Scottish Independence Vote

Regardless of today’s outcome, I am very proud to have Scottish and English ancestors when I see how non-violent the campaign for independence has been. As Nahlah Ayed, a reporter for CBC says, . . . this isn’t Braveheart. “There hasn’t been so much as a bloody nose in the modern fight,” says Luke Skipper,…

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Tennessee

Sandra McCracken and Derek Webb released a short collection of songs (EP) called TN & EP. On that EP is a marvelous song called “Tennessee” (listen to it here). I could not find the lyrics anywhere on the web so I transcribed them myself and checked with McCracken’s staff to confirm a line or two.…

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GEMS

My maternal grandfather went by the name, George Edward Maclaren Smith. “Maclaren” was his own invention. He liked the sound of it; it served him well when he wished to emphasise his Scottish heritage to seek employment; and he liked the initials G. E. M. S. on the steamer trunk that carried his belongings from…

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Spectacle or Substance

It is fascinating to observe the cultural shifts taking place in North America. The entertainment industry is a great place to watch it happen. Changes in the way music is bought and sold and how people make money in the business are moving rapidly. We live in the era of spectacle rather than substance. We…

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The Tale We’ve Fallen Into

I first started reading J.R.R. Tolkien when I was about 19 years old. I remember one marathon reading session over a Christmas break from school. I really wanted to finish the Lord of the Rings Trilogy before I went back to reading books for school. The words of these books created amazing images in my…

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Scotland

Tonight I am in Scotland, the land of my genetic ancestors, the land of my literary ancestors, and the land of my spiritual ancestors. My grandfather’s grandparents farmed in the Aberdeenshire region of Scotland. Driving through that area yesterday I was impressed with how similar it is to portions of Central Alberta where I grew…

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Mull of Kintyre

(Words and Lyrics by Paul McCartney and Denny Laine) Mull of Kintyre, oh mist rolling in from the seaMy desire is always to be hereOh Mull of Kintyre Far have I travelled and much have I seenDark distant mountains with valleys of greenPast painted deserts, the sun sets on fireAs he carries me home to…

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