Throughout the remainder of the weekend, we enjoyed the Celtic tribal pipe and drum music of Albannach, took a Gaelic singing class, attended the Sunday morning outdoor Scottish church service, marched in the Sunday afternoon Parade of Tartans, ate haggis, Scotch eggs, and meat pies and drank IrnBru... we met and befriended folks from our own Clan Lindsay at the Lindsay tent and readily agreed to officially join the Clan as soon as we could return home and trace the lineage to our own Scottish Lindsay.
Two weeks after we had returned home, processed all our pictures and downloaded as many Albannach songs as we could find... a package came in the mail with the return address in the UK! My Hugh grinned that cute sheepish grin he has when he's up to something or trying to surprise me... But like the big kid that he is, he couldn't wait for a gourmet dinner or a glass of champagne, or even a "down on one knee" stance...
He opened up the package, made me close my eyes and slipped a ring on my finger... a sterling silver Claddagh... he hemmed and hawed and cleared his throat obviously searching for just the right words... but the most that would come out was the short sentence... You want to? I didn't need any more words... but leapt into his arms, tears of joy welling up in my eyes... Yes!
We are not spring chickens... this was not either of our first marriages... honestly I expected no more than a quick trip to the Justice of the Peace... but my sweet, romantic man (of the "You want to") said to me, "Wouldn't it be cool to get married at the Highland Games next year?" "Can people DO that?" I asked... the wheels in my brain already beginning to turn with ideas... "We can ask!"
And so began a year of research and planning that ended in the most personal, romantic, unique, beautiful wedding any girl could ever dream of!
The Claddagh
The meaning of the claddagh ring gives the ring its significance. The hands of the ring are shown holding the heart and the hands denote friendship and togetherness, the heart itself signifies love and the crown in the claddagh ring stands for loyalty.
In a nutshell the meaning of the Claddagh ring could be summarized as, Let Love and Friendship Reign Forever.
The meaning and significance of the Claddagh ring is not just in the crown, heart and clasping hands, it also extends to the hand on which the ring is worn and the direction in which the crown on the ring points. In case of a married or engaged person Claddagh rings are worn on the left hand with the crown pointing away from the (the person wearing the ring) heart. For a person willing to consider love the ring is traditionally worn on the right hand with the crown pointing away from the heart. For a person not interested in starting a relationship the Claddagh ring is worn on the right hand with the crown pointing towards the heart.
My ring is on my left hand with the crown pointing away... ENGAGED!!!!
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