Down Memory Lane

Liz and Eileen

I recently became re-acquainted with a school friend from Primary School, Elizabeth McKellar. I received a Facebook message from a Liz Lang asking if I had been Eileen Burbidge in a past life. With the answer being yes to being Eileen Burbidge, I enquired as to how she knew me! Imagine my surprise when a blast from the past came roaring into view... and with that connection lots of other names and faces began surfacing.

Liz and I managed to meet up... and catch up about what had happened to us in the intervening 52 years! It's amazing that when one connects, so many other connections come together... and the brain synapses start going into overload. Liz and I are delighted to have found each other after all these years and will keep the connections flowing. I am also delighted that Facebook can bring something good into our lives but then it is up to us to post responsibly... more of that another time!


It seems as though this connection has opened the flood gates for many of my "past lives" to be revisited. Having had quite a nomadic educational life, attending two primary schools and two secondary schools on the west coast of Scotland, due to the family moving from place to place...  there are quite a few people along the way that were great friends to me as I settled into yet another "home".

My memories of friends past and present are a joy to me and are very much part of the phrase "life's a journey - enjoy" that was part and parcel of my business endeavour ... and central to my personal life now.

College Dance circa 1972

Friends do come and go, this we know. However perhaps friends also come and go... and then as seen below, come again once more.

Well Connected Gang circa 2015

Looking forward to becoming re-acquainted with many more "past life" friends.

Giving It!

Recently I have been enjoying many charity events... from supporting my friend Waiyin Hatton's Ayrshire Sportsability to our own Forever in-house Pamper and Prosecco day in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. It came to me when enjoying these events in the company of wonderful friends that a very important aspect of Living It... is understanding the power of "Giving It"!

It could be our time... not necessarily our money. Certainly our compassion and for many of us, it is sharing our skills and/or our talents.

Thinking about what it is that we can give to others today...
Could it be as simple as a smile.
Or an invitation to dinner...
if not dinner... perhaps a lunch out?

Could be an email or even a text.
They all can been seen as gifts. So let's reach out to others this month and give ourselves the gift of "Giving It"...

Peace... just a thought

It comes to mind
It forms from space
It changes fast, and doesn't last
unless... I make it hold a place.

It flies around
It forms a void
It seems alive, and wants to thrive
unless... I make it feel annoyed.

It changes shape
It forms a word
It follows feeling, senses reeling
unless... I make it strike a chord

It brings a face
It works with love
It connects the dots, inspiring thoughts
it's not unless... it's more... like a dove.

It settles down
It claims its' place
It travels wide, no need to hide
it spreads its' wings... it's Peace, it's Grace.

It works like magic
It feels my need
Don't think it's nought, as in just a thought
Peace can grow from the smallest seed.


                                                                             Om Shanti, Eileen

Gourmet Reads.

It's always wonderful to meet up with friends especially over a sumptuous dinner. Last week not only did I have the pleasure of meeting friends but I met a writer, namely Doug Johnstone at an event called Gourmet Reads.

Doug lives and writes in Edinburgh and his books breathe... you know the ones you can't put down, not even for a moment. I can heartily recommend his books especially Gone Again. It was great getting to meet the author and find out why he writes, not just what he writes. Only through the experience of Gourmet Reads, hosted by Edinburgh Libraries can you experience this amazing opportunity. I was even able to dine and chat with Ian Rankin in November last year and look forward to visiting Edinburgh and dining yet again with an inspiring author in April, this year.

I love the term Gourmet Reads as it implies a fantastic dining experience... but also signifies that the writers and their books are also those worth taking time to savour and enjoy... just as you would with an exquisite meal.

Time away...

View from the lodge of snow in the distant hills

What a view we had while "whiling the time" away at the end of January. Off we went as a family and with friends to celebrate my husband, Andy's birthday. His birthday is the day after Rabbie's so we were able to have a Burns supper on Saturday and then a celebratory dinner on the Sunday... and a birthday tea on the Monday. No January detox for us, saving that experience for Feb.

We had booked a lodge in Perthshire and enjoyed some wonderful scenery and some amazing socialising. Although the social media that Andy and young Kenneth (elder son) were enjoying was not as popular with me as Natalies's (Kenneth's girlfriend) take on being sociable.

Natalie

Andy and Kenneth

Communication seems to be heading into using more and more IT tools, however I am still a big fan of direct contact as in... eye contact... massages... meeting over a coffee or like Natalie, a glass of wine... and chatting on the phone. No this doesn't mean no facebook or twitter for me, it just means that I am more interested in inviting you round for dinner and catching up with a group of friends round the table...

so if this is of interest to you, drop me a line ...
by email is fine
or even better
send me a letter!

Ciao amici,

  

Last day of holiday... snow arrived just as we were leaving!

2015 Wisdom and/or the Merry-go-round!

Welcome to 2015.  Is this year going to be the year of wisdom or are you going to be on the same Merry-go-round? Andy and I ended our 2014 with a party... a HootenAndy and Eileen. We spent some convivial hours with wonderful friends and family and are now ready to spend 2015 in the company of same.

Brian and Joan

However we also met some new friends towards the end of last year whilst on our Anniversary cruise down the Danube.  Let me introduce you to Brian and Joan who were also celebrating their  40th anniversary... same as us. They were married on the same day as us, had 5 days in London as their honeymoon... same as us, spent their 25th anniversary in Toronto... same as us... and Joan was a Physio and retired 3 years ago... same as me. Talk about parallel lives. We are wondering where we will go for our combined anniversary this year... oh and did I mention they are Scottish... same as us!

Clive, Linda, Joan, Brian, andy and Eileen

It was a wonderful cruise, seeing castles and Christmas markets galore, visiting a monastery like no other, learning about the history of the Danube and its various people over the centuries. All made even better by spending time in the company of Brian and Joan and Clive and Linda, another couple who were also celebrating 40 years married. Clive and Linda live in Cornwell but that won't let them escape from the Auld's very "well connecting" ethos. Looking forward to visiting Cornwell this year... we always promised we would visit the south of England and now we will.


Thank you Brian, Joan, Clive and Linda for your marvellous company helping making the "romantic" cruise an amazing experience, full of fun and laughter... not to mention a glass or two of wine and the occasional Drambuie and ice...

Eileen unwrapped

The weather ranged from wet and cold, to dry and cold, to warm and sunny. Fortunately we were able to enjoy whatever the weather threw at us and the scenery was quite splendid. The sunny pic is taken in Budapest, one of my favourite cities. I visited Budapest three years ago with a girlfriend and promised that I would come back with Andy as it is an intriguing city to spend time in... and a promise is a promise. More of that later.

Eileen wrapped up

The wrapped up one is me taking in the air on the top decking of the boat. I was determined to stay out as long as I could as we sailed down the Danube, through the amazing Walchau pass. Although it does look as if I am pretending to be a spy!

We started at Nuremburg and finished at Budapest visiting Regensburg, Passau and Vienna in between. I can wholeheartedly recommend Viking Cruises... in fact we will be booking another one soon...

Andy and Eileen in Buda

Now to applying wisdom in 2015. No-one should make a promise lightly. I promised myself that this year would be about getting my book, The Return of the Goddess, published and I am embarking on fulfilling that promise with the help of some friends. I will keep you posted with a progress report... in the meantime here I am below making a new friend, named Clyde. Are we birds of a feather do you think? Clyde is looked after by Lorraine Johnston, another good friend, and although Clyde had a recent exciting adventure, taking flight from his coop, he is now safely esconced back at home. Wisdom, methinks, is combining adventuring far and wide and then returning home safely to one's nest... or maybe, just maybe, it is getting on a completely different Merry-go-round to the one you were on last year.

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and successful 2015...

Eileen with Clyde

Thanksgiving

It's an interesting time of the year when we still think about a harvest season, although many of us have no understanding of the land and its' bounty. Even working in any form of garden is probably getting more and more unfamiliar as we are fast becoming city dwellers.


Giving thanks is part and parcel of many of our upbringings when writing thank you notes after Christmas kept many a child away from playing with their toys! Thanksgiving is so much more than the token thank you... it's a heart felt expression of gratitude to Mother Earth for another year's crop that would not only feed the farmer and his family but would produce an abundance that was able to be shared by all. We call it a cornucopia ... and know that the word signifies that all our needs will be met.

There is also a harvest season in people's businesses and personal lives when the seeds that were planted many years ago reach fruition. Everyone needs to celebrate their annual harvest with a harvest thanksgiving... looking back at the previous year and celebrating what the year has brought.

What will you be grateful for this year? What is your offering of abundance? we all have our own individual cornucopia... so let's get this party started and share!