While most of you will be snoozing in your beds tomorrow morning, I will be boarding a 6am (!!!) flight to Boston. I love my husband, so I'm taking a cab to the airport. I'll be attending a graphic design conference and then G will join me on Wednesday. Thursday we celebrate 5 years of marriage. We wanted to go back to Scotland where we were married, but due to financial concerns, we are staying on this side of the pond. *sigh*

I was looking forward to escaping the heat, but what heat? It's gorgeous outside today! I don't want to stay indoors, doing laundry and packing... I do need to tend to my garden and plants though so some outdoor time is required. Maybe hit the Symphony book sale being held at my former place of employment, Delgado Community College. I was teaching full time until I started my design studio. I still taught a class a semester but they haven't needed me since Katrina. I miss teaching. I don't miss grades, grading and paperwork. I couldn't hang with the bureaucracy when I was full-time. Being an adjunct is nice - you show up, teach, leave. Working with the students is the best part (most of the time).

Gonzo woke me up at 6 this morning, crazy cat. We think the cool weather has turn her crazy dial up to 11. She's bouncing off the walls more than usual. Only good thing is it's only 9:18 and I've caught up on the blogs and even done a post. I'll be back next week y'all. I wonder what the Bahston equivalent to y'all is?

Who's going to the parades to night? Not me. I'm a fair weather parade-goer thank you. I have me a fresh bottle o' Highland Park, and will be heat up the haggis and neeps and tatties here soon. Or as a friend ours put it "sucking down ground up animal parts to show appreciation for a dead poet?" Whatever!

We will be having an abbreviated Burn's Dinner I'm sorry to say. No bagpipes and our haggis will be out of a can. I'm looking forward to all the toasting on such a cold, wet day.

Host's welcoming speech

The host says a few words welcoming everyone to the supper and perhaps stating the reason for it. The event is declared open.

Everyone is seated at the table(s) and grace is said, usually using the Selkirk Grace:

The Selkirk Grace

Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.

The supper then starts with the soup course. Normally a Scottish soup such as Scotch Broth, Potato Soup or Cock-a-Leekie is served.

Entrance of the haggis

Everyone stands as the main course is brought in. This is always a haggis on a large dish. It is brought in by the cook, generally while a piper plays bagpipes and leads the way to the host's table, where the haggis is laid down. S/he might play 'A man's a man for aw that'. The host, or perhaps a guest with a talent, then recites the Address To a Haggis.

His knife see rustic Labour dicht the speaker normally draws and cleans a knife, and at the line An' cut you up wi' ready slicht, plunges it into the haggis and cuts it open from end to end. When done properly this "ceremony" is a highlight of the evening.

Supper

At the end of the poem, a whisky toast will be proposed to the haggis. Then the company will sit and enjoy the meal. The main course is, of course, haggis, and is traditionally served with mashed potatoes (tatties) and mashed neeps (known in England as swede or in North America as rutabaga or turnip). A dessert course, cheese courses, coffee, etc. may also be part of the meal. The courses normally use traditional Scottish recipes. For instance dessert may be cranachan or Tipsy Laird (sherry trifle) followed by oatcakes and cheese, all washed down with liberal tots of the "water of life" (uisge beatha) – Scotch whisky.

When the meal reaches the coffee stage various speeches and toasts are given. In order the core speeches and toasts are as follows.

Loyal toast

Immortal memory

One of the guests gives a short speech, remembering some aspect of Burns' life or poetry. This may be light-hearted or intensely serious. The speaker should always prepare a speech with his audience in mind, since above all, the Burns' supper should be entertaining.

Everyone drinks a toast to Robert Burns.

Appreciation Toast

Toast to the lasses

Reply to the toast to the lasses

Other toasts and speeches

Works by Burns

Closing

Finally the host will wind things up, calling on one of the guests to give the vote of thanks, after which everyone is asked to stand, join hands, and sing Auld Lang Syne which brings the evening to an end.

OMG y'all it's COLD outside! It's 2:18 pm and it's 40 degrees! And that's not taking into account wind chill and humidity. People in Chicago and Milwaukee would say "that's not cold" and up there that's true. But we live in the sub-tropics. We were going to go watch Krewe du Vieux tonight, but I'm sorry, not in this weather. It's still wet from last night's non-stop rain. Though the weather goes perfectly with their theme of "Magical Misery Tour."

This is the kind of weather I expected when we got married in Scotland May 2003. But the weather was suprisingly nice and mild for our trip with almost no rain. Maybe it helped I was running a fever from the cold I caught from the guy sitting next to me on the trans-Altantic trip. Thanks dude. The pictures below from Whitbey were taken on that trip. So we have a soft spot for Scotland which is why I ordered my haggis today in anticipation of Burn's Night on January 25th. Burn's Night is to honor Robert Burns "Scotland's Bard and most famous son" who penned such memorable tomes such as Auld Lang Syne and My Love is like a Red Red Rose. Less well know on our side of the pond is Address to a Haggis. Mmmm a hot, steaming bowl of haggis and a wee dram would be quite nice right now. But I have to wait. I guess I better go drag the plants in for the night.