Blessing Blackburn Musical ~ Installment 8

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“There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. ‘For whom am I toiling,’ he asked, ‘and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?’ This too is meaningless – a miserable business!” (Ecclesiastes 4:8)

Guest Blogger ~ Marie Sheahan Brown

Thursday, 4/5/12
9:00 am Pacific Time, near San Francisco

Miss Jane Marple, one of my favorite Agatha Christie detectives, lived and grew wise in the fictional country village of St. Mary Mead. The four cardinal virtues, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the seven deadly sins jostled there as neighbors. Being from a tiny village myself, I am acquainted with all of them. Such is the Human Condition.

Why would Blackburn, near Bathgate, West Lothian be any different?

When suddenly the careworn council house on Yule Terrace gleamed golden, its glow shone on vice and virtue all around. Susan seems wisely and slowly to be discerning one from another now that her village has expanded to seven continents.

For good reason, the Bible warns: “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10a). Money, itself, is not the root, because it can support truly noble causes – like providing food, clothing, and shelter for one’s family. But the love of this medium of exchange (or its near relatives like fame and power) can point us away from goodness and nobility, away from peace within our hearts, away from peace among one another.

In four visits to Blackburn since 2009, I have sensed both darkness and light in the village. I have asked very few questions about Susan, yet locals, to my surprise, have volunteered information. With a small minority, my heart has felt heavy, sad, and confused. I have heard of at least one friendship ruptured by suspicion and whispered or public accusations, as if the internet troll had wormed his way into rooms of brick and mortar. The malodor stays with my spirit as a warning. I don’t know exactly what is going on, but I know all is not well when one or more of the seven peskies seem to hover in fetid darkness.

Conversely, I have encountered other locals – most notably our forum members stevieboy49, Little Tiger, moira, Scottish Mary, wullawonta, and their dear ones – who, having tested our sincerity, have responded to the higher ideals beckoning all of us. They celebrate Susan’s new life, respect and care about her as a person, seek no selfish gain, offer generosity, and live in gratitude for the expanding genuine friendships we share as a worldwide community of supporters. When I think of these friends, my heart lifts.

Let me be bold: This is what God wants for us, His beloved children, just as good parents rejoice when their children are happy, doing both good and well, and getting along.

The Beloved to whom I have professed my own vows said during the meal we re-live this Holy Thursday in kairos time: “I call you not servants but friends.”

In a kairos moment several weeks ago, I happened upon a thin paperback book lying on a table where it didn’t belong. I recognized the author’s name – Saint Aelred of Rievaulx – which I had learned only recently. This slim treasure, Spiritual Friendship, had been translated and published in 1977 by an American monastery of the popularly acclaimed saint’s ancient Cistercian order.

Born c. 1110 in Hexham, 23 miles west of Newcastle upon Tyne, Aelred was sent at about 15 to live in the court of King David I of Scotland. An esteemed member of the royal household, he stayed for about 10 years before entering the Cistercian monastery in Rievaulx in 1134. He became a beloved and prominent abbot at Rievaulx and made annual visitations to the abbey’s daughterhouses, including the beautiful Melrose Abbey, founded by King David I, about 40 miles south of Edinburgh. Saint Aelred died in 1167. He was known for holiness, kindliness, and wisdom. Upon the death of King David I, who had remained a close friend, Aelred wrote a eulogy documenting King (Saint) David’s own piety, virtues, and good works.

Aelred’s Spiritual Friendship starts with Cicero’s definition: “Friendship is mutual harmony in affairs human and divine coupled with benevolence and charity.” Aelred then develops these principles from a Christian view supported by Scripture, encouraging true spiritual friendship as a participation in God’s own inner Trinitarian life. He also identifies false friendships, placing them in two general categories: friendship for carnal pleasure, and friendship for material gain.

I found a beautiful summary by Sister Patricia Carroll, OCSO, a Cistercian nun:

http://www.catholicireland.net/spirituality/general/490-aelred-of-rievaulx-on-spiritual-friendship

If we follow Saint Aelred’s counsel, Susan is wise to discern the character and intent of people who approach her now that she is famous and wealthy. She is wise to live among people she has known her whole life, whose character and intent could not hide for long in a small village.

Many of us yearn to be true cuppa-tea friends with Susan. We surprise ourselves with this realization, because most of us never desire friendship with other celebrities whom we admire.

Why do we feel this way?

I believe that in our desire for genuine friendship with Susan, herself – which logistics make improbable for most of us – we are seeking to live ideals together with Susan and others.

We who traveled to Newcastle in person or in cyberspace, who have been forming friendships with one another as we support Susan’s career, seem drawn to the ideals of Truth, Love, Justice, and Beauty. Does not the famous audition video neatly depict the triumph of these ideals?

According to Father Robert J. Spitzer, SJ, PhD, and to his classical and biblical sources, these are the only goods that can bring true and lasting happiness (other goods are good, but insufficient). These also happen to be qualities of God for which our souls thirst. (Healing the Culture: A Commonsense Philosophy of Happiness, Freedom and the Life Issues)

Susan, by developing and offering her God-given gifts, attracts hearts to these ideals, and community forms around them. This is precisely how the gifts of God work, and He often uses the most humble and unlikely instruments. Susan acknowledges this in her book. We need not exalt Susan and put her on a pedestal – which is one reason many of us applauded when she put her foot down to “stay grounded” on Yule Terrace.

Susan intrigues us with her “many sides” so guilelessly offered or, if not safe, prudently withheld from view. Many of us genuinely want to be her friend in a comfortable mutual way. Must this be psychologized with suspicion and technical labels? No. Consider our unexpected friendships with people we have come to know thanks to Susan. We know when friendships are real and growing, based on mutual recognition of goodness and shared ideals. Such friendships can and ought to take time to develop (according to Saint Aelred), but if the foundations are strong, so the building will be.

Most of us enter friendship with personal imperfections. We all still must take stock and attend to the darkness and light within our hearts. Am I now being enticed by one of the seven deadlies, or is my heart moving toward goodness? I can choose to move toward goodness, which, like sparkling white snow, collects more as it rolls along.

Whether one is Christian or not, some handy lists from Galatians, Chapter 5, can help us sort out what’s going on inside and outside of us.

In the category of darkness we find: “immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.”

In the category of light we find: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

We sense and are drawn to the goodness within Susan, which sparkles through the earthiness, the admitted outbursts, and the foibles we embrace because we love her foundational character and spirit, and because our hearts sing with her voice.

Those of us who would love to be true cuppa-tea friends with Susan feel no need to idealize her, to have her be other than who she is. Who among us does not settle with relief into the armchair of a good friend who accepts and loves us as we are? Such acceptance offers us the safety to be honest and to improve.

A true friend does not take something from us, nor do we take something from our friend. Attend to the message in your heart: Wanting to get something from someone feels different from sharing with someone. In true friendship, we give companionship and support mutually with joy – and with a good reserve of tolerance.

Nearly 100 good-hearted people from 15 countries and 20 of the United States of America gathered as a group in Newcastle. We were Catholics and other Christians, people of the Jewish faith or of no religious tradition (those are just the ones I know about). We were rich and not so rich, young and venerable, with various first languages and professions. If I had to choose one word to describe my impression of the people gathered, it would be “kindness.”

I enjoy traveling with Bonnie to Susa-events in part because we both honestly acknowledge our dreamed desire for true cuppa-tea friendship with Susan. I can attest that Bonnie enjoys true friendships in her life, as do I. Yet a tendency toward friendship is expansive. An open heart tends not to say, “Okay. I’ve had enough. I’ve just run outta love.” God’s friendship is exactly the opposite.

Lord, help us as you did Saint Aelred of Rievaulx.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9)
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Blessing Blackburn NYC ~ Installment 2

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” (Romans 12:14)

Guest Blogger ~ Marie Sheahan Brown

Thursday, 11/26/09
4:08 pm near San Francisco, California

“Love and blessings, Susan Boyle”

I saw her autograph on two different fans’ memorabilia. She writes the person’s name and then, “Love and blessings, Susan Boyle.”

Words are living things. Once uttered or written or even communicated nonverbally, they discharge energy, create waves of effect, and cannot be taken back. Consider the power of the Word made flesh. Consider the malevolence of a curse, the damage wrought by an internet troll, a schoolyard bully, an undermining gossip, a cruel tabloid reporter. Consider then – please – the magnanimous transforming energy of a multitude of small blessings. We each carry such power and responsibility.

I don’t know the reasons Susan Boyle chose as her standard closing, “Love and blessings, Susan Boyle.” I would like to think she knows or intuits exactly what she is doing.

The priests of her cherished religion carry a special power to bless all kinds of things: marriages, houses, babies, pets, large crowds. Non-ordained people do not diminish or usurp this priestly role by their everyday actions and words of blessing. Sacred Scripture testifies that the Creator and Lord of the universe has granted each citizen a share of power and expects us to use it for good. St. Paul in Romans 12:14 urges, “Bless those who persecute (you), bless and do not curse them.”

In the heart of New York City this past weekend, some 100 identified Susan Boyle fans congregated from around America and other countries to support and appreciate Susan’s first solo appearance on the world stage. At Rockefeller Plaza early Monday morning, thousands of unidentified fans showed up from the highways and byways. Millions of world citizens tuned in on television or internet. The vast majority of these have already experienced “love and blessings” from Susan Boyle. Wow. And there’s more to come.

On Monday morning, for the first time since she unwittingly unleashed the worldwide Susan Boyle Phenomenon, the Scottish songbird wasn’t just one performer among many. She wasn’t pre-taped with the comforting fudge factor of editors able to choose and tailor the best performance. Monday morning at Rockefeller Plaza, Miss Susan Boyle was the performer. She had to stand and deliver live before the world. Imagine the pressure on this wee lassie from Blackburn, Scotland, who is much more petite than I had imagined, just a little over five feet tall.

The NBC Today Show’s official videos capture the love radiating from the sea of faces Susan beheld. As a member of that audience, I know – I hope – she felt our unabashed love. She interacted playfully with us before and after each song, her charmingly childlike spirit free to express itself with no fear of judgment. She seemed relaxed yet exuberant. She was among friends, was she not?

Like fire, love and blessings gain warmth with mutuality. The Susan Boyle Phenomenon isn’t only Susan loving and blessing us with her gorgeous voice and sweet autographs. We love and bless her, too, and one another. The delightful gathering of fans in New York City, just seven months after we first came to know each other’s avatars and handles on the internet, testifies to the truth that genuine love and blessings are not only possible but powerfully real even in a world wracked by malice, violence, and fear.

One of my favorite quotes from Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D., describes what Susan Boyle started when she took that bus to Glasgow on January 21, 2009, and declared, “I’m going to sing for you on Britain’s Got Talent today”:

One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires ... causes proper matters to catch fire. To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these — to be fierce and to show mercy toward others, both — are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity. Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. If you would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you can do.

Susan carries her power of “love and blessings” humbly. She knows their source in the kindly mighty God she worships. She understands what it means to be an instrument, to be “Who I Was Born to Be.” She experiences the world’s thirst as sometimes “surreal,” sometimes “overwhelming.” We have witnessed, felt, and stood with her in tears and elation. I, personally, have sensed a mature, nurturing solitude in her life alongside her obvious devotion to family and friends. Her spare, direct words in interviews and the handwritten comments on her album demonstrate intelligence and the keen perception born of contemplation.

A very good spiritual director I know says of Susan Boyle, “She is self-authorizing.” She knows her gift – honed, honed, honed to perfection over decades of world obscurity. She kept on going through the defeats wrought by people of shallow judgment. She kept listening to the loving, encouraging voices of her mother and her God. She kept listening to her own voice. She developed courage and strength to go on. She kept singing for free to “make people happy.” She kept giving “love and blessings.”

Susan is who she is, and she has many sides.

In person, I experienced the unedited Susan. I fell in love again with a new tenderness, a renewed desire to shield her from insensitive cads of any gender or profession. This determined, resilient woman who “just kept going” has the spirit and unfettered candor of a child.

The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

Her demonstrative comical humor can startle and puzzle people who aren’t paying attention to its subtle brilliance. She lays her head tenderly on the shoulder of one she senses is kind. She looks directly into the eyes of a stranger who says, “thank you,” and draws the stranger’s face to her cheek. Cor ad cor loquitur. Heart speaks to heart. She cries easily when vexed or heart-touched. She play-acts dialogues with her sweet wee Pebbles. Those of superficial judgment who rate and berate her according to boring rules of social propriety miss the gift altogether. Larger hearts notice that, despite everything, never have we heard the once-bullied Susan speak unkindly of another, although she has learned to “defend her corner.”

A friend of mine observes, “She has set up no superstructure of image.” Susan is uniquely and completely Susan. She is the very “love and blessings” of God to us.

What return shall we make?

I suggest the simple hospitality of unconditional love, understanding, and acceptance.

With unbearable poignancy, Susan sings her own answer in her first-ever professional album:

Why can’t you say you love me as I
Say you want me as I am
Say I’m someone in your eyes….
I’m on my knees so help me please
Please don’t shoot me down
Though you can’t see it now,
Someday I’ll make you proud.

This morning near San Francisco, we opened our Thanksgiving prayer at SVdP’s Catherine’s Center with Susan’s rendition of “Up to the Mountain.” Each of us then shared three things for which we are grateful. Many tears spilled in this room full of women seeking to change their lives after sometimes decades of the revolving doors of jail and prison.

Some days I look down
Afraid, afraid I will fall…
But I hear your, your sweet voice
Oooh
Come and then go
Come and then go
Lord, telling me softly
You love me so.

Yesterday, I played this same song for two of our alumnae visiting briefly. I then showed them Susan’s 500-million-YouTube-viewed audition and the Today Show performance.

Diana exclaimed, “The world needs Susan Boyle!”

And Tiffany, “God chose the weak of this world to confound the strong.”

Diana: “It was for such a time as this that she was called….”

These women’s lives testify to the knee-bending reality of suffering, grace, and redemption that imbue Susan’s voice with its power.

Susan, your music reaches our depths and heights. Your “love and blessings” do profoundly more than “make people happy.”

Thank you.

Blessing Blackburn ~ The Sequel ~ Installment 8

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15)

Guest Blogger ~ Marie Sheahan Brown

Tuesday, 9/8/09
12:48 pm somewhere over the North Atlantic

By early Monday, just after midnight, Leslie and I had decided, “Why bother going to bed at normal Blackburn time?” We’d be flying back to America soon, where our body clocks were more aligned to the night-shift hours we’d been keeping.

Besides another fine Scottish breakfast, one other item hovered on the morning agenda. In my haste to get to Mass on Sunday, I had forgotten Leslie’s camera; hence, I hadn’t gotten a photo of the framed musical score.

I slipped into Susan’s church for the Communion service that about 20 parishioners take turns leading when the priest is on deck in other parishes. I was beginning to recognize faces of the regulars, including the silver-haired lady who’d stopped in to pray days before. They would be among Susan’s daily companions, decade after decade.

After the service, I approached the distinguished-looking man in charge this morning. Joe easily found The Gift in the vestry, and I took the photo. Then we chatted.

Leslie and I didn’t go to Blackburn as investigative reporters to pry about Susan, her family, or people who might be friends. We went to bless and be blessed, to experience, not to snoop. Nevertheless, when I told Joe about our reasons for being here, he noted his long friendship with Susan’s parents. In an interconnected village and church, families know each other long and well. Joe volunteered that Susan’s mother was a wonderful artist, which I had not heard before.

Joe’s internet-savvy, so I gave him the blog address. Hello, Joe, if you’re reading this! Thanks for your kind hospitality.

On return to the Burnview B and B, I thought, “Hmm. As long as my hours are weird anyway, I might as well take a morning nap” – which stretched into early afternoon. It was time to blog, and I needed coffee. Leslie said the library, Blackburn Connected, has a coffee machine – 50 pence a cup.

As I walked along the Bathgate-Blackburn road, two older gentlemen across the road hailed me over. Jim and Michael had seen me in church the day before. (See what I mean by everyone knowing everyone else? A new face really stands out!) They were a delightful pair, good pals for more than 50 years; their wives, too, I gathered. To me they represent the rich possibilities of life in a village.

We three kept walking toward “downtown.” They stopped to chat with some ladies waiting for the bus. I, personally, value this aspect of village life – having grown up and even spent recent years in a tiny forest community in Oregon. http://www.metoliusriver.com/. My casual daily encounters with friends on trails and at the store/post office provided connection and belonging, a pattern of life that I love. Susan would know the treasure of this, too.

At the library in the small mall, I realized that “Blackburn Connected” means more than connecting to the internet or printed sources. It’s another meeting place (besides the parish or the pubs) where the locals can connect just by showing up, no appointments needed. Even non-locals like Leslie and I could show up and feel welcome.

In fact, as I was blogging at Blackburn Connected, a steaming paper cup of espresso at hand, who should walk in but Hugh. “I thought I might find you or Leslie here,” he said. As usual, he offered perspicacious insights on local news. But his real reason was just to say, “Farewell, and have a safe journey.”

On April 10 this year, Leslie and I never imagined we would share budding friendships with people in West Lothian, Scotland, thanks to Susan and the remarkable connecting power of YouTube and the internet. Indeed, such connections can be faceless, impersonal, rude, exploitive, trashy, even dangerous. But with underlying motives of sincerity and goodness, most of us on worldwide fan sites dedicated to Susan Boyle are fostering genuine friendships with people we would love to meet one day – at a concert, a fan gathering, or even at Blackburn Connected.

We fans are experiencing the power of the written word for good or for harm; thus, our obligation to wield this power with sensitivity and respect. Our words present us to the world, a source of news and opinion. Now we all are journalists obligated to uphold the dignity and honor of our vocation.

In a while, Leslie showed up – and instantly recognized Kiera, the 11-year-old poet, who had come in with her mom to log on to the internet. How fortuitous! Leslie handed them Kiera’s much-folded poem about Susan and mentioned that several impressed fans, well known in our virtual community, want to write encouraging notes to her. Kiera’s mom gave us an email address to use, which she, the protective mom, always supervises. (Good on ye, mom!)

The library closed at 5:00 p.m. As Leslie and I left, the friendly but not-to-be-messed-with Mill Centre guard approached. During our Japanese TV interview, he had told us of visits to America, including San Francisco. He asked (as many had) how we were enjoying our stay. Of course, we were loving it!

We walked kitty-corner across the road to the Happy Valley for lemonade and, perhaps, a bit of pool. I’d read of Leslie’s sharkly exploits during her June visit. We hadn’t played pool together since our brother’s wedding in 2003. Was I a bit nervous? “Yea, sure, now!” Good thing her pal John was there, and his pool-playing-buddy Rob, who proposed a team match – like mixed doubles in tennis.

Ever notice that beginner’s luck can kick in again after a few years? Well, lucky for me, it did – for the first few shots. After that, it didn’t matter. At least I didn’t embarrass my twin by ripping the felt! She and John won graciously.

The village pubs don’t serve pub grub, and Leslie and I were hungry. We headed toward The Qualifryer Fish & Chicken Bar attached to The Mill Centre, and I was determined to try the Haggis Pudding. Alas, The Qualifryer was closed. Next time, perhaps.

Good fortune arrived on bicycle tires. Two of the sweet, lively girls Leslie and Del had met in June spotted us and rushed over to greet us. They offered to find the traveling chip trailer. Off they raced on their bikes, reminding us of ourselves at their age. After trawling the neighborhoods of Blackburn for 10 minutes, they returned – not a chip trailer in sight. We thanked them anyway for their efforts, and once again they hopped on their bikes.

We had opted for Chinese takeaway, just across the parking lot from The Qualifryer. The owner was sweeping the speck-less sidewalk as we approached. Chinese take-out menus seem much the same in San Francisco, New York City, and Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland. Salivating at mental images of fried rice and mushroom chicken, we suddenly felt two presences beside us: our helpful little friends! The least we could do was spring for their favorites – chips and curry sauce.

Leslie and I asked for chopsticks, expecting packets of disposable wooden ones. The owner nodded, went back to the storeroom, and, after many minutes, returned with real chopsticks (for a small addition to our tab), which Leslie and I now keep as souvenirs.

We finally parted trails with our local scouts and headed back to the Burnview. Mmmm. Chinese takeaway never tasted better than on our tiny table between the twin beds.

Just then, Stevieboy49 arrived as planned. This was our last opportunity to check in at the Happy Valley Pub, to say, “adios amigos.” I also had a book to return to Delizia and a couple more Harper’s Bazaars for the denizens.

We were happy to find Jock the pool player there, along with his lovely bride, Debbie. We handed him his very own copy of HB, into which he immediately burrowed at the table next to Susan’s, fascinated and delighted by the article and pictures. Leslie got a priceless photo, which she has since emailed to Harper’s Bazaar.

Leslie and Del’s knowledgeable acquaintance Tony, who had regaled them on local history in June, had been out of town for a few days. Tonight, he was in the pub. He and Stevieboy49 had much in common to discuss, though monolithic their views were not. Tony operates from deep passion for the underdog, while Stevieboy49 mines history for truth from all perspectives. We can report, both men of passion live for goodness and justice.

I think that’s one reason both of them, and others, accept Leslie and me. It’s not that Leslie and I are so good; it’s that we care about what they care about, in our own ways. We both have found our life callings working alongside people who are underdogs. Currently, she heads a small non-profit ministry among recent Russian-speaking immigrants; I serve with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in a program for women seeking new life after jail or prison.

Historically, many, including Susan’s parents, immigrated to Blackburn from Ireland and elsewhere. Perhaps through their own experiences or family stories, the locals we met can relate to the hardships Russian-speaking immigrants face, and how they might appreciate a Native American guide in Brooklyn, New York.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul business card identifying my backpack served as a passport with some of the locals, including Tony. They know SVdP firsthand and even have a Frederic Ozanam Club in Susan’s church. The world of goodness is, indeed, a small world.

After Stevieboy49 deposited us at the Burnview B and B, Leslie and I tiptoed upstairs to our cozy Twin Room. It was after midnight, but neither of us wanted to sleep through the last few hours of our Twin Adventure in Blackburn. I drank hot Airborne while she drank tea. We began sorting through the day’s digital photos, reminiscing, thinking of captions. We caught up with the fan site and YouTube pub news. We typed a few blogthoughts for further development.

Sometime after 3:00 am, almost reluctantly, we curled up under our duvets for catnaps before dawn.

Blessing Blackburn ~ The Sequel ~ Installment 2

"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)

Thursday, 9/3/09
3:05 pm in Blackburn, Scotland

The days have flown by since I last posted! It was with fond memories of little Blackburn that I went from international bank to international bank in gargantuan Brooklyn, unable to exchange dollars for pounds without waiting a few days for my small order to be filled. How simple the exchange had been in Blackburn, with the option of either the counter at the post office or the ATM near the door. Still, I decided not to risk everything on availability of funds in Blackburn, so I made plans to exchange at JFK enough funds for my room and a few meals and bus rides, and the rest as needed in Blackburn.

Packing was so simple! Laptop (check), purse (check) and canvas bag smaller than a cat carrier (check) were all that I needed! My dear immigrant “mamochka” Gulia had provided something special for Marie and me (more on that later), and even the three extra items for my twin fit into my bag. The heaviest load between the two of us would be the 11 copies of Harper’s Bazaar, weighing a total of 22 pounds, which Marie had purchased as gifts for people in Blackburn.

On the first day of September, Del drove me the 15 miles from our home in Brooklyn to JFK Airport in Queens (all within a small section of New York City), and with a hug and a kiss and a prayer dropped me off at one of the Delta terminals. I had gotten my boarding pass online the night before, expecting to check my one little bag. When I got to the counter, the lady smiled warmly and asked if that was all?! Then she said that I would probably be able to take all three items as carry-on luggage because they were so small, even though only two items were normally allowed – and if security said no, then she would have my tag ready. I quickly passed through security, and soon received a call from Marie saying she had landed and was already at Gate 3! She also had managed to fly with only carry-on items, so as we met again for the first time in 3 years, we had no concerns about our luggage parting with such sweet sorrow.

Marie and I are the co-oldest of 5 children (she was born first by 25 minutes). Our younger brothers and sister are not the Susafans that we are, but we’re sure they will really enjoy her CD for Christmas! Since birth, in addition to our formal names, Marie and I have been called Bear and Bird. It’s not quite Ant and Dec, but then again neither is it Susan and Elaine! Marie was happy to show me her carefully-packed ton of Harper’s Bazaars featuring Susan, as well as her socks, part of the Pebbles Boyle Fall Collection. There was no wi-fi in our area of the terminal at JFK, so our first post en route would have to wait.

Our overnight flight directly to Edinburgh (pronounced Edinburuh by the locals) was supposed to take 7.5 hours, but literal hurricane-strength tailwinds propelled us to a smooth landing that was almost 1.5 hours early! While waiting for a ride from Hugh, our generous YouTube Susan’s Pub friend, Marie and I found some delicious coffee at Edinburgh Airport – but again no wi-fi in areas that we could access. So my pre-paid 30 minutes of T-Mobile wi-fi, left over from our June trip, would have to wait.

Hugh picked us up exactly as scheduled, appalled that he was so late! No problem! It’s good to learn to be content in any situation. On the way to Blackburn, Hugh drove us through West Lothian’s latest big town, Livingston, which has rapidly grown in size and stature during the past few decades. We walked through a gorgeous new mall with many different fashionable stores, and I thought about the possibility that Susan in the past had probably traveled by bus to shop here, but with limited resources. Who could ever have guessed that she would be featured in America’s legendary fashion magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and be credited with an increase of some 2,000,000 views of their September online edition?

The ride from Livingston to Blackburn took only about 10 minutes by way of the old highway that becomes Main Street when it passes east-to-west through Blackburn. It is a rather busy road for traffic between the several villages along the route. But stopping in Blackburn seems inconvenient, because there is little or no parking available near the few businesses located on that stretch of road. Our Blackburn lodging, the charming Burnview Bed and Breakfast, is located on Main Street. We met delightful Shirley, dropped off our luggage, then backtracked on Main Street to its intersection with Blackburn-Bathgate Road. This main north-south street in Blackburn is also busy with substantial traffic that just passes through. In one sense, Blackburn is active; but in another sense, the bustle belongs to someone else and the residents just go on with life in their small village with its hundreds of years of ups and downs.

Hugh immediately drove us to see Susan’s house, near his own childhood home. No traffic, no gawkers besides us, no reporters, no TV cameras (until tomorrow, for a short while!). On the same day that www.amazon.com pre-sales of Susan’s late-November-scheduled debut CD were zooming overnight to first place among all albums currently being sold in the United States, the street where she has lived since birth was peaceful under the rain-laden clouds of Scotland. First on Susan’s summer shopping list was the home her family had rented for almost 50 years. It looks as though she is now able to scrape together enough cash to buy it! She’s among millions of friends, is she not?

Hugh dropped us off at the small mall, and we headed first for the Blackburn Connected library inside. The librarian cheerfully assigned computers 6 and 7 to us, and we briefly signed in to update fellow Susafans at www.forum.susan-boyle.com and the main YouTube site, Susan’s Pub, at www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY. Then we went hunting for a special picture frame that Marie will blog about later. The many frames in two little stores were not exactly what we needed, but the clerks were very patient and helpful. Returning briefly to the library, Marie found the address of a frame shop in Bathgate. We bought some healthy edibles at the Scotmid cooperative grocery in the small mall, briefly stopped by the Happy Valley for a photo op and lemonade in Susan’s seat, and then hopped on the bus to Bathgate, only a mile or two away.

The frame shop was closed on Wednesdays. But we were glad to spot a café with free wi-fi and made a mental note to return as needed. We ate our fruit and veggie snacks seated on a sunny bench in Bathgate’s pretty town square, then waited for a Blackburn-bound bus. After a few minutes, we realized that the various buses to various destinations had various bus stops all adjacent to one another. So, like bees in search of perfect pollen, we bumbled along from one stop to the next, looking for something that said Blackburn. Sure enough, a bus finally stopped and we boarded, followed by a nice fellow that we had seen earlier at the Happy Valley. He sat directly in front of us, and then another man boarded the bus, recognized his friend, and sat down right beside him. It was John Boyle, Susan’s brother! Amazing! We were in shock! The two men were chatting away, and we didn’t want to interrupt their conversation, so we didn’t bother him. Here’s hoping we will see him again during our time in Blackburn!

Back in the village, we enjoyed the blue sky and fluffy white clouds as we walked from the bus stop to Susan’s church. The doors were open, but no one was there. A printed sheet listed the weekly schedule and who would be conducting certain activities. We wondered how often Susan had sat in the choir loft at the back of the sanctuary.

A brief walk away was the small mall, where we promptly ran into Alison, the tirelessly devoted and savvy leader of the Blackburn Community Council, with whom Del and I had spoken back in early July. Blessing Blackburn options are still in the consideration phase, and of course we all want to be sensitive and patient. Alison mentioned that she had read my blog, and filled us in on some of the latest Blackburn news. I asked how they felt about tourists visiting Blackburn. She noted that things had quieted down considerably since the initial deluge of reporters and camera crews. The disruptions to the community had come largely from journalists, photographers and TV trucks vying for stories, but now the flow was much more pleasant and manageable. She mentioned the Japanese TV crew that would be here on Friday. We noted that they had contacted us, too, when they found out from the fan site about our return trip to Blackburn. They had politely asked if they could come along with us on a little informal tour of significant Susan spots in Blackburn, and we agreed! Japan Broadcasting Corporation is the main public television channel in Japan, and they are producing for October airing a prime-time nationwide program about the Susan Boyle phenomenon that has also swept Japan! My blog has links to some of the news articles about the Japanese documentary, which will also be covered on Friday by STV – Scottish Television.

Busy Alison chatted with us for about 15 minutes, then ran off to her next mission. Marie and I still had some time to kill before the official check-in of 4:00 pm at our home away from home, so after catching a few jet-lagged winks seated on a bench near the small mall, we walked to the Burnview Bed and Breakfast on the banks of the Almond River, met Shirley’s friendly husband Colin, and settled into the cozy Twin Room overlooking the Almond and a green hillside of grazing cows. Rest and relaxation at the bed and breakfast! And, oh, what joy fills my soul! The Burnview has free wi-fi for its guests!

After a few hours, we walked through light rain to THE fish and chips shop at the back of the small mall, and ordered Susan’s favorite. There is no seating inside, and the mall was closed, so we walked across the parking lot to a bus stop and perched on the rail eating our delicacies. Following our brief but memorable feast, we walked to the Happy Valley Pub and had a long and interesting conversation with the owner, a feisty and straightforward woman of Italian and French descent, who was born and raised in the Blackburn area. Delizia is a hard-working, can-do person with a heart for people in trouble. She also affirmed that the frame shop in Bathgate was just the place to find what we needed!

Returning to the Burnview, we discovered that Hugh had thoughtfully stopped by with an umbrella! Bless his heart – more of that wonderful Scottish hospitality! Marie and I soon forgot that we were tired and began to work on our blog entries – I on my Dell and she on her Mac. Dell, Mac – there’s something about that name – well, of course! My dear husband, Del McMillan, is holding down the fort in Brooklyn, checking in now and then by single-digit cell dial, and waiting along with everyone else for photos and blog entries!