Well, I wanted to get all this down while it was still fresh, so K and I have debriefed quite a bit about this trip. I’m putting it all in one (behemoth) post, so it can be saved if desired.

Before I go a step further, I want to make it very clear that we are not travel experts. There are MANY people (some who will read this) who are much more widely traveled than we, and who bring a lot of savvy to the table, especially with regard to international travel. But, as I am the primary (read: SOLE) travel planner of our adventures, I’ve learned a thing or two as we’ve begun taking longer and longer trips, and maybe it will serve you in some capacity with your own planning, certainly for Scotland, and maybe even beyond.

I’ve actually heard people say that Scotland is boring. While I try to have a heart for ALL people, this type of thinking is, to me, alien and UNNATURAL.

There. I said it. Ha!

All kidding aside, I DO understand that if you don’t care a whit about history or the outdoors, and you don’t care for the (more than) occasional rain shower, maybe Scotland isn’t for you. If you’re ALL ABOUT THE FOOD, you also may want to seriously consider where you want to spend your vacation dollars more effectively. While the foodie scene IS on the rise, and there are some GREAT restaurants all over Scotland, if food is your primary interest, Italy or France may be a better fit. The Scots love their hearty meal and a wee dram and they’re good at THAT.

Lodging, though, is my sticking point. That’s a huge part of any trip for me and I’m pretty picky about the places we stay. That’s the main crux of this post, and where our “ratings” are applied. You can read through our qualifiers and determine for yourself whether these things are as important for you. For our (not-at-all) official rating system, we have decided to use the travel trunk 🧳 as our “star,” for no other reason than I actually own one, stickers and all, and it’s one of my favorite things. 

Our lodging qualifications are as follows:

• Location – good “base” area to access local sites, attractions, and restaurants; easy parking
• Aesthetic – Tastefully and thoughtfully decorated, all furnishings, carpets, etc., kept in excellent condition
• Amenities – Every possible need has already been considered and provided before a guest even realizes they need it
• Cleanliness – Every nook, cranny, and corner is completely clean and free of dust or mildew.
• Staff – Every person is overjoyed to welcome their guests, service-minded from check-in to check-out
• Bank for the Buck – pricing in line with product, worth every penny

🧳🧳🧳🧳🧳 – Excellence in every area; far exceeding expectation 

🧳🧳🧳🧳 – Very Good; expectations met

🧳🧳🧳 – Enjoyable, but falling short in some areas

🧳🧳 – Basic needs met, but only just

🧳 – Key areas overlooked; would not stay again

Along with the lodging ratings, I’ll mention some of our favorite things to do in each area, some stand out restaurants, and some places that we will look into staying instead, the next time around. 

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Rental Car:

In the UK, Arnold Clark is one of the largest car rental companies. Celtic Legend is a Scottish Arnold Clark rep and I cannot recommend them more emphatically. I worked with the same people via email (Hi Steve and Liam!), to set everything up, and they offer an airport service for an additional (reasonable) fee, where a person will follow your flight and meet you in the arrivals hall to take you to your car. They will wait up to five hours if there is a flight delay and communicate with you the whole time. It was FANTASTIC and WELL WORTH the extra money, speaking of which, their costs were reasonable and INCLUDE INSURANCE (outside the deductible or “excess”, though you can pay another fee to cover that, too, if you choose). They knew we were bringing golf clubs and upgraded us at no extra charge, afraid that the car I’d chosen might not be big enough. Truly, I can’t say enough good things.

Edinburgh:

🧳🧳🧳🧳Lodging: Alex’s Stockbridge Apartment  (Airbnb)

We loved this apartment. Nice amenities, appliances, clean, stylish, and thoughtfully appointed, it was darling. It was nice to have two bedrooms, so we could use one as a dressing room, and the location was great. Stockbridge is a quiet area north of the main tourist areas of Old Town/Grassmarket, but those areas are still very walkable. It has great eateries close by, and though it sits above a busy Thai restaurant, the noise was never an issue. The only reasons we gave a 4-trunk-rating are no dedicated parking, and it has no washer/dryer. Neither would be an issue if you were only staying in Edinburgh (no need for a car if you are just visiting that city), or if you were there only for a shorter trip where washing wouldn’t be an issue. Alex was a dream to work with, very helpful and available, and we have no issue recommending her lovely flat.

Things to do:

While we did all the “biggies,” (Edinburgh Castle, Palace at Holyrood House, St Giles Cathedral, Royal Mile and the Grassmarket, etc.) and fully recommend them all, I particularly enjoyed the Royal Botanical Gardens (free and FAB), as well as the National Galleries of Scotland, and the National Museum of Scotland (a must if visiting with kids).

Restaurant:

Do NOT miss The Kitchin for a Michelin fine-dining experience. Book well in advance.

The Pantry in Stockbridge (walkable from the apartment) for breakfast.

Good Day Trips:

• Stirling – Stirling Castle, Wallace Monument, Battle of Bannockburn, Church of the Holy Rude (ask for a tour with Andy)
• South Queensferry
• Nearby golf – Ladybank and St Andrews (north), North Berwick and Gullane (south)

Loch Lomond/Trossachs National Park:

🧳🧳🧳Lodging: Roman Camp Hotel 

There are a lot of things to love about Roman Camp. It sits on beautiful grounds. It has a lot of cool history and some really great common spaces that beckon you to linger. We received a complimentary upgrade upon arrival, which was nice, and were very warmly cared for throughout our stay. It sits in the lovely little town of Callander, right in the Trossachs National Park, with wonderful access to trailheads and beautiful scenery. It’s within spitting distance to Loch Lomond, as well. Their food was excellent, with breakfast included, and a very solid dinner offering, too. But Roman Camp is TIRED. It needs at least £500,000 to be poured into it (a million if they want to do it right), and I SO HOPE that happens, as it’s deserving, and could easily be brought back to its former glory. If it received that needed attention, I would happily race back and tell all my friends. But, for now, we’re giving it a 3-trunk rating.

Things to do:

HIKE!!! Download AllTrails and just search the whole area. It’s SO beautiful. This part of Scotland is woodlands, lochs, and hills, so you can’t go wrong. We loved the Loch Katrine and Primrose Hill Circular. It’s a longer one than our average 4-5 miler, but not difficult and full of eye candy.

Glencoe:

🧳🧳🧳Lodging: Glencoe Inn and Gathering

The Glencoe Inn. It sat in a good spot, right in the heart of the beautiful and mystical Glencoe mountain range. A part of the Crerar Hotel Group (you’ll hear this name again), it wasn’t bad, but it could’ve been great. The staff wasn’t overly friendly (save the wonderful breakfast host), but they weren’t awful either. Our room was nice, but not well thought out, and as much as I hate to say it, not as clean as it should’ve been. Not nasty, mind you (I wouldn’t have stayed), but not what you want in a hotel room. They did have a really nice breakfast (included), great coffee, and a close proximity to many trails; however, now that we’ve been there, we would recommend seeing this area from Fort William, just up the road. It sits in the shadow of Ben Nevis (Glencoe’s largest “munro” or mountain), and while we haven’t stayed there, I have Inverlochy Castle Hotel on my “future” list.

Things to Do:

Like Trossachs, this part of Scotland is ALL about the outdoors. Truly, whether hiking or fishing (some of the best salmon fishing in the world), you’ll want to be outside. We loved our short Three Sisters hike  and the lovely Ballachulish Quarry Circular, but there are MANY more for you to enjoy. Go tackle one of the munros, if you’re up for it!

Isle of Skye:

🧳🧳🧳🧳🧳Lodging: Storr Apartments – Fada

How do I begin? This was the finest self-catering apartment I’ve ever experienced. Fresh flowers and wine greeted us the moment we walked in. Soft music was playing, as the cool breeze wafted through the windows. High thread-count linens. Plush towels. PRISTINE carpets, floors, bathroom. High end bath products. Local eggs, bread, cheese, meat, and milk in the fridge, right down to a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and some whisky ice in the freezer. The extras went on and ON. Even the bathroom floor was heated and there was a washer/dryer complete with soap. Fiona knows her stuff and she runs a great family business, attending to our every need and making it such a wonderful stay, right there in the very shadow of one of the isle’s most iconic natural wonders, the Old Man of Storr. If you spend any time on Skye (and you SHOULD), you MUST STAY HERE. 

Things to Do:

We did see Dunvegan Castle which was fascinating, but spent most all of our time hiking some of the most beautiful hikes we’ve ever done (don’t miss The Quiraing  or The Old Man of Storr). However, there is excellent fly fishing on the isle (salmon and trout), as well, along with shopping in Portree, The Fairy Pools, Talisker Distillery and Talisker Beach, just to name a few of its many attractions. Skye is worth the trip.

Restaurant:

We had reservations at Three Chimneys, a casual but Michelin fine dining restaurant on the west coast of Skye, but we ended up relinquishing them, as we couldn’t get off the mountain in time. However, I have no problem recommending it. Across the board, everything I’ve heard from those there, as well as online, has indicated a top-notch experience.  Reservations a must. Note: They have a second location at the Talisker Distillery that is more casual. The one to which I’m referring is just minutes from Dunvegan Castle.

Dornoch:

🧳🧳🧳🧳🧳Lodging: Dornoch Station Hotel

When I told Kevin I’d booked us at Dornoch Station, he looked at me in horror. He’d been there before, having walked in for lunch with our son-in-law, about six years ago, and it was in terrible shape. But I showed him the pictures and told him it was one of the Scottish and Northern Ireland hotels that had been bought by Marine and Lawn, an American hotel group operating solely in the UK. Let me just say they know what they’re doing. BEAUTIFUL interiors. EXCELLENT products and amenities. HEAVY blackout curtains to block out the light (very short nights), while allowing air circulation, and a fan included in the room. There is no air-conditioning in Scotland, as temps don’t typically get out of the 60s. Those windows are always open, but a fan is a nice touch to move the air. Great food. Excellent, attentive staff. Perfectly located in walking distance to Royal Dornoch Golf Club (across the road) and Dornoch village, and easy driving distance to some other lovely hamlets and even Inverness. For a full-on hotel experience with an intimate feel, it’s hard to beat.

Things to Do:

This area has some wonderful coastal golf courses, including Royal Dornoch Golf Club; Brora Golf Club; Tain Golf Club. For castle and history buffs, Dunrobin Castle is a real treat (stay for the falconry show) just north of Dornoch in Goldspie, and the History Links Museum is a quirky little museum about the history of Dornoch, right there in town. E-bikes can be reasonably rented at Dornoch Bike Hire to explore the town, beaches, and countryside, and if you want to go a little further afield, don’t miss Culloden Battlefield an hour away in Inverness. Finally, if you’re looking for a lovely spa treatment, contact Gwen at Aspen Spa.

Restaurants:

Mara at Links House is a lovely and intimate dining experience. (NOTE: This is located in Links House, a very elegant boutique hotel. While I haven’t personally experienced the rooms, those with whom we talked at dinner loved it. If the dining and common spaces are any indication, I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending their lodging.) Luigi’s is another nice option in town, enjoyed by the locals, as well as Milk and Honey for breakfast and lunch.

Aberdeenshire (Northeast corner of Cairngorms National Park):

🧳🧳🧳🧳🧳Lodging: Kildrummy Inn

RUN, DON’T WALK, to Kildrummy Inn. Seriously, we loved it SO MUCH. Run impeccably with love and care, Sophie and David Littlewood have put their heart and soul into this jewel box of an inn and it shows. Top quality choices in every single detail from linens to bath products to decor, a very carefully curated whisky snug, an award-winning dinner menu and a marvelous breakfast (included) served on beautiful, unique pottery, alongside one of the best lattes we’ve ever had. There is a little stocked fridge for the guests staying in one of their four luxurious rooms, with water and snacks on the go. It was more reasonable priced that some of the other places we stayed that were notably inferior, and it is situated within driving distance to SO MUCH of Aberdeenshire, that you could easily base here for a few days. But make your reservations early, as it stays booked up and you’ll be SAD to miss it!

Things to Do:

Aberdeenshire is home to over 250 castles, so you should GO CRAZY. Kildrummy Inn is actually right down the road from the very old and very cool ruin of Kildrummy Castle, but there is Balmoral to the south (more on that below), and Craigevar Castle, Castle Fraser, Crathes Castle (one of my favorite gardens!) Braemar, and Drum. On top of all the historical structures, you’re right on the cusp of Cairngorms National Park, with all manner of hikes available for every level of enthusiast, as well as fishing, which David and Sophie can help you arrange. As for golf, Royal Aberdeen and Carnoustie are only an hour’s drive.

Restaurants:

Just eat at Kildrummy Inn! You won’t be sorry. And have David help you with a whisky and/or wine selection in the snug before dinner. You won’t be sorry about that either.

Ballater (Within Cairngorms National Park):

🧳 Lodging: Balmoral Arms Hotel

Remember when I mentioned Crerar Hotel Group? Well, like Glencoe Inn and Gathering, Balmoral Arms is one of their hotels. When we decided to extend our trip for another week, we first tried to extend our stay at Kildrummy, but they were completely full and couldn’t accommodate us. So, we looked a little closer to Balmoral Castle, since we knew we wanted to see that and do some hiking in that part of the park. Crerar does a good job with their web sites, as they all look great, but while this inn probably actually WAS great when they bought and restored it, there were some important details to which they were no longer giving proper attention. Cleanliness, for one – again, not nasty – but just falling short. Terrible pillows and an uncomfortable mattress. Breakfast was included, but not great, and the cost was more per night than what we’d just enjoyed at Kildrummy. If staying in Ballater makes more sense with your plans, look into Darroch Learg Hotel. But if you can base from one place to cover the whole area, stay in Kildrummy. You can thank me later.

Things to Do: 

Balmoral Castle is only about 20 minutes down the road from Ballater. This year, for the first time EVER, it was opened up for interior tours for ONE month, and they booked up almost immediately. I don’t know whether this will become a regular thing, but if you know you’re going to be in that area during the summer (this year it was early July to early August), check for tickets as soon as you know your dates. The grounds are still worth the tour, even if you don’t get in, and since the property is vast (50K acres), there are MANY hiking trails available right there, most with spectacular views. We can personally recommend the Balmoral Cairns. IMPORTANT: The castle and grounds are closed to the public for most of August and September, as these months are when the Royal Family visit and when the grounds are prepared for winter.

Dunkeld:

🧳🧳🧳 Lodging: Dunkeld House Hotel

The town of Dunkeld is situated in Perthshire, which is known as the bridge between lowlands and highlands. That area is beautiful in its own right, with a mix of foothills, farmland, and rivers, the latter of which (the River Tay) runs right through Dunkeld and directly in front of Dunkeld House Hotel. It’s lovely, and we had treated ourselves to one of their grand suites, a spacious thing that was quite impressive upon entering. This was a relief since – you guessed it – it was in the Crerar group. They had an anniversary treat waiting for us, which was very nice, and we enjoyed it from our little balcony overlooking the river. However, the longer we were in the room, the more we started to notice some things missing. Like an iron and ironing board, for instance, typically a staple in any level of hotel. Then we realized there wasn’t a fan, which had been provided just about everywhere we’d been, and then the hairdryer was missing. Honestly, these weren’t that big a deal, as they were provided when we asked, but it just seemed odd that we HAD to ask. More importantly, and as much as I hate to say it, the absolutely BEAUTIFUL bathtub-in-the-shower situation, again, was not as clean as it should’ve been. We quickly figured out that it was due to a drainage problem with the shower, which we did note when we checked out, but I’d be really surprised if no one before us had brought it to their attention. On the positive side, the food here was good (again, breakfast included), with a great bar, and nice common rooms, and they had beautiful grounds on which long walks were a pleasure. Overall, it was a decent stay, but not near the level it should’ve been for the money we spent. Also, Dunkeld, itself, isn’t as nice a town as Pitlochry, right up the road. If you are going to be in the Perthshire area, we’d highly recommend Pitlochry. Great little shops and restaurants, and there are some inns and hotels there that looked quite nice. I would just caution against anything under the Crerar brand, certainly something I will be checking from here on out for any stays in the UK.

Things to Do:

One of Kevin’s favorite courses from this trip was Blairgowrie Golf Club. It’s a beautiful parkland course, with a great clubhouse and super-friendly membership, and he just loved it. Blair Castle is nearby and LOVELY, but if you’re anywhere near this area, make the 40-minute drive to go see Glamis Castle (where the Queen Mother grew up), too. It’s just wonderful. For hiking, Craigower Circular (out of Pitlochry) is a beautiful hike and the last half of it is ALL summer lilac/butterfly bush for over a mile. The fragrance is ASTONISHING.

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General Tips:

• You will quickly notice that a lot of castles and historical monuments are owned by the National Trust of Scotland. They offer a membership, so if you see that you’ll be visiting at least four of their sites, the membership is worth the cost and it will also afford you free parking at each site (Otherwise, it’s “pay and display” – a parking pass bought at a kiosk, typically around £3-4.)
• While it’s nice to have a few pounds on hand, there is not a need to change a large amount of money if you are traveling with a credit card. HOWEVER, it’s IMPERATIVE to make sure your credit card does not charge you a foreign transaction fee (typically about 3%). Right now, the exchange rate is $1.00 = £0.77 so that extra 3% on every charge can really add up. If you do change money, don’t wait to do it at the airport, as you won’t get near the value with their kiosk fees.
• If you’ve done any research at all on Scotland travel, the NUMBER ONE thing you’ll read about clothing is the importance of WEARING LAYERS. Summer is an excellent time to go, as it tends to be the warmest (temps typically between 48°- 68°F) and driest (take that with a grain of salt) but it’s also peak season for that reason. You may want to look into the shoulder seasons and compare costs. Regardless, though, you can get rained on at any time of day, any day of the year, so layers are key.
• We both packed for four weeks in a carry-on and a backpack (not including golf clubs). I cannot express to you HOW MUCH EASIER this made EVERYTHING. You CAN do it. It just takes a little more planning and forethought. I’ve put together an Amazon list with links to some of my favorites that work GREAT, along with the links for some other items that Amazon doesn’t carry.
  • My favorite travel backpack EVER
  • Merino wool compression socks for the airplane and hiking 
  • I LOVE this waterproof, breathable, lightweight and packable jacket!
  • The greatest travel joggers and dressy outfit – just put on out of your crammed case and walk out the door!
  • Amazon List – this includes a terrific all-in-one plug adaptor, some laundry sheets for quick loads in a hotel sink/tub, merino wool layering pieces (they really CAN be worn several times without needing to wash), great quick-dry travel and hiking pants, hiking boots, umbrellas, bug repellent towelettes (summer is midge season) and more.

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So ends my gargantuan tome. If you’ve gotten to this point, I APPLAUD YOU, as you must actually be planning that trip! HURRAY FOR YOU!! Give me a shout if you have any questions, but in the meantime I lift my glass to your future joy and say “Sláinte!”

My cousin is a retired Army General. He has been in heavy combat and still deals with the loss of the soldiers under his command during those years. He hadn’t read my post (to my knowledge), but he was saying a lot of the same things. We are like two sides of the same coin most of the time and his anger was palpable.

“I am mad as hell that dead veterans get a single day, but [“pride”] gets a whole month. Mad as hell that sex flags now are more important than Old Glory.”

Old Glory. Those stars and stripes are, perhaps, the quintessential symbol of America and all she has stood for, for almost 250 years. It is a beacon of freedom and recognizable worldwide.

You are a smart bunch of people, so maybe you have already put this together, but it hit me like so many mind-blown emojis.

Satan has been at work for a very long time in America, specifically. I believe he got a foothold in the early 20th century, when Marxism was starting its insidious infiltration, and has been quietly going about his business to take us down, because if you can take down America, well, the world is your oyster.

He managed to gain quite a bit of ground during the Covid insanity, as we were a nation that dropped to its knees with breathtaking speed, falling in line to do whatever we were told to do, and proving just how controllable we were.

And since then?

Well, the toothpaste is out of the tube, folks.

Anything goes, and I mean ANYTHING. We are not meant to believe what we know to be true, but what is our OWN truth. It’s a subjective thing, which means there are no standards, no boundaries, and nothing to stop the slippery slope of insanity.

Just as he told Eve in the garden, he’s telling us now. We can be our own gods.

So, now, Satan doesn’t have to work in the shadows anymore. There’s a whole month of celebration dedicated to his deception. He’s managed to garner the glory for himself he’s always been after by killing two birds with one stone:

He’s flying a mockery of Old Glory, covered in the symbol of THE Glory.

And he’s managed to get that thing flying over government buildings nation AND worldwide. He’s got it in store windows, on cars, schools, and even churches. He has us fighting for it and pledging allegiance to it, as we once did to the very things it mocks.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it until I die:

You and I were born into THIS TIME for a reason. This is not the time to be silent, even if it costs us everything, because, in the end, The Great Liar does not win. People need to know that and the longer Old Glory flies, the more opportunity we have to tell them.

Let’s lovingly fly the banner of TRUTH in the face of mockery.

Let’s show them the way to REAL freedom instead of a cheap counterfeit.

Let’s put the Glory back onto Whom it belongs.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

That’s the first thing that came to mind when I saw a video, last week, of some school children (the same ages as two of my grandchildren) in the Netherlands. They sat on a stage, and watched, as several people, in various stages of gender transitioning, disrobed.

Completely.

The “host” then asked questions of the children, as to what they thought about it.

It disturbed me so much, I couldn’t sleep that night.

But it’s not the first disturbing thing I’ve seen with regard to children and the topic of gender. Just like you, I’ve seen video after video, and article after article, documenting children in attendance at drag shows, and even the children, themselves, under the age of 10, innocently grinding away, on stage, with their stilettoed counterpart, as their knowing audience applauded.

And what about the relentless push for “the right” to gender-affirming (and body-mutilating) healthcare for pre-pubescent children? Children who can’t legally vote or drive or drink, but should, apparently, be plenty able to choose puberty-blockers, breast removal, or vaginoplasty, on their own…what about them?

Before I go any further, I want to say that someone very close to me has a now adult transgendered child. I am not presuming to talk about this without any knowledge of this topic and the pressures that come from a society hell-bent on normalizing this agenda.

I am not without compassion or sensitivity.

As I’ve written before, two things can be true at once.

I can love this child, and this child’s parents, respecting how they handled a very challenging situation, and I can also find all this very wrong.

I can love them and also be very angry over what is essentially an attack on the innocent and moldable psyches of children.

And, oh yes…I am ANGRY.

Taking children into hyper-sexualized or pornographic environments was once considered abuse, or akin to pedophilia. People who did that were arrested, convicted, and made to be listed on a national register. But now, it’s fodder for social media posts, and Tik Tok videos, and, unbelievably, the perps are now the parents.

While my parents were shielding me from viewing a show with opposite-sex, unmarried roommates, back in the 70’s, these parents are throwing their children into the fray, no-holds-barred.

Of course, not all parents are doing this, but the agenda is still being pushed off the ones who are, with the inevitable result of the numbers of gender-dysphoric children skyrocketing. And instead of getting solid advice on how to truly help their children, the bewildered and blindsided parents are, more and more, being pressured by everyone from educators to physicians to politicians, many of whom are succumbing to their own fears of being thought offensive, or non-inclusive, or simply irrelevant.

Remember when children were a bi-partisan talking point?

Remember when protecting them was one thing we could ALWAYS agree on?

Remember when actual biology and genetics were considered absolutes and irrefutable?

We’ve allowed fear to derail all of that, and, in so doing, we are allowing for the insidious erasure of any and all boundaries, which, if we’re not careful, will include all the guardrails God put in place, when He warned against sexual immorality…and US as their last line of defense.

We should be coming together, again, to form that line, kicking any thought of politics and perceptions to the curb.

We should start putting some boundaries back in place at home.

Maybe say no to social media, for instance, even if it’s unpopular, because, if we don’t, we’ll be turning over the future reins to a completely confused generation who will stand for nothing and fall for anything.

For crying out loud, at the very least, tell them that Three’s Company reruns are totally off-limits.

We’ve got to start somewhere.

“So I stationed armed guards at the most vulnerable places of the wall and assigned people by families with their swords, lances, and bows. After looking things over I stood up and spoke to the nobles, officials, and everyone else: “Don’t be afraid of them. Put your minds on the Master, great and awesome, and then fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” Nehemiah 4:13-14

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NOTE: To those who subscribed to this blog, back in the day, and are surprised to find this in their email, I write everyday on Facebook. I had something removed from that platform that was not, in the least, controversial, but with the topic of this post, I knew it would be. So, for today’s post, I wrote it here. I may or may not move everything back, once I get this space cleaned up a bit, so you might hear from me again, if you don’t follow me over there. 😉

Photo: twoofus

It happened every year. Old Bess McGillicuddy, known for her extraordinary pumpernickel bread, had to resort to covert tactics to gather the closely-held list of ingredients for her secret concoction, as she readied the perfect loaf for her annual entry in the county fair.

Why covert? Because that old codger, Ned Jenkins, fancied himself a baker, too. Ever since his wife, Periwinkle, had died, years ago, God rest her soul, he’d taken to shenanigans in the kitchen – tomfoolery of the highest order, to Bess’s mind. When she’d won the blue ribbon for her bread, that long-ago year, he’d tried to cozy up to her, in an attempt at camaraderie which she saw as so much malarkey. She knew what he was after and wasn’t about to be bamboozled into divulging her family recipe. The audacity of some people! She’d put the kibosh on his bogus balderdash and left that baloney in her rear view.

However, Ned was not easily flummoxed. So what if Bess had lambasted him, year in and year out? It was a new year – HIS year – and he was no knucklehead. She could go about her caterwauling all she liked, but he was using a different approach this time. He’d spent a lot of time pondering it as he drove his old jalopy over hill and dale, where he did his very best thinking. What he needed, he decided, was a team of ragamuffins to help him, and he knew just where to find them.

Excited with his new plan of skullduggery, he skedaddled ondown the road to the decrepid farm of Sam and Sadie Whitlow. It seemed like a new little toe-headed kid was born about every year, over there, and Ned figured some of the older ones might be grateful of a couple of coins for some on-the-sly hullabaloo.

When he got to the edge of the Whitlow property, he stopped fast, gobsmacked, yet again, by what he saw. The state of things always left him flabbergasted that they were able to manage to keep britches on a single child, with the fence posts skewiff, falling cattywumpus one to another, and the cattle left to roam willy-nilly. Everything about the place was discombobulated.

“Thunderation!” he said as he pulled his hat off and scratched his head. “That ol’ Whitlow must be a numb-skull. Only a nincompoop would allow his place to fall into a heap of poppycock like this.”

Suddenly, two of those little rug rats came out from behind a beleaguered cow.

“Whatcha want, Mister?” asked the younger one, nothing more than a flibberty-jibbet.

“You boys want to make a little money? I have a little thingamabob I need done, that might be just right for the two of you’ns.”

The older one stood quietly, sizing up Ned with a confuzzled eye.

“What kind of whatsit you got in mind, Mister? We ain’t lookin’ to be hoodwinked by some kind o’ flim-flam.”

“You boys know Ol’ Bess McGillicuddy?”

“She the one who makes that bread ever’one goes on about?”

Before Ned could answer, the little fella yanked on his brother’s dirty shirt, causing a cloud of dust to rise as if the boy had just been in a kerfuffle, and said, “I have a hankerin’ for some bread.”

Ned said, “Well, that’s just it. I’d be happy to bake you some of that bread – LOAVES of it – but she’s a persnickety ol’ bitty and uses secret ingredients. I’ve tried everything I know, for years, to find out what they are and have come up with nary a doohicky to show for it. That’s where you’ns come in. I want to beat her in the county fair, and I need to know every whatchamacallit and thingamajig she uses.”

“Whatcha aimin’ to have us do, Mister? I ain’t sure I want to get into no big rigamarole.” the older boy said, as his stomach growled, meaning it.

“Well, the fair is day after tomorrow. If Ol’ Bess keeps with her habits of years past, she’ll be heading to the store this afternoon. If you’ns don’t lollygag, you can be there waitin’ for her and follow her around, keepin’ back-like – you don’t want to scare the bejeebers out of her – and tell me what she buys, see? She’ll be lookin’ for me so she won’t even notice you. You fellers up for it? I don’t need no wishy-washy fuddy-duddys, so tell me now if you ain’t.”

The brothers looked at each other, and after another round of stomach growling, the older boy spoke up for them both.

“We’ll do it, but instead of money, we want to go to the fair and ride some rides!”

Another yank on his shirt from below and a quiet “and some bread, brother. If’n he wins, I want some BREAD.”

Ned agreed to both with a shake of a hand that left him wiping his own on his pants as he left the farm.

Bess McGillicuddy wore her biggest hat to the store. She never wore a hat, except to church, but this one obscured her face and she was determined to throw that ridiculous old humbug, Ned Jenkins, off at the pass. He had driven her berserk for YEARS over her recipe, so now was the time to take the bull by the horns.

She peered around the end of the baking aisle and saw the coast was clear. Pulling the rim of the bodacious hat down a little further, she set about checking the items off her list, stopping every few minutes to look behind her, as she had the eery feeling she was being followed.

“Fiddle-dee-dee, Bess! That Ned Jenkins has you about to lose your whosemagadget over a loaf of bread!”

Finishing her shopping as fast as she could, she tucked her basket tightly under her arm and made haste toward her little house at the edge of town. Unbeknownst to her, two stealthy toe-headed Whitlows fled quietly the other direction, toward the Jenkins place, with nary a bit of brouhaha.

The big day finally arrived. Early in the day, the boys met Ned at the gate where he handed over tickets and watched as the dust kicked up under their worn soles as they ran toward the midway. Nervously, he turned toward the big tent where the baked-goods were filing in for the heated competition.

After tucking a starched gingham napkin under her perfect loaf of pumpernickel, Bess turned to see Ned entering the tent with his own wrapped parcel. “Fiddlesticks!” she all but spat under her breath, as she’d hoped against hope that he’d given up since he hadn’t been lurking around this year. Ah well. No one had ever beat her before. Why would this year be any different?

The contestants were gathered, together, shifting from one foot to another, as they nervously awaited the judge’s decision. From under the side of the tent, two toe-heads, with dirty faces, popped in to see if their work would pay off.

A large man, who looked like he’d eaten every loaf in the place, stepped forward and bellowed, “The bread competition was MIGHTY stiff this year, but we have finally come to declare some winners. In the pumpernickel category, Bess McGillicuddy maintains her long-standing as first place winner!”

Beaming, Bess stepped forward to receive her blue ribbon, as she looked smugly back at Ned Jenkins, who looked more at a loss than he ever had. But before Ned could utter a word, the judge spoke up again.

“In the pumpkin bread category, we have a first-time winner in Ned Jenkins!”

“EGADS!” cried Ned, truly at a loss.

“Ned, your pumpkin bread was unlike any we’ve ever tasted. Well done, sir! WELL DONE!”

Scratching his head in disbelief, Ned accepted his ribbon and turned to see the two boys ducking out from under the tent.

Running out, he managed to catch the older boy by his overall strap, with Bess on his heels, calling out.

“Ned Jenkins! What made you decide to leave your pumpernickel pursuit for pumpkin? I simply MUST know!”

“Well, Bess, that’s what I aim to find out from these two hooligans. Boys, what do you have to say for yourselves?”

Trying to wriggle loose of Ned’s grip, the boy said, “I don’t know, sir. We follered Miss McGillicuddy around the store, like you told us, and there was one thing I couldn’t see real well ‘cause of her big ol’ hat. I guess what she got was pumpernickel, but I thought it was pumpkin spice.”

Just then, both boys stomachs growled real loud and the little one yanked on his brother’s shirt again. “Since he won, do we get some bread?”

Bess stepped up and said, “Seems to me we BOTH owe you some bread!”

And, right there, in front of the baked-good tent, two dirty toe-headed boys, threw a hootenanny as they filled their empty bellies to bursting, and the TWO reigning champions looked on.

I’m glad there are some protections for them. Did you know that 46 out of 50 states have enacted laws against extreme forms of animal cruelty that carry a felony penalty? Rights for these sweet animals has come enough to the forefront that, now, even minor forms of cruelty are at least punishable by misdemeanor. There’ve been huge strides made against animal testing, and, for crying out loud, what about those kill shelters? The number of those horrible places has decreased, as well, with raised awareness. Why in the world would we kill those innocent animals, when there are people who want them, and will take them in? With a little patience, we can find them a forever-home. After all, we, as a people, should take care of those living beings who can’t take care of, or speak up for, themselves, right?

So, why aren’t we doing the same for babies, do you think? Human babies, that is. It seems like we have no problem determining when the life of a baby animal begins, but the life of a human? BIG PROBLEM. There was a time that it started at conception. Then, when a heartbeat could be detected. Then, when it had parts that identified it as human. A few weeks ago, it was determined not to be a live human until it was on the outside of the womb, breathing oxygen, and now, even that doesn’t count. If it is a victim of a botched abortion, and born alive, it can now legally be left to die. Baby parts from abortions have been sold for use in medical research, and our human version of “kill shelters” send millions of mothers back into their lives with one less pregnancy and, in many cases, not a relieved heart, but a broken one. Not to mention the other millions of longing parents with empty arms, forever-homes at the ready.

Slippery slope, my friends. Slippery slope.

If the definition of life keeps moving, how long will it be before the we start changing the definition of end of life? Right now, it’s when the heart stops beating or when brain death is declared, but what if Grandpa’s care starts to become too much of a burden? Euthanasia legislation coming soon to a bill near you! (I’d like to say “just kidding,” but it’s already legal in five states and Washington DC.)

I can’t help but think that if we were having this discussion about the late-term abortion of puppies, delivering them part by tiny, furry part, and then selling them for research, or leaving abortion-gone-wrong kittens to die, there would be Horror! Outrage! Those savage veterinarians would be run up on felony charges and Sarah McLachlan would be the front-runner for the 2020 Democratic ticket. But that seems ridiculous to even contemplate, now, because we’ve protected their rights…unlike the unborn human, who apparently has no rights at all. Not even the female ones, who, born with all the eggs they’ll ever have, don’t get to claim their own reproductive justice (whatever that is).

Seems like their support might be worth 63 cents a day.

Maybe considerably more.

To find out more about pro-life non-profits you can support, go here.

If you’ve lost a child to abortion and need compassionate help, go here.

Memories come easily at this time of year, don’t they? Like a Christmas stage continually set, my mind can immediately return to visit the beloved players…my great-grandmother, singing the alto harmony to Silent Night, as she tore bread for dressing…my grandfather, dad, and uncles, playing dominoes on a worn card table…my mother and grandmother laughing together, both creating warm and beautifully decorated atmospheres for the season…my aunt, in a long, pink apron, pulling food out of the oven for my dad’s side’s family celebration…cousins running and laughing through the house…and always, family prayers, holding hands. All of it, every memory of every person, remains wrapped up as a package of love that I’ve opened over and over, all through my life. From season to season they’ve touched me, to the point that I imagine myself covered with a legacy of overlapping, indelible prints.

In the frenzied tempo of 21^st century life, we don’t seem to think much about legacy. Kevin and I are constantly moving at breakneck speed, trying to keep the day-to-day operations of our insurance agency (which we are both still enjoying very much) moving forward. If we’re not across our partner’s desk from each other, with our big, year-old, standard poodle, Toby, at our feet, and our elderly gentleman, Riley, snoozing in the next room, we’re meeting each other coming and going. Maddie recently moved from Aubrey, to an apartment in Allen, to be closer to her new (in the last year) job with a property/casualty firm in North Dallas, and Emmie & Todd (still just 15 minutes away! Hurray!) are in the throes of balancing their own busy schedules with the care and keeping of three growing children (Lilli – 8.5, Brody – 5.5, and Landry – 18 months). We had a wonderful trip to Scotland in the summer to celebrate our 35^th anniversary and we took a family trip to Disneyworld in November. It’s a good life – not perfect by any means – but full. However, what I was reminded of as the world bid its farewell to #41, is that while “busy” is necessary a lot of the time, it does absolutely nothing to contribute to legacy.

Legacy requires INTENTION.

So, this season, perhaps you’ll consider joining me in a bit of reprioritizing. Maybe it’s time for us to remember that eyes glued to phones are eyes that miss the real life happening beyond. Maybe we should realize that fingerprints on a computer keyboard fall WAY short of those left on the people we’ve deemed most important. I, for one, am intentionally taking a step back to look long and hard at my life. What stage am I setting for my grandbabies to return to in their minds? What will be their memories, and what gift will they reopen again and again? My prayer is that it will not only be a gift of my love, but the gift of LOVE INCARNATE…the first one given to a world shrouded in darkness…the truest legacy of all. (And maybe the sound of my voice singing about Him in an alto harmony, just to bring a smile to their faces. 😉)

After all, at the end of the day – the end of OUR days – isn’t that all that will really matter?

Merriest Christmas, dear friends who are family, and family who are friends. May yours be a season – a LIFE – of intention, love, and legacy, and may we ALL leave positive, indelible fingerprints on a global scale, starting right under our own roofs.

Enjoy the show!

You can listen here,  or subscribe on iTunes, where we’d love to have your review! You can also listen on Stitcher and give us a rating, if you’d like. And, of course, you can listen right here on the blog.

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Today’s mentions:

Learn about the history of the famed Orient Express

Venice-Simplon Orient Express – Today’s OE experience

Amtrak Empire Builder – Sample Menu

Photos of Dining, Observation, and Lounge Cars – Empire Builder

What the Heck is a Chemtrail?

Bonus content:

Amtrak booking link

Essential packing list for traveling with a carryon 

Packing tips for lazy people 

Until next time…Happy Wanderings!

Since I’ve been absent on the blog, and really haven’t written about him since he was born (outside of Facebook), let me give you a few stats:

• He’s darling. Obviously. I mean, just look at him!
• He’s almost 16 months old.
• He’s BLONDE. We don’t think he always will be (his brown-haired dad was also blonde as a baby), but it’s such a novelty in the landscape of our family that we are all in a perpetual state of wonder over it. It’s also WILD, with a thousand cow-licks that serve to delight us now, but which will NOT do the same for him later.
• He just started walking in earnest. A typical third child, he’s been very content to let everyone do everything for him, with no real drive to change that. We’ve all been A-OK with it.
• He’s a world-class cuddler, quick to lay his head in the crook of my neck with a little hug and giggle, every time I see him.
• Just like the two that came before, I’m absolutely CRAZY about him.

His other grandmother and I have each been watching him one day a week since his mom went back to work, so we’ve spent some good time together. His last visit, he was still in the walk-a-few-steps-and-fall stage, but we pretty much stay back in my kids’ play room when he’s awake, where he has my full attention. We stay on the floor with the toys all around, and I’ve made it a very safe space for him to try out his new moves. Even still, depending on his center of gravity at any given moment, he can still land hard on a toy, or bump his head on a shelf, and because I’m not a big believer in bubble-wrapping toddlers (since the real world typically doesn’t make allowances for that) there are still some unavoidable hazards he has to learn to navigate.

He’s been very interested, lately, in the little wooden rocker that used to be mine as a child, and I saw him lock eyes on it. Up to now, I’ve redirected him from this bit of forbidden fruit (see what I did there?), but I didn’t this time. I was right there in front of him, and you could tell he was feeling mighty proud of himself, so he was doing the toddler version of showing off. Which meant he overshot his effort and tumped the whole thing over backward. I could see he wasn’t hurt, just startled, so I waited just a minute to see what he would do. He worked himself up into as much of a balanced position as possible, then looked around at me to help. Which I, of course, did, with a hug and kiss thrown into the bargain, and some guidance on how to climb in safely.

What does this have to do with Eden? Well, it was a safe space to grow, and in that space, Adam and Eve were in constant and perfect communion with their Father. I imagine they were not embarrassed to ask questions, or trip and knock their knees on a rock. They lived completely unconcerned about anything but their Father’s presence or His thoughts about them, until the area they were taught to avoid became too irresistible. The thing is, however, that the consequences for them were far higher than tumping over a little rocking chair.

We have the opportunity to live in a version of Eden, even still, right in the midst of our jacked-up world. It’s not perfect, and we have a trillion other voices that try (and succeed) to crowd out the One we need to hear most. But when we choose to draw near and listen, we enter a safe space to grow…a place we don’t need to be embarrassed to ask questions, or mess up. A place where we can be picked up and redirected until the day the gates of the real Eden are opened back up for good.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8 NKJV

He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:19 ESV

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelations 21:1-4 ESV

#winning.

Also since we last chatted, our house has had a revolving door for extra family members, and we are counting down the last 33 days until our daughter’s wedding, and all that that entails. Typically, when my life throws itself into overdrive, my creative thought with regard to words buries itself in the yard, somewhere, for a nice long sleep. (Think hibernation, but in summer.) I don’t multitask well, anymore, so trying to string some coherent words together that don’t involve, “Be sure and get an extra pack or 20 of toilet paper at the store,” or “I need to add another table and linens to the rental order,” is likely nigh on impossible.

But not right now.

Right now, I’m busting with, lo, all the words. Suddenly, I’m Old Faithful, pressure reaching the boiling point and – watch out – GEYSER.

It may or may not have something to do with the fact that, in the midst of all that has been happening in my life, there are CRAZY, RIDICULOUS THINGS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD.

Sorry. Didn’t mean to shout.

When I signed on to write this morning, I was confronted with 62 spam comments, since apparently the spam filter was not updated along with everything else mentioned in the first paragraph. Spam baffles me. I read these cryptically written comments, some ads for things, and others with seemingly no purpose, all tacked on to posts, or other legitimate comments. They made me think of, for lack of a better term, all the crap that has been written on social media over the course of this political season.

Just like everyone else, this increasingly toxic campaign season has gotten under my skin. I have given it far too much space in my mind, if I’m honest, but what bothers me the most about it is how many Christ followers are “representing.” Let me explain.

I have a lot of “friends” in social media. A large portion of them are friends I actually know in real life. I’ve gone to school with them, church with them, worked with them, or raised kids with them. Some share my conservative beliefs, while others are wildly liberal, and I love them all.

ALL.

I grew up to understand that tolerance meant to acknowledge that others have differing beliefs and accept that it is their right to do so. Over the course of time, however, tolerance seems to have come to mean that you must accept all beliefs to be true. Under this latter definition, most Christ followers, myself included, have a very real problem.

We cannot believe that all beliefs are true, because that precludes any personal belief at all, or even the possibility for a standard of truth, and for the Christian, God IS truth.

#conundrum

So, a good many of us have taken to cyberspace with a vengeance. We are standing up for what we believe! We are carrying the torch for truth!

And we are BEATING THOSE WHO DISAGREE WITH US OVER THE HEAD WITH THE TORCH.

We seem to expect everyone to operate under the old definition, and because we feel backed into a corner to “tolerate, or else,” we have come out swinging, spewing vitriol in the name of Christ, and filling social media platforms with so much hate that I’m pretty sure no one would see Christ if they wanted to even take the time to look for Him.

I read an article from CompellingTruth.org that states this so beautifully, that I’m just going to quote it.

Christians are to tolerate others when they have different beliefs about God [under the original definition – parentheses mine]. But are we to expect tolerance in return? Luke 6:22 says we are blessed when others reject us because we follow Christ. John 15:18 says that when the world hates us, we need to remember that they do so because they hated Christ first. It is foolish to expect tolerance from others toward our Christian beliefs, even if they demand tolerance for their own. God has told us clearly: we will never get it.

But God has also told Christians what our response should be when we are faced with intolerance. Matthew 5:43-48 says we are to love our enemies and pray for them. Romans 12:20 says we are to provide for them. We do not play by the world’s rules. We do not respond to intolerance with fear and hate. Instead, we express the love of Christ in us.

And Christ didn’t spend his life demeaning people, arguing, and coercing.

He loved. He stood for truth, uncompromising, in everything He did, by simply pointing the way to It, and He started a movement of love, hope, and salvation, that has reached around the world, totally changing the face of humanity, and He did it in three years and without the Internet.

Imagine what we can do WITH it, if we used His model instead of the world’s?

#betheLIGHT

Thanks for listening. I’m off to buy toilet paper, and add to my rental list.

Talk soon.

For my regular and/or email readers, I just wanted to let you know that I’m having significant problems with my computer, and no time at all to deal with it! I haven’t been writing on my blog lately because of it, and, very sweetly, have had a few people reach out to be sure I was okay.

I am! Thank you for your concern.

If you follow me on Facebook, I have been popping a few things up over there, as it’s easy to do from my phone, and hopefully, I’ll get some time to deal with what I know is going to be a major issue with my computer. But somehow wedding planning, family gatherings, and keeping grandbabies is a LOT more fun!

Hope you’re all having a wonderful spring!