Bridge to Nowhere

This photo was taken by Brian Williams.
He was brought up in Dunbar, East Lothian, along the east coast of Scotland.
When he shared the photo with me, he told me it was taken near there, and mentioned John Muir.

Me being me, I went looking.

Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland is indeed the birthplace of John Muir.

We in the United States honor John Muir as a conservationist, and for his campaign to form Yosemite National Park; respect him as a writer; and almost revere him as a poet.

Now, I hardly ever put much stock in 'coincidence'.

Brian takes enchanting photos; John Muir spoke words filled with enchantment.

The two go together.

John Muir

photo credit scotsman.com 

Highland Cattle

Photo credit : Gartmore B'n'B

The only time I've gotten even a glimpse of these awesome cattle was when I was 'comin' 'round the mountain' in the Colorado Rockies, taking what is, for me, the back way to Cripple Creek.

Driving along, enjoying the day, and pretty much focused on reaching my destination, something caught the corner of my eye so I slowed down and looked. And there they were, in a high mountain pasture.

Made me smile.

Still makes me smile.

One day I'll go back and find them again, yes I will!

It's wishful thinking that I'll ever get a chance to go see some of the 'real' ones, but you never know! If I do, I might have to check this place out!

Gartmore B'n'B

 Sealladh Breagha, Gartmore, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park FK8 3RP, Scotland

MAMM SPEAKS - JUST THE STORY ...

These are the seven books that contain the STORY part of the Mamm Books. 

We had to make more than one book because for this version we went with the LARGE PRINT at the request of some of our readers. Makes for some almighty big books, let me tell you. These are 8 1/2 X 11 inches with a font size of 18. Only a couple of them are over a hundred pages so none of them are going to be bulky despite their larger dimensions. And their covers, as you can see, are simple and color-coded following the rainbow.

I have to admit it seems kind of strange to read the STORY without it being in the context of the Dunnottar Story Line ... without knowing what's right around the corner for Danann and Sidhelagh, and their family, at the end of this STORY ...

Frankly, I've been curious about how they would read when separated, the twined story lines of the Mamm Books.

You can read the 'History' part of it, as these books show, with no problem at all - it's a good STORY standing alone.

Such is not the case with the 'Today' part of the Story Line of the Mamm Books, however.

Again and again and again that Story Line refers back to the 'History' Line. If you don't have the 'History' part, the 'Today' Story Line is not going to read at all well. You aren't going to 'get it' - without knowing the back story upon which the whole is based.

Without the 'History', you won't have any idea what drives our Characters, what motivates them, what inspires them, what makes them entirely unwilling to relinquish what they hold most dear. You won't know what it is that guides them when the times come for them to draw their lines, to take their stands and to hold them against all odds.

You see, the STORY and what it means is an integral part of life for our Characters. They know what past generations of their family had to do in order for them to be able to pick up where those generations left off.

Today I realize that their lineage breeds true and it makes me quite very sentimentally proud to have 'gotten to know' both the Characters of SONG and the current Characters who also stand true to what the 'History' part of SONG is all about.

I tell you true.

Scotland does herself proud in so many ways, every day.

The world watches now, alert and wary, as Scotland takes to herself those on whom the world would turn its back. She is not unwary, believe that. She is plenty alert. That, my friend, is a part of the strength Scotland is showing to us right about now, once again taking the lead. Being alert and wary are, I think, a part of the nature of the Scots - with just cause.

Would it not make her doubters hoot and howl if the guests of Scotland turned against her, tried to do her harm? Yes. The world would shout, 'We told you so, we told you so!' But, should such a thing come to pass it would most likely be quite very short lived.

Even in the Mamm Books such ones came among our Characters. When they proved themselves 'incompatible', they were marched right on out of there in no uncertain terms, and delivered directly to those on whose behalf they had been trying to cause harm to the very people who had given them safety and offered them friendship.

Yes I write fiction, and yes its setting is a very long time ago. The 'bad guys', those who would do harm to others for whatever reasons they want to come up with, might wear different faces and names these days. That doesn't change who and what they are.

Today's 'History' Line isn't really all that different from the 'History' Line of the ancient days, you know.

When an entity threatened the Legacy of Faith, Family, Friends, Freedom, and Future our Characters of SONG were living, protecting, and preserving, said entity made great gains right up until it ran up against the People who would not give up and would not give in. Said People joined forces, pooled their resources, and an Empire bit the dust.

I'm not real sure what 'History' books our today's 'entity', our today's 'bad guys' have been reading, but they might maybe want to reconsider their interpretation of whatever they've been thinking was the outcome of their 'History' books.

At any rate, now I know that yes a 'History' Story Line can stand alone - but a 'Today' Story Line cannot. It is much too entwined with the 'History' Line to be able to stand without it.

We need to be thinking about that some, friends - and giving it some consideration when the time comes for us to have to make a Choice of our own.

You want to know how the STORY ends?

It doesn't.

It isn't going to end.

And the doubting world can watch all it wants, make dire predictions about this, that, and the other thing. Soon it will get bored, because success is never as interesting as conflict - and ain't that just a sad commentary on life in the world in which we live in. Success based on caution, alertness, wariness - built on compassion and a willingness to offer friendship - is quiet, you see.

The rampaging brats get plenty of attention; for every one of those there are many who are quietly going about just being nice. 

So, bottom line?

Be careful with your Choices.

Respect the 'History' of the Spiral and the need for balance.

If you're going to stand for something, let it be Peace.

Never EVER lose your Faith that good will come even out of bad.

Allow, nay encourage, the Healing that must come among us.

Know that against all odds it is Hope that will keep us all going.

Accept the fact that Love isn't always peaches and roses. Tough Love is harder to understand but understand it we must.

Above all, realize that Unity must prevail. It will strengthen us more than you think it could. A fragmented People is not a strong People. 

That little story about the sticks of kindling is Truth and Wisdom. 

You cannot break a bound bundle of kindling regardless of how easily individual sticks might be snapped in two. It doesn't matter if the sticks are of all different kinds of wood. If a stick of balsa is tucked into that bundle it is not going to get broken any more than will the sticks of oak, of pine, of elm, of cottonwood, of ash, of any of the kinds of sticks ... yet unbind them and you can break them at will. 

Yep.

And that's it for my bits of wisdom on this day I do believe.

A Man and a Dream ... Help This One Follow His ...

How I wish I could do something, anything to help this young man get to where he's going!!

This LINK will take you to information about him and his dream. Meanwhile, here's a bit from the Mearns Leader ...

07:00 Friday 24 July 2015

A Stonehaven music student is close to securing his dream of attending prestigious New York university NYU Steinhardt.

Ben McMillan (28) has been awarded the Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York Scholarship Fund to study in America on completion of his Masters in Vocal Composition course at the University of Aberdeen.

He has set his sights on a career as a film composer and was accepted onto the Masters in Film Composition and Music Technology at NYU Steinhardt, a specialist institution which has produced alumni including Disney’s most prolific composer Alan Menken, who has worked on films including The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, and the composer and producer Mark Ronson.

The scholarship covers Ben’s first year of tuition, however he is now faced with the task of raising the remaining funds needed to pay for his accommodation and living costs.

His family have rallied round, and with the aid of his brothers, he has organised a fundraising ceilidh in Stonehaven Town Hall, to take place on Saturday August 7.

...

For those who may not know what a 'ceilidh' is ... here's the dictionary definition:  a party with music, dancing, and often storytelling ... and it's pronounced 'KAY lee' ... if I'm wrong somebody please set it right ...

This is one event I would DEARLY love to attend; alas I cannot, but would like for Ben to know that I'll be thinking of him and his Dream, not only on August 7th but as he makes his way along his path. 

'Go with the protection and blessing of the Holy Trinity - wherever you travel - in safety and in joy!'

God bless you and keep you, Ben. Follow your heart and your dream, wherever they lead you. 

If you'd like to help this young man on his way, please use either of the addresses below.

benjamin_mcmillan@hotmail.co.uk

www.gofundme.com/vtz7us

A Day For Photos Apparently ...

Below is the photo the above is snagged from.

First hints of color going onto sketches

*laughing*

Dunnottar gets the first light coats of tinting over the bottom layer of pencil sketching as this experiment progresses ... the first three of many colors ... when this first light tint is done, it will get more pencil sketching and then more layers of tinting (haven't used my Prismacolors in way too long!) - repeating the process however many times it takes. This one I'm not going to hurry my way through. It will be a work in progress until it's finished. Which may be never ... :) ... kidding - eventually I'll get that 'feeling' that says 'Done!' In between, the Younglings are having adventures!

And I just realized that I've put this into my main 'everything goes here' blog instead of the one it belongs in. *sigh* Oh well.

It's getting closer to what I've been looking for ... 

Merri of Dunnottar

Merri has been traveling for all of her life - but now she has come home to Dunnottar, where she can climb into the trees of the Grove and just relax ... if she can find the time!

Diann of Dunnottar

Dedicated to learning the Healing arts, Diann's compassion and common sense make for just the combination she needs!

Corrbed of Dunnottar

Corrbed knows what needs doing and has what it takes to get the doing done. He takes his physical strength for granted and hones his intellect. That's Corrbed!

Dothann of Dunnottar

Dothann's exuberant high spirits only partially mask the very smart and very caring soul of this youngling.

Brann of Dunnottar

As Kin Cousins come to Dunnottar, Brann goes from being an 'only lonely' to being a proud member of the Younglings of Dunnottar!

Proud and Pleased ...

I'm not quite all the way sure that WE are ready for THEM, but the

YOUNGLINGS OF DUNNOTTAR 

ARE READY AND RARIN' TO GO!

(sneak peeks coming right up!)

God Took A Whole Extra Day ...

He did, I know it. And never told anybody.

He had to have, just to get Dunnottar put together exactly right.

Huh? What?

Before we begin, I must make it clear that my own personal Faith is based on the Holy Trinity: the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In no way is the following to be construed as anything except a part of my own journey as I seek Guidance from the One who does the Guiding. My religious education may be searched; my Faith is quite very secure. There is but One God. Each and all of us human beings are Mind, Body, and Spirit, in the likeness of God. On this my Faith stands.

I just read two articles of interest to me. The first is a blog post about a young person deeply affected by thoughts of Hell ...

The other one showed up in a related comment and has something to do with the validity of Hell. 

Both are worth looking at, but I kind of fail to grasp the real connection between the two, to be honest. 

I'm no scholar of any kind, let along a Biblical one. I've read it, and my father was a Southern Baptist Preacher, so I heard plenty about it growing up, but I'm by no means an expert.

Being as I'm an alleged 'grown up' now, and me being me, I went looking for answers in more educated minds than my own.

" Does the word hell appear in the Bible " is the question I wanted an answer to.

And I was shocked out of my Baptist-trained mind at what I found.

Look it up, my friend. That's the best advice I can give you. 

My next question was in reaction to my discoveries.

Me being me, I wanted to know where on earth Hell came from, since it didn't come from the Bible.

Here's another link that I found interesting. I've got thoughts that go along with it and might get to them here, or save them for another post, or both ...

" Development of Hell " didn't come along until Jesus had long since been born, lived, died, lived again, and went on up to Heaven. Hell was not in the vocabulary of Jesus, nor in His teaching, and most certainly not the Hell we've been raised to fear. Jesus never threatened anyone with eternal hell-fire. Ever. Not once. 

Look it up, my friend. That's the best advice I can give you.

And here I will insert an aside.

Here's a quote from the above link:

'... The Jewish Yeshua and those in the Jerusalem church, especially James, Yeshua's brother, held a traditional conception of the Messiah. The Messiah would be a man, perhaps descended from David, who would be anointed by God to rout the occupying army, the Romans, and establish an earthly kingdom ... '

I've only just this moment had the following 'ah-ha!' moment.

As a part of the research for the Mamm Books, the change-over from the Roman Empire to the future Holy Roman Empire demanded some looking into as it is pivotal to the development of the SONG series. And I connected the dots between the survival (and widespread growth) of the early 'Jesus Movement' despite Rome's best efforts to annihilate it, Rome's subsequent toleration, and finally its adoption of this tenacious Faith - which just so happened to 'coincide' with the 'fall' of the Western Roman Empire.

There were plenty of factors at play during that whole time span. It's just my own thought patterns that lead me to say, 'God works in mysterious ways, and it is not for us to know the mind of God.'

Me being me, in the fiction I write, behind the assortment of 'barbarian' peoples who ultimately brought the Western Empire to its knees was indeed a 'conspiracy' of a sort. It was led by those who saw the 'politicizing and militarizing' of their Faith as a threat to its true and original meaning. Our fictional Characters, who historically had no reason to much like what Rome had dished out (tried to) to their people so far, weren't overly trusting of this new interpretation of the Faith they had been celebrating for centuries. 'Rome has replaced her legions with priests and her governors with bishops,' was their take on it and they wanted no part of it.

And what on God's green earth does this stuff have to do with Hell?

Nothing.

There was no such concept in the teachings of Jesus, nor in anything anywhere at the time that the foundations of the Faith of the Characters of the Mamm Books would been laid. What references there were came from belief systems to which our Characters would not have adhered in the first place and so would most surely not have been part of their Faith.

And so I have to conclude that 1) the second of the above links, while no doubt the author sincerely believes what he says, is based on absolutely zilch that makes any sense, and 2) the author of the first of the above links has been, like many generations of us, tormented by something that has no basis in reality, and 3) people need to be taking a closer look at what they 'believe'.

Pointing fingers is a pointless exercise at this point. The fabrication occurred so long ago that the statute of limitations has long expired, along with the fabricators. The effects ... those have lingered ... but there are no living feet of flesh and blood at which we can lay the blame. Just because a hundred or more generations have believed something does not necessarily make it true.

When I was a kid, the grown ups used to ask us, regarding peer pressure, 'If they all jumped off a cliff would you jump too?'

So does this mean that Hell is no longer a cuss word?

The Dunnottar/Stonehaven Area Has Again Charmed This Woman

First it was the Fireballs; then it was the Mearns Leader (a continuing joy because I get to see what's going on clear over there from clear over here); then it was on line friends; then it was finding Dunnottar's on line sites ... 

And now I'm sitting here at my desk, in my writing study, clear over here, and I'm stunned to my very soul because of people, clear over there, who have stepped into my heart and brought to it warmth and kindness.

You see, I've had a pretty specific need ... the Younglings of Dunnottar have to have faces for the covers and illustrations of their books. And (believe it or not) fictional Characters really can and do develop into their own 'selves' over time. The Younglings wanted 'faces' from their OWN area, not just any faces.

And me, I'm going, 'What the heck. How many kids do I know around Stonehaven/Dunnottar? In Scotland at all? Zero, that's how many.' 

WHY have I been 'blessed' with such demanding Characters?!

So, me being me, I said a prayer and went on line to ask for help.

WOW.

I'm pretty sure there are words to describe the gratitude I'm feeling, but for the life of me those words are at present beyond my grasp.

Soon the parental permissions and photos will provide these young Characters with the faces they've been wanting.

WHEW - big sigh of relief. 

I tell you true, I'm more impressed than I already was, and I didn't think that was even possible.

And so, again, a HUGE thank you goes out - from me, but mostly this time from the Younglings of Dunnottar who will soon be mounted on their horses  and ponies (wearing the faces they want to be wearing!!) and on their way to adventure!

We're doing this for the fun of it, and the biggest part of the fun is turning out to be the making of new friends along the path.

Totally Impressed with Stonehaven

PHOTO BY MARGO WILSON FROM MEARNS LEADER ARTICLE BELOW

http://www.mearnsleader.co.uk/news/local-headlines/stonehaven-town-partnership-seek-local-views-in-new-report-1-3693914

PHOTO FROM CHOUMAN AND GILMOUR FROM MEARNS LEADER ARTICLE BELOW

http://www.mearnsleader.co.uk/news/local-headlines/plans-to-refurbish-tolbooth-building-at-stonehaven-harbour-1-3693912

No I don't live in Stonehaven and no I've never even visited there except electronically ... but I have to say that I'm thoroughly loving the place!

The staff of their newspaper, the Mearns Leader, do a fantastic job of keeping everyone informed on what's going on, a very fortunate thing for me being as I'm clear across the world.

The links above are the beginning of what might turn out to be a collection of my favorite Stonehaven Stories ... where I can go when I need some serious Spirit-lifting ... I might have to start a whole new blog for them so they don't get lost in my hodgepodge of posts and I can get to them when I need them - which I'm finding to be an increasing need.

And no I can't explain why in the world I'm so fascinated and enchanted by a town so far removed from where I live. Other than its connection to Dunnottar and Dunnottar's connection to the Stories I write down of times long past (and times to come, as those Stories get written), I would have no idea that Stonehaven is one amazing community.

Oh but it is.

You know, a person can learn a lot from reading what talented local reporters write - and even more from reading the comments of local people who care enough about their community to add their input to discussions about topics that matter to them.

I don't mean to poke my nose into their business, and I'm not (quite). I am, however poking my eyes and my ears into their business ... not to mention my heart ... because even from a world away this place has the power to enchant.

The above two articles are a good indication of what I'm finding to love about Stonehaven.

People come up with ideas about how to make an already wonderful place even better, right? Right. And then they share those ideas so that all and sundry can (and do!) have a say about the whole thing.

You know what I'm finding?

I'm finding a community of people who are indeed a real community, ready willing and able to talk to one another about anything and everything under the sun that has to do with them and their home. They use their Voices - and they listen to one another. And good things happen.

They're coming up with solutions. Without compromising their strong roots in the past, they're looking to the future.

So yeah, my sentimental eyes aren't always completely dry as I observe from clear over here.

http://www.mearnsleader.co.uk/news/local-headlines/join-in-big-blether-on-alcohol-and-drugs-1-3694134

Stonehaven Strikes at the Heart of Me

Never expected this. 

There are no words, I tell you true.

http://www.mearnsleader.co.uk/news/local-headlines/american-author-pens-thank-you-to-stonehaven-1-3651166#

The Mearns Leader and Stonehaven ... it seems the Characters of SONG know what they're talking about. There IS something about that place.

Gonna go tend to the tears that rise, course, fall ... 

Can't Stop Smiling

Remember the post about the Stonehaven Fireballs, how I loved the whole thing and was so lacking in the c-c-c-courage to just tell them? Here's the link to that post:

http://shielabranson.blogspot.com/2015/01/stonehaven-fireballs-links-and-saying.html

I did send it on. And found in my email inbox a reply that is responsible for the grin on my face today.

*smug smiles from Danann and Sidhelagh*

Stonehaven Fireballs - Links and Saying Thank You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCif9XkL34Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXlSYeNTTBk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm5cqvnZ2eE

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSou3h2A3xmL1U_o3agfCRWlUOZMjxp0F0l-jDLcKdT3CUcdiFtNA

This image goes with the photo URL above.

SPECTACULAR

I watched it from a live feed and here are my comments:

2014  12  31  1630  (US Central time)

Holy buckets! I have to get myself to Stonehaven or they’ll be doing the fire walk thing without me!

SOOO excited! People, people, people … so many people.

I was afraid I’d missed it, not thinking of the time difference, right? But those people aren’t leaving the area, and there are more and more of them coming … so maybe I haven’t missed it after all …

The Stonehaven Fireballs have a camera posted with a live feed. I’m watching with more intensity than I could have possibly thought likely for an event that’s taking place clear on the other side of the world.

1710 – it’s 2310 over there …

More and more people are crowding the sides of the street and people in what looks like black pants and white vests are the only ones who are really in the open area, keeping it clear I reckon …

Oh I hope to high heaven this connection doesn’t fail!

SUCH a crowd!

1720

Ach buffering … ! It stops the video feed …

Who are the ones in the white sleeves I wonder …

I could go watch last year’s, or the year before … but I want to see NOW, to almost kind of be there … sigh.

1725 is 2325 and it’s buffering again … even so, I can’t WAIT! I can feel the excitement from clear over here!

1728

Ah, there’s an ordered group in black … wish there was audio or a commentator or something … oh but this is FUN!

There’s a truck, coming this way … oh it’s stopped … nope moving on now …

How excited I get over this  … who would think?!?!?

1736

OH! Were those pipers? It’s so hard to tell and I’m so ignorant (not by choice, mind you, just circumstances beyond my control).

1740

Here’s where I’m watching from:

http://stonehavenfireballs.co.uk/firecam

‘The web cam is mounted in the clock tower and gives a view up the High Street towards the Cannon. Web camera kindly provided by SoilEssentials, Brechin, and the broadband connection by Craig-ma-Cair B&B, Stonehaven.’

1743

A little group with a lady …

Buffering … the only good thing about buffering is that I get a chance to feed my fire here. The kitchen wood stove is keeping me toasty on this cold Dakota Long Dark night!

1745

There’s a group, are they drummers? WISH I could hear!

And yes I know I can wait and watch it later, but that wouldn’t be the same at all, would it? Dang the connections while blessing them in the same breath … I get so impatient …

I wish I had a Stonehaven friend, someone who could take me places and to events and stuff – like Tess takes me shopping with her in Minneapolis … electronically, since I can’t be there really, either. Sigh.

1755 buffering again

Do I wait it out or refresh the page and hope for the best?

Refresh the page.

Blue – I’m seeing blue at the top of the screen …

I  AM going to have to watch this later, but I’m not giving up, buffering or not.

This time I’ll wait it out, see what happens.

Maybe.

I am impatient, you remember …

1800 here

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO STONEHAVEN!

Cameras flashing all over the place!

It’s a white glare in the street.

AAAUUUGH! ‘We are unable to connect … blah blah blah.’

A flash of movement and light then ‘We are having problems with playback …’ … sigh …

By the time I get connected it will be over and I’ll have to sit here and weep.

OH there they ARE!

What a thing to watch, even from across the world and fighting buffering and etc.

At least this time it stopped with a darned impressive picture on the screen, moving lights halted in place, filling the street.

1812

Ah it’s magical, beautiful … sentimental me, my eyes are blurring the view.

It’s all moving lights and once in a while you see the people who are swinging the fires.

How I wish I could be there for real … even though this is very special for me, how oh how I wish I could be there for real.

What must it feel like to be a part of something this magical and powerfully moving … I am so very glad that there’s someplace in this world of ours that holds fast to such things.

Kudos to Stonehaven’s Fireballs.

Totally impressed and moved to tears and almost beyond words.

1822

Holy buckets look at the crowds filling the street!

And I thought I was impressed before.

Well yeah, I AM impressed – but the sight of THIS takes it to the next step.

Wow.

This time I really am going to wait out the buffering. Gives me time to dry my eyes and such.

What an awesome thing for Stonehaven to not only protect and preserve but to share with me (others too of course, but I don’t know about them – I know about me) from clear the other side of the world.

Call me a sentimental fool, but Holy Mother of Christ I love this. And don’t fret yourself that I might be using profanity – I’m not and the Mother is not offended, trust me on that one.

1830

Okay, eyes dry and all that. Let’s see what happens with a reload this time.

Oh my. A very full street with everyone going the same direction, very few going against the flow. Where have all these people come from I wonder. Stonehaven can’t have THAT many people, can it? Ha. What a question. I would be there my own self if I weren’t poorer than the proverbial churchmouse.

Now I can search on line and see if anybody’s got stuff posted yet. I want to see it all in one piece …

I have to say I’m darned pleased that Dunnottar snagged me, truly happy about that I am.

1900

*big sigh*

Of content because I got to ‘see’ the Stonehaven Fireballs presenting that astounding display, and all the people who were lined up (and behaving themselves, which in many places wouldn’t happen, you know)?

Or do I sigh because I’m not quite all the way content with seeing it from across the world? Grateful for the chance, bet your bottom dollar on THAT, but still …

Well maybe one day I’ll find a way; in the meantime I’m quite very happy to pop in now and again to see how things are going. Thanks to the Mearns Leader, and hibernator that I am, I think I keep better track of Stonehaven than I do of my own little Small Town USA.

And why do I snoop on some place that’s clear across the world from me?

Because it pleases me to do so.

Even more pleasing is that I’m finding a community of which the SONG Characters (fictional though they are) would be all-fired proud. If they were real, and if they were NOW, the whole lot of them would be preening, I tell you. Preening. And I wish I could somehow let Stonehaven know how precious it has become to me.

I know that sounds downright weird. I don’t know a soul there and not a soul knows me nor probably would want to.

Even so.

Me and the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz … ‘If I only had the nerve …’

Sadly, I haven’t got the nerve.

But Danann and Sidhelagh now, that’s another Story. Those two have nerve and to spare.

No I haven’t lost all my marbles (got one on a chain around my neck to prove it). I know Danann and Sidhelagh don’t exist; they’re fictional Characters for heaven’s sake, made up out of my own head as a matter of fact.

But, as my sister said, ‘They can still have their Voices, can’t they? Even if they’re dead.’ Even if they never existed in the first place?  Maybe.

Hell, the two of them have been spouting off about this, that, and the other thing all along, dead or not, real or not.

And I have this internal debate, right?

The Celt in me says, ‘Go for it!’

Me:         They’d think me crazy.

Celt:        Well, and aren’t you?

Me:         Shhhh!

Celt:        *laughing*

Me:         I have no c-c-c-courage.

Celt:        Ah, but I do. Don’t you read your own books?

Me:         No.

Celt:        No?

Me:         No. I write them down is all.

Celt:        *laughing uproariously*

Me:         Quit laughing at me.

Celt:        Cluck.

Me:         What!?

Celt:        Well I don’t dare QUACK … you don’t read your own books and wouldn’t get it.

Me:         Quack you, Celt.

Celt:        *snicker* Cluck.

Me:         I just want to tell them thank you, that’s all.

Celt:        Well for pity’s sake, just do it then.

Me:         Cluck.

Celt:        Quack.

Me:         Exactly what they’ll think of me.

Celt:        Who cares?

Me:         I do. They might think I’ve taken liberties with their community.

Celt:        Newsflash. None of them were alive in AD 487.

Me:         Newsflash. Neither were you.

Celt:        You sure about that?

Me:         *frown*

Celt:        Quit dithering and just do it. You’re not insulting them, you’re telling them thank you. What’s to get upset about in that? If they don’t like it, what’s for you to worry about? They’re clear on the other side of the world.

Me:         *sad eyes turning away* I know.

Celt:        Aw, c’mon. What’s the newspaper there that you read sometimes?

Me:         Mearns Leader

Celt:        There you go then. Blame it on Danann and Sidhelagh; they don’t care – they’ve been dead for fifteen hundred years.

Me:         They’re fictional. They can’t be dead because they never existed in the first place.

Celt:        Sure about that, are you?

Me:         I’m beginning to wonder.

Celt:        You know the Celtic people always win in the end. One way or another.

Me:         Okay, you win. If they hate me forever it’s all on you.

Celt:        What the heck. They’ll probably be polite and say ‘You’re Welcome’.

Me:         That would be ‘You’re so very welcome’.

Celt:        Thought you didn’t read your own books.

Me:         I don’t. I just pay attention while I’m writing them down. And did I not just tell you that you win? I’m going to tell Stonehaven thank you now.

Celt:        Good.

Me:         Do you ALWAYS get the last word?

Celt:        Yes.