The day after returning from Glencoe, Saturday, was a full one.  Ian and Rose had spent the night with us in our flat at The Knight Residence.  We certainly enjoyed having a larger flat this time with a second bedroom which served nicely for overnight guests.  It was good to have extended time with family. 

Dave was up first, departing early for Dunfermline and a ride with his former cycling club.  Cheers to Ian Condie for arranging a bike and all else for Dave!  Quite the gentleman, Ian.  So thanks!  I was up shortly after Dave left, with Ian and Rose following soon after.  After a simple breakfast in the flat, Ian headed back home to Dunfermline and Rose and I embarked on our “girlie day.”  Our first stop was the hair salon, where I had my hair braided and Rose had her lovely Irish curls straightened for our evening at the Pitbauchlie House Hotel Pub.  We prowled some shops as girls do together and headed to Shakespeare’s for lunch.  Whoa!  It was a futbol weekend (um…seems like every weekend in Scotland is a futbol (think soccer in America) weekend…), so the place was teeming…mostly with guys.  We found a cozy table for two tucked away by a corner and had a nice, if not boisterous, lunch.  The afternoon saw us headed to a spa for massages and manicures.  Of course, it was raining (I hear it can be very nice in Scotland in May), so we opted for a taxi from TKR to the train station.  The ride from Edinburgh to Dunfermline was my one train trip this time…I do so love riding the trains in Scotland.  So relaxing…such a nice way to see the countryside…and I love the female voice on the train speakers…”This train is for Rosyth.”  “Mind the gap.”  Next time I am going to get a t-shirt emblazoned with “Mind the gap.”  Gotta love it!

I digress.  Once in Dunfermline, we took a taxi to the Pitbauchlie House Hotel, where friends of Dave’s were meeting us later in the pub and where Dave and I were spending the night.  While Rose and I were out “getting gorgeous” for the evening, Dave had done his ride with the DCC, checked into the Pitbauchlie for a shower and change of clothes, and then was off with Ian to a futbol match.  There’s futbol again…go figure.  Shortly after Rose and I arrived at the “Pit,” Dave returned, Ian showed up, and the evening was kicked off.  Paul had a previous engagement, so he was not there with us, but I so enjoyed Ian and Rose’s company and watching Dave have such a good time with his mates.  Whew!  What a night!  As we have done in the past, we closed down the pub.

After breakfast the next morning, Dave and I checked out of the Pitbauchlie and drove to Aberdour and the cemetery there were our wee dear Chloe Rose rests.  We took flowers to her gravesite and spent a while there with her.  It was an emotional time…so bittersweet, saying hello and good-bye in one visit to the wee baby girl we will never meet in this life.  Aberdour Cemetery is so very tranquil and beautiful.  Chloe rests on a hillside and I cannot think of a more peaceful and lovely place for her.  Well done, Rose and Ian, for selecting this spot. 

Saying farewell, Dave and I ventured into the village of Aberdour to spend some time before meeting up with the rest of the family later in the day.  We walked the grounds of Aberdour Castle and the streets of the village, stopping at one point to watch lawn bowling. 

Back to Dunfermline and Ian and Rose’s new home, we met our wee grandson Fionn in person for the first time!  I know I am probably prejudiced, but he sure is a cutie!  He was a bit shy with Dave aka “Grandpa” at first, but soon they were playing together and getting to know one another upstairs in Fionn’s room.  Back downstairs, Ian put on some music in hopes Fionn would “dance” for us.  I was honored with my “first dance” with the little lad, his small hands holding tight to mine.  He slowed down and became almost transfixed, much to the amusement of everyone.  Hmmmm...could he feel the Reiki I was sending?  One likes to think so.  At any rate, it was fun bonding a bit with this newest member of the Barnes clan.  I tell ya what, looking at the photos of myself with him, I ask, “Wow, who’s that old lady?”  HA!

With the rain teeming down, we headed to Anstruther on this Sunday for some fish and chips.  Yum!  Paul rode with us in our rental, following the young Barnes family ahead of us in Dave’s old car.  He had left the Citroen there for the lads when he came across to the States, and it has come in handy for this growing family of Ian, Rose and Fionn.

By the time we reached the harbor of Anstruther, the rain had disappeared and it was becoming a rather nice afternoon/evening.  Dave and Paul ducked into the chip shop to procure meals for us all.  The queue into the shop was not too bad when they entered; however, as time passed, the line of people continued to grow and grow…Ian, Rose and I pondered what had happened to them!  You saw folks going into the shop but never could really see anyone coming out.  We saw other folks strolling by with food but never actually saw anyone coming out of the shop with food….hmmmm…We joked that perhaps they were exiting the shop a mile up the road….no, wait!  There they are!  Finally!  Yum, fish and chips Scotland-style, eating right out of the paper bag sitting on the benches at the harbor in Anstruther. 

After all had eaten, we sat for a while watching Fionn and watching people, and watching Fionn take in the sights and sounds.  Paul and Ian strolled off, seemingly on a mission of some sort.  Soon it was revealed that they had gone for ice cream!  Dave and I ducked into the ice cream shop and got dishes and cones for ourselves, Rose and Fionn.  That led to more amusement…watching Fionn consume his dish of ice cream.

Truly a pleasant afternoon spent with family.  My family.  These days are odd…my family in the States seems to be dwindling, while my family in Scotland continues to grow.  Recently I sometimes feel as if I am “freefalling” without the close relatives I once had…but then I look at the photos taken during this trip and see that I do have family.  There is geographic distance between us, but there is no distance to the affection I have for them all and for that which I feel from them.  I am so very blessed.

The afternoon was fading, so we bade farewell to the “young folks” and headed back to Edinburgh in our wee rental, just Dave and I, just “the old folks.”  Once back in our cozy flat, we spent a relaxing evening enjoying our surroundings, enjoying being in Edinburgh, and enjoying each other.