My family loves just about anything that has to do with the Medieval and Renaissance times including castles, knights, swords, armor, archery and tapestries. We are also keen about handmade items such as wood boxes, soaps, candles, jewelry, clothing, costumes, etc. We have attended the Renaissance Faire several times and just adore the atmosphere it has to offer with the music, food, vendors, entertainment and jousting (which is the official sport of our state, Maryland) .

There is no doubt the above are reasons why my boys have taken an interest in “Fencing.” They seem to have a passion for sport, which is actually an Olympic Event. It all started at the Renaissance Faire where kids can have a mock duel trying to pop the balloons on each other’s shoulders. This isn’t real fencing, but it was fun for them to put on the gear, masks, gloves and use the sword.

They have taken about three different classes through a local college (Kids on Campus). The classes tended to last about an hour and a half for six weeks. The college provided the gear and foils (fencing swords). They learned to “thrust”, “parry”, “repost”, “En Garde”, etc.

These classes weren’t enough for them. They wanted more! We got really lucky to be able to have the assistant coach, Brian, teach the kids outside of the college. We met at a park in Frederick once a week for two hours. He is the best teacher they have ever enjoyed.

He started his lessons off with having the kids stretch. Then about half an hour was spent teaching them the history of weapons, how and why they evolved, etc. They would then learn new moves that were used in certain historic times. Next they got into the actual fencing lesson. They also started doing “combat fencing”, which required them to use a wooden dowl instead of the foil sword.

Brian would get into his gear before they started the active part of their lessons. He wasn’t wearing the normal fencing gear, he got into character depending on what type of history he was teaching. You can see the stages he took to get ready. He even made the chain maille that he was wearing. He has to be well protected against the kids as he tends to be the main target which they like to gang up on. I guess they know a competitive foe when they see one.

They have learned moves such as “Ochs (ox)” guard, “Pflug (plow)” guard, “Alber (fool)” guard, “Vom Tag” (roof) guard, etc. The five basic fundamental stances or guards are used with nearly all forms of Medieval long-swords. Virtually all the masters taught these primary positions or variations of them.

We have a collection of favorite movies such as ” First Knight ” , ” Braveheart “, ” Lord of the Rings “, ” Kingdom of Heaven “, ” Star Wars “, ” Harry Potter “, etc. My boys have seen some of these films, but can’t watch all of them due to their content. They did see one small part of ” Kingdom of Heaven .” The reason they watched this one part of the movie is because there is a scene where the father ( Liam Neeson ) was teaching the son ( Orlando Bloom ) sword combat moves that were familiar to the kids from their lessons.

I am not sure where they will use these skills when they grow up, but they are certainly having fun learning!

Check out the video… (click here)
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Comments: 1.

Hello Seniorita~

We love Fencing in my country of Mexico too!!

Adios,

Juan

*James… you are too funny! ~Wendy

Comment by Juan Martinez — 1/31/2006 @ 3:26 pm
2.

Very sweet Wendy!
:)
I am glad the boys are enjoying that!

Comment by Barbara (Xerraire) — 2/1/2006 @ 8:59 pm

To accomplish a goal, you have to stay focused on it until you reach that goal. It is not always easy to do. There are barrages of things popping up every day that distract you. There are people who don’t believe in you and will try to bring you down. There are obstacles that get in the way and things you have to learn to get ahead.

No one wants to be fat, no one wants to be poor, no one wants to be a nothing… you get the idea.

Take for instance, the goal of losing weight. It can be a goal at any time of year, but tends to mainly be set at the beginning of each year. A new year brings a new goal.

You will have cravings pop up. There will be birthdays and holidays where sweets are the center of attention. Some days you will have too much to do that you won’t be able to exercise. There will be people who think you will never lose the weight. They will observe what you eat and criticize you for eating the wrong things. Stressful situations will come up that make you focus on them instead of your goal. You will have to learn a new way of eating and exercising for life to keep the weight off and stay healthy.

It seems like a lot, but if you are in the right frame of mind, you can do it! You can accomplish just about any goal you want.

I can’t always help people the way I would like to fulfill their dreams. There aren’t enough hours in a day since I am also trying to accomplish my own goals and spend time with my family. I can however, help by sharing some great resources or create resources for people to use in their quests.

Today I have a good one. I have even had my kids use this resource with me. It’s sort of based on the saying “Stick to the Task” and “Keep it Simple Silly” or “Keep it Simple Stupid.” The website is called Simpleology. I signed up for the free Simpleology 101 and receive these wonderful daily newsletters that remind me to keep things in life simple and focus on my goals. There are daily lessons, videos, quizzes and more.

Simpleology was created by a guy named Mark Joyner who is very successful in the online world and is located in Las Vegas, Nevada. I have read many of his online newsletters over the years and really like them. They always seem full of useful information and resources.

Hopefully this resource will help you as well! Now, what are you waiting for? Set those goals and get busy focusing.

I had the privilege of talking with Lisa of Revenue Magazine. She was doing a follow up to the “Five Who Thrive” interview I did two years ago in the first issue of the magazine. This follow up is in Revenue’s 2nd Anniversary Special edition which just came out for JAN/FEB 2006.It was wonderful talking with Lisa. I got to look back over the past two years to see how far I have come in the online industry of affiliate marketing, creating websites, and earning money online. I hope that I can inspire others by sharing my experiences through the interview.

It is good to see the other four people from “Five Who Thrive” are still around and doing well also! …

Rosalind Gardner owns Sage-Hearts.com and has written a book “The Super Affiliate Handbook: How I Made $437,797 in One Year Selling Other People’s Stuff Online.”

Zac Johnson owns MoneyReignNetwork.com and started his first internet business at aged 14 in 1997 selling website banners for $1.

Elisabeth Archambault quit her part-time job as a technical writing instructor to run her website, BuckWorks.com.

Ulrich Roth lives in the Canary Islands and runs Last-Minute-Reisen-Weltweit.de , which is a travel service.

You’ll have to request the first issue if you want to see the original “Five Who Thrive” interview. Make sure to also get this new 2nd Anniversary Edition to read the follow up interviews. Revenue Magazine has come so far in the two years of it’s publication. It is such a valuable resource for everyone including merchants, affiliates, marketing and sales people, and anyone with an online presence.
Revenue magazine shares trends, reviews, & success stories
www.revenuetoday.com

APRIL 2006 UPDATE - You can see the scans of the article now. - Read Here
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Comments:    1.

Wendy!
This is yet another notch of recognition for your achievements!
Well done!

Barb

Comment by Barbara (Xerraire) — 1/17/2006 @ 3:44 pm
2.

Hi Wendy,

I just read about your progress update in Revenue. It was great seeing an article about you in the first issue and then again in this most recent one. Congratulations on your success! I’ve known you since the beginning of ClubMom’s affiliate program, way way back when and we’ve crossed paths a few times through the years but never took the time to chat one on one. That’s a shame, but it’s never too late! I know you’ll remember my first site - MomsRewards.com - but did you know I have 10 websites now? Can you say addicted? hehe… Actually, I’m stopping there and am very happy with my 10. Anyway, I’ll stop the rambling and just say once again - congrats to you! Yeah!
Karlyn
http://karlyns.com

Comment by Karlyn — 1/20/2006 @ 12:40 pm
3.

Wendy,
Congratulations on the recognition and exposure. Continued success.

Ken

Comment by Ken — 4/19/2006 @ 11:49 pm

I have expanded on my BuildMovies.com website with a way for filmmakers, actors, and others to post production notes. Many people love learning about what goes into making a film, see behind the scenes photos, and more. “Build Movies” is a way to connect the two and generate interest in the films. If you know of anyone in the movie business, send them over to submit their movie making news.

I have been hooked on a song by Green Day called ” Boulevard of Broken Dreams .” I can’t tell you how many times I have listened to it. I just love it! I also did some research about Green Day as I usually do when I am interested in something. It was interesting to see that the singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, shares the same birthday month (February) as I do, although we are four years apart in age. He is married and has two children. He started his first band when he was 14 years old. Billie has a great voice. I look forward to more neat songs from the band.

Here are the lyrics, photos, etc. …

I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don’t know where it goes
But it’s home to me and I walk alone

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
and I’m the only one and I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk a…

My shadow’s the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
‘Til then I walk alone

Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah,
Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah

I’m walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line
Of the edge and where I walk alone

Read between the lines
What’s fucked up and everything’s alright
Check my vital signs
To know I’m still alive and I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk a…

My shadow’s the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
‘Til then I walk alone

Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah
Ah-ah, Ah-ah

I walk alone
I walk a…

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I’m the only one and I walk a…

My shadow’s the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
‘Til then I walk alone…

Watch the cool music video on Green Day’s website - Click here

You can find more information about the band on the Official Fan website - Click here
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Comments:    1.

Cool song.

Comment by Ken — 1/3/2006 @ 9:52 am
2.

Green Day is my favorite band of all time! Have you heard the song “Wake When September Ends”? It’s awsome. Even though we can’t afford to get a whole bunch of Green Day stuff (like I wish we could), my desk top and screen saver are Green Day. The band has a very colorful past. It’s nice to know that someone out there likes the band too.

Comment by Erin — 1/22/2006 @ 5:13 pm

Well, the holiday hoopla is now almost over. *Whew. We enjoyed time visiting with family. This is a basic coverage of how it went …

We had 15 family members and 6 dogs at our home on Thanksgiving Day. We had some of those family members stay over the weekend. I served a juicy fresh turkey. This is the first time I didn’t use a frozen one. We all really loved it and could taste the difference. Can you guess what was on the menu for Christmas Day? Yep, fresh turkey!

The next weekend after Thanksgiving, we had 20 family and friends for my son’s 12th birthday party here. Pizza, homemade cookies, and pumpkin pie were on the menu. My son didn’t want a cake for his birthday. He wanted pumpkin pie. So I decorated it with whipped topping by placing it in a zip lock baggie and getting a corner off to allow a nice controlled flow to decorate the pie with. Added some candles and walla!

My mom arrived from Arizona on December 2nd. She visited for a week at my home and a week at my one brother’s home. Unfortunately when she arrived, my boys were getting over bad head colds. After she left, two of my boys were hit with a bad stomach flu. My littlest one was hit really bad. I spent four days with him on the couch watching movies. It was also unfortunate that my mother, my brothers, and family all also got sick with colds at their home.

During this time I had to also prepare for Christmas. I wrote up Christmas cards, purchased Christmas gifts, wrapped the gifts, cleaned the house, bought lots of groceries, and baked lots of homemade goodies. I’m sure we all gained some weight in the process.

For Christmas we had 11 people here at our home. It was my beautiful little niece’s first Christmas. You can’t help but smile when you see her. My boys were extremely happy.

Also during this time one of my brothers is enduring a move from Texas to Virginia. He is sort of in limbo with his move, so he is spending time staying with us here in MD and my other brother in VA with his dog, Sir Winston. They arrived before Thanksgiving. He served last year in the country that starts with an “I” and ends with “Q”. The bad news that depressed us over these holidays is that he found out that he has to serve again for another year. Needless to say, we are enjoying the time we all have together before he has to go.

We spent a quiet New Year’s Eve at home. As a matter of fact, I happened to be the only one who was awake when the clock struck 12:00. I have spent a bit of time catching up on cleaning, emails and some online work.

Next we will be celebrating Christmas with my inlaws. They celebrate the Greek Orthodox Christmas on January 7th. We all live somewhat near each other. It looks as though we will all go out to lunch or dinner after exchanging gifts.

So there! That is why you haven’t seen me post too much until today! These are the days we all cherish making memories to last a lifetime for ourselves and our children. I hope you also built lots of wonderful memories during the holidays.