State of Mind

Love it when this raison d'etre takes hold of my state of mind.

It just happens, so, I go with it.

I'm in a Hardanger state of mind.

Say whaaa?

The photo above is what my current obsession is going to closely resemble when finished.

A beautiful person is the designer, Emie Bishop. Having met her once, much to my awed, speechless delight, she made quite an impression upon me.

Hardanger is a very precise, beautiful, ancient form of needlework. 

As a perfectionist, such as myself, it is mostly a dream which can develop into a nightmare if I screw it up.  😎


There are speculations as to the origin of this form of hand sewing. The place where it really caught fire was Hardanger, Norway. When Norwegian people emigrated to various parts of the world, they brought this lovely art with them.

Hardanger became very very popular in the USA among those who were brave!
It looks intimidating, unbelievably difficult. That was my attitude about it the first time I saw it. Yep, I was intimidated.

First of all, although many people stitch on the fabric designed for it, a 22 count (that's 22 squares to the inch), the most beautiful designs are stitched on 32 count fabric.

I go for the best, the most beautiful, the most challenging.

32 Belfast linen, it is!

Living in Germany at the time, seeing the fine Hardanger curtains in the front windows of the homes of the German people in the small village of Rodenbach, where I called home for a short time, I was entranced!

While living there, I had a pen pal, Lee O'neil, who loved to stitch on linen, loved to use the beautiful art of Hardanger. She answered questions, she inspired me, I decided to try it.
As my military spouse was gone for awhile, my 4 kiddos had chicken pox, DAM! I needed a distraction!

For two weeks, between cleaning up puke, changing diapers, running baking soda baths, I sat on my bed in my bedroom  to teach myself to ply the linen.
Having self taught myself other forms of needlework, this.....this...this was the mother of all!

This was my first Hardanger project.

Baby! It's called hard-anger for a reason! Just a joke. Sort of. 

Through many tries at stitching, rip it out, cuss, groan, start again.
Repeat X 20

Finally, it clicked in my over-worked brain.

The Hardanger patterns which had intimidated me prior to this, when I saw the beautiful patterns at German magazine stands, hanging in the windows, made sense to me, finally!
So amazed at figuring this out in self teaching mode.
YEAH!
I was so good, I amazed myself!

Sometimes this pattern is all ya get. As if the designers trust that ya know what you're doing! Hah!
This ~

Hardanger requires perfection or it just looks wonky. There are only a few basic stitches, repeated over & over. Sometimes there are a few different "filler stitches" Rut roh!

Most Hardanger is designed to be a stand alone finished piece. The button hole stitch is worked as a surrounding stitch so that when it's finished, the button hole edge will keep the outer edge bound to prevent fraying. Kloster blocks, usually only 5 bars, are the second row inside the button hole stitch to insure that the edges don't fray or come undone. The button hole stitch has to be 100% perfect, as it goes around the edge, on the perimeter, has to line up & come full circle (or whatever shape) to match up perfectly with the place where the originating button hole was started.

Have I fried your brain, hmm?

Welcome to my world!

Since that time, hardanger is still not easy, yet, my confidence level that it will turn out perfectly is way up there!
Having learned tips & methods to reduce the likelihood of mistakes, it's more enjoyable, now.

I have made a few table mats, many Christmas ornaments. I rarely give it as a gift. 
Only twice! 

The angel pattern I'm working on was published in 1995.

Yeahhhhh!

It took me that long to build my skills, have the confidence to be able to accomplish this fete de accompli.

Even such a small project takes a lot of time, patience, so very elegant when it's finished.

I'm in a Hardanger state of mind!

Travel

In the past 2 weeks I have traveled all over Germany
Then all over the shores of Aussie land in Perth
Hawaii, Belgium, my home town in Michigan
Loving the travel experience of using Google earth

The jungles of Thailand the frozen tundra of Alaska
White cliffs of Dover, bright green of Highland hills
Grandfathers homeland of Pennsylvania
Catching the spirit of personal genealogical thrills

Climbing Pikes Peak just for tangential views
Went back to Colorado Springs not in person so glad
Most of this chiks experience there
Were some of the worst I have ever had

Exploring Mexico whilst viewing the beaches and such
Traveling in complete safety the whole time
Brought me back in one piece, peace of mind
To be able to deliver this soliloquy in rhyme

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Shhh! It's such a big secret that I love to travel, that I have traveled all over the world. At least, the places I cared to go. In person, in real, speaking the languages of the places I lived.

Although it's a struggle, am still learning how to pack lighter than I do, I still love to travel.

Still, m'loves, travel experiences are a mind treasure for moi.

Just some of my traveling experiences ~

My kiddos often tease me by calling me ~ Madame WOW! ~ from an experience I had with a French shop keeper in Paris, France.

The Cristkindlmarket in Nurnberg, Germany und der kinder Gluhwein um Weinachts.

Seeing the beautiful historic windmills of Holland in real life.

Driving through Einseidlerhof, Mackenbach, into Rodenbach at Christmas time, seeing the candles in  the windows. Many American military people will bring Cuckoo Clocks, shrunks, wooden carousels operated by candle heat. These items are mostly manufactured to sell to people who visit Germany.
I chose to bring back electric candles as a souvenir of the time that I lived in the historic place called Deutschland by native Germans.

I also brought back beautiful Austrian crystal as well as crystal for my darling kiddos to have from their time in Germany. 
A few candle holders for myself, 3 for my daughters, snowflakes for my son. These have more than triples in value since then.

Beautiful, pristine, unspoiled beaches in the Republic of Panama', Central America. The living was mostly easy, mostly happy except for the news of the death of my mother (thank you, dear Cheryl for getting the Red Cross message to me). Also the death of my beloved mother in law. Although her son treated me badly, I love her. People called her Angeling, she truly was an angelic person. It was a very sad day when we traveled from Tocumen Airport to Honolulu, International for her funeral.
I loved her then, I love her still. Always have, always will.

The day my darling Victoria (youngest daughter) and me went to bring our Doberman puppy, home, with us was so happy.
He was such a great dog!

Experiencing the Las Vegas strip. I bought my first backless dress, ever! Wearing it to the Chippendale's Show was such naughty fun!

Going to Hawai'i with my dear friend, Anita. Seeing her joy at seeing Hawai'i for the first time. Our trip created many fond memories!

More recently, zip-lining the Provo valley! Yeah, baby!

It would be easy to make this a 10 page blog entry or, alternatively, a few continuations.

Travel has been a very enriching thing. 

If you win a million dollar lottery, choose travel  over "stuff".

Save half, then, travel the world!!!

Everything, Everything? No.

It's everywhere.

It's in everything.

It's unavoidable.

What is it?

Sex?

Cell phone addiction?

Alcohol?

Caffeine?

Nicotine?

Meth amphetamine?

Morphine? 

een - een - een

Maybe, however, this is something more pervasive, more addictive than porn, caffeine, more widely accepted.

Songs about it, completely legal.

Babies get started on it as young as 1 hour old. Human breast milk is 6.8% lactose (that's sugar) if the mother is in the habit of eating like 80% of the world population. Cows milk is 3.4% lactose. That's a huge difference.

Yup. 

Sugar! 

Many magazine articles are written, documentaries, scientific studies, medications to counteract, body shaming all about the obesity epidemic. It's worldwide.

There's a simple solution. Simple in theory, a tad tricky to implement.

Quit eating too much sugar.

Easy to type, easy to say.

I've done it.

I know people who have done it.

My dear friend, Anita is fighting the good fight as I type this!

Wean yourself from the sugar titty.  😇

Recently, while on a road trip, the dear friend I was with has stayed away from excessive sugar for 12 years. She has done it! In my personal quest for greater health, Nancy is my hero!
She is the best possible person to have taken a road trip with for, guess who?
This chick!!!!!!!!
She had her arsenal of fresh chopped veggies, fresh fruit for our road trip. It was so wonderful to be 99% relieved of temptation to answer the call of the sugar demon!

We covered over 1,000 miles, merrily driving along while munching on strawberries, raspberries, celery, carrots, nuts & seeds.


By the time we arrived at our destination, I felt better. What Nancy didn't know was that I had smuggled some contraband along, you know, just in case. Harmless little mini snickers bites & junior mints!
The good news? 
I never even touched them. Yea, was far away from them as they melted into a goopy mess in the trunk of my car. It rendered the poison even less attractive as I tossed them into the trash when I arrived back home after our trip.   

Whereas sugar used to be such a bad habit, it is now, just a memory of my days as an addict.

When I get a craving for *something*, I used to go for ice cream, a candy bar, a sugary soda (16 grams of sugar in 1 coke!).

Present day?

Keeping a decent supply of boiled eggs in the fridge, I turn there.
Frozen walnuts, pecans, etc.
Cooked chicken breast
Sweet potatoes (sweet, still legal!)

When I get a craving, I know my body really wants protein. Feed the body, quash the craving, win the good fight!
Take that! sugar!

I did it, people around me are doing it, you can do it.

Some more tips ~

The less excess sugar you eat, the less you will want it.   
The uber soft beef in restaurants is softened by a sugar solution.
Guess what sugar is doing to your insides? Mm Hmm.

Here's one more source for inspiration, you're welcome. 😙

FREEDOM!!!
'MERICA!!!!!!

(click the blue link, below)


https://youtu.be/olEMIohTgzQ 

Tribute

                                                                                                       

When living in the German village of Rodenbach, I met a wondrous neighbor. Frau Ann Marie.

This is Amselstrasse, where my children rode their bicycles.

The bakery where I bought pastries for my kiddos. Der Backerei Michael Schmitt, Rodenbach,  Rheinland -Pfalz, Rodenbach, Deutscheland. Schmeck gutt!

 In our first "over the fence" conversation, yes, I spoke & still am fluent in the German language, she, unexpectedly, poured her life out to me.

In personal experience, the German people seemed pleasantly stoic for the most part. I enjoyed their reserved attitude.
She told me that she was originally from Stuttgart, the man she met at 16 was from Rodenbach, the current village where she lived.
She told me, with tears in her beautiful blue eyes, 
"Meine mann ist tod im Kaiserslautern bis zex monat."

This was a very personal disclosure for her.

Please forgive my less than perfect interpretation.

She was telling me that her husband had passed on six months earlier. What was learned during living in Germany is that German people are generally, much less than disclosing about such personal information. She was a lovely woman. Our daily "over the fence conversations", mostly in the German language, were very  
enlightening.

I was honing, putting to a test, of sorts, my fluency in the German language. Learning about the country that was to be home for however long or short that would be.

Ann Marie was instrumental in that. 

She would ask me if my children could visit. She baked cookies for them. She was a kind woman. My children were more fortunate than Hansel und  Gretel!
It made her loneliness ease. She had them watching Sezame Strasse.
Frau Ann Marie was delighted when the kiddos laughed at Grosse Vogel ~ Big Bird! Some things simply translate well across languages as well as cultures!
Those times became fond memories.

Living in our stairwell apartment, I took my kiddos on walks through the village, stopping at the local Italian Eis shop fur ein kugel auf der chokolatten und erdbeer fur mein kinder. 
It was so much fun. Such precious adventures.

When we were offered a bit of financial gain by moving into military housing, I made a gift of a small cross stitched American flag on a trinket box for Frau Ann Marie.
She hugged me, tears slipping down her cheeks, when I told he we were moving.

I have looked at the area that was home "for a time" with Google Earth.
It still looks mostly the same. Frau Ann Marie is still there by her fence in my heart. She is smiling, inviting me for some neighborly conversation at the fence.

In my dreams, in my heart and mind, sometimes I go back.

                                                      Tschuss!

LG

Many people may be familiar with the brand, LG. 
Do they know what the letters, "LG" represent?

They stand for, as far as researching it goes,  ~ Life's Good!

You're welcome. :)

In present day, I can honestly say my life is good!

The love of friends & family, time to go where I wish, when I wish, for as long as I wish without concern over how it will affect the affections, toward me, of other people. 

Yeah

Life is good.

The freedom I have is cherished. Having been denied this freedom for long periods of time in my life, it has hit home to really appreciate it when I have it. 

Recently, tonight, in fact, I connected with someone I had not had contact with for a long time. He was isolated, lonely, happened across my FB page, wanted to connect with someone!
It was nice.

Connecting with him took me back in time to a situation when I was in a very different place, spiritually, emotionally. A positive place, while the feeling In my life, now, is more positive.
It made me so very grateful for where I am, now.
It was magical, left me with residual happiness.

Every night, as I'm laying inn bed.....whoops.... sometimes it's early morning.....I begin my gratitude recall.
What is this?
Beginning by recalling every positive event beginning with waking the prior morning.
Recall, express gratitude, saying a heartfelt thank you for each.

It's a beautiful practice!

Life's Good!

Personal Experience

When I grow to love someone
It's with a whole opened heart
It bears equivocal pain 
When the one has to depart 
The sensation is akin 
To ripping skin from skin
After all it is that I dwell within
Time surely dulls the ache
However the hurt remains
Reminders flash back daily 
The echoes of bygone pains
Moving on is so tedious
A high mountain to climb
Just as paining as arduous
With the ever moving time 
Still moving on is a must
With each experience
It continues to erode my trust
In present day life is good 
A clear conscience is a friend
These are my experiences 
That is all yet not the end

When Someone is Suffering

There is so much suffering in  the world.

Do you agree?

It's okay, if you don't.

Maybe, there has always been the same amount of suffering. Possibly, people have been made more aware of the amount of discomfort of others with the rise of media, of technology.

We are all connected while some of us are, emotionally, further from each other. The demon seed of technology. 

Some people suffer as a consequence of their actions, whether it's ignorance or lacking self control. Some people suffer as an effect of the actions of a selfish person who holds that person's well being in their scope of control, then, choosing to let the other person suffer.
Naughty
Naughty 

Having other people tell me that I seem like a "super-empathic", it might be true. I do own & wear a cape from time to time. :)

Something that has become crystal is that it's difficult for me to see someones suffering which is beyond their control, which is not of their making.

Feeling the pain, knowing of their suffering, I feel the need to 
DO SOMETHING. 

While other people make declarations of "sending prayers" online, oft on social media.
I see that, I think ~ PFFFFFFT!
The thoughts that come to mind are
OMG! Look at her butt!
oops
jp

The thoughts that come to mind are ~
How t-- h--- do you think things get done?
Better to be real, take real action by giving real help.
This is a real person with real suffering, better to do SOMETHING.
Something more than a few weak words on social media if you can.

The tangential pseudo connection of social media, texting, email, is akin to being extremely hungry & given a piece of gum to chew in place of a nutritious meal to satisfy hunger.
It only serves to increase the hunger.

When I am suffering, I tend to stay at home. Going out into the world, I can feel the suffering around me when it's present. As a caring person, when I see or feel suffering, the compulsion to help, to do SOMETHING, is strong.
This is different from being an easy mark, a sucker to be taken advantage of.
Discernment is oh, so important.

My own suffering?
Soothing this with creative pursuits, beautiful music, poetry, artwork.......🙂

Blogging is the only creative pursuit which is disconnected from suffering. 
It just is.

In a rather cliche, simplistic way, it seems that everything is either love or a cry for love.
I like it simple.

Random, anonymous acts of kindness are one of my favorite ways to give back to the world. There are many people who do this, it's a reasonable certainty.

If you like the idea of RAAK, to make the world a better place, go for it! Feel the serotonin uptake, witness the magic!

Peace

Queen Anne Boelyn, Princess Diana & Nicole Simpson

Everyone knows that Orelius J Simpson murdered his ex wife.

King Henry the 8th had Queen Anne Boelyn beheaded due to his desire for a male heir plus he had a wounded ego. It's part of recorded history.

In ancient times, a person who caused embarrassment to the royal family of England, would be imprisoned in the tower of London, awaiting a death, usually by beheading. In modern times, it simply put, could not be done without severe international & public uprising.
Instead of a public or private beheading, it was arranged for Princess Diana to die in an oh, so, convenient to Prince Charles, car crash. I would call it an "accident" except........
It was an on purpose.
Diana, herself, knew it was going to be arranged at some point.

Do you want proof?
In her own personal handwriting, she foresaw her fate.

So very sad that Diana, one of the most beloved women in the modern world would be the victim of a murder for one of the most ancient of reasons. It caused convenience for a family in power. So sad.

Something to seriously ponder.

When what you think you know...

Have you ever looked at merchandise in a floral shop? The scent of greenery is in the air. Flowers & fresh leafy plants are every where!

Then, you see a beautiful flower, convinced it is real, you touch it. It looks real, it seems real. Until you find that it's fake.

This may deliver a slight sense of disappointment.

It's simply skilled craftsmanship which makes polyester, cotton fibers, rubber, paint, dyes, airbrushing seem real.
Being fooled in any theater is a self disappointing experience. 

Stay with me, lol. 

This sort of "tomfoolery" also goes on in the world on a myriad of stages. Specifically, the single world of what used to be called "dating".
Some dating still goes on, however, most of it is the lazy persons' version.
The dreaded "hanging out". 
The even more dreaded, "hooking up."
UGH
The guy with self respect, courtesy for others, a sense of honor will, actually make the effort to court, to date, to honor the lady he chooses.
Yes, in a healthy situation, the guy chooses.
The sperm chases the egg. You can argue with eternal biology.
You can. The truth speaks the facts.
Oh, the girl can try to court the guy. The guy may like her, he will have sexual interaction with her if she allows it, yet, there will be a violation of natural laws.
The brutal truth is that she will be perceived as a desperado, whether by the guy or other onlookers.

There are many guys out there in the world ........
(As told by the straight girl that I am)
these guys may be married or otherwise attached in a committed relationship. He is out there acting like he is single & free to court & date the girl, often girls, of his choosing.
Sometimes he truly is single with no girl or wife, yet, he is like a little bumblebee, flitting from girl to girl, having a great time!
These guys aka "Players" are a scourge on society.
These are the reason that child support laws came to be. Many fatherless children who have the financial support, little else.
These bumblebee guys have caused the Feminist movement.

According to them?
They are just having "fun" aka "sex".
Sowing wild oats.
Gaining experience.
Playing the field.

All at the expense of the fatherless children, broken hearted girls, sometimes spreading STD's.

In days long ago, a guy who played with the heart of a girl, leading her on. Leading her to believe he cared about her with honorable intent, then, one day, vanished or was seen courting another girl at the same time?

Her male kin would locate him, have a serious talk with him. Depending upon the outcome, it could result in a serious ass whooping! In present day, September 2018, that's illegal. 
Too bad.

Equally?
The girl who wished to be the equivalent ~ "the honeybee" would be shunned by many people in society when her antics became known. She could flit around with whomever she wished, disregarding the gents marital status.
She had more to lose than did the bumblebee. There was the shunning, ruined prospects for marriage, pregnancy, even violent jealous lovers. She was often rejected by family & society.

Are you still with me?

Much of the ills of the past were effective, yet, I admit, not 100% effective.

In my personal experience, the dating world is akin to a parlour of fools. Male and Female.
Girls who are so desperate to be loved, they accept almost anyone. He will tire of her quickly, treat her badly. She is often left to raise a child whose sperm donor has moved on long before the precious child has been born. She may also be left with a broken heart, a lack of trust in males or even the dreaded "souvenir" of the relationship.

Girls are drawn to what they hear, guys are drawn to who they see.
Guys lie to get gain, girls wear makeup & get cosmetic surgery.
To a lesser degree, guys may also be drawn to other aspects as well as girls being drawn to other masculine tributes.

As I re-entered the dating world after a long term relationship ended (I chose to end it when the abuse became too much to live with) I was horrified by the changes I saw.
Everyone...everyone was so fake. People would use other people for whatever they wanted & as much as they could get. Truthful people who genuinely acted as decent humans, aka friends, were very rare.

Sad
Terrifying
Disheartening
Disappointing

Remember the artificial flower in the floral shop?
Same concept.
Plastic fruit.
Nipples on men.
Holographic humans.

Slowly, with every disappointment, I realized that the person I was, with good intent, was a complete opposite of the people out there who were single or pretending to be single. Users, con artists, don't even get me started on the married people trolling online dating sites as well as online chat rooms, looking for sex. Then there were the "Boomerangs". That's a whole topic for a different blog entry.
UGH!

What I thought I knew was that all people are basically good.

The truth was, it's a murky water, it's a difficult process to discern who is safe & who is unsafe for physical safety. Even more than this, who is safe to trust with your heart, your spiritual well being.

I found that what I thought I knew for sure, it had changed in so many ways. 
Misplacing my trust, I began to doubt my own judgment.

Now? In present day? Having learned to enjoy my own company, being thrilled by travel, service to others, fitness pursuits!

Life is good!

Be Careful What You Long For

Yes

Be careful, infused with care.

People who know me, who have known me for a decent amount of time (10 years or more) have heard my desire to live in a small town, heard me sing the praises of life in a small town.

In my defense ~ I was a child when I lived in small town USA!

After leaving my parents home at age 18, I had only experienced small town life ~ ever. It felt suffocating that almost everyone knew me or knew members of my family. It also felt like a soft, secure cocoon. It was safe. I loved feeling reasonably safe.

The freedom of getting out on my own was a real head rush! Bruh! I was waaaayyy out on my own. First, from Michigan to Texas to California then Hawai'i! Definitely different.

I was cooking with fire.

The best part of fire is that you can stay warm, you can cook with it. 
The dangerous part of fire is that you can burn your house down, you can suffer injury from it.

I have done all four.

Having lived in this small town since 2012, I realize that along with the safety, the peacefulness, there is an undercurrent of small mindedness, gossip. Limited opportunities. 

Glass walls. Glass ceilings.

People on the outside can't see this, it isn't part of their experience.

If you didn't go to High School here, if you are single, if you don't have any children living with you, if you don't have family, you won't have many friends, either. If you have a low income, you can forget it right there, that aspect, alone will negate you in this town.

You will be a nobody to most people in this town.

People are surface friendly, however, most will not go out to lunch with you & most will not invite you to their home.
I'm looked at as an oddity, looked at with suspicion.
The local police were doing a traffic stop on me 3 - 5 times per week for the first 4 years after moving to this town.

For these reasons + more, I know I will leave this beautiful small town at some point. Having lived in a small town, I realize, that, although the deeply painful experiences in Colorado Springs, CO soured the experiences of  a bigger area, the trade off is often better.

The home I am living in is beautiful. My landlords are great!

There is something out there that will be a beautiful balance of both.

Gifted Tongue

 If you're reading for your fix, you might be disappointed. 
Stay with me.
Keeping it clean, y'all!

The news reports of our elegant & beautiful FLOTUS remark on her ability to speak 5 languages. For the average USA citizen, this truly IS a remarkable trait. It can also be construed as a sign of above average intelligence, crazy skills & smarts!

Since I have lived outside the USA, in a country or three, I can tell you that many children still in their single digits, in countries outside the USA, commonly speak 5 - 15 languages. 

While serving in the US Air Force, I discovered this gift. I had a year of Spanish, got kicked out of French class by a witch of a teacher who scared me speechless. I was painfully shy, then.

As a result of my service in the US military & living in many different cultures, different countries, I speak 5 languages as well. It simply came naturally to me.
Although I'm not as beautiful or claim any celebrity like Melania Trump, I have the same ability as she, in languages. Have been told that I'm way above average in smarts, IQ, etc. In 3rd grade, my teachers & parents were blown away when the results of my I.Q. test showed my score at 165.
That's 20 points above genius.
The abuse I was suffering at home, the bullying at school, having to start kindergarten at age 4 were major obstacles which made me a very shy child, nervous, insecure, immature.
BMT changed all of that!
In spite of the severe PTSD - MST, it was imperative for me, to find a way to push it aside as much as possible to be a good mother. My kiddos will list everything I did wrong.
They have no idea the demons I was fighting.

In spite of what happened while I served my country, the military situations I found myself in, brought out the linguistic genius I had. Whilst living in Deutschland, I, not only taught myself a very challenging style of needlework, I put my language skills to work.
I lived in the village of Rodenbach im Kaiserslautern, Germany & did a great deal of grocery shopping across the border at Cora, a French version of a Walmart Super Center. I spoke fluent Deutsche , upon crossing the border, I was speaking Francois. That's German & French, respectively.
It was so cool!!!!!!!

Quite often, when visiting open air markets, I would speak to family members in Amerikanische, turn to the vendor, speak to them in their language, turn to another person, speak to them in their language! 
According to my German neighbors, speaking "Englishe" is with an Englishe accent. "Amerikanishe" is what people from the OO-ESS-AH are speaking. Um, okay!
When strolling through the markets, it felt like *click*, *click*, *click*. Clicking between languages inside my mind, keeping it all straight. 
It was fun, for me.

In present day, I still think in other languages, yet, it's a different type of fun. 
Hispanic people don't realize that a green eyed girl with strawberry blonde hair can understand every word they are saying!
Yup! Ha ha! 
Fun-Fun. 
For me!
I also speak Sarcasmese, BullCornese, even baby-talk when taking care of someone who speaks that one!

The long standing colloquialism that it's difficult to learn a language other than your natural one, is false.
I'm in the process of proving that one wrong.

Stay tuned.

Baby , I can see your halo...

To be truthful.....

WTH is it about Scottish men? 
or even
Men from anywhere with Scottish/Irish heritage?

Case in pointe, Guy Berryman (Coldplay bass guitar & vocals)

Look at this, wipe the drool off the screen, ladies!

He always has that bit of stubble on his oh so handsome face. He's quiet (anyone would seem quiet next to the bubbly Chris Martin!).

Guy has that, "I'm a good guy" look. I can see a bit of naughty boy, just enough to make him interesting, not enough to be called a D-bag!
Classic Scotsman good looks (on steroids!). Born in Kirkaldy, Scotland on April 12, 1978 (that's what IMDB says, must be true if it's on the internet!  :)

Dudes may feel that they don't want a woman they are linked to, romantically, to put him on a pedestal. Yet, that is how many girls see the one they view as exceptional, let him into their life.
If she saw him as common, no different from every other joseph blowfish, out there, she would see him as a waste of time.

He may seem ordinary to the rest of the world.

To her? She sees a halo around his head with wee horns peeking out! That's okay! A slight pinch of mischief is lovely.

So, gents, be yourself, the right girl will want you, stubbly face, imperfections, even the horns are attractive. She supplies a halo.
(Not the sky jump sort, LOL!)
She may even challenge you just to be sure you are truly interested in her. After so many idiots in tinfoil, she wants to be sure you're the real deal, the proverbial knight. 
Step up to the plate, PLAY BALL!

The wrong girl will pick at your imperfections, your insecurities, make you feel like she can't be pleased no matter what you do.

When the halo happens, bask in the soft light of her love for you.