DUNVEGAN CASTLE

I thought I would blog today about my ancestry. This is a photo of Dunvegan Castle belonging in early times to the clan McLeod which are my  ancestors.  My fathers ancestors are from the Isle of sky in Scotland.
I wish I had had my father record the stories he told much the same as his father told and his father before him told.  Those stories are lost to me now. But I do understand that at one point these stories were a source of pride to be told again and again. In a land so hard on the human body as well as the spirit it was so difficult to even carry on with ordinary chores.  The land was unforgiving and brutal,  food was hard to come by, warring clans were the norm of the times, no one was safe.  Children worked  from a very early age. They gathered rocks loaded them into wagons and hauled them to various locals to build fences, barns and houses. Young boys were summoned to war leaving their families never to see them again. It has to break your heart and bend you soul even thinking of such things.


My father's name Arthur Henry Nesbitt  was a name with much power and weight. The Nesbitt coat of arms displays three boars on a shield. The Nesbitt creed was "I bide it".  They were a tough lot. Everything was for honor,glory and country.




I do not know why I was thinking of this today but I feel it was triggered by listening to Celtic Music this morning while I was busy with my daily chores.
I love Celtic music the tones and sounds are pleasing to me and fill my heart with a longing of sorts not to be understood but just felt.


I have a friend that traveled here years back and toured this very castle. When she brought me a little book from the Isle of Sky she told me that on the walls of the castle were photo's and paintings and the women resembled me. Strange isn't it?  So a little information today about my heritage on my fathers side.
Maybe this should propel me to make a interesting recipe from these regions. Well lets see I am going to make a potato soup tonight. I know there are a lot of potatoes consumed in Scotland and Ireland both. So there you go.


Have a lovely day. It is raining here we expected it. I have it cozy inside. The little fireplace is inviting and I made a batch of cookies earlier the smell of lemon still hangs in the air. Now I am going to sit in my chair and watch the rain clean the windows while I finish the last precious pages of my book. It is always so difficult when that last page is read and I have to close the cover.
But there is always another waiting patiently and as one book is closed another is opened with much expectation.
Off I go.