Last spring I started walking everyday. We are blessed to live just down the street from a recently paved bike trail that has some beautiful views along the way. We also live just a short drive from a lake with trails for walking and hiking. I've been getting my exercise indoors for the past few months, but I'm looking forward to the day when I can head outside again.
Here are a few photos from my walks last spring and summer. So much beauty to look forward to!
I love how the sun is lighting up this wild patch of thistle. The flower of Scotland may not be pretty to anyone else, but to me it feels like home.
Do you want to make a world of difference with a small donation? I have just the charity for you. Educate the Kids is a charity out of Scotland that has built an orphanage and schools and changed the lives of thousands of children in a small village in Kenya, Africa. The charity was started by Maureen over 20 years ago. Maureen is the mother of my friend, Yvonne, from Scotland. Yvonne helps run the charity as well. These ladies are as good as they come. I have known them for almost 30 years and I can fully vouch for their integrity and goodness.
Because Educate the Kids is run by volunteers, they don't withhold any money from donations for administrative fees. Every penny of your donation will go to help the kids. You can donate directly through their website or you can contribute specifically toward food parcels* through Just Giving. The food parcel program was set up when the village lost their main source of income - tourism - during the Covid pandemic. Educate the Kids has literally saved this little community by providing them food and hope.
The school is finally open once again after the pandemic closed it for several months.
A little goes a long way! Please consider a donation. And tell your friends!
*The food parcel program says it's for Christmas, but as of today (February 18, 2021), they are still collecting donations and providing the parcels to families in the village.
I served in Scotland as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1992 and 1993 and, sadly, I've never been back. The plan was that I, along with 2 friends, would go back last September. I renewed my passport and was more than ready to return to my bonnie Scotland. But then - you know what I'm going to say - Covid hit and never went away and our plans were foiled.
Someday I'll get there and I can't wait! But in the meantime, I'll remember all the little things I miss, like the accent. Nothing stops me in my tracks like hearing the Scottish accent. It always brings a smile to my face. So enjoy this adorable video of "the Scottish Granny" reading to her wee grandson. I dare you not to laugh...
We all like Harry Potter so I was excited when my friend told me about a Scots language edition of the first book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stane."
It's a riot to read out loud, and somehow that seems to be the only way we can read it around here. It makes me miss my bonnie Scotland more than usual. The best part is when my kids attempt the accent. Sometimes they sound Indian or Irish. Sometimes they get it just right. Sadie is hooked and is getting pretty good at it.
We were hooked from the start. Page one had us all laughing, especially the paragraph describing the Dursleys:
The whole book is like that! It's pretty great and a fun investment.
Saying goodbye to my dad at the MTC. (I've always had a hard time saying goodbye to my dad!)
On July 1, 1992, I entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah in preparation for my service in the Scotland Edinburgh Mission (SEM). I was in the MTC for only 13 days. At the time, missionaries going to English-speaking missions stayed in the MTC for 3 weeks. However, the SEM was getting a new mission president and the outgoing president wanted to get us there before the change to lessen the load on the new president.
The classic MTC picture - my district pointing to Scotland on the big MTC map. I'm in the floral skirt.
I loved the MTC. Two districts totaling 21 missionaries had all been called to Scotland so we were a pretty tight group.
My MTC district. I'm the one in pink.
I have so many great memories of my time in the MTC and my mission. If I had to do it over again, I definitely would!
One of Sam's friends got home from his mission tonight. He's been in Italy for the past 2 years. He looks great and we had a nice visit with his family.
Talking with them got me thinking about my mission and so many of the things I miss: Horlicks, the hills purple with heather, the Scottish accent (I watched a documentary the other day that was filmed in Scotland and I LOVED listening to them!), so many yummy and unique sweets, bagpipes.... I could go on and on.
It is one of the most beautiful places. I've said for the past 23 years that someday I'll go back, but I've never been. It's about time, don't you think?
One of the things I miss about Scotland is the sweets. (Why is it that European chocolate is so much better?) With little corner shops located at the most convenient locations, it was easy to stop in and pick up a "sweetie" or two.
Side note: One of my missionary companions was very generous in sharing her sweets. She would usually hand me half of whatever she was eating and say, "Better your butt than mine." Ah, memories. :)
Anyway, I was pretty excited yesterday when I was shopping at a nearby salvage store and found Maltesers, one of my favorite Scottish treats. I hurried and grabbed several packages and then thought about it and grabbed a few more.
Do you like Whoppers? Maltesers are basically the same thing, but better! I've come across them before so Jeff and the kids are already fans.
Only those who know haggis will appreciate or even understand the above graphic. :) It made me laugh. And then I was reminded that today is Robert Burns birthday which is celebrated in Scotland with a traditional meal of haggis, neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes). I was only in Scotland for one January 25th so I only ate haggis once. (Once was enough for me, thanks.) But at least I can say I've tried it!
Happy Birthday, Rabbie Burns. For Auld Lang Syne. (Auld Lang Syne was written by Robert Burns. It means times long past. Fitting for me! I miss my Scotland days!)
Oh, I'm in love with this brand new video by the Piano Guys. Filmed in Scotland, it made me all homesick for my favorite place on earth. Complete with bagpipes and even a short refrain of "Scotland the Brave" in the middle, it gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes.
The song is called "Fight Song/Amazing Grace (Scottish Style)" and I loved what they had to say about it. (It's pretty wordy, but so beautiful):
When we first heard Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” we were inspired by its message. In a world where we too often talk about our differences, we have at least one thing in common. We all struggle. Not in the same way, nor at the same level, but we all want a fighting chance. And we all share in one gift: The will to make the most of our lives. To take what we’ve been given and turn it into something better could be considered the sentient measuring stick of success. But to do so seldom is simple and more often requires we fight. Not against each other. But against the current threatening to drown the ambition in us.
There is tremendous purpose in struggle. It is when the struggle becomes so fierce that we must fight to swim or sink. John Newton, who penned “Amazing Grace,” worked on a slave trader ship and condoned inhuman atrocities. It was when his ship was on the verge of being torn apart in a violent storm when he called out for Grace. When his feet were once again planted on firm soil he determined to change. His covenant was written into these words,
“I once was lost, but now I’m found; was blind, but now I see.”
Grace is the defining moment when we face and fight a monster poised to define us or destroy us.
This song and video for us was a struggle, but a beautifully defining one. We chose the Scottish culture to depict the dichotomy between Grace and struggle. Who else is tough enough and yet delicate enough to don a kilt in battle? And the Scottish pipe and drum are the ultimate conveyors of melody and cadence. One represents Grace, the other the indomitable fight. Our dream was to film one of the most iconic castles on the Earth, Eilean Donan Castle in Dornie, Scotland.
Grace somehow made this video possible. We had to postpone our trip to Scotland several times, and when we could no longer postpone we had to leap in faith because just before we left everything had fallen through. It wasn’t until we were in the moment and had to let go of our pride and anxiety when everything Gracefully came together. We want to give special props to Paul. When the drone capturing our aerial footage took a nose dive into the frigid waters surrounding Eilean Donan, he took one for the team and jumped in after it, heroically saving the scenes you are seeing today!
From our youth we’ve been taught that when faced with insurmountable, unthinkable odds, we cheerfully do all that lies within our power, and then stand still with the utmost assurance to let fate, destiny, karma, or to let God do the rest. It isn’t easy, but every time we have an opportunity to practice it we get a little better. We’ve found, as John Newton discovered, the closer we get to the furnace of the affliction the more our obstinance and pride burns off revealing the best way to win a fight in ourselves is to let Grace fight the battle instead.
We recognize that this video is far less important than a fight for one’s life. We hope this music will serve as an anthem for those that are in the fight of their lives. We have people close to us who inspire us every day with their grace in the face of such a struggle. This video is dedicated to them: The superheroes in our lives that don’t wear capes, but wear a smile under villainous pressure — those that have been through so many defining moments that they are intimately acquainted with Grace and know it be close cousins with hope. They know that when they can’t fully understand the purpose of a struggle, they instead recognize that knowing there is a purpose is enough. We pray that “Grace will bring them safety through.”
Finally, we feel grateful and we’d like to say, with John Newton, “When we’ve been [here] ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’d first begun.”
Nine-year-old Sadie is a great (and funny) little writer. She had an assignment in school to write a first person response to a picture of four men in kilts. This is what she came up with...
I hate my legs showing! It's just I have really long leg hair! I mean I might impress girls with my muscles but still how did those boys talk me into this!!?? What if I see my girlfriend!!!?? This thing is too short!! I feel like a man living in my mother's closet!!!!
That last line cracks me up! Very clever, Sadie bug.
(I, however, happen to love a man wearing a kilt!)
My friend, Karey, wrote the squeaky clean and super fun Husband Maker trilogy. In the second book, the main character, Charlotte, heads to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Lewis which happens to be one of my favorite places on the planet. I got to be Karey's consultant and loved reminiscing about the time I spent on the Island. (I spent 4 amazing months there in 1993.) In a fit of nostalgia, I wanted to post a few photos of the Island just to give a glimpse of how beautiful and quaint it is.
Hopefully I'll make it back there someday!
Lewis Castle at dusk.
A beautiful stormy day. The water and sky are so gray, but look at those rocky hills.
Harris is connected to and south of Lewis. (Have you heard of Harris Tweed? The Isle of Harris is where it's made.) This little 9-hole golf course was in the most picturesque location, right on the Atlantic Ocean. My missionary companion and I golfed here one day. We were literally dodging sheep poop the whole time! A quick search shows that this course is now a much bigger deal than it was in 1993.
This shepherd was just walking down the road and happily posed when we asked for a photo. A right happy fella.
Cead mile failte (Kee-ut mee-la Fall-cha) is Gaelic for one hundred thousand welcomes. That's how they treat you on the island. You won't want to leave!
When I was a missionary in Scotland, I moved to Aberdeen in July 1993. This was the first time I'd heard of St. Swithun's Day. Legend says that if it rains on St. Swithun's Day, it will rain for the next forty days. And do you know what? It's true! At least it was true the summer of 1993. It rained on St. Swithun's Day and then it rained some every day for the next 40 days. Maybe more. Aberdeen was definitely my wettest city.
Are you familiar with Mr. Bean? Maybe I have a weird sense of humor, but he cracks me up! I first learned of him in Scotland and then Jeff and I used to watch old episodes on a PBS station when we were first married. This is apparently the first episode of the original show and it's pretty good! It's long -- especially for this blog where I try to keep things short and sweet -- but if you have a half hour, Mr. Bean is always good for a laugh. We sure get a kick out of him! :)
My bonnie Scotland. Twenty years ago today I said goodbye. I can't believe so much time has passed. I think of you so often that it sometimes seems like yesterday. At other times I wonder if I was ever there.
It would be an understatement to say that Sterling is obsessed with swords. On a regular basis, he imagines himself defeating the bad guys and conquering the world. Perhaps trying to find a logical explanation for his obsession, Sterling came to me a month or so ago and asked if we had any pirates among our ancestors. My obvious answer was, "I have no idea. Ask your Uncle Rob."
If anyone knows our family history, it's Rob. And if he doesn't know, he'll find out. So after a quick phone call, Rob was on the case. Yesterday, this arrived in the mail:
In short, King Robert the Bruce of Scotland = Sterling's 24th Great Grandpa
You would not believe how happy that postcard made Sterling. Seriously. He has, in the past 24 hours, become quite the authority on Robert the Bruce. It doesn't hurt that the great battle led by King Robert was just outside of Stirling, Scotland. I believe Sterling's actual words were, "Robert the Bruce has spoken my name!"
So Rob, you win the prize. The Coolest Uncle Award is all yours!
Robert the Bruce -- "The most famous king who had ever reigned in Scotland, one whose name will never be forgotten as long as there is a Scottish nation."Imagesource
My sister-in-law, Kristin, took us out to the gravel pit at her family's farm today. It's a big water hole with a rope swing and plenty of rocks for skipping. The kids were pretty brave on that swing! There were a couple of kayaks for paddling around and, despite the wind, we had a great time!
I literally gasped out loud when I saw Jaffa Cakes on the shelf of a little salvage store I visit periodically.
These were a favorite treat during my Scotland days - sponge cake with a layer of orange jelly and topped with chocolate. Oh. Yum. Turns out, Soren loves them as much as I do! :) They sure didn't last very long.
The words on the box made me smile:
Scrummy and squidgy? That must be British for delish! :)
I just can't figure out why I only bought one box...
I love Scotland and, as a result, I love all things Scottish. I served as a Mormon Missionary in Scotland from July 1992 to January 1994 and I think I've thought about Scotland in some way everyday since. That is why I drive a MINI. That is why I have to catch my breath whenever I hear bagpipes. So you can understand why I had to take a picture of this thistle that was randomly growing by the side of the trail in Bryce Canyon National Park. The flower of Scotland. Beautiful!
One year ago today Jeff bought me my dream car. I've loved MINIs since I was a missionary in Scotland way back when. When I first saw them in the States, I hoped that someday I'd have one. We were lucky to find one used so that someday came much sooner than I expected. It took a good week of some serious buyer's remorse before I could say I love my car, but I LOVE MY CAR! It's probably the only "cool" thing we've ever owned. Isn't it cute? (The driver isn't bad either!)
