AbbyShot Blog

For me, this is a bit of an understatement, as I have found myself getting way off the main trunk of my family tree and involved with following so many teeny, tiny “branches.” It is very time consuming, but also so much fun! The one piece of advice that always holds true while searching for your ancestors is to start with yourself, then work back through your “proven” relationships. If someone in your family told you that you are of Scottish descent, or are related to Bonnie Prince Charlie or even William Wallace, you must start with yourself and work your way back to prove the connection. Or, in my case, while hiking the West Highland Way in my youth, I phoned home and my great-grandmother told me “did you know that your 3rd great-grandmother was born in Scotland?” That was news to me, but years later as my affinity for Scotland grew, I researched my GGG-grandmother and her family, along with many other ancestors with diverse origins and very interesting stories.

In Outlander, season 1, episode 1 “Sassenach”, we see an apparition of a Highlander who is looking intently at Claire through the window of Mrs. Baird’s Bed & Breakfast in Inverness while she is brushing her hair.

Frank comes upon the scene and notices the Highlander watching Claire. As Frank approaches the Highlander to ask if he can help him with something, the Highlander brushes past him and vanishes into thin air. We later surmise that this was an apparition of Jamie who was staring at Claire, but how, or why, did he come to be there?

As the weather turns colder and becomes “dreich”, and our thoughts turn to the much anticipated end of Droughtlander in November, we may see some rain showers headed our way. 

How nice it would be to have a beautiful umbrella, or “brolly” to shelter you, much like Jamie’s love continues to shelter Claire from the storms that surround them. An item that is distinctive, as well as beautiful, that will prevent you from becoming “drookit”, or completely drenched, when the weather is mimicking a “smirr” in the Scottish Highlands.

Our sense of belonging, to place, to time, to our clan or social group, to our country, our religion, or our culture is intensely personal but can often be deeply influenced by the relationships we form with others. Like every other creature on this wonderful planet we feel the need to connect, but beyond the purely biological imperative, we need attachments – our sense of belonging – to better understand ourselves, our history, and our place in the world. The ties that bind us to each other are invisible and powerful. They weave together to form the fabric of our...

Ah, a Caribbean cruise. Just thinking about it makes me feel all relaxed and happy. Days spent lounging by the pool or relaxing on your private balcony, tropical drink in hand. Evenings spent at the onboard shows, or in the various lounges and clubs. Wandering to the casino to spend a little time (and money), hoping for lady luck to grace you with her presence. Imagine taking that very same voyage over 200 years ago. It might give you some different feelings; huh?