Thunderstruck on the Bagpipes

As promised Miss Gustafson. :-)






The fabulous Tartan Terrors in Stump the Piper....you get a few bonus songs, but then....THUNDER!!

Bagpipes Rock!

A Real Life Dinner Party with the Duchess' Human

I now turn the blog over to my human for this (maybe not so) OOC post.

Having been so excited with the past weekend's revelries, I told not a few of you about our third annual holiday dinner party event. Many have asked about the menu and more details, so I am happy to present to you....

An Evening Somewhere in Pennsylvania

A Little History: This year our good friends and next door neighbors, the Plimptons, agreed that if they joined forces with us, the McColgans (names changed to protect the guilty) we could really throw quite the soirée for our friends. Normally, we have about 8-10 people over for a holiday dinner in our home. I generally do all the cooking, which I love to do; however, the four of us were fortunate enough this year to meet a wonderful chef, Pippa Calland, who just happens to occasionally cater such events. Thus the idea grew and the event came into being. Once we had secured a spot on Pippa's calendar, we began to collaborate on the menu with her...by which I mean, she told us her wonderful ideas and we said, "YES!" A wee bit nervously, I suggested that I might be able to assist her with the wine pairings. Initially I think she was a bit hesitant, but as we discussed the food and preparations, the particular types of wine or ales she felt might be appropriate as well as my thoughts, I think she became a bit more comfortable with my ability to manage this end of things. And so it was that I found some wonderful selections. Selections that I might add triumphantly now, which Pippa and her staff found to be incredible!! (Whew!)

The Setting: The adults were hosted next door at the Plimptons' lovely home.
The kids were cared for at our home. We hired two of our favorite baby sitters to manage the 11 kids that joined ours for a little party of their own. Fun foods, special crafts from the dollar bin at our local art supply store, and Christmas movies for viewing.

Pippa and her staff arrived at around 4:30pm to get the kitchen going. We took the beverages over sometime around 5pm and then ran a few last minutes errands to ensure that we had everything we needed.

The Menu:

Antipasti Table: Aged Manchego cheese, rosemary and sea salted almonds and quince, torte d'mascarpone stuffed medjool dates, arancine, sliced prosciutto di parma, Drunken goat cheese, mustard fruits, and breadsticks
Wine Accompaniment: Conti D'Arco Prosecco
Beer Accompaniment: Troeg's Scratch Beer Series #6, Lager

Course 1: Warm salad of roasted mushrooms, grilled endive, and truffled fonduta
Beverage Accompaniment: K-Brand Hard Cider

Course 2: Seared sashimi grade tuna with chickpeas, tangerine, harissa, and mint
Wine Accompaniment: LaFond Chardonnay SRH, 2004

Course 3: Ditalini Pasta with Manila clams, pancetta and broccoli rabe
Wine Accompaniment: Essenza Di Malvasia Salento Bianco, 2005

Course 4: Roasted loin of local pork with chestnuts, apples, and cider enriched gravy
Wine Accompaniment: Hugel Riesling, 2004
Beer Accompaniment: Troeg's Hopback

Course 5: Seared and sliced magret of moulard duck with duck confit and a warm slaw of toasted savoy cabbage and castelucchio lentils
Wine Accompaniment: Rasteau Cotes Du Rhone Villages, 2005
Beer Accompaniment: Troeg's Troegenater (Stout)

Course 6: Chocolate bread pudding with brioche, dried cherries, and pecans
Wine Accompaniment: Hardy's 1998 Vintage Port
Beer Accompaniment: Troeg's Mad Elf (brewed with honey and dried cherries)

The pictures:
(Names changed - save for our chef's)

The Hostesses: Ms. Plimpton (l), and Mrs. McColgan (me)

Our fabulous Chef, Pippa Calland poses briefly with Ms. Plimpton

The McColgans greet their guests

Me posing with a glowing Mrs. Sparky (she will have her first child at the end of next month), and Ms. Plimpton

Somewhere around midnight a call came out of the crowd for the Ren Faire corsets to come out of the closets. Of course, my dear husband was happy to help the cause and ran home to get mine whilst Mrs. Plimpton went upstairs to put hers on. (This is the danger of so much fine food and drink...and general joviality. Corsets may be demanded.)

This particular shot was taken sometime after a little more port and some dancing.
*sighs happily and giggles a little once again at life imitating art*

It was an incredible night. One I will not forget - ever.

Mrs. McColgan - signing off.

FOR: My Friends in the Caledon Scientific Communities

FROM: My Friends at Wondermark

Santa, Elves, Steampunks, and Nuns. OH MY!

Just playing a little catch up today after a whirlwind week and weekend in RL.
Where to start....

Steelhead seems as good a place to start as any.

"Is that a Claymore, Mother Bellambi?"
"Yes it is, my child. Not every implement of discipline need be filled with gun powder. I have always found the Claymore to be a very effective tool for the SWAT."

His Orthodox Jiggy-ness, Adso Krogstad

Mother Superior dances with Cardinal Somme

Also seen in Steelhead on another night....

STEAMPUNKS!

My Heavy Metal - Steampunk partner, Iason Hassanov, dips me quite gracefully during our dance.

Me verra own conga line.

And in Loch Avie, it seems that the penguins and I have made up....HRONK!

All innocence and beauty before the ice axe battles began.

And finally at Polymath Upstairs

Taking in the fencing action with Miss CronoCloud Creeggan and Miss Eugenia Burton.

After much discussion with Miss Burton, it was decided that perhaps something a little more festive and well - distracting - might be in order as we continued the fencing matches. Soon, Santa himself showed up.

Frosty seems pretty pleased with the holiday cheer.


Photo courtesy of Santa himself.

I did get to talk to Santa about my wish list for this season...a partial list may be found in Hibernia for those who may need shopping ideas. (kidding)

Happy Christmas!

Happy Anniversary Loch Avie

Although I was not able to attend the Official Celebration last night, the significance of the anniversary of the First Four Duchys has been on my mind. I am so happy that Loch Avie seems to be a special place for many in our community, as I hope it always will be. What a year it has been....and it is hard to believe that Loch Avie has been under my stewardship for 9 months now! Amazing!


Sláinte Caledon Loch Avie! Health and Happiness to all who love you!

Oh the holiday tags!

Here are my fun facts:

1) I have a Bacon Number of 4: My human (henceforth known as "I" or "me" in this post) sang with a rising opera star in a world premier operetta in 2003, who sang with Julie Andrews in NYC in 2005. Julie Andrews (I) was in Relative Values (2000) with Colin Firth Colin Firth was in Where the Truth Lies (2005) with Kevin Bacon

2) I adore manatees, and have swum with them in the Crystal River, which is in Central Florida.

3) I love to be the first person down a run on the ski slopes, hearing the quiet all around me as no other skiers are around, and making first tracks in the Snowcats' nicely groomed surface.

4) As a nurse at the House of God (if you get this reference, let me know), I frequently treated patients with leech therapy to improve blood flow to fingers that had been reattached after traumas (usually it was the trauma of being so stupid that building and playing with a pipe bomb seemed like a good idea).

5) I adore cooking and entertaining (shocker!), and one of my favorite dinner parties includes preparing 6 courses of food for my guests, asking them to each bring 2 bottles of their favorite wine (sometimes I specify a region sometimes I do not), and then on the fly I pair a wine with each course. These meals are generally followed by lengthy rounds of game play, or talking so as to allow the guests to be safe enough to drive home. :-)

6) I love roller coasters! I understand from my niece who works there that Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA now has a coaster, called the Griffon, that takes riders up 205 feet and sends them down at a 90 degree angle at 70 miles per hour. I am soooo there when spring comes!

7) I enjoy movies, but two of my all-time favorites are old ones: Gone With the Wind, and Casablanca. And what are the two eras of these films? Mid-19th Century, and the 1930s and 1940s. Perhaps this explains my interest in the Victorian era in both Europe and America, as well as my fascination with the 30s and 40s

8) And finally, not to be outdone, by the Kitten who tagged me (after Zealot did - God I hope I don't have to come up with 8 more bits of information), I have been taking a class at my work fitness center called Urban Striptease. One of the most effective courses I have ever taken if sore muscles are any indication. Awfully fun, though.

**now the rules**
The rules of tagging are simple, and as follows.
(1) Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
(2) People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
(3) At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
(4) Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog


Tag! You're It!
Baron Wulfenbach
Lady Christine McAllister
Iason Hassanov
Newbe Writer
Lady Kate Nicholas
Greystoke
Virrginia Tombola
Diamanda Gustafson

Days of Wine and Roses?

No! This was a Day of Whisky and Haggis
and of Cabers and Scotch Eggs, Hammers, Axes, Fried Mars Bars, Claymores, dancing, snowball battles, skiing, and laughter.

St Andrew's Day in Caledon.

First and foremost, I must express thanks to the following people for their contributions to the celebration:

Lord Edward Pearse, Earl of Primbroke, who so many months ago asked me if I would be interested in collaborating on the St. Andrew's Day festivities. And who created so many beautiful tartans for the enjoyment of others, organized much, created foods, notices and signs, and played wonderful Scottish and Celtic Music for the day and the Ceilidh.

Lady Kate Nicholas, Grafinya Inbir Abigh for her work on the St. Andrew's Icons, the Scottish Flags, the haggis, and a number of other things

Lady Christine McAllister, Countess of Primbroke for her assistance with creation of food items, and support.

Professor Alfonso Avalanche for his wonderful Caber Toss and Hammer Throw

Dame Lapin Paris and Phineas Matova for their great organization and good humor as they ran the Caber and Hammer Tossing Contests

Sir Telemachus Dean for his work to facilitate and participate in the Tournament of Ducal Champions - sponsored by the Loch Avie Academy of Arms.

Colonel Hotspur O'Toole for representing the Loch in the tournament.

The Winners of the competitions - as promised:

Caber Toss - Duke Regent of Kintyre, Erasmus Margulis
Hammer Toss (early)- Countess Sea Song, Autopilotpatty Poppy
Academy of Arms Tournament of Ducal Champions - Miss Alex Fitzsimmons
Hammer Toss (late) - Loch Avie's Own, Hotspur O'Toole
Snowball Fight (late) - a toss up really but - Miss Vi Paravane, TotalLunar Eclipse, Iason Hassanov, Baron Wulfenbach, and Hotspur O'Toole were all right in there with Professor Alfonso Avalanche and me.

George - My domesticated wild haggis

Address To A Haggis
by Robert Burns.

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut ye up wi' ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they strech an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethankit!' hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro' bluidy flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll make it whissle;
An' legs, an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thrissle.

Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o 'fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!

The crowd at the Caber Toss

Kintyre's Champion, Alex Fitzsimmons
Murdan's Champion, Diamanda Gustafson
The final bout

And now my collection of pictures from the wonderful day. I certainly did not capture all the fun and festivities. I covet any other pictures that may be out there. Please feel free to send them along to me as you see fit.