---

Ok sorry everyone for the quick exit last entry. I was only about 3/4ths of the way through what I wanted to say when the fire alarm went off. At 11:30pm I might add! So, we headed outside, for 15 - 30 mins and when we were allowed back in I had very few minutes left on my internet pass so I did what I could quickly to get the entry out with a few pictures.

There are several things that are very different here from home. One of the first things you notice is that driving is on the left side of the road and there are no big cars at all. Anthony's truck would have nowhere to park! Of course with gas being over $7 a GALLON none of us could afford to drive the vehicles most of us drive. As a matter of fact, I have not seen a truck at all since being here. Small or large.

There are few traffic lights, they have round-a-bouts, or keepie lefties as we called them in Tanzania. You enter the circle with all the other cars, and exit the left side of whichever road off of the round about that you choose. The traffic doesn't stop, except for slight pauses as folks are making the lane changes. GREAT ! We love it ... these should take the place of more than half of the traffic lights in the states! Most don't have enough traffic for a light.

NO Mt. Dew in Scotland ..... :(

The houses are arranged very differently than from the states. Very few that we have seen are single family stand alone houses - they join the houses next to them and most of them go up, rather than out. 1,000's in little condo like communities, with grocery stores, community centers, in the center of the houses. The laundry is in the kitchen, no dishwashers (except for hands), and I have not seen a wooden house yet. Scotland is so wet that they are all brick, stone, or concrete.

The weather has been great according to Anthony ... brisk and cool.

Both families are so much fun to be with; between me not understanding what they are saying and then repeating phrases t them that absolutely mean nothing we have had tons of laughs.

Tuesday we were at Adam and Melanie's and somehow ended up talking about biscuits and gravy. They don't eat that here so I said if they would like we could come over and I'd cook biscuits and gravy, bacon and eggs, and potato cakes for lunch. Adam, Melanie, and Graham spent time in the states, Adam in Sparta Tennessee, so I know he knew what Southern Ambrosia awaited. So, after my offer, Melanie said, "I could die." Never heard of any one dying from biscuits and gravy, but there could always be a first. They got a good laugh as what she said was, "I Could, Aigh", like a pirate answers his captian, "Aigh!" My ears heard the "d" at the end of 'could' and the 'aigh' - and I got "die". Is there a Rosetta Stone for Scottish?

So, today we went to the grocery store and gathered items for breakfast. First on the list, bacon .... not as easy as it seems as what they call bacon is what we would say is sliced ham. Second, Crisco. No Crisco, so I am going for shortening - no shortening, ok Lard? Sure, but even the store clerk didn't know where it was. Finally we found it in the cold section next to the butter, in a block like butter.
Back to Adam and Melanie's, where Graham and Elizabeth had already gotten there and after some more visiting and laughing, we headed to the kitchen to begin the cooking lesson. Do any of you see an ironic moment here?

Melanie said she felt like we were filming one of those home cooking shows. "Add a pinch of salt, let it simmer just a bit, toss in a hand full of flour, let it brown slightly before adding the milk. How's the biscuit's coming in the oven? Now, this is what it looks like going in, but wait, we have one that we prepared earlier."

We had, the whole works, including fried potato cakes from left over mashed potatoes last night. There literally was NOTHING left on any plate. Guess all those calls to mom asking how to do this and that paid off! Thanks Momma! You are a success in Scotland!

Then this afternoon we had a few hours off while Adam and Graham finished some planning for a youth project that they already had going for this weekend.

Adam is going with some of the young people to Malawi for several days in June. A great opportunity for them, and Adam, of course to see the culture the people and this Friday night and all day Saturday they are having a lock in and fast. All they will eat is beans and rice, and the Malawi name for what the Tanzanians called Ugali ... I'll be cooking the Ugali ... more along the lines of my culinary expertise ... ooops wait - I have to boil water for that one - better be on my best behavior.

Ok, so then tonight spent the evening at Elizabeth and Grahams and had BBQ. The Barr family joined us and we had a great time. Graham is to Scotland what Jerry Clower is to America - no further explanation needed ... just a box of tissues.

So, that is pretty much to up to date. I am going to stop talking and get this posted and see if I can manage the rest of the pictures.

Love you all!
Shasta

---