Airplanes...

Have I mentioned that I love airplanes? Well, I do, I love airplanes. I love the freedom that comes with being in an airport and knowing that it's possible to start your day at home and end up somewhere COMPLETELY different.

A couple weeks ago, I woke up at home, on the northern tip of the Isle of Lewis, and by the end of the day, I was in a B&B in Vienna, Austria. With very little physical exertion of my own, mostly just sitting and waiting all day. I ended up in another country, seeing road signs for exotic locations such as Budapest!

We were only in Vienna for 3 full days, but I'm quite proud of what I managed to see. Of course I'd like to go back, but I'm content all the same. Vienna was gorgeous! So warm! I could walk around without even a jacket most of the time, and that was possibly my favorite part.

Baking day!

So after a recent trip to Glasgow, where I was wildly successful in the shopping department, I decided to try and step up my frugality this month. I decided to focus on my food budget and try to get through about 3 weeks without buying anything but milk, lettuce, yogurt, and tomatoes.

In the average household, this would probably be almost impossible, but in this household, our kitchen cabinets are filled with a plethora of American muffin mixes, and our freezer is full of frozen meat we haven't used. I figured I could nibble away at everything we normally overlook.

If you hadn't noticed, bread was not on the list of things I could buy. So...

Using stuff that's just been sitting on our shelves, I made a loaf of bread and a few rolls! I've never been very ambitious when it comes to baking, but I was quite proud of myself when I popped this adorable loaf out of the oven.

Anyone have a yummy and easy bread recipe to share?

Fast cars and duct tape

Living in small towns and adorning cars with duct tape seems to be my lot in life.

Last weekend while my housemate and I were driving through the Barvas machair (common grazing land by the sea), a cow decided to straddle the very handy driving path that we were on. In response, I did what anyone would do, I rolled down the window and shouted at it. The cow did what any cow in its situation would do, it moved.

As I smugly pushed the button to roll the window back up, my moment of victory was completely ruined. The window got stuck halfway up! Ugh. And this is Scotland we're talking about! It rains all the time!

After a bit of elbow grease generously donated by a stranger, we got the window almost closed, but not quite. There's still about 4 inches of open space, and that's no good. So here's our new and improved vehicle looking more like one of my cars than usual.

And here's a blast from the past! My beloved Ford Aspire...

Fashion week

In an attempt to fit in a bit with the local fashion, I tried out some new things...

Am I a groupie?

Maybe... Maybe this is just the beginning of my future as a Treacherous Orchestra groupie! I do believe I've mentioned them before, and man did they leave an impression. An impression so strong that shortly after the epic HebCelt Friday night concert, I googled them, and found their gig list. It took about 12 hours after that discovery for me to decide that I would be following them to Glasgow, and I made good on that promise to myself this weekend!

However, this picture is actually of one of the opening acts Breabach, and sadly the only picture I have of the entire trip! My excuse for no Treacherous Orchestra pictures is letting my rapture win out against logic, but for the rest of the 4 day trip, I have no excuse.

Pictureless or not, it was an awesome trip and an awesome concert. We wrangled places right up towards the front, and I had a great view of the fiddlers, and the upright bassist (the sublime Duncan Lyall). In fact I was so close that I could almost make eye contact with the performers... Halfway through the performance, I glanced up at one of the fiddlers and was shocked to find him looking right at me. I did a double take (squinting in spite of my glasses), and he winked! He actually winked! I was mystified and confused. It wasn't until we were walking away from the venue that I got an explanation... I was apparently standing right behind his mother and sister! Nice.

It's Showtime!

Agricultural show-time that is...

I was lucky enough to get roped into helping out with the Barvas Agricultural Show this year, and despite the rain and flying insects, I had a great time! I was posted at the Art competition tables and had free reign over signing in and displaying artwork created by both young and old participants. Having never been to an agricultural show before, I'll admit that I was a bit apprehensive, but the island once again showed me just how laid back it can be. Not an art diva to be seen. Plus, helping out also meant that I could have lunch and tea for free!

After I did my time in the tent, I had a chance to wander about the rest of the show. It reminded me of a county fair honestly...just wet. Really really wet. I can't personally remember ever going to a rainy county fair, but then, summer rains are few and far between at home. Apparently it always rains for the Barvas Agricultural Show, and it almost sounded like people would've been disappointed had a sunny day broke the record! Well, almost...

Lucky to come from the Sunflower State...

When I was a kid, I remember disapproving of the Kansas State flower. I had no clue who actually chose our state flower, but I thought they were nuts. As I grew older, and actually laid eyes on the sunflower fields dominating the landscape through parts of western Kansas, I began to appreciate them a bit more. I remember being amazed when I saw them all facing away from the fading sunset waiting for it to appear again in the other direction. I decided that even if our flower wasn't the prettiest or best smelling flower, that I must have the best personality...which seemed to fit Kansas, if I do say so myself.

I'm wondering if I'll feel the same way about the Scottish Thistle before the end of my time here, but don't have high hopes. This Scottish "flower" is currently barring my way through our croft! I haven't been able to walk through it in about a month without being poked at every step...not pleasant.