A Wee Bit of Excitement & Wandering . . .

Now on to the TATOO . . . . Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2017
Started in the early 1950's the Tatoo is a spectacular show. Thousands of people attend every year from all over the world. The tickets have to be purchased months in advance. We attended with a large group of senior missionaries from Scotland & Ireland. It takes place in front of the Edinburgh Castle. I think one of the most exciting parts was just walking from our taxi to the castle. The streets lined with beautiful old buildings, a zillion people and ahead you could see the castle lit up by fire burning torches. What a sight to behold. The pictures I'll post just can't do the show justice. Military bands and performers from any country that had played a role in Scotland history. My favorite was all the bagpipes and the Highland dancers. We sat through almost 2 hours without rain and then right at the end--it poured!

It didn't stop the show, but by the time we walked to our taxi pickup we were all drenched!

Light shows displayed on the castle.

It's very interesting in Scotland--the cab system. Cabs and buses are the mode of transportation. They have cabs for up to 12 people and they really are not expensive. So you walk, cab & bus pretty much everywhere. But you do have to get to know the bus system, which I'm still working on. I tried out 3 buses the other day until I found the right one. Each one cost me 2 pounds. So that was an expensive bus ride. I just kept hopping on and off. LOL  We have such a great bunch of senior missionaries in Scotland & Ireland. Lots of fun to go places together.


NOTE: Hello Mom, how aare you? I don't know if you like bagpipes or not, but this a fantastic show.
When the show ended they had a solitary bagpiper play as they gradually turned down the lights that lit up the field where they performed. When he was done we were sitting in almost darkness and then the fireworks started right over the top of the castle. Wish you could have been there. I've been thinking about you this week and wondering how you are feeling. Hope you are happy and remembering to pray for me--you're in my prayers every day. Love and hugs to you.

NOTE: Hi Zachary, how are you? You are probably getting ready to head off to college--hard for me even to say that "heading off to college" WOW where have the years gone! Did you go on your big
expedition trip? How did it go? Hopefully, your mom can post some pictures. How was the weather and did you meet some new friends that will help to ease you into a new home away from home.
Today we got 16 new missionaries into our mission boundaries. They are usually 18, 19 & a few 20-year-olds. They are a little bit nervous and a little bit excited, but they are here to serve the Lord and each of them will grow up a lot while they serve their two-year missions. It was really fun meeting all of them. Most of them are away from home for the 1st time and suddenly they in a different county with a companion they have never met before. Much like you're going to be doing. I wish you all the luck in the world. Love you a whole bunch. Grams

mo

A Weekend of Spirituality & Wanderings

Was Scotland, Ireland and England all on my bucket list of things to do--well no, but as of yesterday I've traveled all three countries! Did I ever in my wildest dreams think it possible? No, not really!

Saturday our church ward took a bus to Preston, England to the temple and to see the pageant that is put on by the church. The bus was really nice and it was only a 3- hour trip.  The bus ride gave us time to get-to-know some of the ward members better. We can only go to the temple once on our mission and we choose this trip because it included the pageant. The pageant is called "Truth Will Prevail."  It is a musical about the Book of Mormon and the Church being introduced to the people of Preston England. Those people who joined the church and then journeyed to America at the request of the prophet, Joseph Smith, became the backbone of the church in America. 20,000 + eventually migrated to America from England at that time. Preston has an MTC (missionary training center). As missionaries, my companion and I were asked to take with us either an investigator or less-active member. We invited two sisters, but only one showed up--mine. A sweet person with a very heavy brogue and a startling personality!! That I won't go into, but I had a 3rd-degree migraine when I arrived home LOL Not really. She didn't come to church today, so I must have worn her out! The pageant was really good--open to the community, free of charge and an all volunteer cast & crew of around 700 members from as far away as Zimbaway Africa. Before the pageant, those that were able to attend the temple enjoyed so much the privilege of doing the Lord's work for a couple of hours in His house. I'm grateful to my daughter, Cobit, who keeps updated with family names to take to the temple for ordinance work. I personally knew one of the names this time--my father's Aunt Viola Donley. Thanks, Cobi for your dedicated genealogy research. Keep up the good work! That's me in front of the temple and that is the Angel Moroni on top! I'm in good company!

WANDERINGS to the Outer Hebrides

Well, we were supposed to take a car to missionaries in Ireland last weekend, but we ended up on the Isle of Lewis in Stornoway. We took the sister missionaries a new car and picked up their old one. This was another "pinch me this can't be real" experience. The Isle of Lewis is off the northern coast of Scotland and is the top island in a string of islands called the Outer Hebrides. We drove 3 hours to the car ferry and then 3 hours on the ferry to get there. We were supposed to meet the Markers (senior missionary couple) and the sister's Fisher & Hebbert when we got off the ferry--we were thinking "how's that going to work" when we saw them lined up on the sidewalk across from the ferry exit all waving wildly at us. Turns out the church building is just down the street right on the water. We toured the church, checked into hotel (very nice & actually had an elevator, which is rare in Scotland). Then we went shopping. I found cashmere sweaters at a good price, bought a Harris Tweed bag for my scriptures, and a hand-knit sweater. The Isle of Harris is the next island down from Lewis and that's where Harris Tweed is from. So you do get some good prices on trademark Harris Tweed, which is 100% wool, on the islands. Family may find "tweed" goodies in their surprise boxes :-). But here comes one of those "pinch me" experiences. That evening we went to a community entertainment night. Anyone can come and sing, play an instrument, do whatever. It's free and very well attended. Did I tell you they speak primarily Gaelic (pronounced ga lic like you're going to say garlic, but leave out the r. So I thought the Scottish accent was hard to understand . . . well this language is impossible. Fortunately, everything is in both English and Gaelic. Well, we lucked out it was a treasure of musicians and singers with tunes that kept your toes a tappin! Banjos, fiddles, guitars, everything you can think of. All older folks just there for the fun of entertaining others. One woman just danced all night by herself. I think she may have had a wee bit--if you know what I mean! It was so awesome. We were welcomed like we were old friends just dropping by. We even got hugs. The Marker's, missionaries & my companion, Sister Call, all sang Love One Another (I didn't sing & anyone that knows my voice knows why LOL! Elder Marker accompanied anyone that wanted him to on the keyboard. Very talented. I can't tell you everything we did in 2 1/2 days on the island, but I will share one more experience that touched my heart--we were driving the island when the Marker's pulled into a typical stucco old Scottish home and it was named the Blue Pig. Turns out they had met this woman at an island function and became good friends. Her name was Jane & she had a comfy home with a roaring fire--she hustled and put a kettle of herbal tea on (just for us) fussed over us like we were family and served a potpourri of sweet delights. She is an artist and her home is her studio and her work lined the walls. Outstanding work and I wished I had bought a painting. Customers came in and so did her family and Jane just dotted over all of us. What a special, very unique lady. Lots of what we saw on the island will be in the pictures I post.

The church in Stornoway is a small branch; on a good day, maybe 25 people attend. They have no youth and only 1 Primary child (a three yr old). I was impressed with the fact that they have a full Primary Presidency for that 1 child and they were planning their Primary program. That's what I call caring for the "one." Elder & Sister Marker play the piano for all the meetings, Elder Marker is in the Bishopric and Sister Marker in the Primary presidency. The Sisters Fisher & Hebbert taught Relief Society and talked in Sacrament. The four of them really participate in that small branch. My companion and I were asked to give a 5 min. talk, which we did. I'm getting used to being called on impromptu in different wards. Just part of being a missionary. Lucky for me I like to talk LOL.

NOTE: Well hello mom--how's it going there for you. As you can tell from my blog, I'm just a happy camper! My mission is going very well and I look forward to every day. Then I really look forward to bedtime every night! We walk everywhere and that is really good for me, but I can't make myself stay up past 9 pm. Did I tell you that it doesn't get dark here until way after 11 pm in the summer, so it is still very light out when I go to bed. In the winter it gets dark about 3 pm and stays dark until around 8 am. So I will be going to the office in the dark and coming home in the dark. I'll probably get used to it--maybe not!! Lot's of love to you--hope you are doing well. Miss you.

NOTE: Hi there Reese. I hope I haven't missed you. So you are in the Navy now!!?? That was a big surprise. Although I did remember you saying something about joining when you were at my farewell. I just didn't think you were serious. So I just want you to know how special I think you are and that you have such great potential. So I expect you to do great things in the Navy. Please continue to read my blog and drop me a text whenever you can. I don't want to lose touch with you. Love you a whole bunch, grams.

A big ram at Jane's house--look at those curly horns
that means he is old!

These are called "black houses" that have been preserved
 from the Viking Period. They were still being lived in
until 1964.

Sheep & more sheep all the Scottish land is covered with them
and they often stop traffic as they cross the street to new pastures.

These stones are very famous - called the Calanais, they date back to 2900 BC
There are fifty of them comprising a circle and there is a burial site in the middle.
Stones run east, west, south & north from the circle

These are remains of a Viking dwelling dating from the early
 1200's - remarkable that they are preserved to this extent.

Just a beautiful cove on the west side of the island - North Atlantic ocean
Beaches are not usually sandy like this one nor is the water usually this green/blue.

This is Heather growing in the highlands.

Last, but not least--this is where Donald Trump's mother lived until she was sixteen. 

MORE WANDERINGS & FAMILY TIME

My granddaughter, Julia, her husband, Brad
& the Kelties

Hello Everyone,

What a fun weekend, Julia & Brad flew into Edinburgh on Friday the 23rd and took a taxi to the mission office. I was so excited all morning it was hard getting anything done! Our mission president, President Donaldson greeted them warmly and was surprised that my granddaughter was a grown-up! They met most of the office staff and then my companion dropped us off on the Royal Mile in Old Town Edinburgh and we walked and walked and walked. The Royal Mile is one street that extends from the Edinburgh Castle downhill to the Holywood Castle. The Holywood Castle is still used by the Queen of England and when she is there for a month every summer a special flag flies. I will post pictures. The Edinburgh Castle is a ruin. There are wonderful stores, restaurants, and gift shops. And there you find all the "cashmere" shops, truly one on every corner. We ended our excursion by going on a guided tour called "Mary's Close."  The word close refers to underground housing that was where the really poor in the 1800's lived. They are like caves where up to 12 people could be living in one small dugout type of room with rock walls--of course no plumbing or running water. Actually, the tour was a little scary, they had very real looking wax people who were suffering in all kinds of ways; the plague, influenza, etc. Not for the faint of heart. These "closes" were 3 & 4 high so we were way underground. When we finished I told them I would like to take them to one of my favorite restaurants, Zizzis, but I didn't know how to get there from where we were. Julia said, look grandma and pointed to a sign behind me that said Zizzis with an arrow--just happens that there are two Zizzis and one was just a few steps behind us. We took a taxi back to the B&B and then my companion picked me up.

Saturday we toured Kraigmiller Castle and went back to our favorite Castle, Greystone, so Julia & Brad could see it. We found the Keltie horses, which I have to research to find out their significance. They are really big and entirely made of metal. We finished the night off with a late dinner at our favorite Indian restaurant, Jajones. We drove through many Scotland villages and drove on many twisted, narrow roads. We gave our company a true look at Scotland's beauty. Sunday we went to church, then Julia & Brad took a bus to their B&B to change clothes so they could climb Pratt's Hill (or Arthur's Seat as the world knows it). Unfortunately, they got rained out and were soaking wet in 5 min. They changed again and came back to the mission office. We had a nice visit with the President's wife, Sister Donaldson and then came back to our flat for lunch. We then drove completely around Arthur's Seat (tallest spot in Scotland--a medium mountain), went to see another castle and then came back to the flat and played NERDS, a card game. Of course the next morning they were off on the train to London.

Thursday Sister Call & I are driving another new car to Ireland missionaries & will bring the old one back. We are heading to the Shetland Islands by car ferry. Shetland horses came from there. We will be gone 4 days and plan to stop at many castles and other gems on the way & back.  Senior couple missionaries who live on the island will be our tour guides.

NOTE: Hello mom! Been missing you and my siblings. Hope they are all doing well. How are you doing? Have you been going outside in the garden there? It's been fairly cool here and rainy as usual. I wear a light jacket almost every day. I have gotten used to the rain--you just live with it here. It's like hood up--hood down most all the time. Sure had a good time with Julia & Brad. Hope you are feeling well and are happy as usual. I've become quite fond of Scottish Shortbread cookies--bad habit I need to break!! Love you to the moon & back.

NOTE:  Hello Holly! I sure do love seeing the facebook postings of little Norah. What a cutie she is and boy does she look like her daddy. Are you back to work at COSTCO? Who takes care of Norah?
Send me a message on my blog I'd love to hear how you are all doing. Please say hi to your mom & grandma for me. Love you a whole bunch!

1st Christian settlement in Scotland.

     Witches Prison - now an art studio

Greystone Castle

Me and my handsome Dude!!

Scottish man folding his "kilt" - it takes 5 yards of tartan plaid.

Another Castle in Edinburgh - Kraigmiller

WHEW what a week!!

I think I mentioned that two weeks ago was new missionary arrivals (20) and departures (19). That was mighty busy, but this past week was "unreal" busy! It was transfer week where missionaries are moved to new districts with new partners. That includes Scotland, Ireland & Northern Ireland. That involves closing some flats and opening new ones. In Ireland and areas in Scotland that are far away I set up the appointments for the missionaries to look at the new flats. They do a good job for being so young and are very excited when they find one that meets all their needs. So on Friday night I found myself back at the office at 8 pm talking with a landlord--the missionaries in Ireland had attended a showing I had set up and loved the flat! The landlord loved the missionaries and said they could move in Monday (tomorrow) if they wanted to even without money exchanging hands--I doubt that would happen in the US! My companion and I were laughing about the fact that we were in the office every day last week until 9 pm and had to run back over Friday night (the first night we had left early). Both of us expected business, but this is over the top of anything we imagined. Good thing we love what we are doing and actually can't wait to go to the office the next day!

Today, Sunday, we just drove around Edinburgh Old Town to see Princess St., The Royal Mile, and Arthur's Seat. These are all places we haven't explored yet, but plan to do it.

Well, the big news is my granddaughter, Julia, and her husband, Brad are coming to visit on the 21st., 22, 23. I'm so excited! They are celebrating their 5th year anniversary. They will probably see more of Edinburgh in those few days than I've seen. I'll blog again after their visit.

Love to all,
Sister Gifford

NOTE: Hello mom--how's it going for you? I sure hope you are enjoying my blog. I think of you every time I write one  wondering  what you saw in all your travels. Wish I could hear all about them again, especially your trip to England. In August we will be taking a bus to the England Temple in Preston with our ward. While we are there we will also see a pageant put on by the church, which I guess is really wonderful. We  will just get home from there and we will attend the Tattoo, which is a bagpipe festival. That is a week-long festival, but we will only go for one day.  Stay happy & well--I love you bunches.

NOTE: Hi Michael, it was so much fun to text you the other day. I miss you and the family! I couldn't believe how much you have grown-up (especially with the new haircut). Are you playing any sports this summer?  Or going to camp? You'll have to take a picture of your new room and post it for me to see. I'm so happy that you are liking your new house. When do you start school there? When I return from my mission, I will have to come visit you all. I plan to make a trip to each of my family's homes when I return so I can get caught up. Please give Rylee and Zach & mom & dad a big hug for me. Love you to pieces. grams

Arthur's Seat - the Church knows it as "Pratt's Hill" Where Orson Pratt
declared Scotland open  to Missionary Work

Thistle - The National Flower

                                             This is actually a high-end hotel in Edinburgh.

MORE WANDERINGS & Castles

Last Saturday we headed to Scotland's COSTCO--but took the long way and visited Tantallon Castle & Direlton Castle. Tantallon was built in 1354 and has a dramatic location perched on a cliff overlooking the North Sea. In 1651 a siege inflicted such damage that the castle was ruined. But before that one family, the Red Douglasses held the castle for 300 years. It was one of my favorite castles because of its serene location.

Tantallon Castle on a very windy day!

Island in the sea where prisoners were kept. Now colonized b;y
many wild bird groups.

I think this was the "Master Wing" of
Tantallon Castle?!

The second Castle was Dirleton Castle & Gardens. The castle has sat on its rocky perch for more than 800 years. In 1650 the siege by Oliver Cromwell's soldiers rendered it militarily unserviceable. The gardens are well maintained and beautiful to walk through. Some people say that if you've seen one castle--you've seen them all! Just the very age of these castles amaze me and they conjure up lots to the imagination. I plan to see them all--and since we only have Saturdays we can't waste time. While we were at Dirleton Castle we were able to talk to a family from Canada about the church and leave them with a mormon.org card.

This week has been so busy at the office. We are getting 23 new missionaries from all over the world and 19 are leaving us and going home. Which means extra work for all of us. I have to close down some flats that will now be empty and open new flats in different areas. It is all kept very hush-hush until the las minute and then WAMM we have to do things fast. Elders are transferred here and there, some have new companions--lots of changes. Very exciting days. My companion is in charge of all the travel arrangements both bringing them to Scotland and sending them home.

We worked at the office all day today (Saturday) so no sightseeing today. This happens about every 6 weeks.

I had something really nice happen to me on Friday. I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from a missionary's parents (one of the Elders that was beaten a couple of weeks ago). To keep them safe, I set them up in a hotel until I could find them a new flat. They wrote such a nice note and thanked me for taking care of their son. So sweet and very humbling. These young elders and sisters become like your extended family. Love them to pieces. My position as office Housing Coordinator really makes me stretch my mind and expand my horizons--I'm very busy and I love it!   Love to all,
                                                                                                                                  Sister Gifford

                                                                                                                NOTE: Love you Mom, hope you're doing well.

Dirleton Castle (roll your 'R' like a Scottish person)      

This space was the main dining hall of the castle

I could just see my grandchildren running in & out off these ruins
of Dirleton Castle

Well now that we done with the castle tour--let me tell you about the COSTCO store. Very interesting no USA brands and plenty of Haggis LOL  It was fun to shop there although I didn't buy much because we have a really small refrigerator and freezer so we go grocery shopping about every 3 days. My companion and I have our own refrigerator shelves and freezer space. We only cook combined meals on the weekends, mostly Sunday's. The rest of the time we are on our own. There aren't a lot of fast food restaurants here, but the stores are really into packaged to go fast meals. Some of the little markets are dedicated to these "to go" meals. They put corn in everything here! Even a tossed salad has corn in with it..