Okay. So every now and again I get a whirlwind of inspiration to try something new. Such happened about a week ago when, thanks to the example of Marc Gunn, I decided I’d like to plan a trip to Scotland focusing on the history and mythology in our fantasy series Rowan of the Wood.
Before I spend a great deal of time, energy, and money, I’d like to see if there is a general interest among our fans, friends, and followers to accompany us on this journey.
I’ve put together a *very* preliminary itinerary… this is so very subject to change, as I haven’t gathered any prices for the hotels/areas or even seen if they have availability.
Day 1: Edinburgh
Day trip down to Rosslyn Chapel. Filled with Green Men. Also featured in The Davinci Code.
Evening in Edinburgh
Day 2: Isle of Mull
Drive to the Isle of Mull (approx. 4 hours + ferry ride)
(here we might also look into stopping in Argyll on the way…LOADS of pictish sites there)
Check into Hotel (either on Mull or at the Argyll Hotel on Iona)
Free Afternoon/Evening
Day 3: Isle of Mill/Iona
Visit the Loch Buie Stone Cirle, Mull Where Rowan and Fiana were wed/tragically separated.
Visit Iona Abbey. Built in honor of St. Columba, the converter of the picts and mentioned in the books.
Day 4: Loch Ness & Aviemore
Visit the infamous Loch Ness (about 3.5 hrs from Mull) and try to see Nessie!
Continue onto Aviemore to the Rowan Tree Hotel, where we will stay for two nights (if we can get in). It’s near The Cairngorm National Park in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland. Perhaps there is even a Rowan tree there!
Day 5: Aberdeen & Stonehaven
Day trip to Stonehaven (2 hr one way) – optional. Here we see the remains of Stonehaven Castle. Part of Zefferelli’s Hamlet was shot there.
See the Picardy Stone, one of the oldest Pictish stones. Carved in the 7th c… 100 years after Rowan.
Visit an Ogham stone in Brandsbut, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. One of the very few left in Scotland.
** Here is where there is a choice. Would you rather pack up and leave to a new hotel each night for Day 4/5 (staying in Inverness one day and Aberdeen the second) or stay at a centrally located hotel. It’s about the same amount of driving, maybe more to stay centrally located.**
Day 6-8: Edinburgh
After a 2.5 hr drive from the Highlands (perhaps with a stop in Perth for more history stuff), spend the rest of your vacation in Edinburgh. Lots of free time to do what you want with optional group events.
National Scottish Museum (their Early People section would cover the Celts & Picts)
Edinburgh Castle
The Edinburgh Dungeon
So much more!
Again, this is just a very preliminary sketch. The final tour might not resemble this one at all. It all depends on the feedback I get from those interested!
Other options: include some Macbeth & Harry Potter stops… other literary interest?
This is staying at the Rowan Tree Hotel or something similar in the middle with day trips to Loch Ness, Inverness, Stonehaven, and Perth… The other option is driving that route and staying in Inverness & Aberdeen at different hotels.
Preliminary quotes using a UK tour guide came back at around $2500 per person based on double occupancy, land price only. This did include meals, however.
The exchange rate from $$USD to £GBP is astronomical at nearly two USD to one GBP. Makes for an expensive trip.
I, however, am determined to get a better rate than that. The more information I have regarding what interested guests might want, the better chance I have of planning a trip that would work for all. Just while composing this blog, I found this: Edinburgh 5 Day Excursion to Mull, etc. This is already less.
CONTACT ME if you are interested and answer the following questions:
1. How much are you willing to pay (land price only) for a Rowan of the Wood themed vacation to Scotland?
2. Would you prefer a program of 5, 7, or 9 days?
3. Do you want it to include meals if possible? (Breakfast & Dinner)
4. Would you rather travel more, moving to 4 or more hotels over the 8-9 days (for example) or travel less, staying in 3 or less hotels over those days? Like perhaps staying only in the Isle of Mull and Edinburgh and taking day trips from there.
5. Would you rather see actual historical sites, even if it means more time on the road? Or would you rather see most of the historical sites in museums & go to places with gift shops and such, staying mostly in Edinburgh and either Mull/Iona or in the Highlands.
6. Do you prefer hotels or B&Bs?
7. Would you prefer April, May, or June for travel?
Please, please, please CONTACT ME if you are interested. I’ll give it until August to get emails from at least 20 interested parties (based on double occupancy) because we need at least 8 (4 couples) to come in order to make this work.
The autumnal equinox known commonly as Mabon is traditionally a day of thanksgiving. The main harvests have been gathered. The store houses are full. Abundance abounds. People celebrate by feasting with their family and friends.
The Druids in the meantime are giving thanks by pouring libations of cider and wine for the trees in the forest. Gifts of fertilizer are given to the earth.
Mother Nature begins her transition from Matron to Crone. The Green Man will shed his finery. The time for labor is drawing to a close. The time for rest approaches.
It is also a time for learning. Tales will be told and wisdom passed around. There will also be plenty of time for quiet contemplation and meditation.
At the Rose household, which is currently camped out at the Kansas City Renaissance Faire and 500 years in the past, we celebrated with a big pot of Christine’s harvest stew. If I’m a really good boy, she might make her famous vegan, organic Pumpkin Cheesecake!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Torte
12 servings — egg- and dairy-free
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10 double crackers)
1 cup sugar
1 lb. soft tofu, drained
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
15-oz. can solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, plus additional for dusting
4 oz. soy cream cheese ( 1/2 cup), at room temperature (we use Tofutti’s Better Than Cream Cheese)
4 Tbs. soft canola margarine
Crust
Position rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 8 1/2-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
Make crust: In food processor, pulse graham cracker crumbs and margarine until evenly moistened. Firmly press crumb mixture into bottom and about 1/2 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Keep oven on for baking cheesecake.
Filling
In food processor, puree tofu until smooth. Add pumpkin and process
until blended. Add soy cheese, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves and process until smooth and well combined. Pour mixture into cooled crust and bake on center rack 45 minutes.
Turn oven off. Let cheesecake cool in oven 1 hour without opening door. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate cheesecake at least 8 hours or overnight. (Don’t worry if cheesecake seems a little soft; it will firm up during chilling.)
To serve, run a long, thin knife around inside edge of pan to loosen cake; remove sides of pan. Lightly dust top of cheesecake with cinnamon and serve at room temperature.
PER serving: 201 CAL; 4 G PROT; 7 G TOTAL FAT (2 SAT. FAT); 31 G CARB.; 0 MG CHOL; 100 MG SOD.; 2 G FIBER
We finished our first batch of handmade Green Man journals. They turned out rather nice!
I hope to make a video on the process during the next batch, but I’ve been quite lax with the video making these days… as you might’ve noticed.
I sculpted the Green Man on the cover. Ethan & Geahk did the corner knotworking and made the mold.
Ethan makes the paper pages from 100% post-consumer junk mail and other paper. I cast the Green Man cover in the same paper “slurry,” and then I paint the cover, hand-sew the pages together, and assemble the rest of the journal.
We have three kinds: completely handmade, as described above; one with 100% recycled printer paper as the interior pages (hand-sewn with the handmade/painted cover); and one with the covers attached to an already-made 100% recycled, lined notebook.
We’ll have all three out this weekend to “test the market,” as it were. We hope to have many to choose from by the Kansas City Renaissance Festival in Sept/Oct.
Call your representative today and tell them you support Health Care Reform!
It’s high time we, the richest country in the history of the planet, take care of our own people.
Today begins our second (and last) weekend at Scarborough Faire, and although rain is forecasted, it’s shaping up to be a normal hot, humid Texas day. Not too for my comfort, but hopefully good for the patrons.
Ethan and I have been busy little bees over the past week, improving our display & stocking up on inventory. I made 60 dragons & a few more Green Man oil pastel drawings while Ethan made another display table, a display rack, and framed my artwork. He even churned out a few more magic wands.
With regards to the overwhelming bills staring us down, we hope this will be a more successful weekend than last. We have every hope that it will be!! We’ll make enough to pay off the new unexpected book design/publishing/order costs, promotional printing costs, absurd amount of gas used to Ohio and back for book signings, normal living expenses, car/trailer payments, and still have enough left over to buy the Kindle for the contest winner in early June! Optimism rocks!
I’m writing your today from the campgrounds outside Scarbrough Faire (inside the Geekalicious Gypsy Caravan) by courtesy (and a rather high monthly payment) of Verizon’s MiFi.
I’m a little concerned about the 5 GB/mo limit… but it will all be worth it when I can work on the road from wherever. I’m choosing to think of it as a high-tech, financially-inspired way to control my internet addiction.
Since we’re not actually “On the Road…” this week, I’m made a video on how to make a Green Man painting. Well, how to make the ones I make.
When we do these weekend events (like Renaissance Faires & Celtic Festivals), I thought it was essential that we have something at our table other than just our books. Because if we had just our books, people have a tendency to walk on by. So, I started doing art that was somehow related to our book.
The process I outline in this video has become my favorite.
I’ll be doing more “How to” type videos on my art in the future when we’re not actually on the road, but we continue to travel down that road to a NYT Bestseller!!!
The Green Man is an important figure in Celtic Mythology. His history dates back to over 3,500 years ago. He represents the natural world and the cycle of life as the benevolent Spirit of the Forest. His leafy face is rooted in several culture in addition to the Celtic. It is traditional to hang his image around your home (inside and out), especially over doorways, for protection against evil.
When I was 17, I had my first job as a garland girl at the Texas Renaissance Festival, and I fell in love. Yes, I fell in love with the actor playing King Arthur (Scott Corey, may he rest in peace), but I also fell in love with the community and the lifestyle. Many people at the faire talked about being “on the circuit” and traveling the country doing Renaissance Faires. I had my mind made up! I wanted to joing the circuit and do this all the time. It was so cool (and geekalicious)!!
I told my mother what I wanted to do, and she about had a conniption fit.
“It’s like joining the circus with the rest of the gypsies! You’re NOT joining the circuit.”
At the time, I was an art major at Sam Houston State University. I ended up changing my major (3 times) and graduated with a BA in English in 1992. I tried several things in life: teaching, graphic design, web design, filmmaking, politics…. but here I am, over 20 years later doing art again and joining the Renaissance circuit!
Sorry, mom. I guess I’m a (geekalicious) gypsy after all!
We got our bags in today. It occurred to me last week that just having merchandise to sell isn’t all we need. Actually, it occurred to be during ArmadilloCon when someone bought one of my Green Men plaques and asked for a bag, and I didn’t have one. I just remembered it last week, so I ordered some 100% recycled/biodegradable bags. They came in today, so I got to try out the woodcut I made to print on them. I think it turned out pretty good!
This is a stylized Green Man design I made in Photoshop and then cut out of masonite board. It will be part of the “show” at Renaissance & Celtic Festivals where we’ll be doing woodcut printmaking demonstrations.
Stamped Bags
Additionally, here is some of my work framed, two oil pastel (5×7 framed), and my newest painting. (In that order) I think the matted/framed Green Men look very nice! I’m so very pleased with how they turned out.
I also found some 5×7 frames for 3×5 or 4×6 prints, but our 4×6 prints won’t fit into them, so I made some more Green Men with oil pastels.
Our “in progress” tent for upcoming RenFaires & Celtic Festivals
So, here it is.
Ethan was going to build one from scratch, but it proved to be too much work with what he currently has to deal with (running two BIG jobs simultaneously), so we went commercial with this sweet little number. It has a renaissance feel to it, and we’ll be doing a few more things to it to enhance it’s periodness.
The lattice on the sides are to hang the Green Man art. Those will be stained darker. I like it dark. Always.
Ethan is hand stitching a “Rowan of the Wood” banner for the sign. I’ll be using a sewing machine to make cloth sleeves to hide the metal poles/connectors. We will be using some of Ethan’s already-cut wood (from the structure he was building) to use as the beams for the roof, so it will have a nice “woody” feel inside with those.
I look forward to displaying the finished tent at MiddleFest later this month.
Which reminds me… IT’S SEPTEMBER! WOO-fricken-HOO!!! The OFFICIAL (well not completely official until Mabon) beginning of AUTUMN! Living in Texas, September always meant the beginning of the end of thedebilitating summer heat! The start of a new semester at college. A new beginning… so, here it is!
Our book is ready to go to the printers! Our wares are ready to be sold! My new class at ACC started, and the students so far seem up to the challenge…. I’ve delved more into the depths of Web 2.0 and am getting more sites working together. I’ve ordered 100% recycled retail bags in which to put our customer’s purchases (I made a woodcut to “stamp” the bags with the name “Rowan of the Wood” and image of a stylized Green Man), and we’ve ordered some handcrafted magic wands to sell. Now I need to focus on details like presentation, matting/framing prints, displays, price tags… still so much to do!
This was really just a test to try to upload photos both to Flickr and to this blog from my iPhone. Cool. Truly cool.
I’m trying to get all this Web 2.0 stuff straight, and I’ve wasted about 1/2 the day on it. I keep telling myself it’s not a waste, because it will be great to have this all set up and interactive when people start coming to our site(s) after the book release… still — FRUSTRATING!
I’ve learned a lot from actress Felicia Day’s website today. LOVE the way she’s integrated it with WordPress. Very impressive… I’ve completely stolen her idea for the links to all the social networking sites. You can now connect with me everywhere directly from this website’s homepage.
So — yes, spookiness — It’s that time again! Well, two more moths, but we’re all gearing up now! We’ve set up our vendor tent and are ready to travel with our new book Rowan of the Wood (and my Green Man art) to RenFaires, Celtic Festivals, and Fantasy Conventions (not to mention lots of bookstores) this fall. We’ll be totally incorporating HALLOWEEN (sweet, sweet Samhain) in our events, as it plays a major role in the book and, well, it’s just so fricken cool!
It looks as though the Spirit of the Forest, that good natured sprite known as the Green Man, has smiled on us this beautiful (almost) Autumn morning… we awoke to find our very own Fairy Ring in our backyard.
These weren’t there yesterday. They literally (and magically) popped up overnight!
A joyous Mabon to everyone!
We finished our first batch of handmade Green Man journals. They turned out rather nice!
