Top 10

I have been noticing all sorts of Top 10 lists lately.  Top 10 news stories, Martha's Top 10 Cookies, Top 10 web searches, etc. etc. etc.   Well, I like lists.  Lists are good.  They free up space in your brain.  Space that you can fill with other totally useless information, like the fact that tonight is The Night of the Radishes.  (Go ahead, Google it.) 

If you know me well, you know that I have lots of lists.  If you know me really, really well, you probably wonder how many trees I've killed just to keep my lists.  You might also wonder how many lists I really have and how I keep track of all of them.  Ummm, that's my secret and I'm not telling.

I don't have a list on my blog yet, so it's time for a list here.  These are the top 10 projects that I want to get completed:

1. A secret project.
2. Another secret project.
3. 2010 Saturday Sampler - I am current with these blocks, I just haven't blogged about them for a while.
4. 2009 Saturday Sampler - All the blocks are done, I only need to do the setting, quilting and binding.
5. A second 2009 Saturday Sampler - what was I thinking.
6. Lizard Ridge Afghan - the squares are all knitted and blocked, just needs to be sewn together.
7. Knit a pair of socks - cast on in Washington D.C. last weekend.
8. Houston Sweater - I've had this yarn some time and I cast on and have knitted about 1 inch so far.
9. Granny's Wedding Quilt - my granny gave me this quilt before she died with the condition that I had to finish it.  The blocks were all embroidered by her friends and family.  None of them are the same size, but now I have a plan.
10. Birds in the Air quilt - 12 blocks are all done, but it seems kind of small.

With any luck, I will be able to figure out how to post this on the side of the block so you can keep track with me or keep me on track as the case may be.

Scotland - Last day

This was our last day in Scotland.  I wish we had longer because even though we saw a lot, we missed so much.  We did manage to see another castle, Inveraray Castle. 

This has been the home of the Campbell clan since the 1400's.  The Campbell's have been around even longer than that, but they lived somewhere else before the 1400's.  In the 1700's the Duke decided to tear down the old castle and had the current castle built.  We were able to tour a part of the castle, but much is blocked off for the family as this is still the home of the current Duke of Argyll. The entrance and hall are filled with spears, pikes, shields, daggers and other arms that I couldn't identify other than to know I didn't want to get hit with one of them.  The old kitchen had been restored and had some amazing contraptions.  I think you had to be pretty strong to be a cook and I can't imagine what a production it must have been to prepare for dinner, let alone some of the feasts they had.  We also got to see the dining room, the sitting room, the china room, and one of the bedrooms.

We had lunch and a quick walk around Inveraray.  The architecture is the same throughout the town as it was torn down and rebuilt when the castle was redone.  The town was also moved a bit so the Duke would have a clear view to the water.  They have a bell tower with a ring of ten bells, which we got to hear.  It really added to the charm of the town.

There was a quick stop in Loch Lomond.  As you can see, we had another beautiful day.

A section of the town is perfectly landscaped and maintained because they film a Scottish Soap Opera there.

We drove by the Scottish Open on the way to Glasgow.  We couldn't see anything except a lot of parked cars.  It was late when we got to Glasgow so we didn't have time to stop and look around, just a quick drive by.  Then, it was back to Edinburg for the flight home.

Scotland was a beautiful country.  Visit if you ever get the chance.  No matter how long you stay, it won't be long enough.

Snow

It snowed today.   Ummmm, only for about 15 seconds, but it was snow.  I have a witness.  My friend, who is also my neighbor saw it too.  I am so excited.  What a great way to start December.  No need to post about what a nerd I am, I already know.

Oban

This was the most relaxing day we had in Scotland.  We didn't have to travel anywhere.  Well, David and Mike did, they went fly fishing.  David had never fly fished before so it was quite an adventure for him.   He liked it and he even caught a fish.

Margie and I stayed in Oban and walked and shopped through the town.  We managed to find several  lovely shops.  Margie was able to add to her pottery collection and I found a necklace to remind me of the trip.  We had a little snack and shopped a little more and ran across a chocolate shop.  This necessitated another snack in the name of research and I am happy to report Scottish chocolate is quite tasty.   

After the boys returned from fishing, we wandered back to town and toured the Oban Scotch Distillery.  It was really quite fascinating.  The distillery was built in 1794 and the town was eventually built around it.  It has two pot stills so it is the smallest distillery in Scotland.  The contraption that all the scotch flows through as it is drawn off the still was rather amazing.  I can see it in my mind, but there's no way to describe it.  It was much smaller than you would think and looked kind of like a chemistry experiment from the movies enclosed in glass.   The first part of the run isn't used and neither is the tail end of the run.  A man (title long since forgotten) watches and tests the run to determine when it is good and draws it off.  It's part art and part science.  We had a little taste before it was aged and it is fairly harsh (some might say extremely harsh) at that stage.  Then, off to the tasting room for a wee dram of the finished product.  My, what a difference a barrel and some time make. 

Most of the group bolted down their dram and headed out, but I was finding the tasting quite fascinating.  Who'd have thought!  We had been chatting with the manager through the tour and asking lots of questions.  When I asked him how to properly taste the scotch, he told us and started explaining the differences between the distilleries.  Somehow I ended up with about three different wee drams to taste.  It was really surprising to me how unique they were when you slowed down and actually thought about what you were tasting.  It changed my opinion Scotch and I will have a sip now and again.  Of course, I bought a bottle to bring home.  

After dinner, we went to a Skipinnish.  You might be wondering what is a Skipinnish.  It is a place where musicians and dancers gather to perform.  We saw, and participated in, Scottish dancing.  Well, not all of us participated and I will spare you the photos.  Actually, I didn't take any because I danced with Margie.  You can make your own assumptions about who didn't dance.  One man played the bagpipes, a lovely girl played the violin and harp, there was a singer, a girl that did several traditional dances, and a drummer and a few others that I have misplaced somewhere in my brain.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Joshua!!!!!