Ah Wee Scottish post for today...

Clan MacFarlane Poem

by Poet Dottie Walters

Our haunted souls remind us
of battle cries long gone.
From Highlands skided with melodies
of Scotland's bravest song.

"Loch Sloy! Loch Sloy!" they cried it
or whispered as they bled.
And if they could not rise again,
it blessed the noble dead.

We proclaimed it as a triumph;
We moaned it when we fell;
We thought it meant "You won it!"
And "Get up again!" as well.

We searched to find it's meaning
at Clan MacFarlane's home.
"Loch Sloy!" means "Springtime's comin!"
no matter where ye roam.

Whenever trouble hits ye,
let it roll past til it's fled.
Then rise and knock ye'r dirt off.
"Springtime's comin!" Just ahead!

We smiled, we strange new moderns,
to realize it's true.
"Loch Sloy!" means "Springtime's Comin!"
Hope is just ahead. We knew....


also...

Whenever I hear or read this, it reminds me of my childhood. Every time the family got together, whether it was during Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July, or simple cookouts and get-to-gethers, my Grandma would always say this before we ate. It brings a lot of good memories back to mind, puts a smile on my face, and brings tear to my eye. I miss her soooooooooo much... Love you Gram!!

A Selkirk Grace
by Robbie Burns

Some hae meat,... and cannot eat.
Some cannot eat,... that want it:
But we hae meat,... and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.

Widow's Mark Tattoo Shop.... a.k.a. "Putnam Ink".. LOL

Forget "Miami Ink" or "L.A. Ink", how about "Putnam Ink"!!!

Tonight before work, I had my tattoos done and I must say what a different experience it was from my first one. Granted, my first one was done by a friend's sister who is an apprentice and needed a "doodle pad" to draw on, and I only had to pay her a reasonable tip. This time it was much more expensive, but well worth the money!! The artist was Dave Ploughman, a late 40's to early 50's New Jersey native, and U.S. Navy veteran who grew up in Connecticut, and who I found out while I was getting stabbed with an ink gun, that he actually has family in Scotland also. His father is a Scot, and Dave even spent 2 years living in Scotland after retiring from the Navy back in the late 70's, visiting family, touring the country, and actually did his apprentice-ship in a Glasgow tattoo shop. Back then, he told me, you didn't have custom work done. It was pick something out from the old, classic artwork off the wall, and that's what you got, no modification. I asked him if he did a lot of Celtic knots or Scot flags, etc., and he said "it was around the time when daggers with banners wrapped around them saying 'death before dishonor' were popular."

So during the 3 hours or so, of him occasionally making me grimace in pain, we talked about Scotland. About breakfasts' that are more like a full course dinner, Edinburgh, Glasgow, trips to London, Loch Ness, Iverness, Fish and chips, the wonderful weather, Celtics/Rangers, and the Protestant/Catholic futbol fights. Meanwhile, with him keeping my mind off my right arm, he was doing an incredible job on my two tattoos. The time flew by, even with a smoke break in between the outlining and the shading/coloring.



Millar = Clan MacFarlane

My Clan MacFarlane crest is unremarkably detailed, and he added just the right touch to my rampant lion. I originally just wanted the outline, then thought to get the traditional full red lion, but I chose to let him use his artistic capabilities(after all he's the artist), and he chose to add some shading and a small splash of red to make it stand out just right.



I apologize for the poor lighting, my dispatch partner took these for me at work tonight.

I think my Grandma would be extremely proud, not necessarily of getting a tattoo, but proud of what I chose to start my Scottish sleeve with. "Loch Sloy, Loch Sloy" grandma. Now I just have to figure out how to incorporate some heather, the ole' blue and white, a thistle, and Sadie(Gram's name)...