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Recent News... Just for Pope Gregory... |
2001-11-26 - 11:35 a.m. U.K. Day 10: Selah This morning, I watched the fog rise off Loch Tay. In nine days we've seen everything from ancient cairns to Victorian art. We've crossed half the British Isles and come to rest in the Scottish Highlands. Today is our day for a much needed rest. There is a Hebrew word, 'selah', which means 'pause and consider'. I spend so much time darting about, I don't spend enough time just sitting still. So we planned a break into our trip just for resting. Good thing too - see discussion of cranky Theo from yesterday. My ancestors are from somewhere in Scotland. My father's father's family bears the name Moore, which is Scottish in origin. Perhaps a derivative of Morris or Muir, but I don't know. My grandfather moved away from his family and hardly ever spoke of them. I didn't even know he had a brother until he took a trip West to make funeral arrangements for this great-uncle I'd never heard of. Somewhere in the western U.S., I have cousins I've never known. Somewhere in Scotland, I probably have distant relatives. I feel a strange kinship for this country I've never seen, maybe because of ancestorial affinity. It's also much like the Appalachian mountains of my birth - green and rugged. Our home for the week, the Kenmore Club, is a cottage resort, on the banks of Loch Tay in Perthshire. We have a snug little bungalow, with a downstairs bedroom suite and an upstairs kitchen/living room area. Seems an odd arrangement until you realize the upstairs sitting room gives you a stunning view. Thank you to my amazing in-laws who had too many time-share points and had to find some way to use them us this year. I love my in-laws. Today was spent in glorious relaxation. We wallowed. We slept late. We walked by the Loch. And just when you're worried I'm about to move to Walden Pond ... I'll tell you we spent the afternoon at the cinema - "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." You didn't think I'd resist seeing that, did you? Be serious. As always, the book is better but the movie was fantastic. Awesome. Can I go again? We stopped at the 'Superstore' on the way back to Kenmore. Yes, in fact we found the U.K.'s answer to the Super-Walmart - except it also sells alcohol. It's called Asda, but has the same smiley face signs about rolling back prices. Kitchen well stocked for ciders by the loch and picnics during outings. Now the adventure of U.K. self serve laundrettes. I have no idea when you put the soap in a front loading washer, so I've talked Rob into starting the laundry while I stow the supplies and assemble dinner. � � � 
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