Scotland

We have been in Scotland just over two weeks now.  We are certainly going through a learning curve. Me more so than Marshall.  He can at least understand the people talking.  Me... I'm always having to say " excuse me?"  I feel like everyone is speaking a foreign language that I"m not privy to.  :)   We are in the process of finding a different flat.  The one we are in has a drug problem. The guy that lives under us is sharing his pot smoke and it makes us feel icky, and stinks.  The sister over flats came and checked out our foulness and told us to find a new place.  The flat we are in is old and not great but its a bummer we will have to move again. Sure is better than loosing what few brain cells we have left, so not going to complain. I will post pics later.  Got to record our first Scotland flat.
Sat before last we went to Linlithgow and saw an old palace. It is the birth place of Mary Queen of Scots.  It is just a ruin now but it is huge. On the same sight is a Church of Scotland church that is still in use. We toured it also. The Church of Scotland is a cross between catholic and Presbyterian. They do not have the statues and pics like the Catholic's.  The cathedral was also huge. The info in the cathedral said that the church has been there since the 1200's and that before it became the church of Scotland in the 1400's it was the  gaelic religion. Was an interesting tour except it was cold and windy and Marshall was still hobbling around a bit recovering from another gout attack that hit him right when we got here.
Marshall has had no problem driving. It's like its just second nature to him.  Driving here is interesting. We have only seen one little fender ding accident since we got here which is amazing to me the way the traffic is. We have decided its because you have to be super alert at all time driving here because of the way you have to weave in and out of parked cars to drive on any and all streets. Unless you actually witness it you can not believe it.  The cars park any place they want going in any direction and the only place you have to drive is down the middle of the road straddling the white line. When a car comes at you from the other direction which ever of you has a space to pull over that's who pulls over.  No texting and driving here, you would get creamed.
We miss our kids and grand kids like crazy.  More than a few tears have been shed while here but we are getting better.  We are lucky that we can face time them and visit, or i would be one unhappy Nana.
We are still trying to figure out how and what to do as YSA (Young Single Adult) missionaries.  We have met with the kids several times and are trying to get to know them.  The kids here are really good kids and seem to have strong testimonies.  The ward here in Edinburgh is very friendly and there are some really solid families.
I love learning the new words that are used here. I am going to start logging them in my journal.  The real spelling for Edinburgh is actually Edinbvrgh.  V instead of U.  It's the Gaelic spelling.  Just a few examples of words:  shopping cart= trolley, pull out on the freeway = lay by,  7:30 = 7 half,  detour = diverted traffic,  yield sign = give way,  freeway = motorway,  car dealership = auto supermarket,  apartment = flat.
Hopefully we will find a flat soon and then we will get internet and I will be able to blog each week.
Until next time, cherio da noo from Scotland.