Clift's Notes

Posted By Doctor Clift on February 17, 2013

So clearly I haven’t written in my blog as frequently as I had originally expected to.  The best laid plans and all that.  I am going to try to improve upon that this year, but one of the reasons that I haven’t written is because at the moment I don’t have many medical- related things to write about.  This past year has been filled with many great new adventures- from visiting new historical sites and playing Surgeon at them, to actual real life events- like buying a new house and building an 18th century library.  So now with the winter slowly fading into spring, I’m brought back to remembering that I do have a blog and should write in it. But maybe I won’t just focus on the medicine.

As you grow in the reenacting hobby, it seems as if you take on new aspects of your regular life as well, to learn more things in an 18th century context. For example, a few years ago I took up beer making in order to understand the fermentation process, and because beer was consumed more regularly than water.  This year I took up the challenge of learning to sew.  I have also taken up quilting, which seems to be sucking away as many free minutes as I have in the day to donate to it. And I’m not complaining about that- just stating a fact.

February is also the month of letters campaign, run over at Lettermo.com.  A minimum of 23 letters to be written for the month of February- one for every day the post runs.  I’ve written almost 30 so far, spending time before bed in the evenings in my library, at my desk, writing with quill and ink or just ink to paper.  It too, is helping me develop skills for my 18th Century life.

Recently, there was a meme stating “I’m not a living historian, I’m just working on my post-apocolyptic skillset.  While amusing, in some ways it is kind of true.  Many of the things I know how to do now, a lot of people I know outside of the hobby don’t.  I take time to sit and write letters instead of just emaling someone- I have a 10 foot long quilting frame in my basement waiting for me to do hand quilting instead of machine quilting.  My fingers have calluses.  In my living room, I display my 18th Century books, surgical tools, and my tintype proudly where others might put a Home and Gardens vase.  And I’m not ashamed of it.  It is something to have pride in- to be able to perform these tasks, and to be able to keep myself busy without the need for a computer or text messaging or a television.  I think it is something we’ve lost, and its something that I’m learning to really love again.  So I apologize for not writing  about medicine, but I’ve been making the Doctor and Miss Charlotte more well rounded individuals in an 18th Century sense.  I promise to write more soon.

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