Scotland is still here


Happy New Year from Scotland!  Despite predictions, Scotland and the rest of the world are still here, as pictured by the Artisan Roast coffee shop in Edinburgh's Broughton Street.

I've seen lots of resolutions being made across the blogging world.  My main one is to get out of the city more.  We've been back in Edinburgh for four days now and I'm pining dreadfully for the countryside and the wide skies of Moray.  It doesn't help that Edinburgh is at the tailend of its Winter Wonderland season under grey cloud and that spring-like temperatures have forced the shut-down of the open-air ice rink in Princes Street Gardens.  The operators described it like trying to keep a fridge cold with the door open.  

Photographic inspiration has been hard to come by as a result.  I did try to take a picture of my daughter's orthodontists (the premises, not the person) when we visited yesterday, to celebrate a date being fixed for the removal of her braces, but I was firmly squashed.  I know when to give in.  Incidentally, I have to trumpet the virtues of the British National Health Service at this point - necessary orthodontal treatment which starts before the age of 18 is free.  Give me 'socialist medicine' any day!

It will be a few weeks before I can escape the city again, so in the meantime I'll be showing January as it is in Edinburgh.

Comments

  1. I agree, I loved socialist medicine when I lived in Canada. Here in the U.S., people are frightened by the very word "socialist." Too bad.

    Happy New Year, Linda!

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    1. The thing is, in the UK we don't think of it as 'socialist'. It just seems...sensible.

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  2. it's nice to hear that you have had spring-like temperatures in Edinburgh. sorry for the ice rink but nice for those that live there. funny picture on the blackboard ... made me smile.

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    1. Actually, at work today several people were complaining that it was too mild. However, it's going to get colder towards the weekend, so we should be happy again.

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  3. It certainly is a different view in the city! Enjoy the melt.

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    1. That's a very Canadian expression, RedPat! I wouldn't mind if we had anything to melt, but we've had no snow or ice.

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  4. Happy New Year to you too! I love the Mayan error drawing :)

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    1. And a Happy New Year to you, Karine. They have quite a quirky artist in that coffee shop.

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  5. I love the cartoon on the chalkboard. No resolutions here, just trying to muddle through life. And as an expat, "socialist" medicine doesn't scare me when it's done well.

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    1. Muddling through seems as good a philosophy as any. You'll understand how I feel about the NHS - non-scary.

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  6. It isn't a great time of year for taking photos I agree. I'm fed up with grey skies but even more fed up with the warm temperature - it doesn't feel right somehow!

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    1. Cold and grey would be an improvement, I agree!

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    1. Happy New Year, Michelle. I see you've managed to find some good shots despite the grey January weather.

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    1. It's fun, isn't it? Sometimes the sign outside the shop has a coffee theme, and sometimes they range widely over world events.

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  9. That's the best description of the Mayan predictions yet!!!

    As for socialized medicine...as a recipient, I'd love it too...but I'm concerned about being able to fund it...especially in the US...Europe's financial woes have a lot to do with "overspending" tax dollars... In addition, I don't like the idea of the AMA dictating medical policies...at least in Europe they accept "alternative" and "homeopathic"! The AMA wouldn't support these...

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    1. Healthcare is certainly complicated, isn't it? The overspend that concerns me is government having had to bail out banks ie private business that got it catastrophically wrong through greed. Remember that individual European countries have very different situations in relation to overspend. Universal healthcare I see as a basic human right that should be available no matter what one's ability to pay. I would vote to maintain the NHS over many other things that my taxes are spent on, and I would pay higher taxes to support it. With regard to homeopathy there has been a bit of a change in the NHS attitude recently, with an argument that it should no longer be funded. I'm not sure what the upshot is.

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  10. Ha ha, love the sign! Yeah after spending a couple thousand dollars for my daughter's braces here in the US, I'll take socialized medicine any day.

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    1. When I was growing up the only children at my school who had braces were the local dentist's children. Generally it was thought of as something that American children had! Now it's very common here.

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  11. Happy New year from Besançon :)

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  12. happy new year
    look forward to your pictures, wherever they are taken
    take care of those teeth !
    anni

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    1. Yes, these teeth need protecting after all that care over the past few years!

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  13. Hi Linda - I know what you mean about resolutions - I normally have the usual ones, lose weight, get fit - but 2012 I saw a close friend lose her Dad and another friend be diagnosed with aggressive cancer - so this year my resolution is just to enjoy life and just enjoy what comes my way :)
    Happy New Year :)

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    1. Sounds the best of resolutions, Sharon.
      I'm still pining for Speyside!

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  14. Hi Linda,

    I haven't made a New Year resolution is several years, I found that mine were to lofty and I would never keep them. These days when I wake up, I see what each day brings and fly by the seat of my pants! HA

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    1. I wonder when the whole New Year resolution thing started? There must have been a time when humanity was free from them.

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  15. I'm so glad to know Scotland is still there! We here in Southern California are still here too, we have not slide off into the Pacific Ocean yet.

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    1. Glad to hear you're still there too, Sara, since Southern California is one of my favourite places in the world.

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  16. That's a hilarious sign! I look forward to seeing more of Edinburgh in the winter, especially through your eyes.

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  17. Poor little Mayan guy. As far as I know his culture never said the world was going to end.
    Great reply to the Chieftess' comment.
    I sympathise with your longing for the pastoral. I am temporarily without a garden and I can hardly stand it.

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  18. Happy New Year from New York.... my heart is in the highlands!

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  19. My goodness, I hadn't realized how very long it has been since I've had a chance to visit anyone's blog. It was early in December since I did and after going back and reviewing all of the ones I missed on your blog, I realize just how long it has been. Honestly, I just don't understand how you found the time to post so many times during the Christmas holidays. I just could not do that. Too much baking, getting ready for Christmas and traveling to be with family for the holidays.

    I absolutely loved all of your pictures. I wish I were half the photographer you are. Honestly, I just can't work either of our cameras successfully. That is why I seldom have pictures to post on my blog. The only ones there are the ones that Dick, my husband, has done for me. It isn't even easy for him as he doesn't like having to help me, when he doesn't ever blog himself. I often have to call on my daughter, Sue, to help with pictures. Even though it has been a long time, I am certainly reminded of how beautiful Scotland is. What a rich history you have too. I love to read books that take place in Scotland. I am an avid reader. Can you suggest any books that I might read?

    I hope that you enjoyed the holidays. We certainly did and I want to wish you and all your family a HAPPT NEW YEARS. I'd better not make any comment on socialized medicine.

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    1. Wishing you a happy New Year with a bountiful garden.

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