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We have a group of the most cackly Scandinavian women in the bar - possibly Serafina Pekkala and chums - they are playing Pictionary in a scandinavian language laced with english and shrieking with laughter. It sounds hilarious; all I can hear is "smerdy berdy smerdy berdy smerdy berdy ....potatoes" followed by mass hilarity. And a HIK was called ( Read more... )

I am currently reading Margaret Bennett's Scottish Customs From the Cradle to the Grave which I am finding absolutely riveting, not least because I am too busy to cope with extended works of fiction at the moment. Because it's an anthology of old writing on folk traditions, combined with interviews with the elderly, it's perfect for dipping into. ( Read more... )

Today, and yesterday, and very likely tomorrow as well, we are Deep Cleaning the kitchen. Although cleaning cookers etc is not normally something I enjoy there is something rather satisfying about the end result when everything is sparkly and shiny and not sticky. And Murdo MacLeod, who is our wonderful barman and we all love him to bits, was a ( Read more... )