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Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Burns Night Supper

February 5, 2025 By D'Ann Mateer

So my husband and I did a thing we never in a million years thought we’d do.  We hosted a dinner party for twenty in our home.  And not just any dinner party, mind you. No, we had a full-on Burns Night Supper!  Do you know what a Burns Night Supper is? Well, let me enlighten you if you don’t!  Every year on January 25, Scots all over the world—and especially in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family, Friendship, History, House and home Tagged With: Burns supper, Robert Burns, Scotland

Monarch of the Glen

March 15, 2023 By D'Ann Mateer

Do you love Scotland? And BBC programs? Every since we returned from Scotland last summer we’ve been slowly making our way back through one of our favorite shows—Monarch of the Glen.  We had to go old school to get back to it—DVDs. We already owned five of the seven seasons, and I added one of the missing ones when I stumbled on it at a used book store. I’m still missing the final … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Movies & TV Tagged With: BBC shows, Monarch of the Glen, Scotland

Scotland Trip Recap: Week 2

July 20, 2022 By D'Ann Mateer

Our second week in Scotland was spent mainly in Edinburgh, in an adorable flat in a fabulous central location, right in the heart of Old Town. Of course that meant we had to walk up steep stairs to get to the places we wanted to go! (Between all the uphill walking and the old streets and sidewalks, I was so thankful that I choose to wear my hiking shoes every day! Much more stable for this old … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family, History Tagged With: Edinburgh, history, Scotland, travel

Scotland Trip Recap: Week 1

July 6, 2022 By D'Ann Mateer

We are home from Scotland! I know many of you were following along on Facebook or Instagram, but what I posted each day was just a snippet! Today I’ll run through the highlights of the first week. Two weeks from today I’ll tell you about our second week there. In between, I’ll be posting other tidbits and photos on my own website. Don’t want to miss a post? Then be sure you are subscribed to my … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family, History Tagged With: anniversary trip, Edinburgh, food, Isle of Skye, Scotland, Scottish Highlands

Off to Scotland!

June 15, 2022 By D'Ann Mateer

Tomorrow night we board a plane for London. Friday afternoon in Heathrow Airport, we catch a flight to Edinburgh.  We’ve long wanted to do a Scotland trip, but especially after learning several years ago that Jeff’s family did, indeed, come from Scotland many, many yeas ago. But we had kids to get through college and Jeff had a job where it was hard to take any time off, let alone enough … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family, History Tagged With: history, Scotland, travel

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