Not Kenny Rogers!

Scots are known as some of the most careful canny buyers in the world so much so that people think it is part of our Scottish culture to be mean with money. We make fun of ourselves continually calling it meanness but those who have ever studied the annual reports of the UK Charities Commission will know that on a basis of money donated that Scotland gives more to Charity per head of population than any other part of the UK. Just don’t let anyone else find that out.

The Royal Bank of Scotland is the most prosperous banks in the UK although it is no longer owned by the Scottish royal family. I can tell you however that the British Queen does have an account with Coutts Bank which is a subsidiary of RBS. For that matter so does the King of Soccer David Beckham and his wife!

Many of the most influential investment groups have either their headquarters or a main office in Scotland Lets face it anyone who wants to attract financially capable staff needs to have an office in Scotland.

Was this the reason why the American President Jefferson sent two Scottish Americans to take responsibility for the what was probably the most important real estate deal that America ever got involved in. If it wasn’t the most expensive purchase of land in any single transaction it certainly had to be the largest in terms of acreage.

Robert Livingston could trace his family history back to Lord Livingston one of the guardians of Mary Queen of Scots born 1542 so his connection with Scotland and Scottish culture was well established. However Livingston was also a strong influence in early American politics even to being one of the five people who had drafted the American Declaration of Independence with Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.

Perhaps that is why the US Declaration of Independence bears so much resemblance to Robert Bruce draft Declaration of Arbroath claiming independence from our unwelcome rulers England now very much part of the Scottish culture. Although Livingston was not one of the original people to publicly sign that Declaration of Independence due to other business commitments back in New York he was the person who administrated the oath of allegiance to the new president so he was definitely a Scottish American with a strong Scottish culture with a foot in both camps.

Together with fellow Scottish American James Munro he was sent by Jefferson to purchase 828,000 square miles of land from France. This included what are now the states of Louisiana, Iowa, Arkansas, Nebraska and most of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, the Dakotas, Wyoming, Minnesota and Montana.

At a price equivalent to only 3 cents an acre or $15 million in total these two Scottish American using their Scottish culture background were able to double the size of America with one stroke of the pen.

These Scottish Americans partly because of their Scottish culture knew the value of land and were willing to invest in it.We have established a special website specially for Scottish Americans and others interested in their Scottish cultural connection on ScottishJerk.com If you thought these Scots buying so much land from the French was a bargain check out our Scottish land deal with this unique gift idea but very limited offer.

Though the kimono was originally from China, they are nowadays more commonly associated with Japan, and the most beautiful examples were a product of 17th and 18th century Japanese design.

The combinations of color and cloth traditionally indicated the wearer’s political and social status and the kimono’s color changed with the season. The kimono is no longer a purely traditional garment.

Traditionally, all Japanese girls had to learn to make their own clothes and sew. But sewing was simpler than in the west. The haori, kimono and girdle, and even the long-hanging sleeves, used only parallel stitches. The garments were, in fact, taken apart for cleaning, and each piece, after being mildly starched, was stretched on a board for drying, before being sewn back together.

There are many types of silk kimono: the long-sleeved, beautiful kinds worn by geisha or young girls, the formal kimono stamped with the wearer’s family crest and worn on formal occasions; kimono for men and children’s kimonos. A young woman would wear a kimono with long sleeves and an Obi, a wide brocade or silk band about twelve feet long and twelve inches wide. As the girl grows older, the kimonos become smaller and the colors deeper and richer while the obi is made narrower and worn deeper. Also, haori, a short knee-length kimono, is often worn. In modern times, a kimono is typically only worn on special occasions and is mostly worn by women, but certain men do still wear this garment. Both kimono and haori can be hung on a hard wood hanging bar as wall art.

As an ideal gift or indulgent treat, kimono clothing is extremely versatile, a welcome addition to any wardrobe.

Perhaps the most popular color for a kimono is red, derived from safflower. The yukata is related to the kimono, only it is made of light weight cotton and is less formal.

For many years now after the manufacturing boom in countries like China, the preference for parents in buying toys has been plastic. But times are now different. Today there seems to be a toy recall almost every other day because of likely lead or chocking hazards. Today the shift has been towards locally produced wood toys.

In days past, wood toys were the only choice, although after time they seem to go out of fashion because they were big and bulky. Today wood or often referred to as natural toys are stylishly designed and include many product lines for different ages.  From play sets to developmental building blocks to rocking horses these toys are manufactured with not only baby and toddler in mind but parent’s peace of mind. Natural wood toys are meticulously tested to be safe for children. Natural toys have no artificial chemicals or dyes. An added benefit is they are very durable. They are also very easy to care for and maintain with less risk of being contaminated with bacteria or viruses.

Many of these companies are labeled as producing organic toys, being socially and environmentally responsible. Many of these toys are hand made; making sure attention to detail is kept. And without mass producing these toys the highest standards are kept.

Wood toys are created for children of any age. The problem parents find, is that baby or teething toddlers often put them in their mouth or may even bite them. Unfortunately this is a phase with most children.

If you live in the state of Washington, you know what a beautiful place it is. The green, green state, the Emerald city, the majesty of Mt. Rainier are all symbolic of the beauty that shines on Western Washington residents.

Western Washington, particularly the Puget Sound area (Seattle specifically) also has a great reputation regarding music. Nirvana, Pearl Jam and other bands helped Seattle emerge in the Grunge Capital of the world.

So, music has always been an important part of the beauty and fulfillment of living in Western Washington.

This brings us to some items which are very important, should you want to think about contributing to the Seattle/Western Washington history of music.

One is about music lessons. The most important, universal and useful instrument is the piano. With a piano you can play great, timeless classical pieces, Billy Joel or Elton John piano vocal songs or your own compositions.

A piano (and the ability to play it) is really all you need.

“So, how do I learn to play?” you might ask. Well, if you’re anywhere in South King County or specifically in Auburn, you’re probably looking for an Auburn (WA) piano teacher. If so, you’ll want to call Marigaie Slettedahl at Marigaie’s Piano Studio in Auburn at 206-735-9011.

With her Masters degree in Piano Pedagogy (teaching piano), she is a very experienced, professional and, in particular, fun piano teacher.

If you have a piano, you also need to have it be in tune. Playing a piano that is out of tune is a lot like running a race with one shoe.

So, if you’re located anywhere in South King County and are looking for, say, a Renton piano tuner, you’ll want to call Steve Huie at 206-419-8647.

Steve has been tuning for a number of years and is excellent and professional.

Call Steve for your tuning needs or Marigaie for your piano lesson needs and you’ll be the better for it.

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