Thistle 'N Dixie
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Thistle ‘n Dixie www.caledoniansocietyofneworleans.com Volume 49, Number 07 Editor: Derek Ewart [email protected] March 2021 Editor’s Comments The Scottish Connection With Fàilte mo chàirdean NASA’s Mars Mission (Faal-cha mow harsh-din / Welcome. my friends) NASA’s latest rover, Perseverance, touched down on the Martian soil on February 18th, but few people are aware of the helping hand How was y’all’s Mardi Gras? It Scotland has provided in this Scottish themed mission. seems that 2021 wants to one up 2020! Can you believe that New WL Gore & Associates’ Space Centre of Excellence in Dundee, was Orleanian Scots missed out on responsible for manufacturing the Burns Night AND Mardi Gras? wires and cables used, not just for At least king cakes weren’t locked communications during the critical down! landing, but also on the Perseverance rover itself. As I write this, it appears that New Orleans is moving closer to more In addition to this, two of the rover’s relaxed lockdown measures, so we cameras are named after two of Sir can hold out hope that our end of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous year party may still take place like characters. SHERLOC is used to we remember, pre Covid. identify the environment that would have formed Mars’ rocks, while Next month will see Tartan Day WATSON will be observing the dust celebrated again, but not yet in its and rock debris found on the planet. normal format. This always invloved a pararde in NYC, but One of the aims of this mission is to this year will no doubt take on a drill for samples, in an effort to virtual presentation. Look out for evaluate the possibly of creating a liveable habitat for a human colony. any emails and Facebook posts if the Board has any celebrations Were you aware that the bore holes created by the previous Mars rover, planned for 2021. Either way, Curiosity, are named after Scottish towns and cities? In addition to don’t forget to wear your tartan on Glasgow and Edinburgh, you can also find Aberlady, Stoer, and th April 6 . Kilmarie, all newly situated on Mars! Not only that, but the area being drilled is named after Scotland’s Torridan region due to it’s similar geological look. If you have any news or items you The similarities do not end there. Scientists of James Hutton Institue want included in the newsletter discovered from data sent back by the Curiosity rover, that the minerals then you can contact me at on Mars were incredibly similar to the basaltic soils found on the isles [email protected]. of Skye and Mull! Is it possible that a Mars fragment collided with these areas at some point? Tapadh Leibh Perhaps the book is right when it says women are from Venus and men (Tapa leev - Thank you) -at least Scotsmen- are from Mars. This may also explain the high Derek proportion of red heads! Time – 2:00-3:00 pm Program- Burns Luncheon Information – The aspects of the delayed event are still being finalized. More information will be available here when confirmed. Please note that the requirements for attending the following meetings are the wearing of a mask and Member and Society News observing a six foot distance from fellow attendees. If you have any member news to include in the These meetings will also be streamed using Zoom, newsletter, please let Christyn Elliott know at her e- so look out for an email with more details on how to mail address or home phone number so that she can join the meeting remotely. We are also looking at pass the information on to me for the next putting these meetings online for anyone who newsletter. cannot attend Society member and Daughters of the British Sunday, March 14, 2021 Empire President, Jane Caruso, would like to inform people of the DBE’s At Home Afternoon Venue – Jackson Avenue Evangelical Church, Tea. With meetings still not available, there is the (Audry Reich Hall) opportunity to buy “Tea in an Box.” This allows 2221 Chippewa St, New Orleans 70130 participants to have this British experience at home. Time – 2:00-3:00 pm Please read the following flyer for more Program- Celtic Britain and Roman Britain information. Information – This will include a video and discussion on the topic. Sunday, April 14, 2021 Venue – Jackson Avenue Evangelical Church, (Audry Reich Hall) 2221 Chippewa St, New Orleans 70130 Time – 2:00-3:00 pm Program- The Romans in Britain and Scotland Information – Connie Rodriguez will lead this program, showing the influence of Rome in the British Isles Sunday, May 16, 2021 Venue – Jackson Avenue Evangelical Church, (Audry Reich Hall) 2221 Chippewa St, New Orleans 70130 Time – 2:00-3:00 pm Program- Annual General Meeting Information – Open to all. Keep informed about how the Society has been operating in the last year. Sunday, June 13, 2021 Venue – Jackson Avenue Evangelical Church, (Audry Reich Hall) 2221 Chippewa St, New Orleans 70130 Other Events interest, so if you know of someone who would be interested, please send their information for April will see the return of the first Celtic Festival inclusion in the courtesy e-mail group. All mass e- in the South since Covid wiped out last year’s mails are sent to recipients “bcc” for privacy. schedule. The Scottish Tartan Festival will be held in Minden, LA on April 10th. The gates open Social Media at 10:00am, and close at 6:00pm. Admission is $10 for adults, with children 12 and under paying $5, The Society has a website with many links and while children under 6 get in free. In addition to the gallery pictures for everything Scottish! In case you regular attractions of pipes, music, and dancing, haven’t seen the site yet, all you need to do is just there is also a workshop for Scottish history and click on, or copy and paste the following link: also for the Gaelic language. For a full listing of http://www.caledoniansocietyofneworleans.com/. events and activities, go to the following site, The site also has a very useful resources page, https://scottishsociety.wixsite.com/tartan-festival. where you will find almost everything you could think of needing. This has links that can help you As Covid restrictions relax, we expect to see more with ancestry, heraldry, and even learning more festivals returning this year. Once we have more about Scottish Gaelic(gaa-lik). information we will be posting it here and on Facebook, so keep your eyes peeled! In these times of social distancing and masks, don’t forget that you can still be social and not get too Yearly Dues close. Have you checked out our Facebook page? If not, then you’re in the minority. You can find us As we head down the final stretch of the Society’s by looking for “Caledonian Society Of New strangest season, I would like to remind all our Orleans,” and hit the like button to follow us. members of the importance of paying their yearly dues. Family rates are $25, while Individuals and Our most popular post in Students pay just $20 and $10, respectively. February was a Mark Twain quote about Mardi Gras, which It’s not much to pay, but what we receive goes a also mentioned Edinburgh. long way in helping pay for monthly meetings, Why not let us know what type refreshments, and major events on the CSoNO of posts you would like to see schedule. With many Covid requirements for actual on our page? We want to meetings, and the additional costs involved, your engage with everyone. If you like anything you see dues are more important than ever to ensure on our page, then why not share or even comment. compliance with State and Parish directives. This helps us to be seen by more people, and in turn grow our numbers. If you are currently receiving our newsletter on our courtesy list, why not consider upgrading to become Time For Gaelic a member. As you can see, the fees are low and you will receive news of all events and invitations not This month I am happy to normally issued to those just on our courtesy list. provide more resources for your Gaaelic learning Please send your payments to Wendy Grubb, 8131 adventure. Jefferson Cohn St, New Orleans, LA 70118. Alternatively, Parish Public Libraries you can hand them in at the next meeting. offer languages on it’s website. You can find Newsletter two links to use - one for Mango, which I have CSoNO members receive the newsletter by e-mail already brought to your or post. A complimentary e-mail newsletter is also attention, and another sent to non-members who have expressed an which takes you to Pronunciator, an online link which lets you choose how you want to learn. This second option allows learners. I have tried this myself and feel that this is you to tailor make your learning experience in a one of the better sites. way that suits your exact needs. You can also download the Bluebird app. After trying this app If you have tried learning Gaelic and are struggling, out, it appears that Pronunciator and Bluebird are then why not get in touch with me at the same source, but allows the option of learning [email protected]. I have been learning on your device or laptop. since November 2019, and, with the inclusion of Gaelic in the newsletter, have had to become a I am hoping that, with all the different options, teacher too.