Arn't the scottish nice and thrifty though... Who wouldn't wish for some washing powder? And a nice tea towel with some scottish recipies, and shetland ponies (hopefully not recipies of shetland ponies).

I can't remember if I commented on your successful visa application (was mid-marking at the time) and haven't time to read 61 comments at this moment (need to get to bed) but anyway - welcome to our chilly country! Would you like a tea towel as a congratulation present?

Got to gets me some tea towels, oh yeah! I remember when they used to give them away free in boxes of soap powder, too.

Those were the days...

Is this for real? LOL :-)

you're going to enter, aren't you? a girl at school used to enter competitions and use flourescent envelopes thinking they would increase her chances. no, don't thank me!

Such nice useful prizes they have in Shetland!

Wow, what do you have to DO to win these things?

those are the EXACT things that I need!

I love Scotland!

I love Scotland!

i didn't enter! i'm more a washing LIQUID kind of girl!
i think it was an old fashioned "name and address on back of envelope" competition :)

just so you know groovers, the comments are reallyyy slow to post today, like 30 seconds +. So dinnae worry if it's taking awhile!

and thanks isabelle, hope you survived the marking in one piece!

Someone mind explaining to the dumb American what a tea towel is? Thanks.

George - it's what you use to dry your crockery, cutlery etc after washing them... I think maybe you call such things flannels? I hate those ones that look like they'd dry things really well but just never seem to sop the water up. They promise so much but deliver so little.

Thanks. I've always referred to them as dish towels or dish rags, but tea towels sounds so much nicer.

Today I walked by a store in my old neighborhood and there was a giant homemade "coming soon" sign hanging in the window to hide the construction mess (pretty common here). It was actually a big ol' sheet of paper.

So it's going to be an orthopedics store, and the future owners thought it was very important to paint on the sign that among their braces and whatnot that they would have COMPRESSION HOSIERY! Very exciting, like free ice cream or something. I kicked myself for forgetting my camera.

I guess my point is...much ado about NOTHING, like poor Highland Life. For a sec I got all excited because I thought that might be you on the cover there! Hee!

Nearly as good as the sign I saw outside an Edinburgh newsagent years ago for the Daily Mail - you know those boards that advertise the lead story? Well, this one said "FREE TEABAG FOR EVERY READER!"

Out of my way!
Those tea towels are MINE.

em.. we used to FIGHT over the toys in the cornflake packets..

of course they always seemed to be at the very very bottom of the bag and there would be mess everywhere before a parent gave us a clout and a ..'right NOBODIES gonna get the toy..' to end the fight..

G'Day Shauny, just wanted to say, your blog is brilliant! I've spent the last month or so reading every last post and am now addicted. Thanks for giving me something better to do at work, when the boss isn't watching of course.. ;)