Many, many years ago I was planting a garden in Marietta, Georgia with my parents (I was 11 or 12 at the time) and dug up a silver cross (fortunately with no body attached). The cross, it turned out later, was made on Iona in Scotland. Thus began my love affair with Things Scottish.

Fast forward many years to the mid-nineties when my father passed away. I had not known him too well as he and my mother had gotten divorced when I was but a year old. My aunt sent me the family histories shortly thereafter. I was amazed to find out that the love of Things Scottish was apparently genetic as I had quite a bit of Scottish ancestry - mostly MacMillan and associated septs.

In early 2002 (I believe) I went to a High Desert Pipes and Drums concert/fundraiser here (they were off to Scotland for competition). There was a raffle at $1 per ticket and the grand prize was a custom made kilt by Kathy Lare. I put all the cash in my pockets into the raffle ($7) and low and behold - won the grand prize.

A few months later, I was wearing a 16oz tank in MacMillan Ancient. I can not begin to describe the "right-ness" of the feeling.

Rob