The Nighs, To Scotland and Back Again

Blog Shut Down And Switchover

2011-08-20T14:47:00.000+01:00

A note from the Blog Author

Hello! This is a sort of bittersweet post as I will be saying goodbye to this blog and focusing solely on my other blog Happily Ever Tales. I will, however, be branching out on that blog and adding some little posts like I did on this page--posts about things I love, how stuff works, and little pics and things. I apologize in advance if you see a post from here linked over there but I want to make sure these posts don't die off and I would like to be able to share them all eventually with my readers on Happily Ever Tales. So, for now, goodbye from The Nighs, To Scotland and Back Again. We are back again and our adventures will continue on our other page. Thank you for taking the time to read here and I hope you come visit my newer blog.

Cheers, Rachel

EASY SEW: Bunting For Baby Tips and Tricks

2011-08-19T02:24:00.001+01:00

BUNTING FOR ALL OCCASIONS

Well, it's been two months since I wrote on this blog and if it serves as a journal, you'll understand how often I do that. Today, however, I'm pretty thrilled to have taken some very dull shots of a bit of bunting I've made. I actually made about a dozen of these sets because I had more fabric than I expected to have. Here's my tips on bunting:

First, pick out materials. I like to keep mine in the same color sets. You can see in the picture at the top of the page that the fabrics are all fairly bright, light, and colorful--perfect for the kids' room they are destined for (Baby Malone aka the baby of Miss Mommy). I found a bunch of pieces of my mother-in-law's leftovers from couch/window coverings and they made a lovely bunting set shown directly above.

TIP: Buy fat quarters!

Above you can see I stuck with pinks, oranges, and blues which made for a sweet kids room look. I was very surprised that a fat quarter from the fabric store (on sale for $2.99) made about eight to twelve standard triangles! That's quite a few for one piece and that meant that I could make more strands for less. Hooray for discovery! I hate buying fat quarters when I thought they were so expensive but now I know I can pick out more patterns and do more things (though the tapestry one ended up being my favorite and is best made with remnants so you don't break the bank).

This set I almost sent to Miss Mommy as well as her favorite color is green but I like the set at the top for her girl the best. This was made with leftovers from my mother-in-law's pile.

TIP: Use any kind of edging, ribbon, or lace for your connector and when you get to the end of the line, make sure you have enough edging to loop over against itself and sew closed so that you can hang these bunting pieces with ease.

Use a zig zag stitch on the sewing machine (don't you love my straight stitch?). Sorry for the wrinkled material. These need to be ironed. The zig zag stitch is for lazy sewers like myself who don't want to finish all the edges of our triangles. I didn't bother to finish it at all as you can tell for some of the pieces, but they won't unravel completely because of the zig zag stitch.

Here is a piece of trim I found that my mother-in-law had from some project or other and didn't need anymore. It looks really cute as the top line of the bunting and it was free!

If you have time and can maneuver your materials with ease, you can even forego the edging bit and sew each triangle to the next by overlapping them a little. You can see that I overlapped most of my bunting lines and this was because it was easier to connect the triangles than seperate them on the lines. This was a little harder with lightweight cotton but the heavier tapestry fabrics did brilliantly.

Here's the ribbon I chose for Miss Mommy. It's springy and so cute with the green stitching.

These pictures below are close ups of my bunting gift for Miss Mommy.

So, that's basically it. I was surprised at how cheap and easy bunting is to make when it costs such an arm and a leg at the crafting / fabric stores. Try this yourself! You won't be disappointed. There are so many party places, rooms, and decorative ideas for bunting. I'll leave you with one last picture of the bunting I made for my mother-in-law as a thank you in an old patriotic theme that she hung in the tent on their camping site. Brilliant and so cute.

Friends Like Apples

2011-06-08T13:13:00.000+01:00

FRIENDS LIKE APPLES

I didn't think it would be a piece of cake or a walk in the park or a walk in a cake to move to Scotland and back again but I was hoping that returning home would feel more triumphant. I don't remember now what I was expecting when we decided to up and move here to Aberdeen for Adam to continue school. I know I wanted to come here. I know I knew it would be magical. I didn't know what friends I would make. Nothing had prepared me to be sitting around at a BBQ and look up and see faces that I love surrounding us--not just one or two people that we kind of got to know but a whole family of familiar and loving faces that would come and take us to the hospital in the middle of the night or pick us up at the airport or make us meals if we needed them.
As I sit here writing about returning to my "real life" in California, I have trouble swallowing a little bit as I think of this family that we'll be leaving. Somehow I know that I won't find this again. Sure, I'll have friends. Sure, I'll have family and kindred spirits and people who like the things I like and love the things I love. I just won't have these people. And this is why leaving Scotland will be very hard.

Theologians at play

Everyone singing Happy Birthday to Calvin

Walking on the wall of Tantallon Castle on the cliffs of the Firth of Forth

I love castles. My family loves castles. We have been to over sixty castles here in Scotland and we've been to at least a dozen of those five or six times each. We love exploring and learning about the deep green and grey history of this rugged land. I've been to places I know I could live in if it weren't for parents and siblings and loved ones beckoning us home from across the globe. I've climbed to the tops of towers (calling in a panicked voice to my children to hold someone's hand and go slow), crept into caves and dungeons, and taken boats across rivers and lakes to get to castles, but the thing that I feel as I visit each one for the last time is: these will be here forever and my friends will move on. I can love a castle and leave it, knowing that it will be there in the rain and the mist for others to find, patiently waiting out the centuries and enduring the turbulent weather and pitter patter of tourist feet as they sit solemnly looking out across their familiar hills. We are the first to leave of our year. We are the first to turn our faces to another place and a new time. It hurts because I can look back and see everyone still at a barbeque, still going to study in castles, still meeting at parks in the afternoon sunshine, and I will be on the other side of the planet waiting for the next part of life to move forward.

Me in the middle of Elgin Cathedral

Mercy walking down to Fraser Castle

Calvin walking away from Glamis Castle

Adam and Mercy looking up at what I think is Balvenie Castle

Calvin and Adam looking out over the Scottish countryside next to Auchindoun Castle

I suppose this is made larger in my mind because we are unsure of the next steps at home. Adam will still have another year to finish his PhD and we will be homeless, insurance-less, and hoping for a future that feels more settled. I wish I could tell everyone here that California is where they should be but the reality is that everyone will be spread out across the country at the very least. I am entertaining ideas of meeting up with good friends and hope that that can become a reality instead of a faint idea that fades in the face of "real life".

Shall I forget you Scotland? I do not think I can. You will fade into a story that I tell to those who will listen but I cannot forget you. You have shaped my life for a few years and I am grateful for it.

I can still remember the day we landed. I was covered in sweat because Mercy had slept on me for most of the plane ride, I was dirty, and I was tired. Our new home was unfamiliar and cold and all the switches and plugs and no television or phone made it a lonely island that I wasn't thrilled about. Something helped, though. Or rather, someone helped. The keys to open the front door arrived in the hands of a pretty girl with a cheerful smile and a bubbling personality. Emily Malone not only found us a place we could call home, she helped make it homey. There was food in the refrigerator when we arrived and the heaters had been turned on. I know I didn't make a good first impression as I stood forlornly in the hall trying to smile and not cry but she knows now that I consider her our first blessing in Scotland and a dear friend and so for that day I am forgiven my coldness, which was really all the tired and sad I could muster.
Our second and third days got a little better. A girl knocked on our door and said that Adam had sent her up to me. She had also just arrived with her family and they were staying at the bed and breakfast down the street. Christy Sumner was my second friend in this new place. Adam and I quickly learned that they had been searching for a flat and hadn't found one and their time had run out at the bed and breakfast. My husband and I looked at each other and almost fell over ourselves in asking them to come and stay with us until they found something. We welcomed the company and the solidarity and even though they had to sleep on the floors and couches, we all seemed happy to be able to figure things out together. I can still remember Christy and I standing in my kitchen, trying to figure out how the oven worked. It was pretty funny trying switches and wondering if we were doing things right or about to set the house on fire. Needless to say as a set of first memories, these were some of the loveliest I could ask for. Here's the first two friends I met in Scotland with me: we're holding down the branch while the others pick.

Christy

I won't start reciting all first encounters nor best and worst memories in this post, but I will say that there was a moment when Christy and Emily and I were laughing hysterically while trying to get the apples off Emily's apple tree in the back yard still stands out as one of my favorite memories of Scotland. Who could ask for these friends like apples, their love and help so numerous it weighs the boughs of the trees till they touch the ground?

Moms at the park: Emily, Joy, Christy, Angie, and Bethany

Bethany and her youngest Ian

I think it's hilarious that Emily could spot Bethany across the street and just ask her if she was American and get to know her from walking up to her. I love seeing Abel's enthusiasm and Ian's cuteness and just enjoying Bethany's company and seeing her and her husband Aaron at any crazy AWF events we muster up. She is one of those people you hope you can be friends with because they are the kind of people you wish you were all the time--someone with a great deal of grace and love who is smart and unpretentious. Thank you Lord for a friend such as this.

It's hard to feel you've gotten to know Angie right away because she is surrounded by a sea of boys and when I first met her, two in that sea were her twin little dudes who were still quite babies. However, after we moved closer to the school her eldest and second sons Elijah and Brady respectively became my son's closest friends. They play together at least three times a week at each others houses. I love that they speak with accents though my son is very Californian and Angie's brood is from Canada. I'm so glad we moved closer to the school. I have enjoyed becoming friends with Angie and her family and I wistfully wish that they were considering moving to the US somewhere so that perhaps our families could stay in touch.
Melissa and her cutie pies Jamie and Callie are pictured above at our Easter egg hunt with Angie and her twins. We have loved getting to know the Stratis clan better and hanging out when we can. Melissa is another good friend I have enjoyed getting to know here in Aberdeen.

I have made many other friends here that I love for so many different reasons and I will miss them so dearly that there is a little ache in my heart that will not leave no matter what I put before it to confuse it and pretend that I am not going away in a week. Thank you especially to the ladies of the AWF (Aberdeen Women's Fellowship) for your love, company, delicious goodies, and friendship. I'm going to get in trouble (of the long-winded variety) if I go on reciting friends and moments I've spent with special girls whom I'll be sorry to leave. I'll leave with a few pictures of friends and places I've come to regard as home here and hope that I'll be forgiven writing blurbs about everyone and everything. Needless to say I want to send a special thank you to Melissa, Joy, Jenna, Shalle, Kate, Katrina, Sharon, Stephanie, Meg, Leah, Joyce, and Rachel Ann (and anyone I've left out on accident) for lovely Scottish moments.

Joy, Angie, and Katrina

Christy and Emily

me, Jenna, Rachel Ann, and Joyce

Shalle and Bethany

Some of our little 'uns eating lunch at the train park:

Joshua, Abigail, Augustine, Matty and Jesse

Mercy and Rebekah on our back step in their dress up clothes

Halloween 2010 Adults: Bethany, Christy, me, and Emily

Kids: Abel, Abigail, Joshua, Mercy, Rebekah, and Luke

Melissa with Jamie and Callie

Monica, Joy, Angela, Christy, Chelsea, Jenna, and Melissa

Mercy with Meg

Joe holding Ewan while he and Emily laugh though Rebekah seems concerned

Christy, Emily, Darren (costume excellence) and Bethany as we head out to trick or treat

Christy, her kiddos, and Mercy as we trudge to school

Ben, Elijah, Brady, Calvin, and James on Calvin's birthday this year 2011

Getting ready for our Easter egg Hunt in front of King's College this year 2011

Adam, Calvin, and Mercy wandering in Fraser Castle's courtyard

Here are the kids waiting patiently for a turn at wiffle ball on Easter

King's College where Adam studies

Well, I suppose for more pictures you could go to our facebook page Follow The Nighs and check out our Scottish adventures. So now all that's left is to say goodbye to friends here that I will make sure I see again. Thank you for making our time in Scotland better than I could ever have expected.

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

The Road goes ever on and on

Out from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

Let others follow it who can!

Let them a journey new begin,

But I at last with weary feet

Will turn towards the lighted inn,

My evening rest and sleep to meet.

Still round the corner there may wait

A new road or a secret gate,

And though we pass them by today,

Tomorrow we may come this way

And take the hidden paths that run

Towards the Moon or to the Sun.

Still round the corner there may wait

A new road or a secret gate,

And though I oft have passed them by,

A day will come at last when I

Shall take the hidden paths that run

West of the Moon, East of the Sun.

This seemed appropriate here.

Getting A Jump On Christmas

2011-05-27T21:48:00.000+01:00

Christmas In May

This post almost seems like a dare. Two years ago in our flat on Hilton Street, I decorated our house for Christmas in the true Scottish fashion--like Elf. I bought two packs of white computer paper and cut lots of the pages into strips (hint: I even let my daughter color on pages first and then cut them up later to make pretty colorful chains). Then I taped the strips through each other and made long paper chains (this is also something to do on long cold Scottish winter days when the sun sets at 4pm).

Here is what our living room looked like. You can see I still had chains to put up.

And, since you can see the backs of the characters I painted above in the window, I thought I'd show you what I painted to put in the windows. Here is the front of our Scottish house in the late afternoon (I'm not kidding--it was about 4:30pm here!)

And suddenly it felt like Christmas. My son was asked at school if it was his house that had all the Charlie Browns in it. He was very proud to say yes. Imagine the day he's embarrassed about all the kooky things I do. I hope that day doesn't come. Well, happy Christmas in May everyone!

Recipe: snickerdoodles

2011-05-27T19:54:00.000+01:00

Snickerdoodles

1 cup softened butter
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ¾ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
¼ cup sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Put 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a little bowl and set aside
Mix butter and sugar until creamy
Slowly beat eggs and vanilla
Gradually add flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar
Roll dough into small balls, roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture, and place on cookie sheet
(I found that flattening the cookie balls helped them spread in my oven but they should lay down on their own)
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden
About 2 to 3 dozen cookies

(And yes, that is the picture of my batch of cookies. The first batch of cookies that has turned out here in Scotland for me!)

Recipe: Killer Plain Egg Salad

2011-05-26T14:45:00.000+01:00

EGG SALAD

Okay, so egg salad for one, here's what I do:

two hard boiled eggs

2 tablespoons mayonaise

1/2 teaspoon mustard

a pinch of salt and pepper respectively

Put on toast or a toasted bagel and voila!

Recipe: Bagel Bruschetta and Bagel Pizzas

2011-05-21T20:08:00.000+01:00

Bagel Bruschetta

Things you need:

3 halved bagels

2 cups diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1 tablespoon oregano (jarred or fresh)

2 tablespoons basil (jarred or fresh)

shredded mozarella cheese (about two handfuls)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced (I add two because I love garlic)

Directions:

preheat oven to 300 degrees

place bagels on a cookie sheet

mix oregano, basil, olive oil, and garlic

spread diced tomatoes and onions on bagels

sprinkle cheese on top

drizzle oil, garlic, and herb mixture over tomato/onion mixture and cheese

Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is melted

(I accidentally mixed the tomatoes in with the sauce and just sprinkled the cheese over it all and that was lovely too!)

Bagel Pizzas

Things you need:

Bagels

tomato-based sauce

shredded mozarella cheese

Directions:

Cut bagels in half (with me so far?)

Spread marinara sauce over bagels

(even bolognese will work if you don't have anything else--most tomato-based sauces will work but be careful what "chunks" come in the sauce)

sprinkle with grated mozarella (less if you are a less cheesy person and more if you like cheese)

Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a moderate oven until cheese is melted

Easy and enjoyable!

These were posted in answer to a kind request from Emily and Christy. Thanks for the compliments!

RECIPES: Rasberry Vinaigrette Dressing AND How To Sugar Nuts

2011-05-15T19:40:00.001+01:00

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup raspberry vinegar (I used cider vinegar and it tasted yummy)
1/4 cup raspberries
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup basil leaves
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients except the oil and immersion blend them. Add the oil slowly as you blend. Refrigerate until use. This was fairly tart but great on salad. You may want to tweak the ingredients to your liking.

Sugaring Nuts

1/2 cup granulated sugar
tsp of salt
1/2 cup of walnuts

Put sugar in a heavy saucepan on the stove over medium heat
Spread nuts on a baking sheet and brown for five minutes in a moderately heated oven
Stir sugar as it begins to melt and continue to stir until it is a golden brown color and smooth
Add nuts to the mixture, stir quickly, and pour out on a piece of wax paper
Sprinkle salt over and break apart once cooled
(Be careful! Two burned fingers will remind me to tell you that that sugar is unforgivably hot!)

I didn't know "sugaring" walnuts was so easy. Here I was purchasing them for almost triple the price of regular walnuts and for a half cup of sugar I could save myself ££. These two recipes actually went together tonight in a lovely salad with pears, gorgonzola cheese, and romaine lettuce. Yum!

RECIPE: Fast an' Easy Marshmallow Squares

2011-04-10T08:21:00.000+01:00

RICE KRISPIE

MARSHMALLOW SQUARES

What You Need:

*A few pats of butter

*A bag of mini marshmallows (on the baking aisle at Asda or Sainsburys)

*A box of Kellogg's Rice Krispies

*A Stock Pot

*A wooden spoon

*A casserole dish

*A piece of wax/parchment paper

*Cooking spray

What To Do:

*Place your stockpot over the lowest flame possible

*Put in a glob (around two to three pats of butter) in the pot

*While the butter is melting, spray the inside of the casserole dish with the cooking spray and set aside

*Once the butter is melted, add the bag of mini mallows. Allow them to melt for a few minutes, then stir. They will be very sticky and not melt completely--don't worry. They want to melt, they're just having a hard time with only sugar and butter to motivate them.

*When the marshmallows are mostly melted (still lumpy), pour in about a third of a family sized box of rice krispies. As I write this I know I'll get a groan from you who are meticulous measurer's but I can say that as you're stirring, just keep adding krispies until the ratio looks like every krispie is covered. There shouldn't be the feeling of dry krispies at the bottom nor a mixture so goopy you feel as though the krispies are getting soft.

*Quickly pour the mixture into your casserole dish. This will take a little effort--it's very sticky.

*Push the mixture to the edges of the dish and pat firmly into place using the wax paper under your hands to keep them from getting sticky. (You can also wet your hands and do it that way if you don't have wax paper. As long as you keep your hands damp, the krispies won't stick.)

*You only need to wait a few minutes before serving, but if it's going to be longer, put the piece of wax paper over them to keep them fresh. Or, if you're going to stick them in the fridge (on the off chance that you have melted baking chocolate and spread it over the top), place a piece of aluminum foil over the dish.

Well done! Eat 'em up.

Go Fish! with eeBoo: Games and Wall Art gifts worth getting

2011-03-30T16:26:00.000+01:00

So we have this Go Fish! card game that was given to us as a gift by amazing grandparents. As we were playing this fabulous game yesterday (and I say that in all seriousness), I suddenly though that this particular Go Fish set would make a great gift. The cards are a delightful fish shape and they are of a fine heavy coated paper that is quite durable, as well as the whole set being packaged in a great box with a slide out inside. But the best part? The colors of the fish! Each one is a beautiful and unusual color--talk about your kids learning their colors.

Just look at these cute fish and then look at the colors: chartreuse, eggplant, indigo, and hot pink! This set is amazing. Look for it on Amazon.com (it's a perfect set).

Then, I had a brilliant idea. Why don't I look up other eeBoo products since I was so enamored of these? Well, guess what? They make lots of things, including the alphabet cards and bird cards that hang on the walls of Miss Mommy's kids' rooms. Can you believe it? I mean, these are heirloom collections and they make games too! Check out some of the things I found below. All of these can be found on Amazon by the way.

Counting Train Cards

Counting Birds Wall Art

Old Maid Playing Card Game

The Picnic Game

Okay, so I could go on and on because there are plenty of other games, wall art hangings, growth charts, and generally lovely art pieces that you can pick up very reasonably and play with your child! If you're looking for an inspiration gift-wise for eager Grandparents wanting to give gifts, these are a great line to choose from. They are both timeless and useful and (wait for it) NOT GIGANTIC TOYS that fill your living room, bedrooms, and beyond. So, happy hunting and I hope you get a chance to own something from this super sweet company!

Recipe: Breaded Haddock with Mango Salsa

2011-03-25T19:09:00.000Z

Just made this Mango Salsa recipe from www.simplyrecipes.com and we loved it (and I have picky eaters)

I purchased pre-breaded fresh haddock fillets from our local market and made this mango salsa and some white rice--delicious!

MANGO SALSA

1 ripe mango, diced (about 1 1/2 cups) although I used two mangos and enjoyed the mango-y-ness

1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped

1 half a cucumber, peeled and diced

fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (I actually used parsley because I had it on hand and I thought it worked well even though I love cilantro)

1 lime squeezed over the whole thing (or about 3 tablespoons of lime juice)

salt and pepper to taste

This was easy, fresh, and really colorful! Try it :)

Recipe: No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

2011-03-09T10:09:00.000Z

Peanut Butter Pie

Courtesy of www.Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts

Directions

Beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.
Spoon into two 9 inch graham cracker pie shells; cover, and freeze until firm.

I don't have the heart to list the grams of fat and calories in each serving. Just know it's very yummy and very rich and a slice will do it!

BIRTHDAY: Pixie Hollow

2011-02-04T23:14:00.000Z

My daughter turned four! We celebrated by inviting a few fairies from Pixie Hollow over. If you're going to have a Tinkerbell birthday, this is the only way to fly...well, this and pixie dust.

My sister Laura (on the left) designed this tent and all the poster board flowers and butterflies. She and my sister Lizzie (on the right) drew, colored, and cut out all the decor. The netting and flowers were all things my mother saved from my wedding a dozen years ago and we pinned it all together to make a tent for the fairies to sit in.

My sisters!

These are the fairies: Silver Mist, Tinkerbell, and Faun (I did not make those names up but I designed and made the costumes (with my mom's help sewing the tulle). All the flowers are felted and we borrowed some old tank tops for the rest.

Here is my daughter opening up gifts with Tinkerbell's help.

Tinkerbell (my sister Summer)

Sitting in the tent after a scavenger hunt for fairies on flowers, which my daughter then handed out to her Aunts (the fairies).

Tinkerbell's shoes--a mixture of Indian beaded slippers, netting pom poms I made and then sewed on and a set of ribbons to keep the slippers on her tiny feet (they were two sizes too large)

Some of the kids from the party wanted a picture with the fairies before they went home

The birthday girl and the fairies

A special Happy Birthday hug from Tinkerbell

My favorite picture of the day: My beautiful sister and my lovely daughter. Could it get any better?

Besides the tent and awesome sisters willing to dress up in costumes, this party was simple. We had a scavenger hunt for flowers that had fairies who had gotten "lost" on them. The kids found them and returned them to the fairies. The fairies rewarded them with special head bands and masks, which I made and turned out well, though I don't have a pic here of them. You can see my daughter wearing one in the picture where she is opening her gifts.

We had snacks and cupcakes since it was an afternoon party, gifts, and then pictures with the fairies. My husband made an awesome soundtrack of all things lovely little girls love like the songs from Disney's Enchanted, and voila!

Happy days January 2011

VALENTINE BUNTING

2011-02-04T16:13:00.000Z

(Photo courtesy of http://beautifullittleweddings.blogspot.com/)

So most of us love bunting. I have always wanted to have quilted bunting (probably from Pottery Barn Kids) or from some little shabby chic shop in St. Andrews that I can't afford. However, I discovered something about bunting that seems to be almost a secret among normal households. You don't have to use material! Let's face it: fat quarters from a craft shop are going to cost you a bundle and you have to finish the edges and blah blah blah. Instead, I've discovered a few things you can use instead.

First off you can use scrapbooking paper. If you're trying for the traditional triangle bunting, you can fold the scrapbooking paper over the twine you're using to hang it and it will look lovely!

Second (and I'm pretty sure I came up with this idea myself) you can use napkins! You know when you see lovely printed napkins but you don't buy them because they cost way too much for something you're going to wipe food on and then throw away? Well, why not use them as bunting? Open them up and cut them into four smaller squares along their creases. Then take the squares and fold them over your twine and tape or glue together.

For Valentine's Day I've got two ideas and both of them I'm pretty excited to try out. One is this heart bunting I discovered online at www.thegreengables.co.uk (see above). They've taken large pieces of recycled paper and cut out hearts. Then there are two holes punched in either end and you string the twine through them. All you need is paper, tape or glue, and twine. Make sure you use heavy cardstock paper so it hangs well. Easy and lovely!

Second is my own idea (once again I'm sure it's out there but I haven't seen it so I'm putting up an equally cute picture idea above). I love making Valentines but I also feel it's a little wasteful in the end. We decorate cards and put stickers on things and glue and glitter and in the end we hand them around, everyone exclaims over them, and then I either stick them on the mantle for a few days and let them go or store them in the children's save boxes. Here's another idea: use them for bunting. Specifically have sheets of paper that are either in the shape you will glue to each other or shapes that can be folded over twine for bunting! (Tip: make sure you don't have heavily glittered or stickered pieces that need to be folded as that gets pretty messy.) This is a great way to use your kids art to decorate for Valentine's Day and it's a great way to get inexpensive and meaningful bunting.
If you don't have kiddos to make Valentine card bunting, you can try for something like the picture above and spell out fun phrases. Take a piece of scrapbooking paper, fold in half over the twine (easier than the material sewn above to the red edging), find templates of letters online and print out if you need help gauging letter sizes. Decorate the letters and glue to the scrapbooking paper bunting. It's easy and oh so cute!

Happy decorating!

Slowing down now

2010-12-14T03:44:00.000Z

You may notice I've slowed down to a turtle crawl on this blog. This is for the very simple reason that I have begun a new blog and have not been able to maintain two at the same time. This one may still have posts here and there but I'm just giving my few faithful readers a heads up and hope you'll take a moment to read my new blog all about children's books and my own pieces with my own art work. Go to Happily Ever Tales and tell me what you think!

RECIPE: PRETZEL YUMMIES

2010-10-28T09:25:00.002+01:00

PRETZEL YUMMIES RECIPE

It all started about six years ago. I was looking for something new to bring to Thanksgiving dinner at my parents house. You know the drill. There are the staple dishes that are always made and then there are the wow dishes that people look forward to all year. I have a large family and they get together once a year on Thanksgiving, so I needed something new if I was going to break into the cooker's status versus the niece/grandchild status. I mean, I've got four Aunts, my mother, and my grandmother at this event to go up against so there's not a lot of room for error.
And then, I found it. Better Homes And Gardens had had a competition for best new recipes and this woman had made these candy pretzel rods. They looked amazing--sweet, salty, and really fancy looking. Perfect, in fact. The only problem was, was I had never made any kind of candy from scratch and didn't have a candy thermometer. But, after assembling the ingredients, I realized I didn't necessarily need a candy thermometer. I just needed to pay attention to each stage closely. Now here it is six years later and I have made these delicious snacks every year for Thanksgiving (on demand), dolled up several hundred for three different weddings, and turned them into a Christmas treat I try to make every year. They are time consuming, so it's great if you have awhile to devote to them, but trust me they are really worth it. Throw on some Christmas music (anything will do if you can't listen to Christmas music in October like I can), and take these for a spin. I guarantee you'll be asked to make them again and again.

Ingredients:
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup light-colored karo syrup (HINT: Golden Syrup can be used as a substitute)
¼ cup butter
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. vanilla
25 pretzel rods or one 14 oz. pkg. whole Bavarian pretzels
2 cups walnuts (8 oz.)
1 cup peanut butter-flavored pieces
1 cup milk chocolate pieces

1. In a food processor combine walnuts, peanut butter pieces, and milk chocolate pieces. Cover and process until mixture is coarsely chopped (or coarsely chop nuts, peanut butter, and chocolate pieces with a knife and combine). Transfer to a large bowl; set aside. (Hint: as you get more adventurous, try different combinations--especially if someone you know has a nut allergy. I've gone as far as mint drops, toffee bits, shredded coconut, and themed sprinkles--not all at once. The sky's the limit for the last dunk and roll bit.)

2. In a small heavy saucepan combine brown sugar, karo syrup (or Golden Syrup), and butter. Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sweetened condensed milk. Return to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low. Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 236 degrees F, soft-ball stage (should take about 10 minutes). (Adjust heat as necessary to maintain a steady boil.) Remove saucepan from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly thickened. (Hint: As I don't use a thermometer, I just set the timer for exactly ten minutes; works every time.)

3. Dip each pretzel into caramel mixture, covering about two-thirds of the pretzel. Let caramel drip off slightly. Roll some of the chopped mixture onto the caramel on the pretzel, pressing crumbs lightly with back of a spoon. Let stand on nonstick foil until caramel is set. Store in an airtight container between layers of wax paper in refrigerator up to 4 days or freeze up to 1 month. Makes 25 pretzels rods or 15 whole Bavarian pretzels. (Hint: I lay out my chopped rolling items on a cookie sheet, place the pretzel with caramel in the middle, dribble the bits over top and press in. Be careful! The caramel is hot!)

*Technically you could use soft caramels and melt them down but this way you can say you basically made these from scratch barring the pretzel itself. The caramel is much more delicious this way, I think. So put down those wrapped candies and go for it!

RECIPE: CHICKEN PITAS

2010-10-12T17:18:00.005+01:00

AN EASY FRESH SUMMER-ISH DINNER

As my good friend Emily has told me (and I agree), I am a 'semi-homemade' cook. This is for many reasons, namely I don't want to bother with piles of ingredients if someone else has made a perfectly good boxed mix, but, I do like to add little touches to make it my own. That is the case with these chicken pitas. I found the original recipe in Better Homes And Gardens last summer and my (fairly picky) family enjoyed the meal so I've added it to our regular rotation. Here it is:

CHICKEN PITAS

You'll Need:
4 boneless chicken breasts cut up into "frying" bite-sized pieces
1 box bread crumbs (I like the Paxo brand from Sainsburys)
2 packs of pitas any kind you prefer
3 regular sized carrots grated
half a lettuce or cabbage head depending on your preference
1 bottle Balsamic Vinagrette dressing (you can also use a creamy dressing if preferred)
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper
1 gallon resealable bag
1 flat pan

1. Turn on oven to a normal heat (laugh if you know my oven which has no numbers)

2. Cut chicken into pieces and place in gallon bag with 1/4 cup of milk and squish around to coat

3. Add salt and pepper to the bread crumbs and pour mixture into the gallon bag with the chicken and toss around till coated fully.

4. Put chicken on flat pan and bake until golden brown

5. While the chicken is in the oven, grate lettuce (or cabbage) and carrots and toss in a bowl with viniagrette dressing.

6. Cut pitas in half and zap them in the microwave for 10 seconds (to apparently help them open)

You're ready to eat. Put chicken and salad mixture in the pita and add an extra dollop of viniagrette to finish it off. Serve with Greek salad or cottage cheese, and/or carrot sticks for the kids. It's a nice light meal with not a lot of prep. The best part is the kids can eat the chicken and the pitas separately and I don't have to cook a second meal for the pickies.

Bon Appetite!

Karl Barth

2010-08-15T08:47:00.001+01:00

I think I may start a theologian painting series. This is my first: Karl Barth.

WHERE I'M FROM

2010-08-08T21:28:00.025+01:00

I don't post pictures too frequently, as I am essentially a lazy computer-er and they take time to load, but I have been missing home and decided to show you where I'm from.

I was born in Santa Clara, California and we moved when I was two to Watsonville, California.

This is my parents house, which my mother has landscaped and cultivated for twenty plus years and it is pretty stunning. I didn't live here until I was four or so--before that we lived in a cabin on this same property with no electricity. I was a little farm girl.

This is the treeline street, as we called it when I was little and the trees were much more numerous--so close that their branches touched and it was like walking down a pine wall. On the other side of this hill is the beach.

This is the newer walkway that has been put in in between the houses but you can still get down the beach on the huge cement hill. This is my home beach, called Sand Dollar Beach (and you can find tons of Sand Dollars there at certain times). It's an okay beach for surfing but nothing spectacular.

This is a view of Watsonville. It is an agricultural town based mainly on things like strawberries, artichokes, and most other vegetables and fruit you can imagine.

Watsonville is part of Santa Cruz County, officially Surf City USA (we won out against Huntington Beach).

This is Seacliff Beach with a pier and a cement ship that was dragged here half a century ago and is now being battered to pieces by the Pacific ocean. This is a good beach for kids when the muck warnings aren't up, because there are hardly ever any big waves.

The inventor of the wetsuit, Jack O'Neill is from our town and every once in awhile you'll still see him riding around town on a bike with an eye patch. So, surfing is a big deal in our town but, no, I don't surf. I'm too afraid of sharks and honey, we've got sharks. Every few years there's a Great White scare coming up the coast and we always have smaller tiger sharks out and about. Santa Cruz is at the northern tip of the Monterey Bay, which has one of the (if not the) deepest drop-offs in the world. Therefore there is the Internationally acclaimed Monterey Bay Aquarium full of strange fish most people have never seen before. It's built in an old cannery in downtown Monterey and you can just see Steinbeck wandering the roads looking for his stories (he loved nearby Salinas and made his home there).

This is one of the beautiful tanks that hold three stories of fish and seaweed. It is one of the most beautiful and mesmerizing things I have ever seen and if I didn't have a little one tugging on me to see the otters, I'd stay here for hours. The seaweed stalks tower dozens of feet into the air and sway back and forth while fish you'd never thought you'd see wander past the glass and eye you with an unworried face. They've seen slack-jawed humans before.

This is Adam's parents' house in Soquel, which lies right in the middle between downtown Santa Cruz and Watsonville. Adam grew up in Soquel and we loved living there after we were married. Adam's parents built this house when he was 8, and it is a lovely Victorian farmhouse where you can just sit in the wicker porch swing and look out at the bay.

This is our famous Boardwalk, with one of the oldest wooden roller coasters around. You can see it there in the white and red. It's called the Giant Dipper. We love our boardwalk with its sticky cement, fried goods smells, and ever changing assortment of amusement park rides.

This is Adam and the kids on our last trip to the boardwalk last summer. They won't go on the Giant Dipper yet, but we're working on it. I have yet to try a deep-fried twinkie but these are also here.

If the day is too warm, you can head inland to Nisene Marks State Park, another world famous landmark filled with gorgeous redwood trees that tower hundreds of feet into the air.

This is Capitola-By-The-Sea or just Capitola if you aren't trying to sell really expensive knick-knacks. It is our tourist town with a pretty wharf, really expensive shops, and people from all over the world wander in wearing white shorts and loud tennis-club tops with visors. The nice thing is you can still get good food down here cheap.

This is my mom holding Mercy and standing next to Calvin on the last day we got to go to Sand Dollar before moving to Scotland. It was hard to say goodbye and I've been missing my parents so I put this one in. I love it and it reminds me of the Black Stallion when Alec and the horse are on the deserted island and the sun is setting.

My Dad holding Mercy. I miss my Dad.

I love this picture. My dad is running with my kids. A year and a half ago he could barely walk from his chair to his bed and now he's running with them! Thank you Lord for answering our prayer and giving my father a new heart!

This is Seacliff beach again. Far across the bay you can see the mountains rising up behind Seaside and out on the tip the beginnings of Monterey itself. At night the little lights twinkle on both sides of the bay but out in front stretches the big bold Pacific with nothing to stop you if you went adventuring.

My mom and Mercy running on our beach.

Calvin on a trip with Adam when they went to another state park, Henry Cowell, and camped.

This is another view of Capitola. You can see the bridge and the restaurants behind them nestled next to the outlet of the river.

This is a view of the Santa Cruz mountains with Santa Cruz down in the hazy distance. You can get all things in one day from redwoods and mountains to seashore and dunes.

This is downtown Santa Cruz, one of the self-professed weirdest towns around. It is hippy-ville despite its nice shops and many homeless people congregate here.

I'll leave you with this last one of Big Sur. Highway 1 runs all along the coast of California and just half an hour down from us is this most beautiful site. It is something you should try to get to at least once in your lifetime. The views and drive are some of the most beautiful on the planet.

So, this is a few pictures of where I'm from. I'd post more but I don't have any and I'm getting sleepy. But we love our town and will call it home even if we never quite get back there. Both our families are there and the sixteen years with Adam (now minus one) have all been spent there. We're six hours from L.A. (a trip we do about every other year to go to Disneyland), an hour from San Francisco, and minutes from every kind of landscape you could ask for.
Thanks for reading,
Rachel

When The Trees Begin To Dance

2010-08-05T14:27:00.005+01:00

When The Trees Begin To Dance

There’s a special after bedtime when the moon is full and white
Teddy’s tucked in next to me and my night light’s burning bright
I tiptoe out of bed to see the fairies waiting just for me
It’s the magical time of evening when the trees begin to dance

Stepping out my window, I wave to them and sigh
The unicorns neigh softly as if laughing in reply
I am skipping, I am running, I am hopping with the bunnies
It’s a wonderful time of evening when the trees begin to dance

I dawn a dress of shining gold, a silken crown so tall
And dancing with a small oak tree, I join the magic ball
There are frogs and butterflies, delicious cakes and apple pies
It’s a special time of evening when the trees begin to dance

Elves tell me stories and sing me songs of castles, knights, and queens
The mermaids tell me wondrous tales of seas where they have been
I tell them of my home and school while sailing 'cross a diamond pool
It’s a marvelous time of evening when the trees begin to dance

And when the last song has been sung and all the food is gone
I curtsy to the trees and blow a kiss to everyone
A dragon flies me back to bed, I lay down to rest my tired head
It’s been a perfect time of evening when the trees did sing and dance

Written and Illustrated by R.C. Nigh

Little Red Farm

2010-07-28T12:25:00.005+01:00

Little Red Farm

Dear little field mouse so brown and furry
Where are you off to in such a hurry?
Has that old tomcat scared you away
And made you leave your nest in the hay?

Sleek little tomcat, proudly purring
Don’t you know the calves are stirring?
Their mothers won’t be pleased that you
Have drunk their milk and made them moo

Wobbly red calf with soft black eyes
Take to the fields and bleat at the sky
The rooster will be crowing soon
And it’s high time for it’s past noon!

Peeping fluffy chicks of yellow
My, aren’t you all proud little fellows?
Hopping round the barnyard floor
Past the pig and out the door

Mr. Pig, you’re looking well
You’ve had your lunch as we can tell
And since you're fat and less than thinner
You'll be at Farmer's for Christmas dinner

Oh, Farmer Brown, your house is cozy
Your dog is fed, your wife is rosy
All who dwell in this good home
Shall never want to stray or roam

Written and Illustrated by R.C. Nigh

Fairy Days

2010-07-27T10:21:00.002+01:00

Fairy Days

Some days are truly fairy days
The minute that you wake
You have a magic feeling
That you cannot mistake

You may not see the fairies
But you know that they're about
And at any moment
They might all come dancing out.

The sky is full of fairy clouds
The streets are fairy ways
Anything might happen
On truly fairy days

Written and Illustrated by R.C. Nigh

Puddling

2010-07-26T10:08:00.003+01:00

Puddling

The rain is falling all around
All through the trees, all on the ground
Dripping drops from here to there
Soaking everyone, everywhere

It slides off my nose and drips off my chin
It's filling my boots and soaking my skin
If mother should ask why I've suddenly gone out
Please tell her I'm puddling and splashing about

Written and Illustrated by R.C. Nigh

Where Does The Sun Go After It Sets?

2010-07-25T15:16:00.003+01:00

Where Does The Sun Go After It Sets?

Where does the sun go after it sets?
Down to the sea to sleep in the west
What will it do there down in the blue?
Make friends with the beautiful pearly white moon
What will they talk about, do you know?
Where they have come from and where they will go
Shall they invite many friends in for tea?
The west wind, the north wind, the stars and me
How will the sun know just when to rise?
When the tea is all gone and they've said their goodbyes
Is the sun lonely when it shines in the sky?
No, for it shines on you and I

Written and Illustrated by R.C. Nigh

PLACE REVIEW: CAWDOR CASTLE

2010-07-23T09:27:00.004+01:00

CAWDOR CASTLE

Photo by Rachel Nigh

WHAT TO LOOK FOR AT THE SITE AND WHO ITS SUITED FOR:
This castle may be among my top three in Scotland. I may be slightly biased as it was pouring rain and who doesn't want to see a castle in the pouring rain? But, beyond the weather I really enjoyed this one. It is gorgeous inside and out and the gardens are some of the best I've seen here. There is a magical side to this castle as it is a more Victorianized one but has still maintained a grey outer stone that is enchanting. The walks are beautiful and there's even a maze (currently closed while it recuperates). A must for all families to get here at least once while in Scotland.

GIFT SHOP / TEA ROOM / RESTAURANT / TOILET AVAILABILTY:
There are several gift shops, a bookstore, a restaurant, and toilets in several locations. This is a site not only for the historic castle hunters but for the guests of an exclusive place to stay.

SITES AFFILIATIONS AND COSTS:
Unfortunately, Cawdor is privately owned and therefore costs a pretty penny to get your family through the gates. But, I think it was a worthwhile cost.

Adults	£8.30
Concessions	£7.50
Children (aged 5 to 15)	£5.20
Student (with valid student I.D. card)	£7.30
Family Ticket (2 Adults + up to 5 children aged 5 to 15)	£26.00
Adult parties (20+)	£6.95
Children's parties (20+) (one teacher free with every 20 pupils)	£4.50
Gardens, Grounds & Nature Trails	£4.50
Adult season ticket - Castle and Gardens	£80.00
Adult Season Ticket - Gardens only	TBC
Child Season Ticket	£35.00
9-Hole Golf Course - Day Ticket	£12.00
Putting Green (per round)	£1.50

OPENING TIMES:
May 1, 2010 to October 3, 2010 from 10am to 5:30pm (last entry at 5pm) 7 days a week.

LOCATION / TIME IT TAKES TO GET THERE:
Cawdor castle is in Nairn, a whopping 2 1/2 hours away. I suggest splitting this as a day trip with Urquhart or some other northern areas such as Lossiemouth (for Spynie Palace and Elgin Cathedral). Most of this trip is on the A96 heading north north/west.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit their website: www.cawdorcastle.com

EVENTS:
See their site.

PLACES TO VISIT NEARBY:
As I stated before you can look for a few other places nearby including the tiny Kilvarock Castle, which we haven't been to. There are also a few great ones towards Inverness and also up top in Elgin. For more info check out our interactive google map: Scotland, According To The Nighs

LOOKING BACK...

2010-06-14T18:42:00.008+01:00

So, I was sifting through folders of photos from a long time ago and I came across these. I've seen a few other people's wedding pics but not everyones. Instead of posting a response, see if you can dig up some wedding photos and post at least one of you in your dress. I'd love to see what you looked like on your wedding day :)

This is the car we took from the ceremony at our church, Twin Lakes, to our reception at Adam's folks. The car was this neat old See's Candy looking thing, courtesy of family McGuire. I had yellow roses and a dress I considered a good Grace Kelly dress. I'm a week away from being nineteen here. Adam is nineteen.

Here's groomsman Dave driving us off.

This is my favorite picture from our wedding. Look at all those boys about to jump! I also like my hair--it's one of the few times it will look good from the back.

Look at Adam, I love it. The sun was obviously very bright. I look like I need sunglasses.

Here we are holding our niece who is now in Junior high school. Time flies...

So, that's the few I found. I wish I had more but these are a fun reminder of a day long long ago, that I enjoyed immensely.

LEARNING TO FREECYCLE

2010-06-04T13:45:00.003+01:00

LEARNING TO FREECYCLE

This is a good topic to post because the first few times I tried to use freecycle I just ended up frustrated and upset that I could see things passing by that I really needed and no one ever responded to me. Then I got (just a little...okay maybe more) obsessed with trying to work this program out and have become very successful at it if I do say so myself. If you're still skeptical, I've gone ahead and listed just a few of the things I've been able to get from this site:
an upright piano, two armchairs, a set of bunk beds, an antique steamer trunk, two bikes, two sewing machines, and a few strollers just to name some. Don't worry, lots of that stuff is for other ladies who don't have transportation or the time to hunt around so I'm not cornering any markets here. I don't take more than I need and I don't take from the same category in the same day so that others have a chance.

RULES OF THE GAME:

Before I say anything else, I would like to mention the polite rules of this site as I follow them judiciously so as to keep things fair.

1. Be polite with your emails. You can send a few just to make sure something has been taken but always be polite.

2. Do not resell anything you get on freecycle. If you're done with it then pass it on because hey--you got if for free and its all about helping other people out.

3. Be careful. Never send out your phone number unless you're absolutely sure and be even more careful with your address when you're getting rid of something. (I always try to make sure my house is locked up and looking protected so people stopping by can't "case" my house (which I've never seen anyone do but you can't be too careful.)

That being said, let's get you freecyclin':

TO SIGN UP:

1. Either go here or type in Aberdeen freecycle into a search engine.
2. At the bottom of the page it gives you the option of signing up immediately or looking at the Aberdeen page.
3. Once on the Aberdeen page you can "contact the moderators". This is how you sign up. Let them know that you are now living in the area and would like to trade fairly with others. Be polite, brief, and they'll approve you within a week or so.
4. Once you are approved (I always hate a step that takes a while but it can't be helped), you can start freecycling.

TIPS TO GETTING THE STUFF YOU REALLY WANT:

How I managed to finally get some responses was this:

1. I watched the site avidly. Freecycle is mainly first come first serve and although that is daunting, you can do it. Set up a Yahoo mail account just for this purpose and let those freecycle messages pour in. When I first started and was desperately searching for a few things I checked it at least once an hour. You don't have to be that crazy but if you aren't it will take a little luck to catch things just as they've gone up.

2. Reply to the ad and be very polite. This is my go to way of speaking:

Hi, I am very interested in (item) and can pick it up most times. Please let me know if its still available. Thanks either way, Rachel

This way I'm asking but I'm also thanking them for taking the time. Some people don't do first come first serve and would like to hear your sob story so if its something like a stroller I say something like:

Hi, I've been looking everywhere for a stroller for my daughter and hope this one is still available. I can uplift today if need be. Thanks either way, Rachel

If you don't hear back from the people within a few hours--consider the item taken and the emails too numerous for the person to contact. If I don't hear from someone within two hours or so, I usually send a second email. This is a very important email. I've gotten more things on the second try than on the first. I say:

Hi, I'm assuming since you haven't responded that the item is taken already? If for some reason it does not get uplifted, would you consider me for it? I can uplift most times. Thanks either way, Rachel

Most people are trying to get rid of things quickly. If the first person they offer it to doesn't show, my email is usually sitting there very politely saying, "even though you got a ton of emails, I emailed back and I'm a quick uplifter". That works a lot of times.

So there you have it. That's how I have gotten good at this freecycling thing. It does take some time but I've accepted the time I have to sift it here and there as the awesome payoff of finding what we need without spending a lot. I delete all emails at the end of the day and start over the next day. Don't bother reading anything more than 24 hours old as the items have more than likely gone. It wastes more time. If you aren't looking then don't bother with it for awhile because you can burn out. But I have gotten really confident at driving and I know all the areas of the city now because of this hobby so that's another fun reason to try it out.

(Also for those of you heading back to the states, we have this program there too and you can sign up to watch any towns you want. The only bother is so far I have found my town to stink at it back home whereas here there is a lot more going.)

HAPPY FREECYCLING! - Rachel

THE SUBJECT OF FINE CHINA

2010-05-12T15:24:00.013+01:00

If any men ever read this blog, they'd probably start snoring just reading this title, but I found my file on this and want to share.

No one needs fine china anymore. If you want it then you must use it. I've seen too many people end up with an every day white cheap china set or even a melamine set of plates and a fancy set of china they have used maybe twice since their marriage.

I have a new solution. I have a set of china and I use it because I will not be cowed by the silver trim or the fact that Sweet Leilani does not go with most events. But my new solution is even better. It kills two birds with one stone. I am going to have an eclectic set of china--only one place setting from different sets. This doubles as a fabulous birthday present idea for me as I only want one and you can be assured your gift won't get lost in the shuffle of dozens of the same thing. Having explained that, I'm listing a few below that I want and can record on here so I won't forget (not, as you might suppose) as a birthday list.

Robert Haviland & C. Parlon "Syracuse"

Philippe Deshoulieres "Dhara Collection"

Lenox "British Colonial"

Lenox Simply Fine "Chirp"

Phillippe Deshoulieres "Corinthe"

Lynn Chase "Tiger Lily"

Wedgewood "Black Astbury"

Versace "Primavera Collection"

Robert Haviland & C. Parlon "Versailles Gold"

Royal Albert "English Rose"

S0, there you have it: some china I think would be lovely to have one piece of (especially the Versace, which one full place setting is $375 and the dinner plate alone is $80...hey, a girl can dream about china she'll surely drop if she ever gets, right?)

PLACE REVIEW: HUNTLY CASTLE

2010-05-08T09:21:00.004+01:00

HUNTLY CASTLE

Photo by Rachel Nigh

WHAT TO LOOK FOR AT THE SITE AND WHO ITS SUITED FOR:
Set by the Bogie and Deveron rivers at the edge of Huntly town, this castle is a lovely ruin. They have preserved some of the detail work with overhangs, which is something I haven't seen before even at the bigger palaces. This place makes me a little more nervous with kids as there are a few places the higher you go that are a little more perilous than other ruins. But it is a nice spot and has some great views. Definitely you should see this place at least once.

GIFT SHOP / TEA ROOM / RESTAURANT / TOILET AVAILABILTY:
There is a little gift shop and there are toilets but no tea room or restaurant. You can walk into town (or drive) and there are little places to stop there.

SITES AFFILIATIONS AND COSTS:
This site is maintained by Historic Scotland and is free to members. Non members pay:
Adult £4.70, Child £2.80, Concession £3.80

OPENING TIMES:
April 1st through September 30th open all week 9:30 to 5:30pm
October 1st through October 31st open all week 9:30 to 4:30pm
November 1st through March 31st open All week except Thursdays 9:30 to 4:30pm
Be careful and call first in the winter as they close if there is ice and snow on the ground.

LOCATION / TIME IT TAKES TO GET THERE:
Huntly Castle is in the town of Huntly, an hour away from Aberdeen from which you get to mostly on the A96. Check out our interactive map for other sites in the area etc.:
Scotland, According To The Nighs

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=pl_154&PropName=Huntly%20Castle

EVENTS:
None that I can see but I didn't delve too deeply.

PLACES TO VISIT NEARBY:
The Dean Shortbread Factory is also in town and we hear its a great place to take the family. You can eat in their shop and buy freshly made shortbread--a great touristy and family thing to do rolled into one.
Castle Fraser is practically on the way home from Huntly and also a good castle to stop by and see. They have a good adventure playground, a great little shop, and a nice victorianized castle.

KEVIN HENKES BOOKS

2010-05-05T14:08:00.006+01:00

KEVIN HENKES BOOKS

Kevin Henkes has been one of our favorite authors since I can remember, and I can remember quite a lot. His style of illustration is perfect for kids, though the books above are best for age 3 and up whereas there is a little set about holidays that is great for even younger ages (see below). Above are three of our household favorites, though there are many more and we enjoy them all.

If you're looking for a new author/illustrator set to add to your family collection, I highly recommend these (especially to Kate, whose own little Lily reminds me of these books). Enjoy!

PLACE REVIEW: CRATHES CASTLE

2010-05-03T13:23:00.003+01:00

CRATHES CASTLE REVIEW

Photo by Rachel Nigh

WHAT TO LOOK FOR AT THE SITE AND WHO ITS SUITED FOR:
This place holds a special spot in my heart as its the castle with the most enchanting gardens. I hardly need to review this place as most everyone has been here but it must be done for those of you who have not had the pleasure of strolling through the gardens. This is a great place besides the garden with a children's adventure playground (be careful-its a little medieval and dangerous looking), a restaurant, and a great shop with many souvenirs to pick from. Great with all ages though the tour is a little hard with small ones. Look out for the Horn of Leys, given to Alexander Burnard by Robert the Bruce, which hangs over the main room upstairs.

GIFT SHOP / TEA ROOM / RESTAURANT / TOILET AVAILABILTY:
The gift shop is great, the restaurant is a nice escape in the chilly months, and they have toilets, as well as an adventure playground.

SITES AFFILIATIONS AND COSTS:
This site is a National Trust location and is free to members. Nonmember prices are as follows: Adult £10.50, Family £26, 1 parent £20, Concession £7.50, Car park: pay & display £2

OPENING TIMES:
Gardens are open all year daily from 9am to sunset
Castle: January 5th through March 31st open Saturday and Sunday 10:30-3:45
April 1st through May 31st open Saturday through Thursday 10:30-4:30
June 1st through August 31st open daily from 10:30-5pm
September 1st through October 31st open 10:30-4:30
November 1st through December 31st open Saturday and Sunday 10:30-3:45
(Closed December 24-26)
Courtyard Catering and Shop:
Jan 5th through March 31st open daily 10-4pm
April 1st through May 31st open daily 10-5pm
Jun 1st through August 31st open daily 10-5.30
September 1st through October 31st open daily 10-4.30
November 1st through December 31st (closed 24-26 Dec) daily 10-4pm

The castle is also open daily during Easter, October and Christmas holidays.
Last admission to castle 45 mins before closing.

LOCATION / TIME IT TAKES TO GET THERE:
Crathes is half an hour away just before the town of Banchory on the A93.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit the National Trust site and search for Crathes Castle or go to:
http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/20/

EVENTS:
Scotland's Garden Scheme Day on Sunday June 27th
Ranger Guided Children's Walk-Simply Squirrels on Wednesday July 7th
Ranger Guided Children's Walk-Brilliant Beetles on Tuesday July 13th
Ranger Guided Preschool Walk-Minibeast Magic on Tuesday July 20th
Ranger Guided Children's Event-Woodland Crafts on Wednesday July 21st
Ranger Guided Children's Event-Moth Morning on Tuesday July 27th
Ranger Guided Children's Walk-Treetime on Wednesday July 28th

PLACES TO VISIT NEARBY:

Drum Castle - you'll actually pass this castle site on the way to Crathes. Another beautiful place and definitely worth stopping at.

Castle Fraser- This one's okay but not my favorite. You can no longer get to the top of the castle and look out from the turret but the children's adventure area is very nice when its not being worked on.

Craigievar Castle- Don't bother. Set out in the middle of nowhere, currently under construction, and not very impressive at that. No tearoom, no shop, no toilets that I could see, and certainly not a playground. Pass.

MEXICAN AND CHINESE FOR NONCOOKS

2010-05-01T21:10:00.006+01:00

So, at the behest of friends I am going to share my cheat cooking tips that I have learned from living in Scotland. Adam and I love great chinese food and I absolutely love fabulous Mexican food (how could I not when its made on my doorstep at home with the best possible ingredients?) But here I have discovered two meals that I can make with the grocery store kits that actually taste pretty good.

ENCHILADAS

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Buy this kit at Sainsburys (probably other places but I get it there)
Chicken (sliced into bite size pieces)
Cheese (I use the mild plain white pre-shredded cheese)
Coriander
A lime
If you like flour tortillas, buy those separately as this kit has corn tortillas (I prefer flour)

Then just follow the kit specifications and add chopped coriander and a squeeze of lime into your chicken filler. Put a little sprinkle of coriander over the whole thing and bake it.

Add refried beans, avocado, sour cream, and the Uncle Ben's mexican rice on the side and you've got a fabulous meal that takes little prep and even littler brain power. I love it and I know good Mexican food. This isn't the best I've had but it sure beats waiting it out till I visit home.

CHINESE FOOD

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN:
A deep fryer basket (I borrowed one from a friend)

Chicken cut into bite size pieces
Cornstarch (cornflour)
Two egg whites
Ginger
Salt and Pepper
Uncle Ben's Sweet and Sour Sauce (below)
Vegetable Oil (lots)
- Turn on oven at Gas Mark 2
- Mix a few tablespoons of cornstarch with the two egg whites and coat chicken pieces. Let sit for ten minutes, stirring occasionally to fully coat chicken.
- Fill a saucepan one-third full with vegetable oil. Heat oil on medium to high heat. It will be ready when a little piece of dry bread turns golden in less than a minute.
- Drop chicken into saucepan with space around each piece and fry until golden brown (about 3 minutes)
- Put finished chicken pieces on a paper towel to remove excess oil and then slip them in the oven while other pieces are finishing to keep them warm.
- Put Uncle Ben's sweet and sour sauce in a frying pan and heat over low.
- Finish chicken and mix it with the sauce and serve!

ROASTED PEANUT BEEF:
stir fry beef cut into bite size pieces
snow peas or any vegetables you'd also like to stirfry
AMOY straight to Wok ROASTED PEANUT SATAY stir fry sauce (Sainsburys in little black sachets in with the chinese food)
Vegetable oil

- Put a little oil in a wok and stir fry beef
- add veggies and stir fry a further 4 minutes or so depending on your veggie taste
- add stir fry sauce and mix

CHOW MEIN:
Egg noodles (in the Chinese food section)
AMOY Straight To Wok CHOW MEIN Stir Fry Sauce

Boil noodles for 3 to 4 minutes, drain, and add the sauce...seriously!

Steam some white rice and you've got yourself a full Chinese banquet without ordering terrible take out.

Editor's Note:
I am in no way shape or form a good or even remotely interested cook and both these meals turned out fab. Who says you can't use the store's version and make it taste like home? Hope you enjoy, we did :)

PLACE REVIEW: GLAMIS CASTLE

2010-05-01T08:52:00.008+01:00

GLAMIS CASTLE

WHAT TO LOOK FOR AT THE SITE AND WHO ITS SUITED FOR:
This has to be near the top of my list for this type of castle. The grounds are simply lovely with formal gardens, neat little walks, a fab adventure playground with a zip line, and a great paddock full of highland cattle right next to the playground. The family still lives in the castle so you cannot visit all of it, but there are tours to see what is available. This one is just great for the kids and we highly recommend it for all ages.

GIFT SHOP / TEA ROOM / RESTAURANT / TOILET AVAILABILTY:
The gift shop here is really neat because they've added a flea market sort of upstairs, which is fun. There is a great (though expensive) tea room/restaurant. There are toilets as well.

SITES AFFILIATIONS AND COSTS:
This is a privately owned site and therefore costs to get in for everyone are a little steeper.
March 13th through October: 31st Adults are £8.75, Child £6.00, Family £25.00
Gardens and grounds only Adults £4.50, Child £3.50, Family £13.00
November 1st through December 30th: TBC

OPENING TIMES:
March 13th through December 31st open 7 days a week except for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day
March through October times from 10am to 6pm with the last tour at 4:30pm
November through December times from 10:30am to 4:30pm with a last tour at 3pm

LOCATION / TIME IT TAKES TO GET THERE:
Glamis Castle is down south about 1 1/2 hours on the A90 near Forfar. For complete directions use our google map.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please consider visiting their website at:
http://www.glamis-castle.co.uk/index.cfm

EVENTS:
Strathmore Highland Games held on Glamis grounds on Sunday June 13th
Scottish Transport Extravaganza (vintage vehicle fair) on Saturday & Sunday, July 10th and 11th
Grand Scottish Prom on August 14th
Scotland's Countryside Festival on Saturday and Sunday, September 4th and 5th
Halloween at Glamis on October 30th and 31st

PLACES TO VISIT NEARBY:
Glamis, though not necessarily near anything in particular, is a great stopping point between Aberdeen and St. Andrews. It's inland near Forfar and, if I remember correctly, you'll see signs for it from the A90.
For an easier look, try our scouting map: Scotland, According To The Nighs

SLOWED DOWN

2010-04-30T10:02:00.003+01:00

I've slowed down on the extensive place reviews here as I've made a map and all the points have little blurbs of our likes and dislikes. I will move on to more extensive site reviews as soon as possible. Until then I am happy with the new Scottish sun that we seem to be receiving, the fact that Adam's parents then Dave and Phaidra then Lizzie will all be joining us soon (hooray), and that I'm going for lunch to my friend Meg's house (yum!). Today is a good day. Plus laughing on Facebook at/with friends never hurt. Hello world, it's a good day!

GLOOMY DAY

2010-04-22T11:48:00.003+01:00

Today is a gloomy day outside, which usually I love because it means indoors is so much cozier. But something has died beneath our house under the kitchen and it is overwhelmingly terrible in there. That along with the fact that the kitchen serves as not only a food prep and serve area but also our washer is in there and all our dirty dishes retreat there to slowly pile up because no one wants to be in there long enough to clean up. I have scoured the kitchen and cleaned everything I can think of and have come to the conclusion (having had this happen before in the states) that something has picked our warm house to die in. Thanks nature.

SCOTLAND, ACCORDING TO THE NIGHS MAP

2010-04-21T14:17:00.005+01:00

Scotland, According to the Nighs

Okay folks, I've officially made a map (click on the link above). Let's hope it helps at least one person and then my tedious cataloging won't have been in vain. I have listed all the castles that we've been to and all the castles we wish to go to so that you can see the full scope of what we hope to gain from Scotland's beautiful sites. I've mainly listed the sites we haven't been to yet, as some of them are on the way to other places and you might miss them otherwise. This way, we've found a fairly complete map of what we want to see. Keep in mind we've left a few things off of any historic maps you would normally find, sheerly because after researching these places--we don't really care to see them. Most of the ones left off (that we know of) are left off for several reasons: they are too ruined to really be a site worth traveling to, they are too new and therefore not really an authentic site worth traveling to, or they are so much of the same of what we've already seen (Craigievar) that we really don't see the point and it isn't on the way to anything else. Also, we do lean towards castles and not other forms of historic sites so there are not as many landmarks beyond structures that we've listed. After saying all that, I hope this helps you discover at least one castle on the way to another castle and, in that way, enjoy your trip all the more knowing that you made full use of your time. Our kids can spend anywhere from half an hour to two hours at a site, depending on what's available and how easy it is to navigate. Therefore, when we travel, I try to have at least three and perhaps four castles on the list for the day so that we can be prepared to skip around. I start at the farthest point and find my way home with castles being our detours. Good hunting!

Cheers, Rachel

A MAP

2010-04-14T13:15:00.003+01:00

As I've done more and more of these little reviews, I'm getting the sense that I should have a very easy map to locate all the places along the way to each site. We've spent some time ferreting out other castles and sites of interest so that we're never just going one place and spending a whole lot of time in the car because, let's face it, if that were the case than almost none of this would be worth it. Even in some of the most beautiful castles, I can't spend more than a few hours looking around. If I was going there by myself in a big hat and laden with an old fashioned picnic basket and my easel, I could easily spend the day wandering around little Scottish towns and visiting ruined sites (word of warning: if you ever see a site that says "remains of" don't bother! It's almost always a partial wall that went to something). So, all that to say I will be working on a little map that has where we've been and how far a drive between sites everything is. It's been sad to know we've missed a castle by a ten or twenty minute drive because it wasn't on one of the maps we were currently holding. Will post it when I'm done. Cheers, Rachel

PLACE REVIEW: URQUHART CASTLE

2010-04-14T10:40:00.003+01:00

URQUHART CASTLE

Photo by Rachel Nigh

WHAT TO LOOK FOR AT THE SITE AND WHO ITS SUITED FOR:
Urquhart, sitting on the banks of Loch Ness, is one of the most magical sites we've been to and we highly recommend you getting there at least once during your Aberdeen stint. It has fairly large parking lots and isn't too steep to get down to. Included in your ticket is the chance to view a short 8 minute film about the castle's history. As far as kids go, this place has both great areas to let them explore and also places to hold tight to their hands. Half the ruins are on slanting slopes down to Loch Ness and the stairs in the tower house are incredibly steep. That being said, this is one of our most favorite places to have visited so far and it is a must for anyone looking for that ultimate Scotland feeling. Loch Ness is beautiful and misty and was helped on our trip by the drizzling rain, which made it feel even more enchanted.

GIFT SHOP / TEA ROOM / RESTAURANT / TOILET AVAILABILITY:
There is, as you might imagine, a restaurant, toilets, and a gift shop.

SITES AFFILIATIONS AND COSTS:
Urquhart is part of Historic Scotland.
Non members pay: Adult £7.00, Child £4.20, Concession £5.60

OPENING TIMES:
April 1st through September 30th all week 9:30-6pm
October 1st through October 31st all week 9:30-5pm
November 1st through March 31st all week 9:30-4:30pm
(And watch out because most sites have their last entry time 45 minutes before closing)

LOCATION / TIME IT TAKES TO GET THERE:
Take the A96 up to the north and it ends up being just over three hours to Urquhart. You can stop in Elgin at just over the halfway mark to have lunch and see Elgin Cathedral, a beautiful ruined site also belonging to Historic Scotland.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit the Urquhart page on Historic Scotland here.

PLACES TO VISIT NEARBY:
Fort George, also under the Historic Scotland banner.

PLACE REVIEW: KILDRUMMY AND GLENBUCHAT CASTLES

2010-04-12T16:56:00.005+01:00

KILDRUMMY CASTLE

Photo by Rachel Nigh

WHAT TO LOOK FOR AT THE SITE AND WHO ITS SUITED FOR:
This castle is growing in our estimation each time we visit. It is such a ruined castle that there isn't anything to climb besides a few steps here and there but its placement in the gorgeous countryside and its story makes us come back for more. It is known as the noblest of the northern castles, and we think it lives up to its title. If you do get out to this castle, make sure to buy the book to it as it was a fascinating strategic place for many battles which included Robert the Bruce, whose brother and even himself sometimes lived there.

GIFT SHOP / TEA ROOM / RESTAURANT / TOILET AVAILABILITY:
There is a gift shop and toilets available at Kildrummy but no luxuries or shops at Glenbuchat down the road.

AFFILIATIONS AND COSTS: This site is part of Historic Scotland.
Non members: Adult £3.70, Child £2.20, Concession £3.00

OPENING TIMES: April 1st through September 30th all week from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm Closed for the winter October through March

LOCATION / TIME IT TAKES TO GET THERE:
Kildrummy is a bit farther afield at just over an hour to get there but you can see other castles nearby and make a fuller trip out of it. Take the A944 out past Alford.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit the Historic Scotland website and check Kildrummy: http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk

PLACES TO VISIT NEARBY:
Glenbuchat Castle, not generally on the maps, is a lovely castle to visit. It is a mere 10 minutes further down the road. The people at Kildrummy Castle will point you in the right direction. Don't take that first right that says Glenbuchat, push on and about fifty yards ahead is the actual turn to the right for the castle. You park halfway up the hill by the little dummy wooden fence and walk across the pasture land through the sheep to the castle. Do not go all the way up the driveway as its residential! This castle is unmanned so it doesn't matter if you have a membership or not and the views of the surrounding Caingorms with the little lambs playing about is simply perfect. The castle itself is a great one with lots of winding stairs and a stellar view from the top. Its okay with kids and you don't have to be overly worried about them crashing down from on high. Little ones will need a hand but the pastures surrounding are fun for everyone. Great place for a picnic.

GLENBUCHAT CASTLE (pronounced Glen-bucket)

PLACE REVIEW: BALMORAL CASTLE

2010-04-02T13:39:00.005+01:00

I've noticed how un-fantastic my blog is and I think it's a lack of pictures. My pictures all tend to fall onto our facebook page and by the time I've uploaded the fifty or so pics onto it, I'm bored stiff and want to run away from the computer. Hence, not many pics here on the blog. I'm actually going to do my next place review today instead of Sunday because this weekend and next week are going to be a little hectic. We have the egg hunt tomorrow down at the school (hopefully outside if the weather is as beautiful as it was today). Sunday is Easter and there are events at church and at home etc. Monday is AWF book swap night at my house and Tuesday at five am we're leaving to tour the West coast, mostly to see Eilean Donan Castle--the castle I am most excited about in Scotland to see. Then we're heading to Loch Ness to see Castle Urquhart, which is what Adam really wants to see. We're spending the night in Inverness and visiting Inverness Castle, Ballindalloch Castle, Balvenie Castle, and Auchindoun Castle with a little luck the next day on the way home. Plus, I have to finish my first ever illustration set for a children's book. I am very excited to be doing a version of The Gingerbread Man for an online company. Hooray! So...here's my place review:

BALMORAL CASTLE

Photo by Rachel Nigh

What To Look For At The Site And Who It's Suited For:
Balmoral Castle in Royal Deeside is a very special castle. It is the Scottish home of the royal family since 1848 (we were there once just after the prince had left a week before). Therefore, although it is quite a sight and the grounds are spectacular, you can only pay to go into the ballroom. The rest of the house is not available to see. Queen Victoria called it, "my dear paradise in the highlands" and we can see why. I won't go into all the particulars of things you can do and see at this site as there are numerous reasons to visit, but I will mention a few that differentiate it from other castles. There is a wildness and feeling of space here. The castle is right next to the River Dee and you can wander down pathways through the woods and by the stream on some very enjoyable walks. The castle, besides a guided tour, also offers headsets where you can listen to the history as you stroll the grounds. This is a lovely place with kids. The grounds are vast and beautiful, there are some lovely flower gardens, and, if you park at the bottom of the hill, you can take a covered trolley truck up to the castle. It is a little more expensive than even the privately owned castles but well worth at least one trip during your stay here. I cannot explain the feeling of serenity and beauty this place lends itself to.

Gift Shop/Tea Room/Restaurant/Toilet Availability:
It would be funny if this place hadn't any of the above mentioned facilities but they, of course, have them all. There is a restaurant/gift shop with toilets that has some lovely china in the Queen's pattern as well as a snooker table.

Sites Affiliations And Costs:
This site is not linked to any preservation society as it is not only a privately owned castle but a royal site as well.
Adults £8.50, Students/Seniors £7.50, Children (5-16) £4.50, Family Ticket (2 adults and up to 4 children) £22.50
Admission charges include the audio handset tour, which is available in English, French, German, and Italian.

Opening Times:
April 1st - July31st from 10am-5pm with a last admission at 4pm

Location/Time It Takes To Get There:
Balmoral Castle can be found by taking the A93 and B976 eastwards (direct instructions on Google Maps). It takes an hour and a half to get there. You can usually drive through the gates all the way up and park next to the castle. If that is not allowed, you can park at the little shop below and either take a tour van up or walk through the woods.

For More Information (website)
http://www.balmoralcastle.com/index.html

Events:
Guided and marked walks, Safari Tours, Pony Trekking, Running holidays, and Salmon fishing are just some of the events that go on at this castle. For more information please visit the website listed above.

Places To Visit Nearby:
Balmoral Castle is far enough away from Aberdeen to cause us to look for whatever else is in the area that we can visit. Fortunately, Braemar Castle is a scant 22 minutes further down the A93. Braemar has many events throughout its open season and boasts the largest and best of the Highland games. The Queen herself visits this spectacular show.

If you are a parent wishing to inflict as little car-time pain on your children as possible, I would suggest going to Braemar first and wending your way back to Balmoral so that you are always heading towards home as you tour.

For more info on Braemar Castle please consider the website below: http://www.royal-deeside.org.uk/RDattract/braemarcastle.htm

EASTER, SNOW, AND CASTLE HUNTING

2010-03-31T13:51:00.003+01:00

I'm trying to get in a little journal entries in between these place reviews but I'm having a hard time keeping up. Today we had playgroup at the house and the kids got to dye eggs. There weren't as many eggs as I would have hoped but dye them we did and some of them turned out fine. Emily and I had to go to Costco to get duck eggs (chicken eggs here are all brown). The eggs didn't accept the dye as well as chicken eggs do--I think it has something to do with the non porous surface. Duck eggs are really smooth. Before they are boiled they are a beautiful white with a little pink hue. I can just imagine beautiful white ducks nestled down with these eggs and it's a very pretty picture. Too bad I come along and buy the eggs, effectively killing them off....hmm. Anyway, I was surprised and pleased at how many people actually sludged here in the snow. Props to Joy, Jenna, and Christy especially for their walk in the bitter wind and snow. Props also to Melissa and Emily for getting out in the snow with two little ones and for Katrina who's due date with NC is a scant two weeks away. Well done, ladies! Despite the dyeing hiccups, I think it went rather well. Tonight we're having some girls back over to stuff eggs for the hunt on Saturday, which looks as though it is definitely going to have to take place in the chaplaincy--especially if today's snow is any indication. I still can't believe its snowing. I'm mad enough to completely ignore it.
We're excited for Easter break none-the-less, as we're taking our first trip across the country to the west coast to see the famous Eilean Donan castle and Urquhart castle on Loch Ness on the way back. If we have time we'll also check out Inverness castle and cathedral, Ballindalloch castle, Balvenie castle, and Auchindoun castle. That's a lot. We'll see.
Cheers,
Rachel

PLACE REVIEW: LINLITHGOW PALACE

2010-03-28T08:22:00.008+01:00

I was going to do a castle that was closer to home but, as this one is having a few events, I'm recommending it a little earlier.

LINLITHGOW PALACE

Photo: Historic Scotland website

What To Look For At The Site And Who It's Suited For:
Linlithgow Palace, home to the Stewarts, is in a remarkably majestic state despite it's ruined status. It served as a nursery for James V, Mary Queen of Scots, and Princess Elizabeth and there is a neat timeline of royalty on the wall as you walk up the hill to the site. (There is a parking lot off to the left if you turn up towards the castle past the fountain in the square of the town--it's a little hard to find or you can also drive all the way up to the palace even though it seems like you shouldn't.) The name Linlithgow means 'loch in the damp hollow'. The palace, set in the middle of Linlithgow town on a beautiful loch, is a sight worth seeing twice. There are so many fine details that still survive today and the views from the utmost heights are truly majestic. I wouldn't know, as I won't go that high up. But here's a picture to prove it that Adam took.

This place is a little harder to keep up with small children in as there are many many many staircases and some of them are quite steep but as long as you're holding tight to your toddler's hand, this place is awesome. Not only is the palace and kirk next door to some of the most beautiful here in Scotland, but there is a loch surrounding it with paths and play structures along the way. We even went down to the one little main street and got an ice cream. It's just a lovely place and there's something for everyone.

Gift Shop/Tea Room/Restaurant/Toilet Availability:
There is a fairly nice little gift shop, no tea room or restaurant, but yes to toilets

Site's Affiliations And Costs:
This site belongs to Historic Scotland. Adult £5.20, Child £2.60, Concession £4.20 and free to members.

Opening Times:
Summer: April 1st through September30th all week 9:30-5:30
Winter: October 1st through March 31st all week 9:30 to 4:30

Location/Time It Takes To Get There:
Linlithgow is a perfect half an hour in between Edinburgh and Stirling, that is, it takes a half hour to get there from either direction. You most likely won't be coming straight from Aberdeen to Linlithgow but if you were it would take you roughly two and a half hours going south on mostly the A90.
For More Information:
Please consider visiting the Historic Scotland website and look up Linlithgow under places to visit.
http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index.htm

Places To Visit Nearby:
Stirling Castle and William Wallace's Monument are half an hour away, and Edinburgh itself is another half an hour down the road. Too many places to mention here.

Events:
I'm adding this one this week as my whole reason for switching over from shire castles to castles of the southern persuasion is because Linlithgow Palace is having a jousting competition in the beginning of July, which you should all get tickets for post haste.

Photo and below excerpt from Historic Scotland Linlithgow page.

To the sound of fanfares, the Knights will enter the arena before staging an amazing display of skill and daring. See how the Scottish knight fares against his opponents! A full supporting programme will be staged throughout the afternoon making this a great value day out.
12.30 p.m. – 4.30 p.m. with main jousting shows at 1.30 p.m. and 3.15 p.m.
We strongly recommend buying tickets in advance to beat the queues.
Family tickets available on the day, or buy online in advance from 1 April to beat the queues and save 10% at www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/shop.
Park and ride available.

Linlithgow Palace, July 3rd and 4th and July 10th and 11th

SCOTLAND NATIONAL TRUST VS. HISTORIC SCOTLAND

2010-03-23T10:55:00.004Z

I thought I'd just add the differences between Scotland National Trust and Historic Scotland.

If you're staying in and around Aberdeen, the National Trust is the membership for you. We got an amazing deal during a kids discount time and paid, I think, something under £60 for a year and a half membership. It covers most of the castles on the castle trail. It doesn't cover everything nor does either membership help you with privately owned castles such as Dunnottar and Glamis. But this membership has paid for our four person family in just four castle visits.

The Historic Scotland membership is for the big boy castles down south like Edinburgh and Stirling, and covers most of the castles to the south and even a few up here including Tolquhon and Auchindoun Castles and in Fife, St. Andrews Castle. This membership is a bit more pricey at around £70 for a year's membership but also worth it if you're planning on taking your family to Edinburgh and Stirling even once as these castles are very expensive on their own.

So there's my take on the two main membership offerings. Plus, we get lovely magazines and handbooks from both with pamphlets on upcoming events all across Scotland. Cheers! - Rachel

SOMETHING NEW..A PLACE REVIEW: TOLQUHON CASTLE

2010-03-21T19:35:00.005Z

I have decided that I'm going to try and put up a little blurb every Sunday evening about a place we've been to here in Scotland for those of you wanting to get out and see things but don't know where to start. I'm starting with:

TOLQUHON CASTLE
(Pronounced Tol-hoon)

Photo by Rachel Nigh

What To Look For At The Site and Who It's Suited For:
This castle is one of our favorites as our son likes to run around and climb on it and because it is situated so remotely and has no huge heights with dangerous rails, we let him explore. It's suitable for all ages with no death defying cliffs or towering turrets with too-wide railings. It is a smaller castle with a lovely lawn all the way round it and a stone wall beyond containing it. The front entrance is unusually decorated, there are faux bee hives running along the outer wall, and there is an inaccessible hiding place you can find where the the laird hid his valuables. Also look for the initials 'T.L.' high on the outside of the main house, the signature of the architect.

Gift Shop/Tea Room/Restaurant/Toilet availability:
There is a tiny gift shop, toilets, and picnic tables

Site's Affiliations and Costs:
This site belongs to Historic Scotland. Adult £3.70, Child £1.85, Concession £3.00 and free to Historic Scotland members.

Opening Times:
April 1 through September 30th open all week 9:30-5:30
October 1 through March 31st open weekends only 9:30-4:30

Location/Time It Takes To Get There:
The castle is about a half hour North of Aberdeen, just past the town of Pitmedden, which you can reach on the B999. It's a lovely drive through the rural Scottish countryside, though the roads are somewhat narrow and winding.

For More Information:
http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk and look up Tolquhon under places to visit

Places To Visit Nearby:
Pitmedden Gardens, which is open all year daily and it's museum, shop, and tea room are open May 1st through September 30th daily from 10-5:30

ME

2010-03-10T19:58:00.004Z

Lossiemouth

Things I would change:
my hair color (done it)
my weight (done it and back again)
the fact that my ankles and arms will never be thin even if I weigh 100 pounds less (not done it)
my lazy eye when I'm tired (don't want to wear an eyepatch)
the sound of my voice when I'm trying to sing beautifully and can't
my non house cleaning habits
Not finishing projects after I start them
Putting my foot in my mouth when if I'd just shut up I'd look kind, smart, or graceful

Things I wouldn't change:
my age (I'm happy to get to grow older and don't really want to be anyone else)
the fact that I can walk and talk and see and hear
my husband (Prince of my heart)
my kids (most days)
the fact that I know and have decided opinions on books, music, and movies (sorry in advance)
my family (love them or love them more, they're all pretty awesome)
the way pitchers and apothecary jars make me smile
that I love toys and kids movies and enchanting kids things
that I still want to dress up for Halloween

So, overall I suppose I'm happy today with just being me. We're facing many trying things here in Scotland, not the least of these the fact that we seem to get every illness known to man here and the doctor kindly told me that we'd get everything they can throw at us because we're not acclimated to the little bug beasties. Also, my skin and hair are dying terrible deaths. Having come from a temperate beach town in California to the cold North, I am discovering all the ways my skin can die and all the ways my hair can flop uselessly on my head till I pull it back. Yuck. But, still, when we're out as a family and looking at ruins that are hundreds and hundreds of years old, we feel complete. There is a lovely familyness to our adventures out and we all generally have a great time just being around one another. Plus, I must pitch the getting out of town thing as it is really surprising how head down to the ground I can be until we're out and about. Then the whole world seems to open up and I remember that we're in Scotland and that it can't and won't last forever.
This last weekend we, on a whim, decided to go to a castle. Not many are open yet for spring but we chose Huntly as being the nearest we hadn't been to. An hour and a half later we are told by the lady at the desk that they're not letting people in because of the snow. So, on we went to Elgin Cathedral, Lossiemouth on the coast, and Spynie Palace. It turned out to be quite a lovely day and the air was fresh but not biting. Then we had to drive almost three hours home but Adam's a champ when it comes to driving and even though I fell asleep with my mouth open in the front seat, we arrived home unscathed. Great day!

COLOR SCHEME CHANGAROO

2010-03-02T16:42:00.004Z

I've changed the color scheme around on this blog plage because I'm in desperate need of warm colors and this seems a most simple way to get that. I was hoping for something a little more medieval when I started out but I found this salmony peachy color and couldn't resist.
Last night was the March AWF party at Allison's flat and it was so much fun. Allison put together a lovely set of teas to go over and we had little taste tests, delicious treats like chocolate cupcakes and scones, and little lovely signs posted everywhere declaring it a tea party. I wore my hat especially for it and had a grand time with the AWF ladies. Thanks Allison! Plus, I love your flat with all the books. I didn't realize how much I miss all my books that I had to leave in the states until I saw how many you had and realized that's what makes a home so homey to me. I'v grown up with books lining the house and have come to feel it is the only way to decorate. So, there it is.
February has passed and I know the months will slip away until suddenly I will look around and the year will be ending again. The snow has gone for the moment but I am certain it will return. Apparently this is the worst winter here in 31 years. Really. Are you kidding me, Scotland? I do not wish to bring such weather with me wherever I go. Listening to Jewel's lullaby album as I write this and remembering how much I played it this last summer for Mercy when she was going to sleep in the next room at Mema and Baba's. It is overall a very nice mellow collection.
I have been writing again and feeling somewhat creative so that is always a plus. I think the snow and darkness sucked all interest out of my creative side and I just wanted to hibernate until spring. Calvin and Mercy too are feeling the pull of the little sun we are getting now and I wish I could send them out in less than jackets and mittens to play. Calvin has started a rock collection, which is convenient for me because we have a rock garden for a front yard and he seems content to search there. Mercy is looking fabulous with short hair. I cut it last weekend along with everyone else's hair. We had a shearing weekend.
Signing off,
Rachel

MY MOTHER IS VISITING

2010-01-25T16:45:00.002Z

I should be writing this all down and will do so in a week or so but my mother has come for a visit and we are too busy for me to sit down and write it all right now so you'll have to wait. We're enjoying her visiting and she made it for Mercy's 3rd birthday! I've just finished downloading a ton of pictures from the last week or so, so feel free to skip over to "Follow the Nighs" on facebook and see what we've been up to. Cheers! -Rachel

WEBSITES TO VISIT

2010-01-15T15:35:00.003Z

Websites to visit:
www.Scotlandistheplace.com
www.Scottishchristian.com – churches
www.Scottisharts.org/uk
www.Visitscotland.com
www.Walkingwild.com – forest trails, coastal walks, Scottish scenery
www.Cyclingscotland.com
www.Treasuretrails.co.uk/trails/Scotland-northeast/
www.Golf.visitscotland.com
www.Ski.visitscotland.com
www.talentscotland.com

CHRISTMAS HAS LEFT

2009-12-29T11:54:00.003Z

Christmas is over and I am one of those people who looks at Christmas decorations the day after Christmas and feels like they are too heavy and weighed down by the season and begin to clean them up. When I'm done, our house always looks very fresh and bare and I feel as though I've just moved in again, regardless of which house I'm in. I like to take things down just as much as put them up because there's a very calm sense after a holiday. Unfortunately, I never get all the way put away and little piles of decorations are still floating around the house. Christmas itself was a little nightmarish this year. Because of it being dark when you wake up, it's hard to know what time it is. I didn't know how much I internalized the habits of the sun in my hometown but when I woke up there, I could sense what time it was--6:30 and a nice fresh and early morning or 8am and I've slept in. The position of the sun makes each hour so different. Well here you can't tell what time it is unless the sun is out and then you know you've really overslept and are probably sick because it's 9am and the kids are bouncing off the walls and demanding food because they're STARVING. (Starving perhaps because they wouldn't eat their dinner the night before because I am trying to poison them with meat, potatoes, and beans apparently). But I digress.
It is Christmas morning and by morning I mean--3am. Calvin is marching downstairs with his stocking in his hand and practically tugging Mercy protesting down to us. Get up mom and dad, it's Christmas! Adam looks at the clock and we both groan. Go back to bed, Calvin, it's the middle of the night (could I have chosen a better name for my son--I am reminded of several C&H comics bearing this same theme). Calvin dutifully goes back upstairs and leaves me with a whimpering tired almost 3 year old. Long story short, Mercy's down in bed with us and Calvin's coming down the stairs every twenty minutes until we yell that he can get up at 4am and open his stocking in the living room if he'll stop bothering us until it's light. Ha. That works out fine until 5:30 when he's played with the toys from his stocking long enough and he wants us to get up. I'm already awake because Mercy can't sleep. Merry Christmas everyone. Grumble grumble grumble.
So Christmas morning was hard and tiring but the kids soon bucked us up with merry faces as they opened the presents. By the way, thanks to family from home who all made a huge effort to send us gifts--even the socks, Grace. We can't get enough socks here and it makes us happy knowing how many people were thinking of us this Christmas. So, Adam and I go back to bed and let the kids play with their toys until we really have to wake up around lunchtime to make the kids a little food (who needs food when you have tons of chocolate to eat?) and then we whip the place into shape for Christmas dinner. AWF friends the Sumners, Ellises, and the Westerholms come for dinner bearing yummy food and horrible stories of the impossible trek to our house from theirs. The snow has stopped snowing but it has rained and now the sidewalks are just big blocks of ice. People cannot walk on them and walk in the roads instead--also not advisable here. But the dinner was really fun and it felt like Christmas to celebrate with other folks. Yay for good food, friends, and Jenna's mulled wine. :)
Now we're in that indeterminate space between Christmas and New Year's in which I've never known what to do with myself and am contented to make felt things and tidy up for coming January guests. We hope you out there reading this ramble have a splendid start to your new year and just think, what a wonderful thing for God to give us all another new year to start together.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING

2009-12-16T08:57:00.004Z

Since this is a public diary of sorts, you can now understand why most of my journals are half full. It's been about a month since my last post and the days just fly by, helped along by the fact that there are only a few hours of real daylight. When the sun sets at 3:30 in the afternoon, the day feels like it's winding to a close and I can't seem to get myself out of that mentality. I still do things in the dark with the kids in the house, but it feels like the before and after dinner things that you do instead of afternoon things. Let's see, a lot has happened since my last post. First off, we had a lovely Thanksgiving with many friends in attendance (thanks to Kate Ellis who organized the whole shabang). I made my first turkey for it and Joe was kind enough to overlook it being a little dry on top and a little pink on the bottom. But I was happy it looked fine and tasted pretty good and (shock) fit in my tiny oven. Let me tell you how hard it is to get an 18 pound turkey into a mini oven. I had to redo the aluminum foil because it wouldn't go in with the foil sticking over the sides of the pan at all. All the food at the 'American' Thanksgiving in Scotland was delicious. There was a gaggle of kids running up and down the stairs playing and wherever you looked, little pockets of theologians sat down to chew over food and thoughts.
On to the next. I was excited for the parties in December but the night before the AWF Christmas cookie exchange/white elephant party was to be at my house, my children both decided that barfing the whole night was their m.o. So, I spent all Sunday night holding sick children and throwing most every piece of bedding in the house into the laundry. Monday found me continuing the clean and having to email the ladies to switch the party elsewhere (which Christy graciously did). I stayed home with the kiddos and we watched movies all day. Actually they watched movies all day. I did laundry and walked around the house with a bottle of disinfectant and a sharp eye for any surface I might have missed. By Tuesday I felt like I had gotten the flu in my lower back, which ached, but I was hoping to skip the actual flu. Then Wednesday came and Adam got it. Joy. So, another round of sterilization but Wednesday night was really fun because we had our first felt night. Felt is the new everything. Ha. I'm totally hooked on it because you can make things without sewing or waiting for things to dry for hours. All you need is a glue gun and a dream. I will post pictures of the stockings I've done for the family so you can see how crazy I'm getting. I joke that my house is creeping with felt because I've also made felt ornaments and felt decorations for the kids room.
It's now mid-December and yesterday Mercy and I got to go down to Calvin's school to hear his play of "Whoops-A-Daisy Angel". Calvin is so tall here that he was in the back row looking like a child I barely recognize. When did I suddenly have a 7 year old who looks like this? Where's my toddler whom I thought would always look toddlerish? Even so, I can hear him singing because he doesn't think it's not cool to sing and so he does. Loud. I love it and remind him to smile when he looks at me. You'll see from the pictures. He's having a great time but he concentrates and therefore there's a little furrowed brow going on. Mercy loved the performance. She stood in the aisle and waved to him and twirled when the children sang their songs.
Also, it's been lovely walking down to school most mornings. The light is a strange morning light that is very different from the light in California. It's almost like a winter light in the morning that lasts as long as the daylight lasts. Since the sun rises and drifts over the sky without going over your head, it never gets that warm midday feeling. If you watched the sun here on a time-lapse you would see it rise a little ways and then go straight horizontally across the sky and then sink down again. We're too high for it to go overhead. Strange.
Christmas is coming. We got a package in the mail yesterday from Mema and Baba Nigh. It was so much fun for the kids. A huge box arrived filled with stockings and wrapped presents. As the kids are putting the presents under the tree, we notice one says we can open it right now! They tear it open and it's 'The Night Before Christmas' but it's special. Each page is read out loud by Mema or Baba! They've recorded them and when you turn the page, they read along with you. It is so much fun and the kids have listened to the story at least 5 times each since last night. It brings home closer and we like that around here.
Also, at least once a week, and sometimes twice, my mother sends us a package of books and coloring books and mazes and piano music. I've already got a comparable Agatha Christie collection here and the kids have enough coloring and dot to dots to last them through the next year. We love this too because, not only is it things to do and read, but it lets us know how much Grandma and Papa are thinking of us too. It's nice to get that constant connect with home. Grandma is coming to visit in January because it's just too much time for her to wait till the spring when Papa is coming out too. So, she's coming mid January and we're all excited and preparing her room. We wish Papa could come too, but the fact that he'll be here soon
makes it okay. We're also hosting a former MVCS'er for a few days while he's on vacation from his studies in Spain. So world, you see that it can be done--come visit us! Before you know it we'll be gone and you'll wish you had made the trip. It's hard to spend money on coming to Europe but we're a great excuse. You can start off with Scotland and a free place to stay and then go from there. Go to Dublin, go to London, go to Paris. There's plenty of amazing things to see and do here. All right, I'll stop pestering you all. Will write again soon but until then have a wonderful December.

GUY FAWKES

2009-11-11T08:31:00.003Z

Last week was a busy week. Guy Fawkes Day (see V for Vendetta to possibly know more) was Thursday and there were lots of fireworks going off all over the city. On Saturday we went to the Reid's house for Cooper's Narnia birthday party, which was fun. Afterwards I popped down to Sainsbury's and then the whole family headed out to Banchory to celebrate Guy Fawkes with the Zieglers at their house. They took us for a walk around the property of Crathes Castle (see pictures on the Follow The Nigh's Facebook account) and fed us dinner. It was so much fun that we stayed way too late and our kids didn't get to bed till 10:30. Sunday we had the Waddells over for lunch after church, which was also very nice. Great families! Sunday was also Remembrance Sunday and the red poppy pins were everywhere. This is a short post because what I really wanted to say was that if you wanted to really see our pictures of Scotland and us in Scotland, you should visit our Facebook page started by my sister Megan. Become a fan of "Follow The Nighs" if you're so inclined. Here I write more what's going on and there I upload all the pictures. So between the two, if you care, you can get the whole Nigh adventure. Cheers! - Rachel

HALLOWEEN, FYVIE CASTLE, AND SQUEAKY SHOES

2009-11-03T13:33:00.004Z

Halloween was Saturday and it was very fun. We went to Fyvie Castle in the morning and walked the grounds and toured the castle. Our inside tours are always very quick with a seven year old who only wants to find Gnasher, the dog hidden throughout several NTS castles, and a two year old who wants to sit and touch and pull out drawers and you can't do any of that. So we get the whirlwind tour. One of these times I'll get to stop and look at paintings and things. The castle was nice but has been lived in up until 1994, so even though it has all this Victorian furniture and tapestries, the paintings seem to be the main thing calling you to past centuries. The grounds were pretty and extensive but they didn't have the gardens like at Crathes, and it wasn't a ruin like Tolquhon, so it ended up being fun but not our favorite. We did see some swans and ducks on the pond as we drove home, and that was lovely. The pictures of the castle are more impressive when it is half hidden by fall trees. Out in the open it is remarkably similar to Fraser Castle--a mixture of stucco an stone that comes off looking a little worn, mostly because of the bleeding effect all the fixtures have on the stucco.
For Halloween evening we went to Meg and Stuart Waddell's house. Their son Calvin is in the same class at Kittybrewster and they go to High Hilton Church as well. It was a very fun party complete with decorations, great food, and the kids even got to go trick-or-treating. That part was kind of funny. Halloween seems to be a holiday for college age people rather than kids. Only a few kids were dressed up at school on Friday and we had the only group of kids in the area going trick-or-treating. Consequently, the kids got some strange treats like pounds, oranges and banana's, and a can of sardines. Many places people didn't have anything. A different place I guess. But the kids enjoyed it and still got enough to fill their buckets halfway. Sunday I pled a filthy house and we stayed home and cleaned all day. Now the house is feeling a little better although I got a little carried away with Freecycle and had to shove things around. I think I'll have to stop soon. It's a little addicting and I'm getting pretty good at it. It has helped make this house our home. We now have an armchair for Adam to study in, a rug in the playroom, a sewing machine for me, and more.
We got a package from Mema and Baba last week with pajama's for the kids, snacks we miss, and a pair of squeaky shoes for Mercy. They sound like a dog's chew toy every time she takes a step. That doesn't help the dogs we pass when we're out for a walk. Mercy likes to make them squeak extra by jogging in place and dog owners have to get tight holds on their dog's leashes as little dogs everywhere strain to see where the noise is coming from. They are novelty shoes that everyone smiles about. I have met more Scots in the last few days because of them and I have decided I like them as long as Mercy's wearing them outside.

A MONTH IN

2009-10-27T08:28:00.003Z

We are now a month in to our new adventure in Scotland. This last week was a little harder with the rain and wind kicking up every day and Mercy getting the flu, but the rain has mostly gone and it was a beautiful day yesterday. Mercy is cranky as she gets over being sick and sometimes I wish I couldn't hear the beautiful strains of the whiny "mom" call I get at least once every ten minutes, but I'm glad she's on the mend. Calvin went back to school yesterday and got his first homework packet from Kittybrewster. Adam has been asked to write a chapter in a book and do a book review so he's excited for the new opportunities. As for our home feeling like home...let's say the house feels like our place but not home and the town is slowly becoming vaguely familiar but there is the overwhelming sense that we will never know the ins and outs of this city before we leave it. We know our neighborhood a little bit now but walking in a neighborhood and driving it are very different. The landscape immediately changes and now that I'm driving I feel like I'm starting all over. I do like having a car, though. We had to go down to Sainsbury's (grocery/department sort of store down the hill from us) and there was a bitter wind that I was glad I didn't have to subject Mercy to. I also like the car for adventuring purposes. Some other PhD families don't have cars and aren't planning on getting them but we want to get everything out of the countryside we can, as we love to drive to explore. We couldn't get to a castle this weekend because of the weather and Mercy's flu but we did get to have lunch with the pastor of High Hilton church and his family. They were very nice and it was a great experience to be so invited into a community. We find that the people at church are all just as friendly and are settling in well. I am getting homesick here and there when I think of things like Christmas but it still doesn't feel like we're living here. I suppose it takes a long time to feel that you're really here to stay for a long time because right now we're still changing pounds to dollars in our heads, calling home almost every day, and talking about our plans when we're homeward bound.
Some UK to America differences for those of you who are interested: I find I have to go to the store every two days or so because of food amounts--the fridges here are smaller, the ovens are smaller, and the freezers are normally smaller. Therefore the food comes in smaller amounts. Also, the food does not have the same preservatives we have in the US and it doesn't last as long without being frozen. Since Mercy is on a milk kick, we have to get milk almost every other day. I'm not used to the serving size of things as far as how they are packaged. For instance, I bought a bag of pre-marinated ribs and when I got it home, discovered that I had to make something else as well because there were only about 8 ribs total--not enough for a little family. But I suppose that's just a learning curve. I can't imagine what UK'ers would do for the first time when faced with US portion sizes, family size containers of food, and Costco! They have a Costco here but I'm wary of going since there isn't much room to keep things in the kitchen as it is. Our oven: we have a gas oven and you flip a switch on the wall to turn it on. Then you hold down the starter and turn on the gas and viola! Frozen foods and cooking directions for the actual oven are numbered--bake this meat at Gas mark 7. I haven't found the correlation between these numbers and the degrees from home although my rough guess is that Gas mark 6 is around 350 degrees. Anyone know for sure? Also, the stove top is called the Hob.
As far as actual food goes--the selection is pretty amazing. They have avocados, mangoes, kiwis, watermelon, and, not so shockingly, a whole aisle of potatoes. I've found pita bread, enchilada sauces (not the best but I'm spoiled by CA), and many other foods I didn't expect to see here. I haven't found a good pancake mix yet but when I looked it up online they showed it as a wet mix so maybe it's in the dairy aisle. Eggs aren't kept cold in the store--that was a funny one to me but upon reflection seemed normal. I mean, chickens don't keep them cold. Adam has gone off the deep end exploring the strange flavors of things here--especially crisps. None of them sound appealing to me although I was glad to see he didn't try the haggis flavored ones. Two things I think are popular and strange here are salad creme and brown sauce.
Well, that's enough jabber about various culinary woes and surprises on my end. Other than that, the new world marches on and we're looking forward to trick-or-treating with one of Calvin's friends from school and church. This is the first year I haven't decorated my front yard (I'm pretty sure no one does that here), and I'm not even really interested in costumes. Yikes! Where am I? Calvin is going to be a knight because he brought his beautiful knight costume that Grandma and Papa gave him a few years back, and Mercy is going to be a princess or a fairy courtesy of Aunty Grace who gave her a half dozen lovely Disney dresses for her to choose from. Thanks Aunty Grace! I didn't bring Adam's monk costume I made him so he's out of luck for that tradition, and I'm not sure I'm going to try to dress up either. I might to some face painting, which thankfully I brought. So long for now and I hope this is interesting rather than DULL. - Rachel

CRATHES AND TOLQUHON CASTLES

2009-10-18T08:38:00.002+01:00

We got to Crathes Castle and Tolquhon Castle and love them both, for completely different reasons. Crathes has the most enchanted gardens, enhanced by the drizzling rain and pictures of various family members and friends getting married there, along with the Queen visiting. This feels like true Scotland. As for Tolquhon, pronounced Tol-hoon, we love it for the complete explorability you cannot get in the US. I know if this castle was in California we'd have camera's monitoring it, people standing in discreet places, ready to pounce on anyone who leans against it or picks up a rock from the ground, and a general feeling of--isn't this great, now DON'T TOUCH!. But here in Scotland you are encouraged to climb and explore the ruins. This castle has many archways and stairwells that look like a castle sleeping beauty would have been proud to call her own. The light inside the halls is quite exquisite, even with a grey day outside. You can just imagine the laird on horseback riding up to a busy castle such as this with people coming and going and working away cheerfully. Adam and I visited it last year and it was one of our favorites and now it is Calvin's favorite so far. I'll post some pictures here of the two castles but you can always go to followthenighs at Facebook and become a fan and that's where I'm putting most of the pictures. The weather has held and it's pretty nice here and there and pretty gloomy here and there. It hasn't rained again nor gotten really cold and windy but we continue to see the landscape changing and getting ready for winter and we're anticipating it with a sort of ghoulish curiosity. The time changes next week and we'll be plunged into darkness with it being dark when we get up in the morning and dark by about half past three in the afternoon--not really looking forward to that and sort of wishing we were hibernating animals.

Calvin and Mercy are doing fairly well. I don't know how they measure up at home, but here they are tall. They seem to grow almost before your eyes. We have been building a lego city in Calvin's room and they both have been enjoying a play dough factory in the dining room. Mercy has discovered play kitchens, and if there is one in a store--we won't' be able to get her out of there for at least an hour. I think we might have to invest in one for the long winter days indoors ahead. So, if you feel like sending anything for the kids, Christmas or otherwise--Mercy loves everything to do with play kitchens--fake food, plastic tea sets, pots and pans, etc. and Calvin is getting back into Playskool, loves Legos and Imaginext, and likes shape cutters for play dough. Clothing and shoe sizes: Mercy is in a size 8 shoe, Calvin in a size 3. Mercy wears 3 year old clothes and Calvin wears 8/9 clothes. :)

As for Adam and I, well...we're starting to feel the very definite fact that we're not on vacation. Adam is settling into a routine for reading and writing but is still waiting on an office and I am trying to find a routine at home though Adam is home more often than he was back home and Calvin is on holiday from school so I don't really know what my days are going to normally look like. We miss back home and are trying to really enjoy the landscape here so that we can come home and look back at this time with fond memories and the joy of being here. Love to you all, and please drop us a line and let us know what you're doing. - Rachel

DUNNOTTAR, WESTBURN, AND THE PROMISE OF MORE RAIN

2009-10-12T12:57:00.001+01:00

My computer is being silly and I can't get it to download pictures at the moment but we went to our first castle as a family this weekend in our new car! Adam drove us out to Stonehaven and we walked around Dunnottar (pronounced Dun-AH-tter), in the rain shouting--stay here, no don't climb that, and walk carefully! Dunnottar is a castle set on a jutting cliff above the sea. It was very beautiful. Our car is great, too. We have a little Toyota estate (station wagon) that we got from Newmachar motors--they are great people to go to, very kind and helpful and believers. Also, we got car insurance from Geico based out of England for Americans to use and it's much lower than any other insurance offers we've seen here. Hooray! Adam fiddled with a new dvd player and found the codes to make it play all regions so we're just feeling decadent with a car, a working dvd player, a good size televison, and all. Today we went to Westburn park, which is a great park just up and down the hill from us. The sky looks ominous but it hasn't rained and we didn't even need gloves and hats today so it almost felt like home. It was a good start to Calvin's holidays from school. Will post more later :)

A FEW ABERDEEN PICS

2009-10-08T15:35:00.001+01:00

Walking in Seaton Park the day after heavy winds, can you tell?

On route to Seaton Park, in the cemetery in front of New Machar Church
Here's our Hobbit Hole on Hilton Street, hello!
This is the street we live on, walking home from school
Calvin in front of King's College, that's where Daddy studies!

SETTLING IN

2009-10-07T09:17:00.001+01:00

Well, if you ever complain about how fast things work in the US, complain no longer. As of last night we now have internet access in our house. It took two weeks to flip a switch, apparently. So, here is our official family good morning from Aberdeen letter.

We live on a busy street on the hill above the city center and Old Aberdeen where King's college is. Our address is (for anyone interested)

59 Hilton Street AB24 4QR
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire UK

Please please remember to write street and not road if you send us a note because we live in the Hilton area and there are roughly seven streets called Hilton--Hilton Road, Hilton Crescent, Hilton Drive etc. so remember STREET.

Also, we have a phone here and a pretty good international phone plan so if you want to call us and we'll call you right back to talk, please do. Just remember we're 8 hours ahead of you so if you call at dinnertime it will be the middle of the night for us. :) - Phone number as you should dial it from the US is as follows:

011 44 1224 277 711

For any of you wishing you knew what all those numbers actually are--here goes. To dial out of the US is the 011. The 44 is the UK's country code. 1224 is our area code in Aberdeen. Our actual number if you were calling from nearby is 277711. Better?

Aberdeen itself is one fairly gently slanting hill in most parts leading down to the ocean. Everything is picturesque here because almost all buildings and houses are made of stone. The gardens are all green and beautiful and I even recognize a few plants that thrive here--hydrangea's and alyssum especially. We have large spiders that are attracted to the somewhat warm house and I'm hoping they scuttle away before I go crazy with sudden screams of abject terror at the extremely fast leggy things. Besides that we have a lot of pill bugs wandering through the house. They (the UK not pill bugs) are very concerned with power here and each outlet has a switch to turn power on and off to it and you don't leave anything on. It's hard to find things here because signs are small and often not even there as everyone expects you to know where things are. We're trying to get a car this week and are calling today to look at a little four door station wagon thingy. I want a mini cooper desperately as they are everywhere and snazzy but I'm quite positive that isn't in our budget. Our house was furnished and our landlords kindly left us many things we thought we'd have to buy like dishes, an iron, and even light bulbs in the lights. We had to go and get sheets and a few things the first night but otherwise we started off pretty well. It's been a slow time getting things here as there isn't a lot of variety. The grocery stores are everything stores and carry some clothes, kids toys, and bed and bath stuff so you can make a first trip to the nearest Asda, Sainsbury's, or Tesco and get the essentials. Asda is a company owned by Walmart with much less selection but more than other stores. Other than that I've only seen a Toys R Us, which is very expensive. You don't really tip here like you do in the states. The tip is worked in most times for the various workers though we still tip about a pound for taxi's around town, waitresses, and take-out. They usually seem surprised we're tipping them so I guess that's okay. If you come here to live make sure you bring as many of your kids clothes as possible or have grandparents send you things as it really is quite expensive to outfit your kids. Charity shops are great and I have popped into at least a dozen already. They have little knick knacks and clothes and sometimes even good kids shoes so try there first before you spend fifty pounds on a pair of sketchers. Walking is key here. By walking around the city I have discovered much more than I would have if I came directly with a car. It is hard going and a stroller for anyone under 4 is a necessity. (If you can bring a stroller--do! They are also expensive here.) It is a beautiful city full of quiet green trees, green gardens, green fields, and beautiful parks. The primary schools here do not have play structures like they do at home. They're all just pavement although ours has a little obstacle course, which is better than nothing. We're surviving in our house without a lot of storage or desks but are looking to find things to fill in the necessitous part of our home. The lawn mower is electric, which is funny. We have a garage which will cut down our car insurance costs considerably. If you can look for a house or flat with off the street parking that is a good thing. Calvin started Primary 3 on Monday and is having an okay time though he is sick today and stayed home and he has the next two weeks off as the school switches through their quarters. Everything here is very expensive and most things are hard to find. I've heard gas is three times what it is in the states so I'm not looking forward to driving much. This is truly 'the granite city' but we're starting to really appreciate parts of it. The city center is old and quite beautiful with many kirks (churches) and monuments. William Wallace stands at the corner of the main gardens in a majestic pose and we've snapped quite a few pictures of him already. Lots of the kirks have closed and become other things like (gasp) bars, college hang-outs, and even office buildings. It's strange to see these medieval spires and grand stone archways bedecked with neon bar signs and 'to let' signs sitting out front. If I were a millionaire in Aberdeen I'd buy one just to keep it sacred. Adam has met with Dr. Webster and is getting settled into the theological world of study. Most everyone in the program is from the states so it's kind of funny. Adam joked that they could have more easily brought Dr. Webster to the states then all move here for his direction. There are many groups here to join to keep us from getting homesick. The AWF (Aberdeen Women's Fellowship) is a great group of ladies whose husbands are studying in the PhD program. There are playgroups and book clubs and even a knitting club for me. We're talking about sending Calvin to Boys Brigade but we're told it has little to do with the church and is not really run by believers so we're not sure about that now. I can give a definite nod to the Scottish hospitality as they are known for it and live up to it. Most everyone is polite, many people are friendly and helpful, and some go out of their way to help out and meet you and that is very nice. Our church here is fairly small but it is a beautiful stone building just about two blocks up from us so we can walk their on Sundays. A few of the mums there have their kids at Calvin's school and a few of the Sunday School teachers work at Kittybrewster as well. It will be a good community for us though we miss our community at TLC greatly. The first week we were here there was a string quintet playing and one of the gentlemen wore a kilt, which thrilled us. We haven't been out of ths city yet as we haven't gotten a car yet but we plan on touring the castles all throughout the year. Go Castles!

Name differences for those of you looking for a laugh:
French fries are chips, chips are crisps, bacon is streakies, diapers are nappies, colleges are Uni's, strollers are buggies, and a pound is a quid. There are many more but those are the ones that come directly to mind.

We're settling in and looking forward to communication with everyone from the states. Hope everyone is doing well and we'll be in touch. I will now be keeping up with Facebook, the blogs, and my email so write away.

Thanks again to everyone who has contributed to our trip, both with money and prayers. We could not have done it without you. We felt our Christian brothers and sisters rise up around us and send us off in a grand fashion and we feel blessed to have so many friends and family. Although, in this I blame you all as you made it extremely hard to leave. Thanks and love, Rachel and family

CONNECTED TO THE WORLD AGAIN

2009-10-06T16:03:00.001+01:00

So here might be the grandest post I shall ever write in this blog's life. I have officially set up our internet as of today and so I am suddenly connected to the world again. If you have despaired that we have forgotten all you Californians in our lofty Scottish home--do not be troubled for here we are! And let me tell you there are some differences to get used to. I will write the next post about differences for those of you planning on moving or coming here for extended periods of time so that you can prepare yourself. But...so far we are alive, cold, and just settling in. It's hard to find things in this city and it's even harder to get everywhere by walking even though it is beautiful. We miss everyone back home and wish the time would speed up so we can come home again soon. Will write more later and love to everyone in the States!

GOOD LUCK AND GODSPEED

2009-09-17T21:51:00.001+01:00

Our visa applications have now been dutifully sent off and we await the results on tenterhooks. It's strange to be driving around town and thinking--this might be the last time I drive this way before I move to Scotland. It's also hitting home how much we'll be leaving behind. We've got it pretty sweet with a wonderful family and lots of friends. If I do not get a chance to write again before we leave, please check back often as I will try to keep everyone in the loop as we go off on this Grand Adventure. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped us financially and everyone who have been praying for us. We feel our community rise around us and send us off with all joy...well, maybe a little sadness, too. Also, if you needed an excuse to visit Scotland, please come and see us. We extend our home to you and hope you'll use it as an excuse to come and see the place where enchantment is born and castles still loom on the hillsides. I hope the months we're gone are profitable and adventurous but I also hope to return with all good luck and God's grace. Godspeed to all travelers near and far...

DARK DAY

2009-09-14T22:10:00.002+01:00

Pray that we make it Scotland. Dark days for the Nigh family...

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT VISAS

2009-09-10T05:00:00.001+01:00

I thought I'd add a little more about visas in case anyone reading this ever has to move to another country. Make sure you have extra money to bribe people with, a year to complete all paperwork, and someone to talk to such as an expediter service. This has been the most complicated process of my life and to top it off, the Embassy is shutting down next week for IT installation. My patience has dwindled, my stress has grown, and I am on my knees throughout the day praying that this moving process will smooth out. The constancy of a husband who is an optimist in the face of my fatalist pessimism and doubts is very nice. He can make me laugh even on a blue day. Lord, take these Jonah days and turn them into something wonderful. Thank you for everything in spite of today's hurdles.

SUPPORT FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS

2009-09-07T01:25:00.001+01:00

Another thing I forgot to mention--the absolute support we have been receiving for the last few weeks from family and friends. I am quite amazed by everyone's support and generosity. I was on my knees asking God for solutions to each current hiccup in our transfer out of the US and each time our prayers are answered in astounding ways. So thank you Lord for such wonderful people in our lives and thank you friends and family for your amazingly gracious help! You are incredible! (Lots of exclamation points)

LAST MINUTE THINGS

2009-09-06T01:57:00.001+01:00

My sister is officially married! Now all that's left is to skip the country and take up residence that doesn't have moderate temperatures all year long...have nightmares about getting snowed in despite the fact that it doesn't look like it snows that much or hard where we live and we'll actually be in the city where I'm hoping they get hold of the elements better.

Things I found out about UK Visas for anyone reading this who has to move from the USA to the UK:
1. Get your diploma from wherever you did your masters
2. Apply to University of choice for doctoral studies
3. Get accepted into that program and receive an acceptance letter
4. Wait for the university to send you a visa acceptance letter to their school
5. If you need them, apply for loans from places in the USA like Wachovia, which is who we went with
6. Apply for your visa on this site: www.ukvisas.gov.uk/--apply under the student visa tier 4
7. Schedule your biometrics appointment at a center somewhat near you (fingerprints..)
8. Make sure through your loans and personal savings you have roughly the first year's tuition to your university to show, 600 pounds a month for the student for nine months, and 400 pounds for each subsequent dependent for nine months (for us this added up to about $41,000)
9. Find a company like the one we were recommended to by a fellow family in the same sitch-- A Briggs who are visa and passport expeditors. I have discovered that our country takes bribes in the amount of currently $175 per passport as well as a $27 overnight fee to get them back to us.
10. Try not to forget to breath while you wait the bureaucratic system out...
The only smooth part of this has been the people at the biometrics center who let us all get our info done at the same time even though we could only schedule one appointment at a time. P.S. the UK Embassy is backed up on visas and it takes awhile for all this to get through there.

We are currently waiting on our last loan letter so that we can send all that down to A Briggs. I'm a little worried as this whole process from beginning to end has come to fruition with this last piece of paper and I'm praying it comes together. I've also packed our first suitcase--all toys as there are things my 7 year old can't live without. It was kind of fun. I like packing but cannot stand unpacking. I'm also wondering about the cold in Aberdeen as it was pretty brisk in April when we visited and here in California we mostly wear flip flops. Trading them in pretty permanently for my Uggs and looking around for warm things for the kids. Toodle-oo.

5 WEEKS OUT

2009-08-13T15:45:00.001+01:00

At this moment, I am sure this blog looks something like my journals of old--happily begun then abandoned at the first sign of busy-ness in my life. We're a mere 5 weeks or so out from the big migration, and worry is starting to run rampant. Clothes, toys, and general things we have held onto for years are slowly slipping away to our family, Goodwill, and our storage space. Why, then, does it still feel cluttered? Adam finally got his actual degree from Fuller and has sent it away to Aberdeen so that we can officially be going. Now all that's left are those darn UK visas and I found out (shock) that they cost a pretty penny for each member of the family. There's another $1000 I wasn't prepared to drop. The best news is that we have a house to come to in Scotland--thanks Emily Malone! One of the things we are most excited about is the group of friends we can expect once we've moved, which is very nice considering we're leaving everyone we know on the other side of the world.
I found out it's about $100 extra per suitcase after 2 suitcases per person for the airline we're using, and each suitcase may weigh 50 pounds or less. This is okay news because I think with the four of us, we'll be able to squish most essentials into 8 suitcases. I find I am letting go of things I thought I couldn't live without a year ago. One thing I'm trying to do is write down the various places in California that are our family's favorite places to go and print out pictures of them to hang in our new house--both for us to look at and to show our guests and friends where we come from. Will write more when I get the (ha ha) time.

TRYING TO FIND...

2009-05-25T18:50:00.002+01:00

I am learning where things are in the great city of Aberdeen. I have found a lovely website that lists the registered farmer's markets in all of Scotland. Go to: www.Scottishfarmersmarkets.co.uk/ and there is one in Aberdeen.
Apparently there are three main shopping centers that boast main stores called:
John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, and Debenhams
Also there is Sainsbury's which is a superstore of, I am assuming, super things like food and accessories.
In Aberdeen City: Union Street and George Street are major shopping streets and Thistle and Castle Streets have many boutiques.
So there you go...a place to start looking for the American equivalents to Costco, Safeway, Raley's, and hopefully Target-ish or Walmart stores that will feel faintly familiar when we arrive.

FOUR MONTHS OUT

2009-05-18T04:32:00.001+01:00

Scotland feels close now. We are a scant four months out and getting antsy about the prospect of jumping countries without a home nailed down but what can you do but keep an eagle eye on the market over there? (www.abwf.wordpress.com is the Aberdeen women's fellowship site and it has a link to finding housing in Scotland.)
So far what we've found about bank loans -- Wachovia has subsidized (which means--get ready--that you don't pay the loan interest until you're done with school) school loans that are for larger amounts than other places. You can apply online for most of these loans to begin with.
We got the kids their passports at the post office, including their passport pictures, which you can do for a fee and is much easier than going somewhere else and making sure the photos are compatible with the passport requirements.
Adam has kept up his constant scouring of Aberdinian bloggers to find out what goes on in various years of study. He found a picture of a typical office room that each student shares with about four other students. It looks all right. We console ourselves with the fact that we can make an amazing Narnian/Lord of the Rings/ancient leather and book study at our home and when we come back to the states.
I have made first contact with the Aberdeenshire Council so that this fall I can enter my seven year old son in school when we arrive. Go to the website below for more council information.
http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/parentscarers/faqs/index.asp

GOOGLE MAPS ROCKS

2009-04-27T17:01:00.002+01:00

And, oh yeah--Google Maps is the best thing in the world for house hunting. Adam gets online and looks up properties and if we like it, we google map it and see if we like the street and surrounding neighborhood. Amazing!

TWO MONTHS IN

2009-04-26T22:18:00.001+01:00

Two months later and we're still getting our feet wet. New questions that plague us:
1. Do we (and if so where) get visas and work permits to accompany our passports?
2. How do you apply for bank loans and private loans?
3. How do you begin to break down the system of another country so that you can function there?

Answers thus far:
1. Yes, we need both work permits and visas to accompany our passports. I am still trying to get our youngest's info together so that I can get the kids their visas but I have found the site to request visas to the UK. It's www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply
2. Type in all your vaguest questions into a search engine and start sifting. I found that Wells Fargo has an intuitive page for loan info and a few sites with private loan inquiries of which we have started to sift through as well. Upside and down: we made need someone to cosign for these things to go through.
3. Find good websites about moving to another country. I found one called www.scotlandistheplace.com. It has a lot of great info and I found it by typing in the following phrase on a search engine: how to move to Scotland. Remarkably simple, no?

There are a lot of things to consider when moving to another country. A good way for me to start was not to look for what I needed in Scotland but what I would need if I moved here to California. I know the system here and it's easier to say what I would need i.e. dmv, bank, insurance, schools, health care, etc. Every time we start to get antsy and worried about how it's all going to work we pray and then we search. Information is always a calming factor, even when that information is daunting.

THE VERY BEGINNING

2009-02-02T16:15:00.001Z

I'm going to start this blog from the very beginning and then when I am eighty and the internet has been replaced by contact lens computers that cost a flugle (the same price as a nickel), I will be able to look back at this and know what went on at each step of the journey.
My husband, Adam, has recently been accepted into the doctoral program at Aberdeen University, Aberdeen Scotland. We have started to hunt the internet looking for clues as to how to get scholarships and loans, how to find a flat, and schools for the kids, and all sorts of the information you need to move to another country.
So far we have our passports and four plane tickets to Aberdeen. We are getting the kids their passports this Thursday at the post office. We have moved out of our house and begun to pack things away that will be stored for three years (the length of time generally needed to complete this course of study). It is strange to pack things away for three years. It is also very freeing to let things go that are not valuable enough to store for three years.
When asked by all who hear of our amazing decision to pick up and move from the sunny shores of famous Santa Cruz, California to the cold north of Scotland, their first two statements are, "Wow! That is so amazing!" and "How on earth are you going to pay for that?"
To this my husband and I smile serenely and say, "We have no idea."
To all and sundry, I offer only this explanation: It is in our blood to wander the world and if, at the end of my life, I can say I have been everywhere I ever desired to go then what good is a safe bank statement and a pile of cash that your family will inevitably fight over? (Please do not think that I have a pile of cash now that I am squandering -- I don't. Don't worry.)
Money will never stop us from the adventure.... Will post more when I have more money.