Mom's Birthday Surprise

My mom is turning 50 on Christmas Day. Because 50 is important, and Mom’s birthday is always overshadowed by Christmas festivities, we decided to celebrate a month early this year. Sometime in the summer, Jessica emailed the rest of her siblings with an idea for celebrating our mom in a special way. She suggested sending Mom and Dad to the Nordic Spa for the day, and then greeting them back home with a gourmet dinner. We all thought it was a fantastic idea, and so the planning began.

Dad took the day off on Friday, saying that it had been a busy week at work. Mom knew that he’d be home but had no idea how the day would unfold. They dropped Patrick off at Jessica’s in the morning, went out for breakfast, and then took off to a mystery destination. Mom guessed where they were going as they approached and immediately burst into tears. Dad told her then that this day had been planned for her by her kids as a birthday gift. More tears flowed.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, preparations were underway for the surprise dinner. Jess, Leah, Chris, and I spent the day cleaning house and preparing food. Chris’ mom Carolyn also joined us, and treated us to a yoga class in the afternoon. By the end of our rejuvenating yoga session, all the troupes had gathered: Mike and Dan were home from school, Patrick had returned from playing at a friend’s house, and Brendan and Joel were back from work. Excitement was in the air, especially after Dad called saying they were on their way home. Mom still had no idea that we were all waiting for her – she had taken a casserole out of the freezer for dinner (which Leah promptly put back in the freezer) but on Dad’s suggestion, decided they would order Chinese instead. As they drove home from the spa, we got dressed up, put the final touches on the appetizer spread and set out the salad plates. Patrick was our watchman – when he announced they were coming up the driveway, we all hid in the stairwell leading to the basement (right off the kitchen) – well, all except Liam who was in his highchair enjoying the early sitting of the meal.

After Mom had taken in the beautifully set table and spread of appetizers, we jumped out of our hiding place and smothered her with hugs. Everyone was thrilled that the surprise had actually worked! We gave Mom and Dad a moment to get dressed for the occasion, toasted the lady of the hour, and began the feast.

(As an aside, on the topic of getting dressed up: my dad resisted a bit, asking – with an impish grin – what was wrong with the outfit he had on. He was wearing jeans and a shirt we call “The Shirt,” because it gets so much play. “This is a nice shirt!” he argued. Yes, we agreed it was a nice shirt (“we” being my sisters and I – the guys didn’t care), but suggested that he change into something he doesn’t wear so often. So he reluctantly went upstairs, emerging from his room a few moments later wearing the same shirt in a different colour. He did it, of course, to make us laugh – which we did.)   

Dinner was in five courses, beginning with appetizers, followed by salad, soup, an entrée of roast beef and vegetables, and topped with a dessert of raspberry pie and whipped cream, chai tea and chocolates, all homemade. It was a succulent affair – a true delight to the senses. The best part, though, was being together, and seeing how happy we had made our mom.

After dinner we sat in the living room and played music, which we love to do when we’re together. The evening ended with words of appreciation for Mom from each of us – we call this “the Blessing Cup.” At Dad’s 50^th, we passed around the Blessing Cup and spoke of our love and respect for him, so we thought it appropriate to do the same for Mom. Everything shared was heartfelt and moving (naturally, Mom burst into tears as soon as the first words were uttered), but the crowning speech was given by Dad: “I could not have imagined this,” he said, gesturing to his children, sons-in-law, and grandchildren. “This was your vision. You have enriched my life so much.” Since getting married myself, I have come to treasure even more the expression of love I see exchanged between my parents. This was a privileged moment and I felt honoured to be a witness. 

Everyone slept over that night, even the Genest’s, who live five minutes away. The next day we ate leftovers and talked about the day before. It felt like Christmas. Mom told me a couple days ago that she still can’t believe we did that for her. I can tell she loved it, because I know my mom is genuine, but also because whenever we’re with people who don’t know the story, she just can’t wait to tell them all about it! She says it’s a happy memory that will stay with her for a long time. And that, for us, is a success.

Mom & Dad with their kids (and Liam, who will not tolerate being separated from his grandma)
Michael, Jessica, Dad, me, Mom, Daniel, Leah, Patrick & Liam

With Leah's husband, Chris (Patrick was having a hard time smiling in these pictures)

With Jessie's husband Joel, Baby Anna, and Brendan
(and finally, a smile from Pat - probably laughing because Liam is swatting him!)

First Snow

Yesterday was our first Ottawa snowfall. Since Liam was too little last year to care about weather, I was eager to introduce him to the snow yesterday. I dressed him up around mid-morning – he looked hilariously cute. I enjoyed a good solo laugh as he stomped around the house in his giant blue suit and new winter boots (at moments like that, I really wish another adult were around to enjoy with me the humour of the situation!). I was hoping Liam would be intrigued by the snow, but he seemed unimpressed. He noticed it, and tasted it, but was more interested in trying to run towards the road. Our dog Freya was far more excited about the snow than Liam was. She ran, rolled, and did her strange bucking maneuvers (which Brendan calls rodeo jumps), enjoying herself thoroughly. Liam got a kick out of Freya’s antics, as he usually does.

We came in after a short time of walking around outside (mostly Liam walking toward the road and me carrying him away from it), and I had a happy feeling of anticipation as I imagined the day when my little boy and I would actually play outside, and come in with rosy cheeks, to clutch mugs of hot chocolate, and wipe runny noses without crying. One day. But I’m certainly not wishing Liam to grow up any faster than he is. My baby is almost 15 months old and already looking like such a big boy:

I’ve noticed a marked increase in his development in the last month. He calls the dog by her name, which he pronounces, “Vey,” and says “num-num” almost constantly (this boy loves to eat!). He is remarkably agile and is an adept runner and climber. He’s also very curious, and enjoys opening cupboards and spreading their contents all over the floor. He loves books and has the endearing habit of climbing into my lap to read stories. I rarely get through the whole book before he’s on to the next thing, but even a five second story time cuddle is nice (especially now that he’ll actually look at the book without smashing it with both hands, as was his former way). 

Stealing a kiss before he runs away!

He is an unabashed Blankie Boy, and although Blankie rarely leaves the house, it follows Liam nearly everywhere while we’re home. If he happens to forget about Blankie while engrossed in something else – a toy, or a book, or a kitchen utensil – he usually recognizes his oversight and goes to fetch his friend. I had made up my mind before Liam was born that I didn’t want to foster an attachment to a big dirty stinky blanket, but alas – the blanket won. I try to wash it often, but it’s still covered in dog hair most of the time (come to think of it, nearly everything in this house is covered in dog hair most of the time…).

Liam's favourite perch - notice Blankie at his feet

The weather forecast says eleven degrees on Saturday, so it doesn’t look like this first snow will last. That’s ok though – it’s still early. There will be plenty more snowfalls in the coming months and many opportunities for Liam to enjoy his first Canadian winter – maybe some of Freya’s enthusiasm for the season will rub off on him!

Proverbs 31

The first reading at Mass today was from Proverbs 31:

“A good wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.

The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.

She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.

She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.

She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy.

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.”

After the reading, Brendan whispered to me: “That describes you! Especially the part about working with flax!” I had to stifle my “this-is-not-an-appropriate-time-to-be-laughing” laughter for a good couple of minutes. He said this because I’ve recently become obsessed with healthy food, and flax is one of the new additions to our diet. I think he also said it just to make me laugh.

Although I was honoured by my husband’s praise (because it was a compliment, flax joke aside!), I know that becoming the Proverbs 31 woman is a long journey. She is trustworthy, noble, hard working, generous, faithful to God and to her family – when I think of this woman, I imagine someone with great strength of character who does not back away from challenges, but meets them courageously, unafraid to give of herself for the good of others. When I was a teenager I noticed that my mom would never sit down to dinner until everyone else had what they needed. If there was not enough of something to go around, she would be the one to go without. I remember assuming that this kind of generosity was part of motherhood. When you’re a mom, you give. In my teenage way, I thought this was something you just grow into spontaneously. My mom’s self-giving seemed so effortless that I figured it was just something that came naturally when you assumed the responsibility of looking after other people. Now that I’m a wife and mother myself, I realize that generosity, even when it comes naturally, is not always effortless. I don’t think the Proverbs 31 woman just woke up one morning ready for the task of caring for a husband and children, working at her craft to provide for her family, feeding the poor, honouring the Lord in everything she does – she had to work at these virtues. And although the idea of so much hard work can be daunting at times, it’s encouraging to think that with effort (and grace, of course), we can become the people we want to be. Every small decision I make to be generous, to work hard, to meet the needs of others, molds me into the kind of woman I want to be. A woman like the wife in Proverbs 31 – a woman like my own mother.

Remembering

A year ago today, Brendan, Liam and I set off for Scotland. What an adventure awaited us! Remembering is often bittersweet, and today I feel the tug of nostalgia. I miss Scotland and what it meant for us – the people we met, our little flat on Morris Terrace, the town of Stirling with all its quirks and charms, the freedom to travel, the sense of adventure, the season of life we spent there… I’m happy to be home and am enjoying life here, but I do miss Scotland.

Since coming home I have promised repeatedly to continue updating the blog – a promise which I have neglected to fulfill. Despite all our travels and various weekly activities in Stirling, it seems the pace of things here supersedes what we lived abroad. Though the blog has been virtually silent, our adventures at home continue! Here’s a snapshot of our activities over the last 5 months:

June:

We returned from Stirling on May 27^th and spent the end May and beginning of June with my parents. Our tenants moved out on June 1^st, but we took our time to move back in. The rest of the month was spent settling back into our home and preparing for my sister Leah’s wedding. We also celebrated our second anniversary on June 27^th.

July:

Leah & Chris were married on July 1^st – a highlight of the summer, to which I dedicated an earlier post. After the wedding, we went to New Brunswick, where we spent 6 weeks at various cottages and homes of family and friends. It was a fantastic holiday. We both really enjoyed being able to live in with our Marshall family for more than a few days and to spend some quality time with friends we normally see only twice a year. We also had a chance to spend a couple of days with friends we met in Scotland, who were home in the States for a holiday. It was nice to reconnect and to continue the friendship we began in Stirling. Milestone of the month: Liam took his first steps on July 15^th!

August:

We came home from New Brunswick mid-August and continued the process of settling into our condo. Brendan celebrated a birthday on the 22^nd. He also finished his Energy Management dissertation and dove headlong into the job hunt!

September:

On September 6^th, our little guy turned a whole year old! We had a birthday dinner for him at my parents’ place with grandparents, great-grandparents, godparents, and aunts and uncles. Mid-month we had a new kitchen put into our condo, and completed the last of the unpacking. At the end of September, Brendan’s job-hunting efforts yielded fruit: he was offered a position at a private communications firm in Ottawa. We were both pleased (and relieved) that he found something. Although his work is not directly related to energy, there’s the possibility to move in that direction, which Brendan is eager to explore.

October:

October has seen two most significant events: on the 6^th, the birth of Jessica & Joel’s (my sister and brother-in-law) daughter, Anna Carolyn Genest; and on the 29^th, Brendan’s sister Elizabeth’s marriage to Chris Jenkins. Wonderful ways to begin and end a month!

Anna was born just after midnight on the 6^th, a beautiful precious bundle, weighing all of 6 lbs 5oz. We went to see her in the afternoon and fell in love instantly. Her first family function was Leah’s birthday dinner, three days later. She drew adoring glances from everyone, including her big tough uncles (my twin brothers), who both have a soft spot for babies. She partied with us again on Thanksgiving, sleeping in pair after pair of willing arms. We all love having an infant in our midst!

Chris and Elizabeth’s wedding was another joyous occasion. The festivities began on Thursday night, with a bridal party outing to The Blacksheep Inn in Wakefield. We went to hear a band from Newfoundland called The Once, which we all really enjoyed. Friday afternoon was the rehearsal, followed by a lovely dinner at Algonquin College’s International Restaurant hosted by Chris’ parents. On Saturday morning, the bride and her entourage had their hair and makeup done at a salon by the hotel where the Marshall clan was staying, and continued our preparations in Elizabeth’s room. I had the privilege of helping Liz fasten the back of her dress – my third sister to be robed in bridal splendor! It was an honour to stand by her that afternoon. The wedding ceremony was simple and beautiful. Chris and Liz have a relationship of deep respect and true companionship – I’m certain their life together will be rich and fruitful.

After the ceremony, we went to a cocktail reception hosted by an aunt and uncle of Chris’, who live down the street from Blessed Sacrament, where the wedding took place. Photos were taken at the Museum of Nature, followed by dinner and dancing at the same location. It was a great evening - moving, entertaining, and fun. I’m looking forward to seeing the newlyweds again to ask them about their impressions of the day. It seemed to unfold perfectly – a beautiful first step in their new relationship.

Yesterday Brendan and I invited his parents and aunts, uncles, and cousins who had travelled from NB to our place for lunch. That evening, we hosted Owen, Amy and Eloise for dinner. It was nice to be able to spend time with family after the wedding, before everyone headed home.

Now the house is quiet (The Guy is asleep!) and I am flooded with memories… weddings, babies, travels, friendships… so many blessings inspiring profound gratitude. Weddings and babies have a special way of reminding us of the blessing of family, but so do many other perhaps less momentous events – shared meals, laughter, conversations. It’s comforting to know that gratitude can soak up nostalgia and brighten the hue of remembering. 

Ultimate Croquet

We are in New Brunswick now, at the Marshall cottage on Bay du Vin. This is the landscape of Brendan’s childhood summers – ocean, beach, campfires and Ultimate Croquet. This year’s game of Ultimate Croquet was a much-anticipated event – Brendan had been planning it since before we arrived. The timing of such a game has to be calculated just right, as the beach is in play and the tide can have a significant effect on the level of difficulty. There was much discussion this year about the optimal time to play, but we finally set up the wickets yesterday evening after the babies went to bed (two other couples were with us, one of which has a 13-month-old). Ultimate Croquet is much less straightforward than regular croquet. In fact, the whole purpose of Ultimate Croquet is to be the least straightforward possible. Wickets are set up in ruts on the road, over a mangled mess of tree roots, among rocks on the beach, on sandbars surrounded by the rising tide, etc. One person often lags behind quite significantly, getting tripped up on every possible obstacle, or just having the misfortune of a bad croquet swing. Yesterday that person was me. I did well at the end, though (when I was the last person still playing). In my zeal to reach the finish line, I made a couple good shots and proclaimed that if I hadn’t been so far behind at first, I likely would not have lost. I didn’t realize this was funny until everyone else laughed. I suppose it was rather like saying, “if I weren’t last, I wouldn’t have lost!” Oh well. Someone has to come in last!

Besides playing Ultimate Croquet, we’ve been spending our cottage time catching up with friends and family, eating good food, swimming, and enjoying some well-earned naps. It’s nice to be on holiday.

A few photos from our time in New Brunswick so far:

Liam and his friend Oleander in Bear Island (where Ole and his parents live)

Liam with his Uncle Owen (Brendan's brother), Cousin Eloise, and their dog, Buster

Eloise at Nana & Papa's

Sunset at the cottage

Liam at 10 months

Chris and Leah's Epic Wedding Weekend

On July 1st, my dad walked his youngest daughter down the aisle. We celebrated the third wedding in our family in two years, and now all the Cogan girls are married. The morning was spent as per tradition on Cogan wedding days: all the girls gather at Mom & Dad’s, hair is done and makeup applied, breakfast brought in by friends, photos taken, excitement manifested in frequent laughter. When the time comes, the bridesmaids put on their dresses and join the bride in an upstairs bedroom to help her into her gown. Then, as the girls look on eagerly, Dad is allowed in the room to admire his soon-to-be-wed daughter. Some of the most tender photos of the day are taken at this moment. This happened on my wedding day two years ago and immediately became an unspoken tradition – we watched the same events unfold on October 30th, 2010 for Jessica and on Friday for Leah.

Another of my favourite wedding moments is watching the groom as he beholds his bride for the first time. Chris greeted the bridesmaids and groomsmen with a broad smile, but when he saw Leah, the enormity of what was about to occur seemed to impress itself upon him. He took a deep breath and fixed his eyes on the beautiful woman before him. He seemed completely awestruck. As I watched Chris wait for his bride, I couldn’t help but think that there is little as beautiful to witness as the love between a man and a woman. God has designed our relationships as vessels of indescribable joy – a joy uniquely tangible at the celebration of a marriage. No wonder heaven is described as a wedding feast.

The ceremony was beautiful. Before they exchanged vows, Leah & Chris wanted to take a moment to worship with their family and friends. The musicians led us in three songs, the last of which was “Blessed Be Your Name.” One of the lines of this song is “Blessed be your name…when the world’s all as it should be.” At that moment, it did feel that the world was as it should be – that this union was part of God’s glorious design and that great good would come of it.

I thought of this again as I watched my sister stand before the altar with her new husband. I felt I was seeing her in a new light: as a woman who would be the heart of a strong and gifted family. The little girl full of so much energy and life had grown into a beautiful, capable, strong and courageous woman, ready to take on the tremendous responsibility of being a wife and, eventually, mother.

The reception was held in my parents’ backyard. A tent was set up, large enough to accommodate over 200 guests, and we enjoyed a meal of burgers and various scrumptious salads. Kids roamed freely and grown-ups mingled – it was a perfect summer scene. 

The tent (the wall flaps were removed the day of the wedding)

The tent on prep day - place settings and centrepieces yet to be put out

After dinner there were speeches, and then the dance began. Leah & Chris planned to open with their first dance together, but instead their guests surprised them with a flash mob. The dance had been choreographed by a few friends and disseminated to all guests through an instructional video on youtube about a month before the wedding. The surprise worked beautifully – Leah & Chris went from confusion to awe as they watched a few friends break into dance and then gradually be joined by the entire crowd. Leah was so overcome by it all that she burst into tears!

The actual dance was also awesome. Not surprisingly, Leah & Chris have attracted a group of the most talented friends imaginable – various combinations of them played live music for the rest of the evening.

The next day Chris’ mom and brothers and a bunch of friends came back to my parents’ place to help clean up. Many hands made light work – virtually everything was picked up by mid-afternoon. We enjoyed a lunch of wedding leftovers, finished the cleanup, sat around on the deck and played music, pulled out more leftovers for dinner and then played more music around a bonfire. Sunday was similar – after Mass a bunch of people came over for leftovers and we spent the day eating, swimming, and revisiting the events of the past week. We all wished it didn’t have to end!

Cleanup day

Lunch on the deck with the cleanup crew!

I haven’t seen Leah & Chris since Sunday (Brendan and I are now in New Brunswick), but I’m sure they’re enjoying their first experience of married life. During his toast to them, my dad said he couldn’t wait to see what adventures await them. If their wedding day is an indication of things to come, they will certainly share a rich and beautiful life together. 

The Adventure Continues

I just stopped to consider how long we’ve been home and am amazed to realize that it has only been a little over two weeks! The days have been packed!

We arrived in Ottawa on Friday, May 27^th, around 4:30pm, after a very long day of flying. Liam once again proved to be an expert traveller – we had worried a bit that this trip might be tough for him, but he took it all in stride, sleeping, eating, playing, and not crying. We were very proud! When we finally made it through customs, we were greeted by a joyous band of family and friends. They even made a banner!

We went home that evening to my parents’ place, where we would spend the next 10 days. Although we got the keys to our condo back on June 1^st, we decided to move in gradually (our first night here was last Tuesday). We are still in the process of unpacking, but it’s coming along well.

This is an intentionally short note, as I really should be getting to bed. A few people have asked whether I’ll continue blogging – I do intend to keep it up, hopefully (once we are more settled) with the same regularity as before. Stay tuned for more Marshall adventures! 

Scotland, Farewell

A run down of our last week here:

Friday: Epic BBQ/dance party hosted by Diego & Chris.

Saturday: Lovely dinner with Ian & Elanor at their place; Brown Curlyheads beat Gingers at Auction 45, but there will be a rematch (watch out B & E)!

Sunday: Kasia’s birthday party, last session of Growing Married.

Monday: We begin to worry that Mt. Grimsvotn might ruin our plans to fly home on the 27^th.

Tuesday: Brendan writes his last exam; last Marshall Extravaganza at our place.

Wednesday: Packing & cleaning; frequent checking of flight status as the ash cloud travels south.

Thursday: More packing & cleaning, last walk around town, goodbye visits from friends. So far so good in terms of flight schedule: we’ll be waking up at 4am tomorrow morning to make it to Edinburgh for our 6:30 flight.

It’s hard to put into words what the time here has meant to us. I’ll save the deeper reflection for another moment, as we still have a few things to pack and must get ourselves to bed shortly. For now, we say farewell to Stirling and to all those who have made our stay here so memorable. You have enriched our lives immensely and we will miss you. We hope our paths will cross again.

To those waiting for us back home: we can’t wait to see you again and look forward to sharing with you the next chapter of our adventures!

Quest for the Holy Grail and Other Adventures

Last week, Brendan rented a car for a meeting in Glasgow, so we took advantage of the freedom of wheels to make a couple mini trips around the area.

On Wednesday, we visited Doune Castle. It is a well-preserved ruin, recognizable as the set for Monty Python and the Holy Grail. One of the film’s directors recorded an audio tour of the castle, which includes historical information as well as tidbits from the film – such as an audio track of the following scene:

On our way back from the castle, we stopped at the Deanston Distillery for a whisky tasting. That evening, Fr. Kenneth, Catriona, and Frankie joined us for dinner.

On Thursday we drove through Trossachs National Park to catch a glimpse of Loch Lomond. It was a long drive and our time was short, but we did stop to take a walk by the shore. Here we are in Balloch Castle gardens, by Loch Lomond:

Thursday night was Brendan’s Energy Management class party. Christy came to watch Liam for us and we went out for a night on the town! It was fun. Saturday we were invited to dinner at Alex and Johanna’s (the friend I met at Baby Sensory), and Sunday Fr. Kenneth took us out for lunch in Sherrifmuir (about 20 minutes from Stirling). Brendan had wanted to go there to see bunkers that were used to practice the D-Day landings (wherever there’s WWII stuff to see, Brendan will find it!).

This week we have begun the packing project. We’ve acquired a lot of stuff since we got here that will have to be crammed into suitcases – it stresses me out a bit, but Brendan is confident in his cramming abilities. I’ve resolved to trust him and not worry about it!

Playing with Liam is a good way to avoid dwelling on the packing monster. On Tuesday I met up with Johanna and we took the babies to a play castle. I remember loving this this kind of thing when I was a kid.

Brendan writes his first exam tomorrow. After that there will be a few dinners with friends, the final exam, more packing, and then goodbyes… 

Monkey Boy rearranging Dad's closet...

...and helping to pack for the move!

The Beginning of Lasts

On Friday the 6^th, Brendan attended the last class of his Master’s in Energy Management. We also went to our last official CathSoc event of the semester, a BBQ at St. Mary’s.

It’s hard to describe my feelings in these last few weeks. Everyday I anticipate the excitement of arriving at the Ottawa airport and seeing the faces of people I love. Everyday I think of how hard it will be to say goodbye to Stirling, to the friends we’ve made here, and the life we’ve so enjoyed. If we had never come here, we wouldn’t have to go through the heartache of leaving so much behind. Our knowledge of Scotland, of its rugged beauty and good people, would be limited to hearsay. But now we know, and when we’re gone, we’ll miss it. Nevertheless, the twinge of nostalgia is a small price to pay for such a rich life experience. I don’t want to protect myself from heartache by not seeing things, not meeting people, not loving life. That would be far too costly. Brendan and I are of the same mind: it is much better to expand our hearts to welcome more people and places – to make room for more of life – than to limit ourselves to what we already know, even at the risk of having to say goodbye.

In this time of lasts, there are also firsts, most notable of which was my first Mother’s Day (to a child I can see, that is – I considered myself a mother last year too, even though my baby wasn’t born). We went out for lunch to celebrate. I have expressed my thoughts on motherhood in previous posts – I love it and cannot imagine living any other life. Liam has been uncharacteristically cranky for the past couple weeks, which has challenged me – but although I’m worn out, I’m no less in love. Here’s our little guy at 8 months:

 How could you not love a face like that?!

There will be many more firsts to come in the next few months, and many exciting things to look forward to: meeting babies that were born while we were away, moving back into our home, two family weddings, a niece due in September, holidays in New Brunswick… these things keep me from brooding too much over our imminent goodbyes. These, and a profound sense of gratitude for the gift of this year. 

The Whisky Trail

Brendan loves whisky. When we planned this trip, we were unaware that we had chosen to travel during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. Just imagine Brendan’s delight when he discovered this happy coincidence! He would not only get to do one whisky tasting, but possibly several – and visit not only one distillery, but many! His eyes lit up just thinking about it!

Boat of Garten, where we were staying, is about a 45-minute drive from Dufftown, home of the Glenfiddich Distillery and heart of the festival. Before arriving in Dufftown, however, we made a quick stop at Aberlour to visit the distillery there. We did not arrive in time for the tour (which we discovered wasn’t suitable for us anyway – it was 2 hours long and not open to Liam), but we took a few pictures.

Our next stop was the Glenlivet Distillery. Liam wasn’t allowed on the tour there either, so he and I stayed behind while Brendan and Christy learned about George Smith’s whisky making. The day was perfect, once again, so Liam and I enjoyed a walk around the beautiful Glenlivet estate before catching up with the others. Brendan was beaming as he came out of the warehouse. It had been a great tour, he told me, with an exceptional guide. We then tasted the whiskies – a 12 year old, a 16 year old cask strength, and an 18 year old. The favourite was the cask strength, which can only be purchased at the distillery. It can now also be tasted at our house (but only on very special occasions!). ☺

We then visited Glenfiddich. This time B and I went inside while Christy babysat. My favourite part of the tour was being greeted by different smells around every corner – it’s amazing what variety of aroma and flavour that can be gleaned from just three simple ingredients (whisky is made of water, malted barley, and yeast).

Balvenie Castle is a short walk from the Glenfiddich Distillery, so we went there next. The Balvenie Distillery is located a bit further off, but the shop at the castle was offering a free whisky and shortbread tasting in honour of the festival. We partook, naturally!

Liam at Balvenie Castle

The day was getting on at this point, so we found ourselves a place to sit down and enjoy a good Scottish steak. The restaurant we chose was the self-proclaimed best around. The food was good, but the atmosphere was… well, strange. The restaurant doubled as an antique shop and was cluttered with old stuff from floor to ceiling. Most of the pictures on the wall had price tags on them – apparently everything was for sale. The place also had a jukebox, which Brendan had to try. He put in his coins and chose an Elvis tune – the song then blasted through the whole restaurant at an absurd volume. The owner quickly rushed over to turn the thing down, but that proved trickier than anticipated. He finally succeeded, and the rest of Brendan’s songs played softly in the background.


The biggest surprise at this restaurant was our discovery of the ladies bathroom. I opened the door expecting to see a tiny cubicle and was met instead with a sweeping staircase, which led to a whole other antique-cluttered room (the ladies toilet being in a tiny cubicle at the back of the room)! My description fails to appropriately convey the shock of this spectacle. I wish we had taken pictures.


We returned to the hostel that evening well satisfied with the events of the day, and after snacks and conversation, retired for the night.


The next day we packed up for the trip home. We made only one stop, in Dalwhinnie. Dalwhinnie is one of Brendan’s favourite whiskies, so he wanted to visit that distillery. We didn’t have time for the tour, but we did taste some whisky, this time enjoying the privilege of trying a 21-year-old – a rare treat indeed!

We arrived home around midday, just in time for Brendan to make it to a lunch meeting. So ended our last road trip through Scotland. Although there are many parts of this beautiful country we have not seen, we’ve done our best to take in as much of it as we could during our time here. We’ve been coast to coast, north and south, visited three islands and fallen in love with the hills… it’s hard to believe we’ll be leaving this place so soon. Whether we make it back in the future or not, Scotland will always be a second home to us.