Bothy Ballads of Aberdeenshire

I didn't go about looking for something like this, but a craft blog, led to a Scottish craft blog and then a link in the sidebar to this video. Bill's father's family was from Aberdeenshire and this is some of their music.



There are 4 parts of this little documentary. I never even knew this Bothy ballad music existed. And it seems that the Scots use competition to keep tradition alive, just like with the dancing. Apparently during the contest there is a break during which the cooks see how fast they can feed stovies to 700 people. We didn't know what stovies were either - kind of a shepherds pie on the stove top. We used this recipe to make some for dinner tonight, with Rosemary Biscuits. Home ec, social studies and geography, a bit of family history, and some language with the Scots strewn throughout the video.

Sticks and Stones

We were at a friend's on Sunday night. She had wanted to show the DVD Rivers and Tides to Julius to show him what he could do with all the sticks he goes hunting for. As it turned out we all really enjoyed the DVD. Environmental artist, Andy Goldsworthy from Scotland uses sticks, stones, leaves, water, ice, flower petals and other natural things to make beautiful transient art. It was really inspiring and amazing.


I found this lesson plan from Australia if you'd like to take your children on an environmental art excursion.

I'm really interested in what people think. I thought it was just amazing and so accessible. Have you heard of him before? Do a google search for Andy Goldsworthy in videos or images to see more.

Help! I'm Holding a Haggis!

If you are the master of ceremonies/host of a Burns dinner about to carry in the haggis and then you realize you need to find the man with the scotch, what do you do? You can't just sit it down next to the coats! You spot a boy and hand it to him - "Take care of this til I get back!" Julius was pretty pleased to have the honor of holding the haggis. It was heavy, but he wasn't giving it up.

Tonight we experienced another rite of passage in the Scottish community. We got to attend a Burns dinner, well, the parents got to spend time behind the scenes and the kids danced on stage. Held near the birthday of the poet Robert Burns this dinner honors the poet and all things Scottish. One of the hallmarks of the night is the piping in of the haggis. There is a certain way to go about this ritual and the reading of Burns' poem "Address to a Haggis". Then there's dancing and music. The Reid School of Highland Dance was part of the evening's entertainment as well as Charlie Zahm.

While the girls were getting changed in the dressing area, Julius spent some quality time with one of the fathers outside in the hall. They were reading from a display case about the history of different American Flags. I knew the "Don't Tread On Me" flag really impressed Julius as later on he treated me and another mom to an informative talk about its meaning. (Yet another example of how they are learning all the time.) After the dancing was through most of the dancers and parents had a social time at the diner across the street. This group is a great bunch of people, there is only one thing that could have made it better, really brought our family's two cultural interests together. Come on, click it! You won't believe Gung Haggis Fat Choy!