Bonny Knee Contest by Cornelia Amiri

If you’ve never been to a Bonny Knee Contest, let me share a little about them. For these contests, brawn, lusty sons of Scotland, garbed in clan tartans, gather together, not for war, but to bare their knees to a blind folded lassie. The judge, sits as pretty as a queen, blindfolded so she can’t see the knees before her. Lifting her hands, palms outward, she wiggled her fingers, ready to explore the line of men in kilts.


The first Scot takes the stage, loudly shuffling his feet as he scoots up to the lassie’s lap, he pressed his hard muscled calves up against her shapely legs. Reaching out, the lassie lays the palms of her soft hands over his bare knees. When she has had her feel of one man’s knees, another lad steps forward, and so it goes.

The men walked forward one by one, and lift their kilts to the blindfolded lassie for a second round of judging. At moments when a judge seems unsure of where to place her fingers, another lassie assists by guiding her hands to the fellows’ knees. The judge dare not touch something higher than the knee. Some of the contestants from time to time may lift their kilt a little too high. We don’t want to see more than knees.

Sometimes the judges seem to be have a bit too much fun and take several rounds to pick a winner. But they do need to be sure to pick the right one. It’s only fair. Once the judge makes their choice, the winner is announced, they usually get bragging rights and a trophy or a small prize.

I hope you enjoy the pictures, they are from the Kilgore Texas Celtic Heritage Festival, the town is nestled amid the flowering dogwood, and stately pine trees of East Texas. If you ever get a chance to go to a Bonny Knee contest you should, as you can see they are hilarious and lots of fun.

For more about the Celts and Romance please visit my website at http://CelticRoamnceQueen.com
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2010 At An End

On this eve of New Year's Eve, 2011, I am reminiscing and giving thanks to a year of good health, a still working imagination and wherewithall to use it. A list, checked and added to more than twice in 364 days in 2010 begins with thanks for still being in business as an independent bookstore owner. Yes, Virginia, there are still readers in the world! There aren't many Nook or Kindle owners in my little Ozark town, just readers who like to go about it the old-fashioned way, for which I say hooray!

And to the readers of my books, I raise a glass brimming with appreciation. I write because I love it and because I have a huge collection of 'people' running around in my mind, talking to me at all hours about very personal things and they want their stories told. How wonderful to have others besides me interested in what they have to say. Thank you, thank you.

To Leanne Burroughs, chief editor of Highland Press, thank you for inviting my stories to be part of HP's family of authors. Patti Howell, my editor, a thousand thank yous for your insights, opinions and wise words, and to Lightning Press, I thank you for turning those words into well organized, nicely bound pages.

To my family near and extended, much gratitde for support, encouragement and promoting what you believe to be stories everyone you know needs to read.

To all you writers, may 2011 bless you with continued opportunities to write your stories of the heart and to our readers, keep picking up those books!

Polly