Rebecca D. Elswick's Blog

 On New Year's Eve, I did something I can never remember doing before. I went to bed before midnight. No watching the ball drop in Times Square, no toasts to 2021, although I was never more happy to see a year go than 2020; instead, I snuggled in bed with my three-year-old granddaughter and wasn't even aware when 2020 had slipped into history. That tiny body next to mine, emanating the heat of youth, filled me with such hope that I went to sleep with less worry on my heart than I have had since the word Covid appeared in early 2020.

2020. I never imagined I would have to worry about finding toilet paper, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, or eggs and meat. I never imagined a world without hugs, a world where I would need to wear a mask and stay away from those I love to protect them and myself from a virus that spreads with impunity. And I never believed I lived in a world where at the most, selfish people denied the virus's existence, or at the least, refused to follow guidelines that could save others.

In 2020, while I learned what it means to fight an enemy that can't be seen, touched, or heard, I watched that same enemy take over the world. During this pandemic, the United States held an election for president that was unprecedented in it's anger, bitterness, and hatred. While I stayed at home to hide from the Covid scourge, thousands grouped together to protest, rally, and spew hatred. I watched and wondered how many friends and family members, vulnerable sick and elderly, and unsuspecting people would they infect? As the number of sick and dead rose, I watched as people shed their masks and resumed their daily routines. I listened with horror as people said, "you can't live your life in fear," "I demand restaurants, gyms, and hair salons open," "children should be in school," and "it's my right NOT to wear a mask." As hospitals filled to capacity and mobile morgues were brought to house the dead, I heard people say, "The number of cases isn't that high - what about false positives?" "It's just like any other flu!" "Do you really know anybody who's had it?"

But in 2020 I also saw much goodness in the world, and that has sustained me. Healthcare providers went into the hospitals and cared for the sick. I passed ambulances on the road, no doubt carrying Covid patients. I saw those, like my son, working in public places to provide services to keep the world moving forward, even though cases rose everyday.

HOPE. With this new year, I want to believe all the old cares are gone, but Covid is still here and it's still deadly, but with the emergence of a vaccine there is hope. I can now hope for a family vacation at the beach. I can hope to board a plane or train again without fear. I can hope to return to Scotland and Ireland. I can hope to live in a world without masks and social distancing. I hope children can return to schools where they won't have to sit behind plexi-glass shields and wear masks. And more than anything, I hope that soon I will drive by the local elementary school and see children climbing on the playground equipment, chasing each other in play, and not wearing a mask!

Reflections and Ruminations: The Food and Drink of Ireland and Scotland: Americans are familiar with the Irish potato, or as we say in Appalachia, Arsh Tater. Like our Irish relatives across the sea, the potat...

Americans are familiar with the Irish potato, or as we say in Appalachia, Arsh Tater. Like our Irish relatives across the sea, the potato is a staple of the American diet. As you saw in my post about the potato famine, the potato and Ireland go way back, and the potato is traditionally planted on St. Patrick's Day.
This is a potato patch on the Aran Islands. These islands are only reached by ferry and The Aran Islands are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland, with a total area of about 29 miles. They constitute the barony of Aran in County Galway, Ireland.Besides potatoes, what do the Irish eat?Let's start with breakfast. There’s an Irish motto that says, “Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper,” meaning it is wise to start the day with a large cooked breakfast. That leads me to what they call the “Full Irish Breakfast.”


Yes, those are beans, what we Americans call pork ‘n beans. You will also find those same beans in a Welsh, Scottish, and English breakfast. Meat is also an important part of the Irish breakfast and includes bacon, sausages, and black and white puddings. Pudding is NOT what we in American think of as pudding. Rather, black pudding is a sausage made from pork blood, pork fat, beef suet, and mixed with oats or barley. The difference between black and white pudding is the blood. White pudding has no blood, and it had been around since Medieval times when it was made by filling intestine skins with anything from chicken and almonds to pork liver, eggs, cream and rice. A traditional breakfast also includes potato cakes, what we call hash browns, fried eggs (although they do have scrambled), grilled tomatoes and mushrooms. and toast.

In Scotland, you will find this breakfast with one important addition - porridge; what Americans call oatmeal. But don't expect to find it served with milk and sugar. Whether it’s Scott’s Porage Oats straight out of the box or a gourmet restaurant version, nothing beats the hearty taste of good old Scottish porridge. Be warned; it is made with salt, not sugar. If you can pick it up with your hands, don’t be alarmed; that’s how it is supposed to look.
Where are the biscuits?They save those for tea time. Only they don't call them biscuits - they call them scones because biscuits are what the Irish call cookies. And even though I did see some scones that looked like American biscuits, most looked more like dessert.
And of course they are served with a "cuppa". The Irish and the Scots love their tea - only don't make the mistake of asking for "iced" tea. After they look at you like you are demented or mentally challenged, they will say, "We do NOT have iced tea, but I can bring you some ice." It's a trap! Don't fall for it!
Why?
They will bring you a glass with at the most 2 ice cubes!


There are lovely tea shops like this one I went in in the small village Adare in County Limerick.Lunch and DinnerThe pub, which is short for public house, are plentiful in Ireland and Scotland. Yes, they serve alcohol - hello - it's Ireland and Scotland, but that's another blog! Pubs also serve some of the best food I have ever tasted. If you love meat and potatoes, then these islands in the Irish Sea are the places for you.

O'Connor's pub in Doolin on the west coast of Ireland is one of my favorites. It's a traditional tavern, opened in 1832, offering Irish food, outdoor benches and nightly live music. The walls are covered with badges like you find on police uniforms and currency from all over the world. Somewhere on those walls is a dollar bill with my name and VIRGINIA, USA on it.
And the food is traditional Irish fare like Shepard's Pie - a meat and vegetable filling topped with mashed potatoes. Beef tastes different in Ireland and Scotland. All of their cattle is grass fed only. No grain.


 Or the delicious Guinness Stew, served with a side of mashed potatoes, made with the drink most favored in Ireland - Guinness. Guinness is used in many recipes in Ireland from desserts to bread.


What's the favorite dish of the Scots?  Haggis.The rumors are all true. Scotland’s iconic national dish is made of sheep’s pluck (liver, lungs, and heart) minced with spices, salt, oatmeal, suet and onion inside a lining of the animal’s stomach (nowadays it can be artificial).
Did I try it? What do you think!
The Scottish do have a lovely dessert that's divine - Shortbread. Recipes for this cake-cookie like dessert date back to the 12th century.

I can't end this blog without talking about Irish Bread! Ireland is known for two kinds of amazing bread - soda bread and brown bread. With fresh Irish butter, made from grass-fed only cows, it's beyond amazing.

In the Provence of Munster are the counties, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, and Waterford (known for the beautiful Irish crystal made there.) In County Clare is the lunar Burren and Cliffs of Moor. Both are magnificent landmarks to see and explore but there is another place near the Cliffs also worth visiting and in fact is very moving - St. Brigid's Well.

There are several holy wells in Ireland and many of them are attributed to St. Brigid, born in AD 450 in Faughart, near Dundalk in Co. Louth.  a christian who lived during the same time as St. Patrick. This St. Brigid’s well differs from the others in a number of ways. It is one of the oldest wells rumored to have healing powers and the running sound of the water is audible.
It is housed in an open stone house or grotto that serves as a gateway to the ancient cemetery on the hill above it, accessible through steep paths and old stairs.
The graveyard is the final resting place of several mythical kings and clan leaders of Ireland. Some still celebrate Brigid’s roots by spending the pagan holiday of Lughnasadh in the circular sanctuary of this well. The natural beauty and the mysterious pull of this site make it special in a land known for its roadside shrines and mysticism.

Her father, Dubhthach, was a pagan chieftain of Leinster and her mother, Broicsech, was a Christian. It was thought that Brigid’s mother was born in Portugal but was kidnapped by Irish pirates and brought to Ireland to work as a slave, just like St. Patrick was. Brigid’s father named her after one of the most powerful goddesses of the pagan religion - the goddess of fire, whose manifestations were song, craftsmanship, and poetry, which the Irish considered the flame of knowledge. He kept Brigid and her mother as slaves even though he was a wealthy man. Brigid spent her earlier life cooking, cleaning, washing and feeding the animals on her father’s farm.

She lived during the time of St.Patrick and was so inspired by his preaching that she became a Christian. When Brigid turned eighteen, she stopped working for her father. Brigid’s father wanted her to find a husband, but Brigid had decided that she would spend her life working for God by looking after poor, sick and elderly people. Legend says that she prayed that her beauty would be taken away from her so no one would seek her hand in marriage; her prayer was granted. Brigid’s charity angered her father because he thought she was being too generous to the poor. When she finally gave away his jewel-encrusted sword to a leper, her father realized that she would be best suited to the religious life. Brigid finally got her wish and entered the convent. She received her veil from St. Macaille and made her vows to dedicate her life to God. Legend also says that Brigid regained her beauty after making her vows and that God made her more beautiful than ever. News of Brigid’s good works spread and soon many young girls from all over the country joined her in the convent. Brigid founded many convents all over Ireland; the most famous one was in Co. Kildare. It is said that this convent was built beside an oak tree where the town of Kildare now stands. Around 470 she also founded a double monastery, for nuns and monks, in Kildare. As Abbess of this foundation she wielded considerable power, but was a very wise and prudent superior. The Abbey of Kildare became one of the most prestigious monasteries in Ireland, and was famous throughout Christian Europe.

St. Brigid also founded a school of art, including metal work and illumination, over which St. Conleth presided. In the scriptorium of the monastery, the famous illuminated manuscript the Book of Kildare was created.

St. Brigid's Cross:
Making a St. Brigid’s cross is one of the traditional rituals in Ireland to celebrate the beginning of early spring, 1st February. The crosses are made of rushes that are pulled rather than cut. They are hung by the door and in the rafters to protect the house from fire and evil. According to tradition a new cross is made each St Brigid's Day, and the old one is burned to keep fire from the house. Many homes have several crosses preserved in the ceiling the oldest blackened by many years of hearth fires. Some believe that keeping a cross in the ceiling or roof is a good way to preserve the home from fire which was always a major threat in houses with thatch and wood roofs. St. Brigid and her cross are linked together by the story that she wove this form of cross at the death bed of either her father or a pagan lord, who upon hearing what the cross meant, asked to be baptized.
One version goes as follows: “A pagan chieftain from the neighborhood of Kildare was dying. Christians in his household sent for Brigid to talk to him about Christ. When she arrived the chieftain was raving. As it was impossible to instruct this delirious man, hopes for his conversion seemed doubtful. Brigid sat down at his bedside and began consoling him. As was customary, the dirt floor was strewn with rushes both for warmth and cleanliness. Brigid stooped down and started to weave them into a cross, fastening the points together. The sick man asked what she was doing. She began to explain the cross, and as she talked his delirium quieted and he questioned her with growing interest. Through her weaving, he converted and was baptized at the point of death. Since then the cross of rushes has been venerated in Ireland.”

St. Brigid died in AD 525 at the age of 75 and was buried in a tomb before the High Altar of her Abbey church. After some time, her remains were exhumed and transferred to Downpatrick to rest with the two other patron saints of Ireland, St. Patrick and St. Columcille. Her skull was extracted and brought to Lisbon, Portugal by two Irish noblemen, and it remains there to this day St. Brigid is the female patron saint of Ireland. She is also known as Muire na nGael or Mary of the Gael which means Our Lady of the Irish. Her feast day is the 1st of February which is the first day of Spring in Ireland.

***When I was in Ireland, our bus driver told was this story about St. Brigid's Cloak***
  "Le Chéile Faoi Bhrat Bhríde" (Together under St. Brigid's Cloak)
 St. Brigid went to the King of Leinster to ask for land to build a convent. She told the king that the place where she stood was the perfect place for a convent. It was beside a forest where they could collect firewood. There was also a lake nearby that would provide water and the land was fertile. The king laughed at her and refused to give her any land. Brigid prayed to God and asked him to soften the king’s heart. Then she smiled at the king and said “will you give me as much land as my cloak will cover?” The king thought that she was joking and because Brigid’s cloak was so small he knew that it would only cover a very small piece of land. The king agreed and Brigid spread her cloak on the ground. She asked her four friends to hold a corner of the cloak and walk in opposite directions. The four friends walked north, south, east and west. The cloak grew immediately and began to cover many acres of land. The king was astonished and he realized that she had been blessed by God. The king fell to the ground and knelt before Brigid and promised her and her friends money, food and supplies. Soon afterwards, the king became a Christian and also started to help the poor. Brigid’s miracle of the cloak was the first of many miracles that she worked for the people of Ireland. Standing inside St. Brigid's Well amid the chill of the stone and the gurgle of the water was an incredibly emotional experience because of all the pictures, funeral cards, rosaries, crosses, and people's personal effects that loved ones have placed there, many with handwritten notes about someone who has died, is ill, or has disappeared.








  

My favorite part of Ireland is the "wild" western shore where the Cliffs of Moher stand 702 feet high.  
 




On a clear day, views from the cliff tops include the Aran Islands, Galway Bay and the Twelve Bens mountain range. Located in west County Clare, the Cliffs are part of an archaeological hotspot, including the Burren that is home to 70 wedge tombs – some older than the pyramids – including the famous Poulnabrone dolmen, a portal tomb - one of approximately 172 in Ireland. This tomb was in use during the Neolithic and radiocarbon dates place its use between 3,800 - 3,600 BC.

The first excavation of Poulnabrone Dolmen was in 1986 and then again in 1988 by Ann Lynch. During this excavation, one portal stone was replaced, and the team excavated the chamber, portico, and cairn. The remains of up to 22 individuals from the Neolithic were found. Sixteen adults, six children, and one newborn (from the Bronze Age) were among the remains.

There are other treasures in western Ireland. Bunatty Castle, among them. A large 15th-century tower house, the castle in in the midst of Bunratty Village that displays thatched cottages where the people lived for centuries.






The present castle is the fourth structure, and it was built by the MacNamara family around 1425.

As much as I love the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, and Bunratty Castle, my favorite place in County Clare is the coastal village of Doolin. Fisher Street has one of my favorite pubs in Ireland - O'Connors.
Know for its nightly traditional Irish music,  Gus O'Connor's pub offers old-style Irish dishes such as Shepherd's pie and Guinness stew. 




Coming up is the story of St. Brigid's Well, also in west County Clare.

I've been blogging about my trip to Scotland, and now, I'm hopping over the Irish Sea to Ireland. About an hour flight or a longer ferry ride.
Today, I was looking at my kitchen, filled with Thanksgiving leftovers, and like so many other people this season, I gave thanks for my family and all the blessings I have received this year. I thought about all the news reports of Thanksgiving dinner being served by churches and community organizations to thousands of people across the country who otherwise would have had none, and I remembered the proverb, "There but for the grace of God go I."

I had repeated that same proverb to myself when I visited the Great Famine Memorial in County Clare, Ireland. Like many people in central Appalachia, I am of Irish heritage, and many times I have wondered if I had ancestors who died during the Great Potato Famine. During the period 1845-51 the country lost over one million of her inhabitants to starvation and starvation-related diseases and another million to emigration. In the decade after the Famine, another million souls fled the island.

County Clare was one of the places hardest hit when the potato crop failed. THE first identified victim of starvation during The Great Famine was a widow near Dysart[1845] and the last recorded starvation death, in April 1851, was a man in Ennis. It’s just one of the chilling facts outlined in a book by Clare historian, Dr Ciarán Ó Murchadha. A reporter in West Clare in 1846 wrote how locals “died as the birds do when the frost comes”, while coffin-less burials were widespread and dead children were brought to burial in panniers slung on donkeys.

The day I stood before the Great Famine Memorial, Thanksgiving dinner was the farthest thing from my mind, but today with the house still smelling of roast turkey, I remember standing before the monument, the cold wind stinging my face.



The memorial is comprised of two doors. (The doors represent the door to the workhouse. A place built to house paupers.) On the left, a child stands against a door. On the right is another door with an emaciated face and outstretched hands. (On the hands, someone had placed coins.)

 The message on the door reads:
Gentlemen
There is a little boy named Michael 
Rice of Lahinch aged about 4 years
he is an orphan, his father having died 
last year and his mother has expired
on last Wednesday night, who is now
about being buried without a coffin!!
unless ye make some provision for
such. The child in question is now at
the workhouse gate expecting to be
admitted if not he will starve.
                  Robs S. Constable 

Edinburgh Castle dominates the skyline of Edinburgh, Scotland, perched above the town on the aptly named, Castle Rock. A fortress since the Iron Age (2nd century AD), this castle has existed in different forms and structures but exist it has, populated by Scots. It was a royal residence from the time of King David (12th century) until 1633.

I visited this wondrous place and found it filled with history and real treasures, among them the Scottish Crown Jewels (not allowed to be photographed), but take my word, they were glorious.
I will take you through the castle and revisit my time there with pictures. I'll start in the oldest part of the castle, St. Margaret's Chapel that has existed since the 12th century. Somehow it escaped the artillery bombardment that destroyed most of the castle in the 16th century.




The chapel is very small but quietly beautiful. According to history, in March 1314 the castle was captured by Robert the Bruce. He destroyed all the buildings in the castle, except for the little chapel.

The Great Hall was added in the early 16th century and is filled with swords, dirks, pikes, armor, and other priceless artifacts. The Great Hall was built as a place of royal ceremony for King James IV. It has a wooden roof made from wood that was shipped from Norway.




One of the places I most wanted to see was the room where Mary, Queen of Scots gave birth to her son who became James VI and I. He was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until his death in 1625. The tiny room looked barely big enough to hold a bed.



Queen Mary's rooms were a good bit bigger and more regal, befitting a queen. However, Mary's life was rife with unpopular marriages and tragedy. In 1567, she was forced to abdicate in favor of her one-year-old son. She turned to the one person for help, her cousin Queen Elizabeth I, that was instead her enemy. Elizabeth imprisoned Mary because she had once claimed Elizabeth's throne. For 18 and a half years, she moved Mary around from castles to manor houses before beheading her for treason.


There were many other things to see in the castle. Here are some pictures:







Outside the castle there are more places to explore. One of the most interesting to me was the dog cemetery, with headstones.




And this wee Scot who seemed to need a bit of help with that cannon ball.




Perhaps the grandest part of the castle is the view. The entire city of Edinburgh lies at feet of Castle Rock.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! In Scottish Gaelic, the autumn festival is called Samhuinn. In Ireland where the tradition began, it is called Samhain. 

To the ancient Celts, this pagan celebration was about the turning of the seasons. The Sam in the Scottish Samhuinn and Irish Samhain means summer. Summer was over and the harvest was done. It was now the time of the year when the nights grew long. To the Celts, the 1st of November, Samhain, was the Celtic New Year, and the celebrations began at sunset of the day before its Eve.

For Celts, Samhain was a spiritual time. There was evil afoot on Sanhaim because that was one of the few times the veil between this world and the other-world lifted, allowing spirits to walk the earth. That included puka, banshees, fairies, and other spirits - some of them evil. That is where fire comes in - fire was used to ward off these spirits and was an important element in the celebration. Huge bonfires were lit and people wore ugly masks and disguises to confuse the spirits and stop the dead identifying individuals who they had disliked during their own lifetime. All inside fires had to be extinguished in order to be relit at Sanhaim with kindling from the bonfire.

The origin of the pumpkin jack-o-lantern is found in Celtic Ireland and has always been wrapped up in Halloween. The Celts used turnips for the first jack-o-lanterns, carving menacing faces on them and then lighting them and placing them at their door to ward off evil spirits and the like. Here's the story of how it came to be called a "Jack" o lantern:

"According to legend, the origin of the Halloween lantern can be found in the tale of a young blacksmith called Jack O'Lantern who made a pact with the Devil during a gambling session. He managed to thwart the Devil and extracted a promise from him that he would never take his soul.
When he eventually died, Jack was refused entry to heaven on account of his drunken, lewd and miserly ways. The Devil, remembering his earlier promise, also refused to allow him into hell. So Jack was condemned to roam the dark hills and lanes of Ireland for eternity.
His only possessions were a turnip with a gouged out centre and a burning coal, thrown to him by the Devil. He put the coal inside the turnip to light his way through the dark countryside where he still wanders......" https://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.c...

The tradition of trick-or-treat comes from a Druid tradition of collecting nuts, eggs, and apples from the people on Sanhaim. The Druids were the religious leaders of the people and if they felt the people were being stingy with their offerings, they may have played a "mild trick" on them.

If you'd like to learn more about the origins of Halloween, University College Dublin, has published a free booklet for Halloween. It explains the origins of Halloween and explores old Irish tales, legends and customs.You can download it free at https://www.duchas.ie/download/15.10....https://www.duchas.ie/download/15.10.23-halloween.pdf

Part II The Birthplace of Harry Potter, Edinburgh, Scotland
You only have to walk the streets of old Edinburgh to see and feel where J. K. Rowling got inspiration for the Harry Potter series. From the back windows of The Elephant House, Rowling could see in the distance, Edinburgh Castle and Greyfriars Kirkyard while she wrote the stories that would be loved my children and adults around the world.



Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh CastleJust down the road from The Elephant House cafe is Greyfriars Kirkyard, a cemetery where you can find the grave of William McGonagall, a Scottish poet and weaver, believed to be Rowling's inspiration for the name of Professor McGonagall. There is also the grave of Elizabeth Moodie, perhaps where Rowling got the name for Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody (even though Rowling has never confirmed this rumor). And what about the name - Tom Riddle, found on this tombstone?
Thomas Riddell headstone
Greyfriars KirkRowling has said she often took walks through the cemetery that was close to The Elephant House and Spoon, the two places I talked about in Part I of this blog. Greyfriars is more famous for the statue of Bobby, the Skye terrier who is said to have held vigil by his owners grave until his death - 14 years later.
Rowling also found inspiration for Hogwarts school in Edinburgh. There's no doubt Edinburgh Castle was inspirational, but there is also a school nearby called George Heriot's School. Built in 1623, it is still a functioning and prestigious school that has four wings and four "houses" Castle, Lauriston, Raeburn, and Greyfriars like Hogwart's: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.
George Heriot SchoolIn my mind's eye, I see J. K. Rowling standing at Edinburgh Castle looking down at the city of Edinburgh spread before her.

View of Edinburgh from Edinburgh CastleIt was also in the city itself that Rowling found more inspiration for Harry Potter. As I walked the part of the city called Old Edinburgh, I traversed the streets that make up the Royal Mile, the medieval part of the city that runs from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace. Many places along the Royal Mile reminded me of scenes from a Harry Potter movie, but it wasn't until I hit Victoria Street that I knew I had found Diagon Alley! The street curves and you can walk up to the top and look down on the shops that line both sides of the street.
Victoria Street/Diagon Alley


In the midst of Victoria Street is Diagon House - a Harry Potter store that is presented as “purveyors of all things Potter”. It was night by the time I got to go in the store, which only added to the magic! Stepping through that door was like stepping into the movie and if ever I get back to Scotland, I hope it's still there!

Scotland Blog III
The Birthplace of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series! PART I.
Edinburgh is the capital and largest city in Scotland, so there's endless historic places to visit. I loved everything I visited in Edinburgh, but my absolute favorite was two coffee/tea shops where the creator of Harry Potter actually sat and wrote the first two books! But first a little background.

British born Joanne Rowling is the perfect rags to riches story. She thought of the Harry Potter story while waiting on a stalled train, and in the seven years between that day and publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, she lost her mother, married, had a daughter, divorced and slipped into poverty. She moved to Edinburgh because her sister was there, and it was at the cafe owned by her brother-in-law that she wrote parts of Harry Potter.
The cafe was at that time called Spoon, but it is now called Black Medicine Coffee Co. This plaque is on the wall on the outside of the building.
I explored the inside of the cafe and was enchanted by the different rooms and furnishings. It was easy to imagine Rowling hard at work here, her baby daughter asleep in her pram, next to her.



Not far from this cafe is The Elephant House. Rowling also wrote Harry Potter here. She was still writing here when the first book was published, but with her growing fame, it was soon impossible to write without being interrupted.

Inside the Elephant House are pictures of Rowling actually writing in the cafe,
but the biggest surprise was the bathroom! The walls, and every available inch of space, are covered in messages thanking Rowling for writing Harry Potter! They are written in different colored magic markers and say things like, "Thank you for making my childhood wonderful."













 I can honestly say, I've never taken pictures of bathroom graffiti
 before!