Try not to let the book sit out in direct sunlight or areas of strong heat for prolonged periods of time.  Sunlight can cause the colors of the cover and the page gilding to fade. Heat can cause leather and faux leather to dry out and become stiff. Keep the Bible as dry as possible, especially if the cover is made from authentic leather. Store it in an area of low humidity.  Excessive moisture can cause leather and faux leather covers to dry out. Humidity or dampness can also cause mold to develop. Contact with water will cause the pages to ripple and warp. If you plan to stand your Bible on a bookshelf, make sure that both sides are supported by other books or bookends. If you store the book so that it lies flat on its back cover, no extra support should be needed. If you plan to highlight sections of the Bible or make notes during your studies, use a pencil, ballpoint pen, or specially designed Bible marking highlighter or pen. Do not use pens, markers, or highlighters with felt tips, gel inks, or roller points. The ink produced by these writing instruments will usually bleed through the pages, causing them to stick together and making your notes difficult to read. The best way to keep the cover in good shape is to handle it on a regular basis. The natural oils produced by your hand should keep the leather or faux leather in good condition.  Oil allows leather and faux leather to remain supple and easy to handle. Your skin produces natural oils, though, and they alone should be enough to keep the cover in good shape if you handle it on a fairly consistent basis. If you do not handle this particular Bible for several months or years, though, you may need to apply supplementary oil. You can keep authentic leather covers in even better condition by applying minx oil or neatsfoot oil once every year or two.  This is especially beneficial if you don't handle your Bible regularly. Apply a small amount of your chosen oil using a clean rag. Buff the oil over the entire cover using small, gentle, circular movements. Wipe away excess oil with a clean rag and let the book dry overnight. If you accidentally get the cover dirty, you can clean the dirt or spill away with a lukewarm water and mild liquid detergent.  Dip a clean, soft rag in lukewarm water. Ring out the excess water, then apply a dab of mild detergent to the wet rag. Rub the detergent into the rag until a mild lather forms. Wipe the dirt or spill away with this soapy rag. Wipe away any soap residue with a separate damp rag free of soap. Thoroughly dry the cover with a clean, soft, dry towel. Do not allow the cover to air dry.

Summary: Keep the Bible out of direct sunlight. Avoid moisture. Support upright Bibles. Mark carefully. Use the Bible regularly. Apply additional oil, if necessary. Quickly clean away dirt and spills.


Wash two pounds of fresh strawberries.  Remove the stems and cut the strawberries in half.  If your strawberries are frozen, allow to thaw before slicing in half.  It is possible that using frozen strawberries in this method may alter the taste a little, so try to use fresh strawberries if you can. Top with the remaining chopped strawberries, and then cover those with the rest of the sugar.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or foil paper and let sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours. A saucepan is deep cooking pan.  If you don’t have one, a large pot will suffice.  Put the pan on the stove and heat over medium-high heat.  Keep a close eye on the mixture as it comes to a boil to prevent it from burning.  When it begins to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Place a sieve or strainer over the bowl.  The mesh of the sieve or strainer should be fine to prevent the tiniest of food particles, like the seeds, from passing through. Once poured through, the cooked strawberries should be left in the sieve.  Using a spatula or the back of a large spoon, smash the strawberries into the sieve to squeeze out any remaining juices.  You now should have a bowl of hot strawberry syrup. The sterilized bottle will ensure that the mixture lasts for longer than a few days in your refrigerator.  If you have one, put a funnel cup inside the spout of the bottle to keep from spilling the syrup over the sides.  If you don’t have a funnel cup, transfer the mixture into a container with a spout.  This should make it easier to pour the syrup into the bottle without spilling it.  Top the bottle with the sterilized cap and allow the bottle and the mixture to completely cool before storing in the refrigerator.  To sterilize a glass bottle, wash the glass bottle and then place on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 170 degrees.  Let it sit for 30 minutes. Put the cap of the bottle in a small bowl and pour boiling water over it.  This will sterilize it. Remove the bottle from the oven with an oven-mitt or thick towel to be safe.  Wait until it is cool enough to touch before filling with the strawberry syrup. Add more strawberry syrup if you’d prefer it sweeter.  Or add more water if it’s too sweet.  You can spice up your strawberry juice by using soda water instead.  Or if you’re having an evening event, use the strawberry syrup to make a strawberry cocktail.

Summary: Prepare your strawberries. Put half of the chopped strawberries into a large bowl and cover with one cup of sugar. After 24 hours, remove the bowl from the refrigerator and pour the mixture into a saucepan. While the mixture is simmering, wash the large bowl used for marinating the strawberry and sugar mixture. Once the mixture finishes simmering, carefully pour it through sieve to make sure it doesn’t splash or burn you. Pour the strawberry syrup into a sterilized glass bottle. To make strawberry juice using the syrup, mix ¼- cup of the syrup with one cup of water.


Scotland observes GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) between the last weekend in October and the last weekend in March, and changes to British Summer Time (one hour ahead of GMT) from March to October. Look up the current time in GMT or BST. Then, compare this time to the time in your location to figure out the time difference.  Do not call someone in Scotland in the middle of the night unless they have explicitly asked you to do so.  Shops in Scotland are usually open from 9am-5pm Monday through Saturday. Businesses in villages and rural areas usually keep more limited, traditional hours than businesses in major towns and cities.  If the time is 8pm in Los Angeles, 11pm in New York, 5am in Paris, and noon in Shanghai: it is 4am in Scotland. Check the time difference before you call! Calls made to Scotland between 6pm and 8am GMT (local time) may be charged at a lower rate than calls made during peak hours. That said: let the preference of the person whom you are calling dictate the time of the call.

Summary: Account for time difference. Call at off-hours for cheaper fees.


You can purchase Veggie Wash at most major food supermarkets.  Fill up half a clean basin or a sink with cold water. Add 2 oz of Veggie Wash and stir. Give the solution a good swirl. This ensures each piece gets cleaned properly.  Run strawberries vigorously for about 30 seconds through the Veggie Wash solution. Rinse those strawberries well under cold running water. You don’t want any of the Veggie Wash residue to remain on the fruit. Pat the fruit dry with paper towels, or gently dry it with a kitchen towel.
Summary: Prepare the Veggie Wash solution. Grab up to two or three strawberries in your hand.