Post-event reviews are in!

Yes, I made the participants in my class on The Amazing Princess Ol’ga (See Getting ready for Twelfth Night and more Ol’ga;  and My article on Princess Ol’ga is published!) at Flaming Gryphon Twelfth Night fill out anonymous class evaluation forms. I’m going to keep up the practice at future classes, as well as taking attendance. I’m trying to improve my teaching by building in more accountability.

But first, a note on the weather. It was below zero F., actually -3 degrees F., when I pulled into the site for the event. It had been colder than that when I left home. Luckily my old Honda Fit made the trip and back with no trouble, even though it has been making strange noises and smelling funny recently. I don’t think it likes these Arctic temperatures! 😛 I know I don’t!

I thought I was going to be trapped in my garage before I even left home, though. The door was refusing to open far enough so that I could back out, but I kept trying and finally it went all the way up. Whew!

Since it was so very, VERY cold, I didn’t wear my garb for the trip, but instead wore layers and layers of warm mundane clothes, topped by a parka, fleece-lined gloves, a hat, and scarf.

I also decided that my harp would be better off staying at home, although I really like to take it to events.  It keeps me busy practicing on it during lulls in conversing with people, attending classes, eating, and the like. But not when taking it would subject it to subzero temperatures!

Because it was so darn early, and so very cold, there were not many people at the event yet.  I only had three participants, which was a disappointment.

But although small, they were a lively bunch, especially Keith of the Incipient Shire of Grenemere, who asked questions throughout and stayed afterwards long enough that I could rope him into carrying my big whiteboard through the freezing air to my car.

So here are my “reviews,” in their entirety:

“Very informative. I really enjoyed it.”

“Very interesting. The pictures really help. You have a very comfortable, friendly style.”

“You are an excellent speaker! I don’t know anything about medieval Russia, but you made it all make sense.”

Pretty nice feedback. I feel more confident going into this coming weekend, when I’ll be teaching about Ol’ga for the third and last time, in my home Middle Marches Barony at our Twelfth Night celebration.

Dan Barringer, (aka Uilleag Balbhan) Sheryl’s husband, dropped in and took some pictures of me teaching, including a hilarious one where my easel fell apart, dumping my whiteboard.

A side note: my brown linen underdress, with bands of yellow linen on the sleeves and the hem, and an embroidered neckline, was made for me by a woman in Kiev, Ukraine whose shop is fittingly known as The Slav Medieval Shop. This is my Viking/Slav/Rus’ “look.” 😉

Then I have borrowed some photos taken during Feast by the chronicler of many of our events, The Virtual Herald, which were posted on Facebook. Hover over them to read the captions:

King and Queen of the Bean

Lady Anna Rosina Kromphart on the left, standing, our class coordinator

Poochmeister

Feast: the big picture

Friends from Tirnewydd

Baroness Allegra

Baroness and Baron of Flaming Gryphon, left and second from left

I didn’t stay for Feast, because I had to hurry home. My brother and sister-in-law and nephew were taking me out to dinner on a flying visit from the East Coast, where they had had a foot of snow the day before. They were on their way to drop Ben off at college at Ohio State to start a new semester. It was wonderful to see them–it had been a year since I saw them last. ❤

Geography and climate are so important.

Do you know where Ukraine is? Kiev?

Here they are!