Alma Michigan
May. 23rd, 2009 07:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jadecatLikes to think of itself as the Scotland of the US. To this end- every Memorial weekend they have the Highland Festival.
Picture this- an entire football field filled with people in kilts. With bagpipes, and drums. Playing. This is what I saw today.
Admit it, you're jealous. ;)
The Festival was preceded by a parade- that unfortunately had some rain fall. However, hubby and I did get to see Stepdaughter M, her hubby, and grandbabies B and J. J didn't care one whit about the parade (he'll be 2 in November, fyi, and B will be 4). B didn't like the loud noises- and then we discovered that she was wearing her cranky pants. She was content to let Grandma Anne hold her, but, as she explained- she didn't have to talk! Her mom was asking her "Would you rather be a shark or a panther?" (Dunno where that came from) and B got a VERY stormy look on her face and explained "I'm B!" (well, she said her name). We all agreed that she could be B. She's quite the character. While being so grumpy she had her arm resting on my shoulder and her fist against her cheek refusing to say much of anything. Though, I did get her to watch the Newfoundland puppy (while he was well over 100lbs we overheard his owner say he was still growing- and he had a lot of puppy energy).
After the parade we tried four different places to get lunch. By the time we got to toe fourth ne- mot of the parade people had been and left! Which worked out rather well. M and her crew were not going to the festival- which was disappointing but understandable. J had just about enough of his stroller and wanted to be out and running- and B wouldn't have liked all the bagpipes and drum groups playing in varying spots. So we said goodbye to them and went on to the ground of Alma College.
Kilts everywhere! And people selling kilts. :) Almost talked the hubby into buying one, even just a utilikilt would have been fine. Saw a t-shirt proclaiming "If I wore anything under it THEN it would be a skirt!" which made us laugh. While wandering around I did have to mention that if hubby did get a kilt he would have to be careful about getting up from sitting on the ground... As I happened to see one gentleman getting up from a seat on a hill, and got much more of a view than I bargained for. ;) While I'm not actually Scottish, and neither is the husband, we did have fun perusing all the stuff. I do have a cousin who married an honest-to-God-Scot (from Scotland! now they live somewhere near London) so I looked up his crest/plaid, and that was fun. Did buy a shiny ring with a bit of Celtic knotwork, and a bag that will be perfect for transporting Lucy (my Samsung netbook). Hubby dithered about kilts, and what color he liked. Noting that the problem with getting a kilt is that if he didn't get a utilikilt then he'd want a real one (not acrylic like a couple places had) the whole 9 yards. And then he'd have to get a gillie shirt, and kilt hose, and shoes, not to mention a sporran. So it would get rather expensive. So he's still dithering. I expect an answer to come sometime around the time when we go to the renaissance festival in August/September. ;)
Kilts kilts everywhere. :) was much much fun.
Now am home, feet hurt from walking all over. Did get to see a brief Border Collie demo, which was kind of fun. Doggie herded ducks, and then sheep.
All in all a very good day. But am glad to be home now.
Picture this- an entire football field filled with people in kilts. With bagpipes, and drums. Playing. This is what I saw today.
Admit it, you're jealous. ;)
The Festival was preceded by a parade- that unfortunately had some rain fall. However, hubby and I did get to see Stepdaughter M, her hubby, and grandbabies B and J. J didn't care one whit about the parade (he'll be 2 in November, fyi, and B will be 4). B didn't like the loud noises- and then we discovered that she was wearing her cranky pants. She was content to let Grandma Anne hold her, but, as she explained- she didn't have to talk! Her mom was asking her "Would you rather be a shark or a panther?" (Dunno where that came from) and B got a VERY stormy look on her face and explained "I'm B!" (well, she said her name). We all agreed that she could be B. She's quite the character. While being so grumpy she had her arm resting on my shoulder and her fist against her cheek refusing to say much of anything. Though, I did get her to watch the Newfoundland puppy (while he was well over 100lbs we overheard his owner say he was still growing- and he had a lot of puppy energy).
After the parade we tried four different places to get lunch. By the time we got to toe fourth ne- mot of the parade people had been and left! Which worked out rather well. M and her crew were not going to the festival- which was disappointing but understandable. J had just about enough of his stroller and wanted to be out and running- and B wouldn't have liked all the bagpipes and drum groups playing in varying spots. So we said goodbye to them and went on to the ground of Alma College.
Kilts everywhere! And people selling kilts. :) Almost talked the hubby into buying one, even just a utilikilt would have been fine. Saw a t-shirt proclaiming "If I wore anything under it THEN it would be a skirt!" which made us laugh. While wandering around I did have to mention that if hubby did get a kilt he would have to be careful about getting up from sitting on the ground... As I happened to see one gentleman getting up from a seat on a hill, and got much more of a view than I bargained for. ;) While I'm not actually Scottish, and neither is the husband, we did have fun perusing all the stuff. I do have a cousin who married an honest-to-God-Scot (from Scotland! now they live somewhere near London) so I looked up his crest/plaid, and that was fun. Did buy a shiny ring with a bit of Celtic knotwork, and a bag that will be perfect for transporting Lucy (my Samsung netbook). Hubby dithered about kilts, and what color he liked. Noting that the problem with getting a kilt is that if he didn't get a utilikilt then he'd want a real one (not acrylic like a couple places had) the whole 9 yards. And then he'd have to get a gillie shirt, and kilt hose, and shoes, not to mention a sporran. So it would get rather expensive. So he's still dithering. I expect an answer to come sometime around the time when we go to the renaissance festival in August/September. ;)
Kilts kilts everywhere. :) was much much fun.
Now am home, feet hurt from walking all over. Did get to see a brief Border Collie demo, which was kind of fun. Doggie herded ducks, and then sheep.
All in all a very good day. But am glad to be home now.
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no subject
Date: 2009-05-23 11:45 pm (UTC)Jim has a Utilikilt. It's awesome. My brother got a traditional with the whole ensemble for his wedding, and it is really expensive. You can order Utilikilts online and get precise measurements and all.
I think all men should at least try wearing a kilt. And more men should wear kilts more often! Yay!
no subject
Date: 2009-05-28 02:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-23 11:55 pm (UTC)Of course we dont look nearly so good in kilts as the Scots. They have better knees.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-24 12:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-24 12:47 am (UTC)If my wife ever asked me to wear a kilt - I think I'd be willing to try it if she'd consent to our visiting a nudist resort for a weekend. But, even then I'd only do it if we could get my family plaid - McGill (my mom's side of the family).
no subject
Date: 2009-05-28 02:12 pm (UTC)I'm not sure I see the equivalency of kilt wearing and going to a nudist resort...
And if you have a family plaid you should definitely get that! Hubby doesn't have one, and thus felt a little odd about possibly wearing someone else's plaid.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-24 01:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-24 09:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-24 07:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-24 09:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-24 02:40 pm (UTC)