Things that are bonnie

One good thing about being in Paris (other than the fact that you're in Paris) (okay, I know) is that you can easily leave it to visit the UK.

I spent the last weekend in Aberdeen, Scotland, visiting my dear friend Dawn. Part of me thought I'd blather on here about how I felt inspired by the dramatic landscape and the moody granite-stone architecture and the history of a castle we visited. But I'm just gonna be real, y'all. Here's what we really did:

Dawn has five kids. F-I-V-E.

At the same time, she's in medical school. M-E-D-I-C-A-L  S-C-H-O-O-L.

In the middle of her no-nonsense schedule, she made time for us to sit down and catch up. We drank coffee and tea. We ate a meal made by her husband. We washed dishes. We watched "Frozen" with her wee lass. We joked with her three big boys; we cooed over her infant one. We went to the store. She turned her head while I loaded the cart with too many Cadbury chocolates (a by-product of a time I lived in London). And on the way to the airport, we dropped by Crathes Castle for lunch.

She did it all with grace and humor and complete take-chargedness. And dang if she didn't look good the whole freakin' time.

I seriously didn't need people in kilts or rolling emerald hills to find inspiration in Scotland.

The Paris Plan - Achieved Today: Rules #6 and 10.