The Trip

    The trip has been long, my temper is fraught.

However, as daylight fades my determination has not.

When I open the door, the smell of the soup on the table warms my soul.

The sight of my loved ones, the hugs and the heartfelt love, makes my life whole.

It's so good to be home to bring in the New Year,

surrounding myself with those I hold dear.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

All the best for 2015.

Bursting at the Seams

    The last couple of days I've been recovering from total over indulgence and I take some satisfaction from knowing that I'm not alone. I had lost weight over the last few weeks, however the jeans are pinching my waist once more. I'm so bloated if I was pricked with a pin I'd probably reach the moon with no help from NASA.

    What hasn't helped is that I've been in couch potato mode, not good after turkey and mince pies. But, what has been great is that I've had time to enjoy some great books and watch fantastic old movies such as, White Christmas, Wonderful Life and The Bishop's Wife. All feel good films that make me reach for the Kleenex box every time.

    Next time I blog it will be 2015, before then I'm sure I'll break out the tissues again. ALL the BEST.

The Cruel Sea

 

    The oceans that surround us are a beauty to behold, they nurture life, however they also conceal secrets of the past, revealing them with more than a little reluctance.

    We use descriptives of these vast expanses of water in the same way we do that of human emotion's and behaviour. Calm, serene, angry, and  tranquil, are all adjectives that can be applied to both. Another which is commonly used is, cruel.

    Ten years ago the sea was particularly cruel, when the Indian Ocean tsunami, engulfed areas of Indonesia and Asia, today lots of us will take a minute from our festive schedule's to think about the lives that ended, or changed that day.

As the Sun Sets

 

    Education is something I feel passionate about, because I believe it can cure many ills in this world. Therefore to see another school being targeted by extremists in the last week, I find heartbreaking.

    I'm talking about the 141 fatalities, 132 children and 9 teachers that were massacred in an army school, in Peshawar, Pakistan; a place where parents sent their children to be educated, safely.

    Back in April this year we were faced with the sickening event in Chibok, Nigeria when 276 female students were kidnapped from their school and in places such as Syria, Afghanistan, schools are continually targeted.

    As the sun sets on this year, we can only pray that governments will find a way to stop this and that children can be educated without their parents having to worry as to whether they will ever see them again, after dropping them off at school.

Stocking Filler

    Earlier this year my mother passed away and I know when I meet up with the rest of my family on the 25th of December our memories of her will come flooding back. Our Christmas's were always special, even if there were no iPads, laptops, or designer clothes waiting for us when we got up.

   Our Christmas stockings overflowed with fruit, candy, all inexpensive items but nevertheless gifts left by Santa. Amongst my small bundle of wrapped gifts left below the tree, there were always books, pens, pencils and a blank journal, everything a budding writer desired.

    The gift of a blank journal continued each year until her last Christmas and the blank pages are now ready for another year of muse.

Baby it's Cold Outside

        My blog hasn't been updated over the last week, as I've been recovering from a bout of flu. My little  grey cells have been in a permanent state of slush, however I'm now feeling miles better and I'll see you Friday if not before.

A Patriotic Day

Fishing Creels on the harbour

    Even when I'm not in Scotland on St Andrews Day, November 30th, I celebrate the fact that I'm Scottish and I know there are many all over the world who do exactly the same.

Archway built in medieval times 

 
    Today, I've included photographs of the place in Scotland that bears our patron's name, the medieval town of St Andrews.

St Andrews Cathedral

    Of course I can't mention the town without mentioning it's university, the place Prince William and Kate first met.

University of St Andrews