The Sweet of the Bee...

My multi-cultural education teacher wore traditional scottish garb to class today. He had a scandu(sp?) in his sock and a purse with a chain and little leather tongs on it. He is a funny mand and made jokes about how the purse hides the "tilt in the kilt," since it is worn just over the groin area. Anyhow, someone asked him if he was scottish and he said not really, that he just enjoys scottish country dancing as one of his greatest loves in the world so he bought the outfit so that he could fit in with all of the dancers since it is something that he does so often. He added that his great-great-great-great grandfather's last name was Fergusson, and then he mentioned to the class that my last name is Ferguson too. He says the Fergusson's who spell their names with two s's are regarded as "sheep-stealers" in Scotland--some sort of ancient joke which he's told to our class time and time again.

But anyways, later he and I entered a discussion about the name Ferguson and I told him how I heard it comes from "farrier's son" he told me that the Ferguson sheild, a bee on a thistle, is very famous. He told me that when people ask him about his scottish ancestry and he tells them he is a Fergusson then they always nod their head and say, "Ah, yes, the sweet of the bee."

So why am I telling you this? Because I happen to think it is particularly cool that my first name, Melissa, is greek for honey-bee, and my last name also refers to a bee. My parents had no clue about any of this, so I feel rather special that something neat has come of my name just out of coincidence (if that's what you want to call it). I feel like a whole new person with a special story behind my existence...I mean, what are the chances of THAT? I feel like I personally represent all matters concerning honey or bees or thistles.


My name, translated, is "Honey-Bee Sweet-of-the-Thistle." You can call me this from now on:)