Memories of Scotland by Judith Ashley

Judith Ashley is the author of The Sacred Women's Circle series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual traditions that nurture the soul.

Taking my granddaughters with me on a trip to Scotland to attend The William Glasser International Conference in Edinburgh in 2008 was and remains one of my best decisions.

One of at least a dozen pictures of the misty Scottish hills 

While my ancestry is thoroughly English (Edward Rawson came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony from Gillingham, England on the next boat after the Mayflower), I've a bit of Irish and Danish mixed in too.

When it was announced that the next European Conference was going to be in Edinburgh, I grabbed the opportunity to not only take me to the United Kingdom but also expose my granddaughters to international travel in a venue with which they were familiar.

London's Heathrow airport was where we arrived. We spent several days London and the surrounding area seeing the sights but this post is about Scotland so...

We traveled by train to Edinburgh. Found our lodgings and jumped into the conference.

I'd made arrangements for a couple of tours: Castles, the Highlands and Loch Ness which we took after the conference.

Inverness Castle

Yep, Nessy made an appearance for us

During the conference, the kids (hate to call a 12 and 18 years old children) toured Edinburgh Castle, the old town, the world renowned Edinburgh Zoon and swam in the Olympic Pool, as well as other activities all under the supervision of adults. It's one of the best things about William Glasser Institute Conferences, there is something for the kids (7 - 18 or so) during the day.

Roslyn Chapel was being restored when we visited

A group of us, including Sister Elizabeth, a Catholic nun from Ireland, were talking about what to see and do on a half-day off from Conference activities. We all decided to visit Roslyn Chapel, less than an hour away.

You may remember Roslyn Chapel from Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code. 

I was enthralled. There was no way we could do everything we wanted. Every inch of the interior was carved with symbols, motifs and figures. Of course we saw the major draws like the Apprentice's Column but we did not have time to go down into the vault/catacombs.

Sister Elizabeth and I stood together in the center taking in the magnificence.

"Do you feel something?" she asked.

"Yes, I do." 

We remained for several minutes in the same place with a buzzing sensation flowing through us.

Judith outside Roslyn Chapel

What was interesting to me is that other's in our group and other tourists did not sense anything even though standing exactly where we stood. It is said that there is an old source of energy upon which Roslyn Chapel was built. That rings true because virtually all Catholic churches stand on areas that were considered sacred sources of power to the indigenous people or pagans who originally lived there.

If or, hopefully, when I return to Scotland, I'll plan on spending a day at Roslyn Chapel.

If you are a fan of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books you are most likely aware that the STARZ network is televising the series - 2016 is Season 2. And Outlander is set, in part, in Scotland and is all about the Jacobite Rebellion and Scotland's fight for independence from England.

Since April 18th Romancing The Genres has hosted Michele Monkou's reviews of Season Two of the Outlander STARZ series. There are two remaining episodes (July 4th and July 9th). To celebrate we are sponsoring the following Facebook Event: Hunting Outlander, an Outlander STARZ Scavenger Hunt and a "Who's Your Favorite Scottie Hottie" (with pictures) contest.

We'll be posting details here on Monday, July 4th including re-posting links to the Facebook Event page. The Scavenger Hunt will begin on Tuesday, July 5th and end on Wednesday, July 13th. Winners will be announced Friday, July 15th.

Judith Ashley

You can learn more about The Sacred Women’s Circle series on my website.

Check out my Windtree Press author page.

Follow me on Twitter: @JudithAshley19

I’m also on Facebook

© 2016 Judith Ashley

The Future of Doors

By Judith Ashley

I'm very aware that this month's topic for the Genre-istas is "Favorite Romantic Cliches", after all I'm one of the Blog Queens who came up with this idea.

The only thing that came to mind as I sat down to write this month's post was "It was a dark and stormy night" along with "Time stood still" and "He was tall, dark and handsome". Not much for a 200 - 300 word post.

Doorway at Roslyn Chapel, Scotland

What did pop into my mind more than once was the phrase "When one door closes, another opens." I know those words do not fit the topic: romantic cliches. I'm not sure those words even fit cliche-status. Area they trite? I'm not sure but I do hope they are true.

Why? Because the weekend of September 5 - 7 I'll be working as an After Hours Consultant which translates into I'm a resource for vulnerable adults in Multnomah County, Oregon should problem occur after normal business hours. And, this weekend is the next to the last one I'll be scheduled for. I retire from this work on October 31, 2014.

October 1, I start my nineteenth year in this position - one night a week, one weekend a month (sometimes more if one of the other team members is unavailable).

What do we do? Tonight I was paged because a neighbor was concerned about a disabled woman in the apartment complex where they live.

Last weekend, the four team members split the long weekend. I had the Friday from 4 p.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday shift. My replacement has been hired and he shadowed not only me but the other team members all weekend.

Friday night a police officer called in with concerns about a man he'd checked on who had a head injury who was refusing medical treatment. When we went to his house the next morning, we found him on the floor, blood caked all over his head, face and upper body. The house was filthy with no electricity or water. The gentleman had no phone and was unable to call for help. I had my phone and called 911 asking for help. The fire department and ambulance responded and he was taken to an emergency room to be evaluated.

A woman who is on dialysis due to renal failure called. She was out of food. That call came in near the end of my shift so the next team member got her some food - enough to last through the long weekend.

One of my favorite places in the world - Depoe Bay OR

I tried to find a woman who was reported to be confused, thinking people lived in an apartment above her (there is no apartment above her, only the roof). She wasn't home.

One of the day staff was worried about an older gentleman whose roommate, who also did some care-giving activities, was arrested. He was managing well because someone else stepped up and made sure he had groceries, etc.

Since I made the decision to close the door on this part of my working career, I've had so many experiences. A dirty home that made it to the top three of all the homes I've ever been in (and that number is well over a thousand); taking police out with me twice in one day due to the reported possible danger I'd be in if I went alone; an EMT in his 20's or maybe his early 30's lecturing me about patient rights (I did not say anything snarky although I know one eyebrow arched and my jaw tightened).

In the last two months,without After Hours interventions, at least three people could have died.

When this door closes, I do expect another door to open. I'm not sure what will be on the other side. I am not picturing fleas, filth, rotten food, cockroaches, sticky floors, squishy floors - well, you get the picture.

The Blog Queens Book Signing - Desert Dreams 2014

When the next door opens, I'd love to see quality time to write, large royalty checks and books signings.
Whenever I offer a workshop or training, people will sign up! I'll have time to spend with family and friends at the coast, in the mountains and at home. In this utopia, weeds will not grow in my yard nor will any plants die.

My belief that when one door closes another opens is soon to be tested.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences with one door closing and another opening. Please share!

For more about my books check out my website at
http://judithashleyromance.com   and my author page at
http://windtreepress.com

My Best Vacation Ever!

By Judith Ashley

Judith Ashley

Oh my goodness! Decisions, decisions, decisions!!

Lincoln Beach, Oregon Coast

Growing up my family spent one week along the Oregon Coast. We loved beach combing and I still have jars of beach agates from those early days that I’ve added to over the years. In my backyard I’ve three huckleberry bushes in memory of my deceased parents and younger brother and those family vacations that always were in August when the huckleberries were ripening. As an adult those day, weekend, or longer trips to the coast (Central Oregon Coast is my favorite area) provided the break I needed from a hectic life in the city. I didn’t always search for huckleberries but I did always beach comb. 

Stonehenge

Leeds Castle

In my thirties I added vacation days to business trips. My involvement with The William Glasser Institute and William Glasser International created opportunities for me to see parts of the United States I’d never been to. I also traveled to Montreal and Vancouver BC in Canada; Australia where I visited the Sydney Opera House and traveled to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef and spend time in the rain forest and butterfly gardens; Italy where a taxi driver pulled over on the way to the airport and demanded more money from me and threatened to leave me by the side of the road; Slovenia and Croatia in 1995 during the Balkan War and in 1997 when it had ended. On my second visit I had the most wonderful wine in the world – made from organic potatoes with no sulfites. I’d buy a case of it today if I could remember the little town in the Croatian mountains where it was made.

Glastonbury Tor

The View From The Tor

In 2009 I took my granddaughters with me to England and then up to Scotland for a William Glasser International conference. The trip was jam-packed. With not enough time to do and see everything, we had to pick and choose. We traveled to Dover and saw the White Cliffs; Canterbury Cathedral that was never bombed during all of WWII; Stonehenge, Glastonbury and Avebury in England. In Scotland we toured castles, Loch Ness, and Roslyn Chapel. My granddaughters walked High Street in Edinburgh and toured Edinburgh Castle. A branch of my mother’s side of the family (the Rawson’s) is located in Gillingham, England (south and west of London). Edward Rawson was on the second boat from England to the colonies. He became the first Secretary for the Massachusetts Bay Colony and my cousins and I are the eleventh generation since then.

But this post is about the Best Vacation Ever!

While these trips were wonderful and the memories evoke fond smiles, chuckles, and wistful sighs, the one that had the most impact was my 1994 trip to Ireland with my friend, Judith. Because of it, the setting for the second book in The Sacred Women’s Circle series Elizabeth is authentic.

I did stay in the Ashford Castle and have a Irish Coffee in the study/lounge bar; I did see the swans on the river from my hotel window; I did go to Sligo just to see what a town with that name looked like and I did go to the Galway Crystal Factory. With a heritage that includes Irish ancestors, I did think about The Famine and The Troubles while I was there. I fell in love with the banks of wild fuchsias along the road, the fifty shades of green land divided with hedge rows and rock walls. And stopping to talk to the sheep was a common experience — including the ones grouped around a phone booth.

The food, music, people (well, not Michael and Paddy) were drawn from my memories of the people I met.

Mist-shrouded hills in Scotland

Should time, health and finances aligned I’d return to the British Isles in a heartbeat. Why? More time in Glastonbury and Avebury. A trip to Wales to look for Merlin’s Cave. Returning to Edinburgh, I’d spend an entire afternoon at Roslyn Chapel and find a bed and breakfast with a view of the mist shrouded hills.

But most of all, I’d go back to Ireland and stay at the Ashford Castle, visit Galway (including the Galway Crystal Factory) and master the roundabouts. I’d spend a weekend in Clifton; tour the Connemara Marble Factory, spend more time at Kylemore Abbey, before heading south. During my stay in Limerick, I’d walk along the Shannon River and watch the swans. One afternoon I’d pack a picnic basket in the trunk, drive out along the road to that spot along the river between Limerick and the sea where the willow trees are mirrored in the water.

To learn more about The Sacred Women’s Circle series and Elizabeth, please stop by www.judithashleyromance.com

© 2014 by Judith Ashley