Mondays....

You know how people often dread Mondays? Well, on the ilsand, we actually look forward to Mondays.---if you can believe that! So now I suppose you are wondering why? Well every Monday night about 1opm we gather in the village hall to have a Ceilidhs! (pronounced Kaa-lee) A Ceilidh is a Scottish 'dancing' party. The closest thing I can parallel it to in the US is a barn dance. Only a Ceilidh usually has a pipe band--that is a bunch of people playing the bagpipes! since we don't have a band of pipers who live on the island, we actually listen to a cd. Still we have the chance to learn all sorts of traditional Scottish dances...like the St. Bernard's Waltz, the Dancing (or Dashing...i can never remember) White Sergant, and Strip the Willow. Various members of the Iona Community teach the guests the dances, and most everyone who is able gets up on their feet to participate in at least one of the dances.

I try always to skip the last dance which is traditionally "Strip the Willow". Now don't hear me wrong...I like to do this group dancing stuff, but this particular dance leaves me wishing I had taken a dramamine (sp?). The first time I ventured to try this dance, Sopia swung me a round so much that I crashed into people on two different occasions---all within about three miniutes of each other---and almost fell down completely. I felt like I had been on the "Zipper" at the local fair three times in a row! Actually I think this was worse! Anyway, I survived and lived to tell you about it! :)

PS: This picture is of Sopia---she is from Sweden---and she is so nice, that I have a hard time telling her no.
The others are of some of the people dancing. (digital cameras--like mine--don't capture moving images very well...eek!)