A few years ago, I did the DNA thing that Ancestry.com offers. It came with a three month free trial, so I spent that time getting as much information as I could, going back as far as I could. My DNA results indicate that I have quite a bit of Scottish ancestry, so I dug into…
Some weekends are for errands. Some are for recovery. This one feels like a weekend for making things. I’ll be in the garden, watching baseball, and practicing bookbinding with simple materials. Nothing glamorous—just the satisfying work of learning by doing. I ordered cardstock that should arrive tomorrow, and I plan to try Coptic binding for…
When I first wrote about my commonplace book, it was mostly a place to gather notes and ideas. Since then, it has become something much more useful: part reference library, part creative workshop, and part record of what I’m learning now. Like most good tools, it changed as I changed. Commonplace books are often used…
Sometimes we begin with one interest and discover it was really a doorway. When I first created this site, I imagined it as a place to explore Highland culture, heritage, and plant-based recipes inspired by Scotland. That still matters to me. But over time, curiosity has a way of wandering. The deeper I looked into…
I don’t have any pictures to share yet, but I have been building a commonplace book for this endeavor. I have sections for gardening, recipes, and crafts. I have a separate one for learning Gaelic, so that is not included here. So far, I have a monthly task list for my garden (which I included…
I have dedicated a commonplace book to this topic, in order to have everything in one place. So far, it is divided into: gardening plans, 18th century history, and recipes. Here are some steps you can try: Tip #1 – Figure out what aspect of Highland culture you’d like to dig into Do you like…
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