My First Robert Burns Dinner . . .

This is Eric, the bagpiper who was playing when we entered the door at our friends's home for our first Robert Burns Commemorative Dinner. If you'd like more information on Robert Burns, you have one of two options. Option 1: You can check out what Wikipedia has to say about him. Option 2: You can find some friends with Scottish ancestry that enjoy throwing elaborate parties and are kind enough to invite you. We went with option #2.















Meet Lez and DeSiree, our friends and ward members. After forgetting to bring my camera to their commorative dinner celebrating Saint Barbara, patron saint of miners, I made sure to get pictures this time. Lez and Des give dinners that would put the spreads you see in glossy magazines to shame. For their miner's dinner, Lez and his son constructed a simulated mine in their basement complete with timber beams, ventilation tubing, and all the fine touches. Knowing their dedication to their Scottish ancestry, I knew to expect an equally authentic environment at the Burns Dinner. I wasn't disappointed. We were treated to live music on the bagpipes. The room for the dinner was draped in swags of tartan with Scottish flags as accents. And the food was, well, Scottish. Posted below is a video of the Parade of the Haggis. And, yes, I sampled the haggis. It was fine. But I must say that I was a bit more appreciative of the other Scottish fare. Except, you've got to love an entree that has such loyal admirers. Tony gave a wonderful rendition of Burns' "Address to a Haggis" and then it was time to dine!









Thank you, Lez and Des for going above and beyond the ordinary to put on a wonderful feast!