Kate outside the girls "toilet."

 

On our way to Carbisdale Castle (a youth hostel), we stopped in Alness to have dinner with Kate's aunt. Kate described her as the definition of a jolly Scottish woman, and she was ("I'm with three girls who don't drink?! Good L**d! What's to be done?!") She is a storyteller by profession and has that captivating, lilting Scottish voice. She made us traditional kedgeree for dinner (codfish, rice, currants, and hard-boiled eggs in a fish-curry sauce) and told us a Scottish folktale. Very fun. 

Carbisdale Castle - the "haunted" Youth Hostel we spent Wednesday night. It was magnificent. Lots of art work. So fun! 

A sampling of some of the artwork inside the Castle.

 

A couple of the rooms inside the Carbisdale Castle...note the "stalagtite ceiling." :) Finished in 1917, it was an early experiment with electricity. Note also the plaid tartan carpet. It was all over Scotland!

Nessie! On Thursday, we headed up to Inverness to visit the infamous lair of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. (Un)Fortunately, this fabled terror popped out of Loch Ness long enough for Amy and Kate to get their picture taken with her! Below is the famous Urquhart Castle overlooking Loch Ness. 

Only in Scotland! Goodbye!!

 

Back In London!

Amy left London on Saturday morning, the day after we arrived back from Scotland. For the next 3 days, Ted guided me around London. I am standing in front of the Queen Victoria Monument in the center picture. Buckingham Palace can be seen behind the Monument. The other photos are of things we saw while walking from the Palace to the National Gallery. Literally everyone we passed on the sidewalk seemed to be from a different country - speaking a different language, dressing differently, etc...it was amazing!

This is the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square. It was my favorite museum! Although I appreciate modern art, I am more of a traditional art lover. This museum housed so many original texts it was staggering! I saw works by Reynolds, Monet, Manet, Valesquez, Van Gogh, Mattisse, van Eyck, David, Raphael, DaVinci, Turner, Degas, Michelangelo, Boticelli...all hard-hitters! It was sweet!

This is St. Martin-in-the-Fields, one of my favorite pit stops. When we opened the doors, an exsquisite soprano voice met us. Haydn glistened from the vaulted ceilings as a choir and orchestra rehearsed for a concert that evening. I could have listened forever. 

Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament

Sunshine in the Rain....

Ted and I rode up in the London Eye, which gave us an amazing view of London. I really enjoyed it.

 

This is Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park. It has been around for centuries! People stand on their "soap box" (quite literally) and preach various ideas. One man expressed his Christian beliefs, another explained Islam, another promoted One World Federalism, another was a self-proclaimed Know-It-All. Very interesting! 

The British Museum is filled with artifacts and ancient relics. Above is the Rossetta Stone!

 

These are pictures of the University of Leicester in Leicester, England. It is a cute city and has a bit of breathing room! I visited to check out their Masters of Victorian Studies program.

Only in London!
[English yogurt, a London Underground station (the Tube), me in a red telephone booth, and Hula Hoops (a snack food)]

 

April 4 I said a sad goodbye to the UK and to Ted. It was a fantastic trip. I'll be back! Au Revoir!

Crusades Night!

Hail Lords and Ladies!
The Pleasure of Thy Company is requested for the Perusal of an Evening of History and Knightly Hospitality!
David (left) entertained the congregated throng with gripping tales of the Crusades. Authentic Food and Merriment were in Abundance!

My friend Thora and I thought it would be awesome to host a kickin' "intellectual" party where our friends could invite their friends and gather for some good, old-fashioned, medieval fun! I'd never been to, let alone planned, a gathering such as the one we envisioned, but we had a blast discovering our way! We knew Dave had an interest in the Crusades and he soon became an essential part in our scheming. He good-naturedly agreed to give a lecture on the Crusades, I sent out antiquey invitations (enclosed via wax seal!:), Thora provided the home, and we both planned the "authentic" food. It turned out great! Above is a picture of Dave teaching us in Thora's living room. Zach is modeling a costume and some of the weaponry Dave brought.

Some really awesome people even dressed up!! Beautiful Lady Rachel was a Royal Woman of England, while Eric represented the Muslims of Jerusalem. Luckily, there was no conflict and they united in harmony.

Les assistances interessees - Dave a fait un travail impressionnant!

People chillin' and eatin'. Among the dishes offered was "gyngerbred" - the ancestor of our more familiar gingerbread. It was made of dried bread crumbs, honey, and spices (including ginger). It was super sweet and somewhat sticky, but hey...it provided for a cultural experience. 

Eric brought me mangos from the Phillippines...mmm...yum. 

February

February has been AMAZING. I have loved this month, the month of love. Highlights include:

• Dressing up as Martha Washington for my Branch President's book club party. I was, of course, accompanied by the handsome George Washington - a guy named Dave from my branch. The book club had been reading 1776 by David McCullough. We made a grand entrance, were applauded profusely, taken pictures of, etc. It was a rare experience (and slightly embarassing)! In the post below, I discuss my hair a bit...I forgot my camera at the actual event (I know! Ridiculous!), so I don't have any pictures of what Dave and I looked like in full costume! We were in late 18th Century apparrel, which was rented from Seams Like Olde Times in Denver. So, I was lucky enough to have a huge hoop skirt and Dave had on knickers and buckle shoes. After the party, we showed off our duds at a local mall. We looked simply smashing!
• As a thank you gift, Dave and I were given a $100 gift certificate to Del Fresco's, a yummy, swanky restaurant in Denver. WOW! Another rare experience! It was great!
• I have received two new callings at Church, one of which is a Branch Missionary. It has been a really great experience for me. I have enjoyed being the Branch Mission Committee's secretary (e.g. slave to the task master [aka Branch Mission Leader] ;). I am also Visiting Teaching Coordinator and a Relief Society teacher. Serving in these capacities has been very fulfilling and rewarding.
• Ummm...right now it is sunny outside and that makes me happy!
• On the career front, I'm thinking of pursuing Speech Language Pathology...I'm finding out more about the profession now...it seems very cool.
• I received prayer flags in the mail with a letter from the Dalai Lama himself! :) I love Tibetian prayer flags and the meaning behind them. They believe that the prayers written upon them will ascend to heaven when the wind blows. The monks are seeking religious freedom from the Chinese.
• I have also been enjoying yoga classes one block from my home!
• I think that's it! February has been a GREAT month.

Hair

This was a practice go at my Martha Washington hair-do a few days before the actual event. I consulted the fantastic www to get an idea of how women did their hair in the late 18th century. Middle-aged women would wear those white lace kerchiefs over their hair. For the real deal, my hair was even poofier up top. I ended up NOT wearing the white lace kerchief (Martha would have been most disturbed!) - Dave encouraged me to show off my hair instead!

A Reflection on January

January flew past so quickly
I am still looking for its remnants...
But I'm not complaining,
Sadness I would be feigning,
because the passing of each winter day is
one day closer to summer's ray!
...and a trip to London in March!

I've only taken a handful of pictures over the past few months, but I wanted to blog something to let all know what's been up!