Grandchildren, and the endless curve of learning and loving
On a recent visit to my son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren, the children introduced me to a movie called Song of the Sea. I’m not normally a fan of animated films, but this one, made in Ireland, had a charm and a mystique that was oddly appealing.
One of the characters in Song of the Sea is a Selkie (variant spelling is Silkie). The Selkie legends, a component of Scottish folklore, have come down to us from Orkney and Shetland. It posits the existence of beings who are seals in the sea and, by shedding their skins, become humans on dry land.
I was reminded of the song sung by Joan Baez, The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry. The version she sang was drawn from Francis James Child’s landmark collection of English and Scottish folk songs, a multi-volume work published in the late 1880s. 
The song relates the havoc and heartbreak wrought by a male Selkie during his sojourn upon the land. Song of the Sea, however, ends on a happier note, as you wish stories to do that are told to children.
I cherish this version of the song by the Unthanks, with Julie Fowlis singing in Scots Gaelic.
Anyway – back to the grandchildren: Here they are, going back to school, earlier this month:
Etta, age 7, and Welles, age 4
And Welles turns FIVE today. Happy Birthday, Welles!!
Books to the Ceiling 
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