My Idea of a Lovely Afternoon

As I finished Christmas Item #2 (all done!) I watched a five-part back-to-back series on the Wehrmacht on the History Channel.

Almost everyone in my family would be rolling their eyes at me!

I'm not sure why I'm fascinated with the European theatre of WWII. Although I had an uncle who was a Ranger in Europe, I didn't know him very well and he died when I was in high school. My father was in the Pacific theatre, which has never interested me very much, although I was disappointed when in Hawaii in 2007 that I didn't have time to visit the Arizona memorial.

The only places I have been that were directly affected by WWII are England, specifically London, and Paris. My then-husband and I stood under the Arc de Triomphe and got goosebumps thinking of how awful it must have been to see the Germans enter and walk down the Champs Elysees. (And two of those who did might have been his great-grandfathers, but that's another story!) I would very much like to do a WWII tour of the Continent. Morbid? I suppose... but it's just something I'd find fascniating.

Part of it is probably my love of history. When I visited Holyrood, I was the first one into Mary, Queen of Scots' bedroom and the last one out. I stood there staring at the panelled ceiling, thinking about how she had stood there and seen the same thing. I think I gawped all the way up and down the Royal Mile.

I'm just weird that way.

(Incidentally -- on the Royal Mile I had the best ice cream [peach] I've ever had. This was 1990 and I still remember it.)

Of course, in Scotland I also felt more at home than anywhere else in the world. I fit right in -- I've never been surrounded by so many redheads in my life. It was great. I don't know where in Scotland my maternal grandmother's family comes from (although the greater clan we belong to is the MacDonalds), but I'd like to find out sometime. Unfortunately, I'd probably go there and be another annoying Scottish-American come to romanticize her roots!

Anyway. Knitting and Nazi documentaries. I had a great day.