Now that we're at the end of January, it's a good time to reflect on how those New Year's Resolutions are coming along! We were featured in the January/February issue of Doll Castle News and they chose to feature our Scotsman. It got me looking into Scottish sayings and I found this to be appropriate for the new year. Have you made any resolutions to improve your health? Perhaps more time for crafting?? I put on some Celtic music to write this post and I'm sure there are some bagpipes in the background! It really is fun to explore cultures through crafts, language and music. If you would like to make your own Scotsman, you will find the pattern in this edition of Doll Castle News and in our pattern book, It's a Small World.

With Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I'm sharing the story of Jane Barnes and Donald McTavish. They sailed to Ft. George (now Astoria, Oregon) from Britain in 1814. Jane was described as a "lively, flaxen-haired, blue-eyed beauty that required a goodly supply of silks, plumes, bottled porter and excellent cheese." Being the first white woman to visit the area, she apparently caused such disruption in Ft. George that they moored their ship across the river at Knappton Cove where Donald could make trips across the mighty river to visit her--away from the bustle of the town. The mouth of the Columbia River can be very dangerous, and tragically, one dark and stormy night, Donald's boat capsized on one of these excursions. Of the 8 men aboard, all but one drowned. Donald McTavish's headstone is now on display at the Clatsop County Historical Museum. Jane and Donald are memorialized in a clothespin diorama at Knappton Cove Heritage Center, which is also home to our Clothespin Museum.

Slàinte Mhath!