Two Worlds

I spent the weekend with my delightful 14 year old stepdaughter Amanda celebrating our birthdays together in the grand city of Edinburgh.

It was a truely girlie weekend - posh city boutique hotel, fine food and dining, cinema, shopping, cocktails at lunchtime at Harvey Nichols, pampering sessions with facials and manicures, thai cuisine and a fabulous dance musical called The Car Man (music from Carmen, story line based on The Postman Always Rings Twice).

We had a great time together doing what girls do in a really packed 2 days and as much as I enjoyed it and I'm happy to have had the opportunity to spend time with Amanda, it was also a timely reminder of why I'm so pleased I don't live on the mainland.

Congested traffic, pollution, lots of people(!) most of whom seemed to be walking about in a zombie like state with angry faces and gritted teeth spending huge amounts of money I'm sure they could ill-afford; shops galore full of clothes that are extortionate in price and never really going to be worn and vast quantities of food thrown away from restaurants and other eateries because folk order more than they can eat!

We didn't see much change from £1,000 for those 2 days away.

In contrast, I spent yesterday and today with John and our 12 week old pup Megan enjoying and appreciating so much more, the rather simpler things in life - the views from the breakfast room, the stormy weather, walks on the beach, the antics of Megan and the love of a good man.

Priceless!

I know where I would rather be and I wouldn't swop it for all the tea in China.