Yesterday I went to the quarterly meeting of the Minnesota Coalition of Scottish Clans, as the representative of colgaffneyis. In addition to the usual business of budget and scheduling, there was some actual content. The Giggin Síles, a group that I had heard once before, sang some songs in Irish Gaelic. This time I was able to buy one of their CD’s. There was also an interesting lecture on the Declaration of Arbroath, an important document in medieval Scottish history. A long meeting, but better than the previous ones I had been to.

Later I talked to someone who said she and her husband are interested in colgaffneyis dance group. Seems they had been long-time members of another local Scottish dance group. The founder of that group, a well-known and much beloved local Scottish-American, recently died. Without him that group may not be able to keep going. So I said they would be perfectly welcome to join us and gave them our schedule and contact information.

Did a little project work in the evening, experimenting with water-hardened leather (Cuir bouille). Managing the shrinkage of the leather is very tricky. I made some buttons, which ended up smaller than I had planned (but still useful) and also a cap for the base of a wooden cromach (Scottish walking stick/shepherd’s crook). This was to replace the rubber cap that the cromach had originally. There was nothing functionally wrong with the rubber, but it would have been out of place for colgaffneyis.

Sunday morning we went to church. As has happened before mia_mcdavid was serving at the altar, leaving me to go one-on-one with Tom in the pew. It worked out OK. We had a neighbor in the pew, but fortunately she was someone who knew us and our situation. In fact, she is the sister of a friend from our old parish in Evanston.

After Church Mia, our son James, and I went to the “Day of Irish Dance” at St Paul’s Landmark Center. We could not stay long, but we saw some excellent dancing, listened to a fine band, and drank some good, but overpriced, Guinness. At one point the band played a waltz and invited members of the audience to get up and dance. Mia and I were the only ones to take them up on the offer. It was a good time. We will be back for more on Friday (St. Patrick’s Day) which I have scheduled for vacation.