We've made it through another year... .

          Should Auld Acquaintants Be Forgot
and ne'er brought tae mind... . these are the words written by our famous bard, Robert Burns, the opening words to that great song "Auld Lang Syne" when all peoples around the World stand hand-in-hand and lift their voices in song and, no matter the language, we can all understand the words and feelings that are remembered, as we sing our hearts out.
So, A Final Hello for 2014 to all you fabulous Bloganistas, it is that time of the year again (seems to come around every year at the same time) so, let me welcome you to my front door and tell you a little about the past year.  It has been a year of ups and downs, tears and laughter -- although my health wasn't up to snuff, I went home for a couple of months in May and June.  Visited with my wonderful Aunt Emily, my Mother's younger sister.  She is 88 years young and we got up to as much mischief as we could.  Such a wonderful lady whom I admire so very much, no matter how poorly her health is she never gives in,  as the auld Harry Lauder song goes "...keep right on to the end of the road, keep right on to the end, tho y'er tired and weary still journey on... ." and she does.  She has such a twinkle in her beautiful blue eyes.  Her garden is her pride and joy; also spent time with my Cousin Harry, her son, and his family with whom I  had a great time visiting their home in Glasgow and at their home in St. Andrew's, such a treat.  No that's not his house that's the Old Course Club House at the 18th Hole.


While with Aunt Emily and family, lifelong friends of mine, Margo and Joe Farrell came through to Glasgow to see me and also brought a school friend of ours with them, Frances Freer.  Heavens, it has been decades (no, I'm not telling you how many) since Frances and I had seen each other -- we went to Oscars Restaurant in Newton Mearns and had a wonderful meal and, as you can imagine, talked our heads off.   That's me with my arm around Joe, Margo directly across from me and Frances across from Joe.
 I also spent time with my Cousin Grace McLaren (nee Divers) and her husband Eric and their two daughters Lorraine and Katrina, their respective husbands Frank and Bryan and their children, what a wonderful visit. I stayed with them for 3 days and Grace drove me around the Glasgow we frequented as children, ooh, lots of changes.  This is Grace, Lorraine and Katrina.

I spent the last week of my holiday with my sister and her husband and enjoyed winding down before my flight back home to Pittsburgh -- coming through immigration, well that's a horror story for another time.  
Once back to reality we had the little gremlins for Hallowe'en,  Bob enjoyed the candies as much as the kiddies;  then we celebrated and enjoyed the Thanksgiving Holiday and as usual ate too much Turkey and all the trimmings.  
For my Christmas my husband and son asked me what I wanted from Santa, after much thought I decided I sorely needed a new faucet and spray for my kitchen sink, really,  but that's what I need.   So with that and gift cards to buy myself a new stack of clothes, I'm as happy as a wee dog with two you-know-whats... .
Hard to believe Christmas has come and gone and we are now preparing for Hogmanay, (New Year's Eve) and the start of a New Year 2015 - let's hope it is a very much kinder and peaceful year to all of the peoples around the World.                                               
Whomever you pray to, or not,  let us pray and hope for Understanding, Peace and Good Health to be THE GIFT for all mankind around the World.  As the Scottish poet, Robert Burns once wrote "...man's inhumanity to man, makes countless thousands mourn... ."  Please let us turn this around and have it read as "man's humanity to man makes us more tolerant of each other and shows us how to live in peace... ."
So, if you have read the foregoing, Bless you, --  let me wish you all a Good Night, toodle pips, cheerio, au revoir and all that jazz and let me share with you a picture of George Square on Hogmanay in Glasgow.
Catch up with you all next year, Corey chips in as well; he's snoring away on the couch beside me (for those of you who don't know who Corey is, he's my wee dog who celebrated his 14th birthday on Christmas Day,  so ta ra for now!!!