How to Improve Your Community in Two Words

Philomenaville is coming along swimmingly. I’ve sent in our application to have a presence at SL11BCC and am waiting to hear on that. Some buildings have been moved around and shifted about. The outdoor freebie market is gone, replaced by a thrift market for people to sell leftovers from gatchas (is it gatcha or gacha? Anywhoodle.) A welcome center is being put together in one wing of Town Hall, a meeting area in the other. The park is sporting a cool new Conservatory building which contains the prettiest damn dance machines you’ve ever seen. The trolley is running well and is no longer spawning additional trolleys (they were everywhere!). We’re gearing up for our first ever dance in the Conservatory this weekend (Saturday! 4PM! Join us in Bushside!) and we’re also gearing up for some RP event type stuff in a week or two. It hasn’t been without some pains in my ass but all in all, it’s going really well.

One thing that hasn’t been going well is that the Friday afternoon Social Hour at the Cafe has been a flop. And the more I talk about it with other people the more I think people just aren’t really sure what to do, or else are bored by the idea of all meeting in one spot without there being any music or anything. It’s not like it’s a town meeting mandated by the Mayor or anything. What do you talk about for an hour? So it annoys me when people don’t show up, but at the same time, if I wasn’t running it, I wonder if I’d skip it too. So I’m hopeful that Saturday afternoon dances at the Conservatory will fill that social void a little better. There’s music. There’s watching yourself dance. There’s lighthearted interaction. People are just more likely to show up.

And really, that’s the secret to making a community work, I think. It’s not me planning the events; it’s everyone else SHOWING UP. It’s not Thaddeus initiating group chat; it’s everyone else SHOWING UP. It frustrates me that I can’t make more people show up so, listen, whatever community you’re in, if you want to make it better, richer, more enjoyable… SHOW UP. You don’t have to be an event planner, you don’t have to be a prolific builder, you don’t have to be a dazzling conversationalist, just show up. That’s all.

Things that are Not Medieval, Vol. 1

I just learned today that Regretsy, one of my favorite websites, is hanging it up after three and a half years of whimsicle fuckery. Well in honor of them and their “Things That Are Not Steampunk” series, I’d like to offer some discoveries I’ve made while browsing the “Women’s Medieval/Fantasy Costumes” tag at the good ol’ Second Life Marketplace.

And so, without further ado…

Happy Rezday to Clover!

I would have let the day slip by unnoticed, had I not received a message from Lionheart Central Authority, wishing me (Clover) a happy rez day and telling me I get one free day of tier! Whee!

Clover was first created three years ago, about 5 months following Mistletoe’s creation, making her my second oldest avatar. Originally she was made as a “get away from the drama” as well as a “leave me alone and let me build stuff” avatar, but it wasn’t long before she took on a life of her own. In RP land she’s Mistletoe’s younger but more conservative sister, and I made her a single mom in tribute to my RL sister (who, while a mom, is no longer single).

Clover, March 2009.

Clover got her name from my RL sister’s birthday. I figured, if my RL birthday is on the winter solstice and I’m called Mistletoe, someone with a birthday in mid-March may be named something equally seasonal, and so Clover it was.

“Ethaniel” was already retired as a name by the time Clover was rezzed, so I picked “Windlow” because it sounded like a respectably elfy name (Later, when I created Clover’s daughter Petal, “Windlow” was already retired as well).  Clover is eternally 300 years old (whether that’s true or not…), and likes to remind Mistletoe which of the sisters is the old one.

Clover started making foodstuffs, both as a challenging creative medium and to sell. She made a concession stand for a medieval faire and was authoritatively told that nobody would ever actually pay for virtual food in Second Life.

Clover's Makeover, late 2009

Just for fun (and to try to prove the guy wrong) she opened a small booth in the local market and was surprised at just how many people were actually paying for virtual food in Second Life. The booth grew to a double booth, and that grew to the bottom floor in a three-story shop building.

February 2009 was the last time I (as Clover) bought Ls out of pocket.  It was for a set of sculpt maps.

By October of 2009 it became evident that in order to expand any more, Clover’s Kitchen would need its own parcel. Its grand opening of its first ever Main Store in the sim of Mandaland took place that Halloween.

With the opening in a modern sim came a more modern look for Clover, with shorter hair and a 21st-century business wardrobe.  Clover’s Kitchen flourished until I took a hiatus from Second Life in December 2009.  I returned just a few months later.

Clover's campaign photo, September 2010

Clover’s Kitchen needed a new home, and a spot was found in the modern city of Lionheart (and the neighborhood of Mohatu) in March 2010.  My good friend Teleny MacArthur graciously loaned me 3000L interest-free to purchase the parcel, and Clover went to work right away, having a grand re-opening (aptly) on St. Patrick’s Day.

The shop celebrated its one-year anniversary this past March.  Between opening and then, Clover got ambitious and ran for public office (and realized quickly to be careful what to wish for), started and still runs the intermittently-updating Lionheart Times, pulled off a moderately successful multi-business Winter Carnival, and even had a romantic relationship for a short while.

But, her shop is truly her first love, and anything else tends to fall by the wayside (unless it’s named Petal).

So, there you have it, a brief history of my other main avatar.  I don’t feel right calling Clover an alt; she’s almost as old an avatar as Mistletoe and logs easily as many hours (and perhaps even more).  And today she’s three years old.

Less Drama in Six Easy Steps

The other day Bliss Windlow (no relation to Clover; just happens to share a surname) said some words that really resonated with me. She said that as a child she would get in trouble a lot for being bossy and acting like a know-it-all. Boy that was me all over. She concluded that because of this, she was born to make instructive blog posts. I can only make the same conclusion.

Today, I’m going to lecture you on drama. People really really hate drama. It’s really sad to see, that the more people seem to talk about how much they hate drama, the more seems to somehow come into their lives. So in the interest of looking out for you, yes, you specifically, I’m going to show you six simple ways to have less drama in your virtual (and probably also physical) world. Ready? Here we go.

• Keep your private issues private.

Call me old-fashioned, but I can’t stand the Facebook culture. Everybody having to share every single personal detail of their lives with the entire (semi)literate world seems to have done away with our sense of private dignity. I realize I’ve officially just become old by saying that. So let me do this shit right.


“Back in my day, if someone had some personal problem, they’d talk to a close friend or trusted confidante. They wouldn’t just post it on the intertubes or whatever-the-hell-you-call-em for everybody and his dog to read. If we had some personal info on someone else, we’d whisper it over the fence or the clothesline. We called it ‘gossip’. That was the way it was and we liked it. We would have phrases like, ‘That’s for me to know and you to find out,’ or, ‘Why? None of your god damned business, that’s why!’.”

Right, so what I’m saying in my very rambling way is, the world really doesn’t need to know the details of why the wedding’s off, the group’s policy is changing, the prim baby is going back into inventory, you can’t come to work tonight, your band had to cancel its gig. We don’t need to read the break-up note. We don’t need to hear what he said and she said. We don’t need to hear names, scandalously fun though it may be. It’s really enough for us to hear “The wedding’s off”, “The group’s policy is changing to x“, “What prim baby?”, “I have to call out tonight,” or “We’re sorry but we have to cancel our gig.” That said, I understand that there’s very real emotions involved and you want to hash out what a jerkface your boss is. But that’s what friends and private conversation are for. Which brings me to number 2:

Recovering: Petal on the Road, Day 8

It’s time to check in with our intrepid young adventurers, Petal and Joline, as they explore the roads of Sansara on their bikes. No flying, no TPing unless stuck, photographing and blogging as they go.

When last we left off, Joline had gotten a bad cold while they were staying in the Chamonix City sims, so they stayed a while longer while Joline recouperated. Petal’s mom Clover shipped some of her famous chicken soup to the Chamonix City Post Office. And sure enough, Joline was feeling better after a good, warm night’s sleep.

In the Warming Hut by the fishing pond, we sat by the fire and planned out our route. We got out our maps and our phones and decided we'd go back out of Chamonix City, pick up our bikes where we left them at Off Sides, then get back on the main road in Braggiani. From there, we'd follow the Amundsen Road, which went south and looped back up north on the other side of the mountain.

Petal’s New Gig: Petal On the Road, Day 7 part 2

It’s been a busy adventure for Petal and her new BFF Joline. They’ve been riding along the roads in Sansara on their bikes, making discoveries and blogging about what they see. When last we left the intrepid nine-year-old and her BFF, they had discovered Chamonix City. Joline fell ill with a bad cold, and so she and Petal decided to stay put until she felt better. As Joline got some rest and plenty of fluids, Petal (in her restlessness) went out and about in Chamonix City to see what she could see. It’s a short update, since they’re staying put for now.

I don't know if you know it, but I LOVE hockey. And my new favorite team is the Mustangs. Because, hello, horse for a mascot!

There's almost always hockey games going on around here, like this one at Brooks Arena between the Ice Lords and Polar Bears. Later on, there was an announcement for a Mustangs game at Jericho Hill arena and I HAD to go! They had a free shuttle and everything!

(Because the games at Jericho Hill arena are at a private estate sim and not along the roadway, the sim(s) visited will not count toward her road trip. This is just an added side adventure.)

There were some girls down by the ice, cheering. And I saw, sitting nearby, one of the for real Puckettes! So I said it was nice of her to let the kids cheer, and she said, "You can too if you want!" And I was like, "No way!" And she was like, "Yes way!" So I went downstairs to the stand and joined them!

“Come on all you hockey fans! Get on up and rock those stands!”

“Go red! *clap clap* Go black! *clap clap* Come on Mustangs, let’s attack!”

Well, the Mustangs didn't win 😦 but coach was so impressed, she made me an OFFICIAL Junior Puckette!! Joline's gonna be soooo jealous!

Join us next time, when we see how Joline is doing…

Go on to Day 8!

The Best Day Ever: Petal On the Road: Day 7, Part 1

Time to spill the beans: Petal made a BFF on Night 6! Say hello to Joline, age 11. Joline is now a Junior Doe Cadet, like Petal, and they’ve begun to continue their Mainland road adventure together. They packed up all their gear and departed from the Hanson Infohub together. Let’s see where the road takes them as we start Petal’s seventh day on the road!

Sim 75: Eldora

Joline and I rode north, through Arosa Village (and the sims of Boreal and Kendall). We took a left, and headed west.

Warmth Amid the Cold: Petal On the Road, Day 6

Yes, once again, it’s time to check in with our intrepid nine-year-old explorer, Petal, as she makes her way along the Mainland roads on her bike. When last we left off, Petal had left her bike in Belmondo, got carried away in a sleigh ride to Moritz, climbed a mountain, and snowboarded all the way to the Infohub in Anzere. Let’s see if she can find her way back to the road and her bike.

Deep in the mountains, in the Snowlands, is the Anzere Infohub. I had hot cocoa and a good night's rest, but now it was time to get back to Belmondo and my bike. I hoped it wasn't towed while I was away, because with only a couple Ls to my name, I'll have a hard time getting a new one!

Sleighbells and Yak Butter: Petal on the Road, Day 5

One Kid, One Bike, and Hundreds of Sims: it’s day 5 of Petal’s bicycle trip along the roads of the Mainland continent of Sansara. When we last left off, our intrepid nine-year-old explorer had made camp at the Isabel Infohub. Let’s see what she discovers on Day 5!

When I woke up in Isabel, near the Infohub, there were 51 avatars sharing the sim with me! There was also an intersection; I decided to go straight (south-west), further away from the crowds. OMG LAGGGGG. I thought I'd never cross that bridge.

Petal on the Road, Day 4, part 2

It’s time once again to check in with Petal, that intrepid nine-year-old explorer as she pedals her way along the main roads on the Mainland. Today being what would have been Jules Verne’s birthday, it seemed especially apt to include her visit to the Jules Verne Museum. So here we go…