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Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Tartan Week: Celebrating Scottish Heritage


What butter and whiskey won't
cure, there is no cure for.
-Celtic Saying

We celebrate the legacy of our shared Scottish heritage 
every year during March and April's  


In the United States, there are more than 20 million people who can claim descent from Scotland, most of whom take immense pride in their Scottish heritage. Throughout much of the country, the first week of April has come to be known as Tartan Week as the festivities of Tartan Day have increased and are now celebrated throughout the week. The festivities include a wide range of activities, cultural events and ceilidhs ('KAY-lees' - parties with singing and dancing) that celebrate the vibrancy of Scottish culture, past and present.

Woodrow Wilson said: "Every line of strength in American history is a line colored with Scottish blood." And this year's Scotland Week once again confirms Scotland's place in the hearts of Americans - and Canada too!

April 6 designated TARTAN DAY by a Resolution passed by the U.S. Senate March 20, 1998

Numerous groups and societies throughout Canada and America have taken the anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath (1320) as their national date to celebrate their Scottish roots.

On December 19th 1991, in response to action initiated by the Clans & Scottish Societies of Canada, the Ontario Legislature passed a resolution proclaiming April 6th as Tartan Day, following the example of other Canadian provinces. America followed suit on March 20th 1998, when Senate Resolution 155 (S.Res. 155), proposed by US Senate Republican majority leader Trent Lott, was passed unanimously.

For as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom — for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.
From The Declaration of Arbroath 1320.




How will you celebrate?

Monday, February 14, 2011

Hugs for you on Valentine's Day!


I'm sending you love and tea,
To warm your winter's day.
Think of me as you pour your cup
And all the good things we would say.

If we could be together now
Instead of miles apart,
We'd sip our teas and memories,
The sweet warmth fills the heart.
 ~~Susan Young

I appreciate you so very much!

Monday, January 31, 2011

Happiness in a Cup of Tea

...the freedom and happiness to be found in a simple cup of tea.

Oprah is interviewing Thich Nhat Hanh. She asked him "What is Happiness?"

He answers:
"Suppose you are drinking a cup of tea. When you hold your cup, you may like to breathe in, to bring your mind back to your body, and you become fully present. And when you are truly there, something else is also there—life, represented by the cup of tea. In that moment you are real, and the cup of tea is real. You are not lost in the past, in the future, in your projects, in your worries. You are free from all of these afflictions. And in that state of being free, you enjoy your tea. That is the moment of happiness, and of peace. When you brush your teeth, you may have just two minutes, but according to this practice, it is possible to produce freedom and joy during that time, because you are established in the here and now. If you are capable of brushing your teeth in mindfulness, then you will be able to enjoy the time when you take a shower, cook your breakfast, sip your tea."

To which Oprah responds "So from this point of view, there are endless conditions of happiness."

Nhat Hanh's response
"Yes. Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes."

Then Oprah says to him "With you, the tea is real."

Nhat Hanh answers
"I am real, and the tea is real. I am in the present. I don't think of the past. I don't think of the future. There is a real encounter between me and the tea, and peace, happiness and joy are possible during the time I drink."

Then Oprah comments "I never had that much thought about a cup of tea."

Read the whole interview The O Exclusive Interview

Visit the following sites for more:

More info about Thick Nhat Hanh
Mindfulness Bell

edited 1/24/2015