On Wednesday night we went for dinner to one of the yurts. There are two yurts here on Rum and we joined both yurt-dwellers and the newest Rum resident for dinner cooked on the wood burning stove. It was a lovely evening with flickering candlelight and toasts to the coming year.
On Thursday we had Mike the ranger up for dinner.
Friday saw Dragon and Star joining the school children on a ranger event along the shore for a few hours wildlife spotting, looking at seaweed and the ecosystem on the beaches. It was also Burns Night - our first in Scotland and one of those magical nights that Rum does so well where you look around you and feel so very lucky to be living here in this place, with these people. We had an amazing 3 course meal of cullen skink, haggis stuffed chicken and cranachan, plenty of drams, poems and toasts, people in kilts, singing, dancing and a visiting pianist to accompany our Auld Lang Syne. Simply magical :)
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| Burns Night supper |
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| addressing the haggis |
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| Burns Night, last ones standing! |
On Saturday Vikki came for dinner following a community event where we all gave our input into plans for a project we're currently applying for funding for to turn a disused building in the centre of the village into an amazing space housing a visitor centre, classroom and educational space, shop, cafe, accommodation and more.
Sunday saw us visiting the bar in the castle for the first time and last time. The first time because it has mostly been closed since we've been here although we've heard tales of how it was the centre of the village in days gone by. This could well be the very last time it is open though so we felt we really should go down and experience it and get some pictures so that it is also part of 'our Rum'. We stayed far longer than we planned and quite possibly did see the door locked for the very last time.
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| In the bar, bottles not all ours! |
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| maybe for the last time. |
After all that frantic activity and socialising it's been a really welcome change today to be stuck indoors by the wind and rain . I've made soup and baked cookies, Dragon and Star stayed in their pyjamas all day and we caught up on some iplayer shows missed during all our gallivanting the last week. This week has been a timely reminder of why we moved here - to be part of something bigger than us, to have friends around us for impromptu getting together and sharing not just a common workplace or neighbourhood but all aspects of our lives -shared challenges and victories, their problems being our problems, our celebrations being their celebrations. When we were interviewed for the croft we talked about how Rum would have to be our everything - meet all our needs and this week we've had every box ticked; education, culture, socialising, learning, friendship, eating, drinking, celebrating and entertainment, helping to make things happen and having a say in our future. Rain shmain, it's all good.
I was a child of the 70's and the street where we lived was our community, we celebrated everything together, we all chipped in for christmas, bonfires, you name it, all of the street came together. I hardly know anybody on the street where I live, nor do my children, it is comforting to know that community is alive still on Rum and that your children are able to experience it something so rare nowadays. Wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI like your version of life getting in the way: friends, family and merry-making. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm very excited over on my side of the globe at the moment, because I've just landed myself a plot at my local community garden -- not as good as a croft, but it's a start!
Just found your Blog by accident and am delighted to have - I've only read the post attached to these comments and shall look forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is home educated and we are only in the 'dreaming' stage of living a lifestyle surrounded by such beauty that is not dissimilar to what you're living.
Happy Days to you all :o)
I am glad you have been gallivanting. It is a great thing to do ;-)
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