had to be MIG welded back on too many times to count. I had difficulties with everything...and was really starting to feel like I couldn't do it, but with a lot of help from Al, I did. And it's done!!! I also made my first horse shoe the other day; I gotta say, really not bad for a first try. Of course I wouldn't put it on a horse but still...and the thing I like most about it is the holes, because I never was able to punch holes before. I just have to remember how far I've come, when I start to feel bad about what I can't do. When I got here, I couldn't even light a fire; now I'm doing things I couldn't even dream of doing before. I really do think that I have the knowledge (experience only comes with...well...experience!) to do what I need to do when I get back home. And I am truly enjoying it!

In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (I think it was) there is mention of a law that each person had to wear the clothing/equipment of their trade (for instance a blacksmith would have to wear his apron, etc). Was this really a law, or was it a fabrication of Shakespeare (and the writers of the school's textbooks)?

I can't imagine trying to ship one of these things. LOL they're over 6 feet tall, 15 inches wide at the bottom, and made with 1/2 inch round stock. They're enormous, and heavy! Weigh probably about 40 or 50 lbs. Can't exactly stick it in the mail box you know!

Oh it is; I've not been this content in a long time. And I'm actually feeling slightly peevish, because with all this welding practice, I haven't gotten to actually beat on something for three days. That's what I'm using, is a wire feed welder. That and a hand grinder. My fingers are a little sore from using the hand grinder so much. I have completed 4 "oblisk" lawn ornaments (they're taller than me!). The first one me and Al did together, and I did the rest, with progressively less help from him. This last one I finished all by myself!!

Is turning out to be a lot easier especially now that I have a helmet that works properly. Al's helmet is way too big for me, and I had to hold it on, opera-glasses style. My new one is MINE and it's auto-darkening. No more "blind tack welding". I'm currently working on some Oblisk lawn ornaments. This is actually really fun. I haven't been this content or "mellow" in a long time. I used to be a complete spaz, but I'm not anymore. It's wonderful.

Sounds like you're having fun, and I hope you have great luck with the new job, whichever one you get.

What a strange animal!!

I haven't seen it (don't have HBO ) but I'm certainly guessing this is the case.

bWA?? I have never heard of that! Has anyone else heard of it??

There are some of my earlier work in my gallery, but right now I have a camara, but no way to put pics off of it onto this computer. When I get done some things I'll have to start a portfolio of sorts. You guys know how I love to share my work so it should be forthcoming soon.

Wow, it's been a while since I updated this; it's been a while since I updated my other blog too. Al is keeping me busy, between working the forge, fishing, and occasionally getting to go with him when he works with horses. I'm really starting to "get the hang of" this, and he's started turning me loose in the shop and leaving for the day. Yesterday I made a paper towel and tp holder, and the day before that, a decorative hinge. The blisters on my hands have healed and I actually have forearms now! I actually don't know if my family will recognize me when I get back. Yesterday was the Solstice and we had a bonfire to celebrate. No one we invited showed up, but it was cool anyway. Today I'm going with Al when he works on some horses, and I might get to ride one of them! And tomorrow we're going to a horse show. I love horses, but I'm too small of frame to actually shoe them.

Roman Army Talk? I saw you on there, just as I was going to post a link to that discussion here, I found that it was you who had asked the question.

Kathy (the woman I'm staying with) wants to know if you've ever contacted anyone from the SCA about this blade? She says someone told her about these blades at some point but she doesn't know where that person is now.

Lead is also extremely soft. As for nickle, might it be nickle silver or "german silver"?

Your photobucket album is not wide open to the public...HOWEVER anyone can come to this site and see it. The site is not as secure as photobucket, when it comes to who can see things and who can't. Anyone, member or not, can read through the threads and see the images posted here.

The way most people do it is to upload to an image hosting site such as Photobucket (it's a free account) and then put the image in by placing the url in image tags like this: [img=URL] (Photobucket even provides the image tags for you. As for size restrictions: reasonable. If it's too huge it's not good, if there are any more "concrete" restrictions than that I'm unaware of them. I'd love to see pics of your blade.

I can't wait to get back and start my job.

It is great. I love this, it feels like I've actually accomplished something in a day and every day is something *new*.

Well, my hands are blistered, and my heels are blistered (boots not broke in), I've spark burns on my arms and I'm covered in all sorts of filth... I finished my first blade today. Not my first successful blade, the first one EVER...and it was successful. Not perfect, but really not bad at all for a first try. I'm absolutely stoked. I'm so happy to be here now, it feels almost like I've lived here all of my life. I had a great discussion with Kathy last night about energy, past lives, etc. She understands about *everything* I never discuss except for anonymously online. It's GREAT to be able to have a face-to-face conversation about that stuff. Dinner is almost done, I'm running off!

LOL Oh, my idea of "muscle bound" is quite a lot different from most people's I guess. Most people's idea of "muscle bound" has crossed the line quite significantly into my idea of "disgusting and inhuman".

OMG Ursus, I remember when I was totally obsessed with Buffy...it was pretty bad.

LOL Bestiality seems to have gone out of style. I often wondered about those myths, where Zeus was screwing some chick in the form of a swan or what have you. I mean, what the heck?? If he wants to catch girls, maybe he should try appearing as a musclebound shirtless man in his twenties.