Welcome to the Website

This is the website and blog of Paul and Michelle Brown.

We're not really sure what this site is going to be for but we hope you don't get too bored looking around.

Eventually the site will be a central point to keep our family and friends up to date with what we're up to as one side of our family is always going to be on the other side of the ocean.

For now you'll probably have to put up with inane ramblings about banjos and "what we did on our holidays..."

Enjoy!

broon and mish

Virgil and Bonnie

Jul 21st 2010

By: broon

1 comment

I’m finally back in Scotland and just about getting over my jet-lag. Right now I’m just enjoying being back with Mish and the Bump. Before I blog some more about some of my adventures in Kansas at Camp, I wanted to share with you a recording I made of Virgil and Bonnie singing.

Virgil is Camp Adventure’s Pastor. He and his wife Bonnie lead the campers during their Quest time. They are both wonderful people. I loved their singing – it was so heartfelt and authentic.

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broon's blog

camp adventure, folk, music
One Year On

Jul 3rd 2010

By: mish

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We have now been living in Musselburgh for just over a year and it continues to be the most lovely place to live. Now that it’s getting warmer, it’s especially nice to be so close to the sea again. A couple things have changed for us though – my work commute is really short now and Paul’s is even longer. In February his office was transferred out to Livingston so he now travels for over an hour on the bypass to get to work which is almost as exhausting as his job itself. Meanwhile, I have left Old Saint Paul’s Church in the city centre to now be the Children and Youth Worker at St. Philip’s Church in Joppa. This is just a five minute bus ride up the road and it’s the church where Paul and I were married so it’s like being home again!

The other big change is still on his way, though preparations for him have been happening all around us. Baby Boy Brown is expected on 18 September! I’m now 29 weeks along in the pregnancy and all is well – though with this summer heat, I’m more exhausted than ever. Paul is at the moment building the baby’s dresser/changing table we just had delivered in which is the first bit of furniture to prepare the baby’s room. This ofcourse means that Paul’s great music room has been taken apart and shifted elsewhere in the flat. His beloved instruments are now scattered around about the flat to make room for his new love. We are continually amazed by the wee guy even though we’ve not yet met him. He kicks up a storm and our midwife has said “he’s a very energetic baby!”

Paul is also busy preparing for his trip to Kansas. He leaves on Monday for two weeks in America. I will miss him greatly but am so proud of him for taking on this fantastic adventure. I know he’ll love playing his banjo with Patrick and getting to share his love of music with all the campers at Camp Adventure. I am jealous though that he’ll also get to visit Chicago and see our friends Liz and Dave without me… One day I’ll visit you Liz! In the meantime, I’ll be here – sorting baby clothes… lots to sort as we’ve been incredibly blessed by generous friends sending us quality hand-me-downs. Thanks to Morag, Heidi, Wookie, David & Carol for all those clothes, along with the knitted and new things from Grandma Carol, Aunt Moira, and Great-Grandma Fay – this Baby Boy will be better dressed than both his parents combined…

mish's blog

Baby Brown, banjo, camp adventure, costellos, Kansas, St. Philip's
Munich in May

Jul 3rd 2010

By: mish

No comments

This past May I had the great joy of representing ACTS (Action of Churches Together in Scotland), as a young person working for both the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Church of Scotland, at the 2^nd Ecumenical Kirchentag in Munich, Germany. Paul and I travelled over as part of a team from Scotland to participate in an incredible Christian conference filled with panel discussions, musical concerts, worship and fellowship. With around 250,000 people filling up the event locations all around Munich, this was an opportunity not to be missed and it also provided a last chance for Paul and I to be on holiday together before the arrival of Baby Brown!

The theme for this year’s Kirchentag was “That You May Have Hope” and for me, to be surrounded by so many other people who share a common faith and are excited to talk about their faith and learn from each other definitely filled me with hope. A shared joy in faith was also expressed in the many worship and prayer opportunities around about the Kirchentag. On our first morning there, Paul and I went along to a bible study to hear what Bishop Dr. Zephania Kameeta of Namibia would share on the covenant God set with Noah in Genesis. The Bishop’s talk was incredibly inspiring, but even more so when accompanied by the Red Roosters on Bridges choir rejoicing in God’s love for us. We found a similar sense of joy as well as peace much later in the day when we stood outside in the rain in the Marienplatz for evening prayers by candlelight. A couple days later, we stumbled upon a vibrant Gospel choir performance in another city square when we accidentally got off at the wrong underground stop. This was a happy accident as catching most of this Gospel Choir’s performance was a real highlight for me.

We didn’t manage to get to the Taizé Worship though which we both really wanted to take part in. We got to the conference hall in time for it, but found the hall was overfull, so the doors were blocked and you had to stand outside in hopes of getting one of the last remaining spaces inside. We were right by the door so I was sure we’d get inside if we waited, but as soon as someone approached the door to let a couple more people in, a crowd came out of nowhere and pushed their way to the front to get inside – I was nearly knocked over in the push for the door. It really amazed me how desperate people were to get into a worship service that they would push a visibly pregnant woman over just to pray… After that, Paul and I decided that we could just send up our prayers to God while getting ice cream at a less crowded location rather than fight to get inside…

For panel discussions, Paul and I opted for topics exploring millennium goals and understanding the effects of the financial crisis on developing countries. These discussions were quite interesting with a mixture of politicians and clergy and we always walked away with points to discuss further. At the Kirchentag, there are so many things to do that it can be quite overwhelming to choose what to see next so it was really great to meet up with more of the Scottish team for some meals to catch up on what discussions they had also been to during the day which gave us a much broader picture of what was on offer.

One day, most of the Scottish team took a trip from Munich centre to visit Dachau to see the first concentration camp. The day was filled with a mixture of emotions as we walked through the grounds and buildings which contain such a harrowing history. To see the living conditions of the prisoners and finally the Crematoria, which was built so methodically for the purpose of ending lives and disposing of bodies, was just overwhelming. The experience of seeing this place in person brought the horrors of the Holocaust out of the history books and to the present in such an intense way. It is a living reminder of what has been and what we pray may never be again.

The Kirchentag, with its message of hope and peace in faith, gives us direction and encouragement as Christians. It was a few short days in Munich, but those days were packed full with experiences I will not soon forget. Thanks to volcanic ash, part of our team even had a day afterwards to be touristy in sunny Munich which was the perfect way to end an incredible adventure. Baby Brown seemed to enjoy the trip as well. He kicked whenever we rode the trains and seemed to really enjoy all the Bavarian Pretzels I was eating since I couldn’t enjoy the excellent beer… Paul had to drink for all three of us, which I don’t think he minded very much!

A day later, we finally managed to get a flight home. However, our airline was one of the cheap ones which doesn’t assign seats, so the rush from the terminal to the plane just to get seats together brought back memories of our attempt to go to the Taizé Worship… this time though, I was much more defensive and managed to get six seats together for our team…

mish's blog

Baby Brown, Kirchentag, Munich, pretzel
Amy’s Waltz

May 5th 2010

By: broon

9 comments

Here’s a lovely wee tune written by Patrick Costello for his fiancée Amy.

Patrick got sick recently and ended up in hospital not long after his dad D.O.D. had a scare (We’re all pulling for you). After all their misadventures recently, Patrick asked the frailing banjo community to record the tune especially for Amy as she’s been through a lot in the last week or so.

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broon's blog

banjo, clawhammer, costellos, folk, frailing, ukulele
Kansas or Bust

Apr 20th 2010

By: broon

8 comments

***Warning: incredibly slushy and gushing post follows. You have been warned.***

For the last few months I have been organising a folk concert to raise funds for my trip this summer to Camp Adventure, Topeka, KS. I will be working with Patrick Costello helping to run a music program for youth and adults with disabilities.

The concert was on Saturday night and I am pleased to say that it went really well. Around 85 people came along and were wonderfully receptive to the music that the St Philips’ Pickers and I performed. I was extremely nervous and think I got away with murder but people seemed to really enjoy it. I even got to play an encore.

We raised an amazing amount of money and I’m still being given donations! This will cover the cost of my airfare and also a sizable donation to the instrument fund for Camp Adventure. People who came along on the night were incredibly generous as were those who could not attend but still donated money or lent support in other ways.

I am incredibly humbled by all the love and support I have received for my wee adventure. People have been so generous with their time and talents. Thank you!

Special thanks go to the Pickers: John Morrison, David and Sally Simpson, Rachel Gandy, Katie Chalmers and Grant Anthony. They all worked really hard and sounded great.

Angus Ireland and Jamie McDonald did a fantastic job with the sound and PA. They managed to record it too so stay tuned…

Sheena McDonald provided refreshments on the night, assisted by Carol Brackenridge, Anne Russell et al. Sheena’s Caramel Shortbread is the best I’ve ever tasted.

Thanks to Stewart Weaver who allowed us to use the church and did a power of advertising throughout the community and to Alex Thomson who was generous with his time and for putting up with us randomly moving furniture and bothering him during rehearsals.

Thanks to the folks at work who gave donations and came along, especially Fran who baked scones and gingerbread to sell for the cause.

Thanks also to Dougie for coming from so far away, for the photos and the amazing donation.

Most of all thank you to my lovely wife Mish who has been so supportive of me, the trip and putting on the concert. She has kept me calm and put up with my moods and stressing for the last three months with incredible grace and good humour. Her support and reassurance has allowed me to believe in myself and this concert wouldn’t have happened without her. I love her very much indeed.

This probably sounds like a bad Oscars speech for a “no big deal” event but I am genuinely thankful for everyone who helped in one way or another.

The plane tickets are booked. Look out Dorothy. I’m coming to Kansas. The adventure continues…

broon's blog

banjo, camp adventure, costellos, folk, music, travel, ukulele
Saturday morning folk song

Apr 10th 2010

By: broon

2 comments

Morning folks! It look’s like spring has finally sprung. I got up early this morning to enjoy the lovely spring-fresh morning and sat with my ukulele and a pot of coffee.

Here’s a version of the traditional folk song Wildwood Flower with frailing ukulele.

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broon's blog

coffee, folk, music, saturday, ukulele
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