happy new year!

I blinked, and now it's 2010. Can you imagine the audacity of time?

We celebrated a "Scottish New Year", which mostly consisted of having a few folks over for dinner, then firing up the internet and watching the Hogmany Live from Edinburgh. It was a tad more restrained than the Times Square Rocking parties (though a few friends assure me the unofficial celebrations are just as rowdy). Anywho, with a minute to midnight, they focused in on a single bagpiper next to a cool fire... and then massive fireworks lit the sky precisely as the New Year began.

Which was 7pm our time, folks. Does it get any sweeter than that? We shared a bit of champagne, then sent our tall, dark haired man out the back door and to the front for the First Footing. A bit of tea and Hobnobs, a bit of Columba blended whisky, a bit (more) juice and cookies for the kiddos... and then friends & kiddos happily left for home (well, the parentals anyway). Before 9pm. Brilliant!

And now on to 2010... which already seems a very cool year indeed!

Lingering Memories...

On pure chance, we found a store in Sarasota that sells "IRN BRU"! It called for a mini-celebration (complete with hob knobs too).



Of course, all that celebrating tuckered us out...



Happy dreams, everyone! Lingering, daydreams or otherwise!

F R E E D O M

If you're not familiar with the movie Braveheart, go watch it. We'll wait the 3 hours before moving on. Okay? Good. This will make so much more sense now:

We visited the Wm Wallace Memorial in Stirling. Nifty little place.

Nearby was Stirling Castle. We know a lot more about the various King James' now.



I thought this looked just like a play set!

Bonnie Adventures

Well, folks, we’re safe and sound if somewhat disconnected here on the British Isle. We’ve got limited cell minutes (gasp) and no internet at the flat (I’ll wait until you pick yourself up off the floor). Which means that the adventures we’re having aren’t translating into almost-real-time blog entries!

Actually, most of our adventures last week were related to finding some place or helping Kade adjust to the 5 hour time difference- neither of which actually photograph well. But then came the Ceilidh (Scottish traditional dance, versions in other celtic/british groups too).

We arrived a few minutes early. When the other students arrived en masse and saw Kade in his kilt... well, within about 20 seconds he was surrounded by gushing ladies and flashbulbs. I wish I had it on camera. He handled it well, pointing and babbling and signing autographs... then went to go talk to the band.

We did manage to visit the castle one afternoon. Very cool stuff, including legends about King David I... Can't you see how thrilled he is?