365/213 Stronger.

Great day today, decided last night to take Lilly over to the Minack for a kid's show, just an hour long, puppets and stuff.. local guy, really fun and boy, what it takes to roll with the punches as a kid's entertainer!  

We also took flowers to the church for my mum and dad and looked in the church, then a little discovery walk where I grew up, quietly tip-toeing along the riverbank in case we could spot a trout, telling her some of the nostalgia stories of when I was a kid...(well she is new blood and I haven't bored her with any of it yet... hahah.. Lisa will laugh when Lilly starts telling her my stories Lisa thought she had heard the last of!)

We called in on an old friend of my Mum's, she is 89 on Saturday and I wanted to sneak in some birthday wishes before she is inundated with visitors over the weekend. She is very forgetful now but luckily able to stay in her own home, doesn't wander and is always laughing and enjoying seeing people, so that makes this time of their life, caring for her a little easier on her family.

It's an odd thing dementia, takes each person differently and consequently the effects on the family, I often wonder if they one day know they are losing their memory and choose to not mention it, or if the condition itself leaves you in a place where you never actually realise.

Lilly and I had lots of conversation, she has a huge vocab and asks very pointed questions for a 4 year old and I try to answer, but then worry that poor M&D will have to answer even more questions later! Today a big topic was coffee ice cream which I got the drift that she liked but didn't have when out with Mum so I thought we'd go for a small one.. only after she had eaten it and I relayed the story at home did I hear from Lisa that it was 'toffee'.. well, good intentions!

I took a whole bunch of pictures, Lilly mostly, eating or drinking!  then I looked at the prompt..

.. the White Gate bridge is falling down at penberth, huge pieces of granite standing proud where recent rain has put paid to the cement and earth which binds it together.  There is a steel grid there, and  Keep Out sihgn, I guess they are going to make it 'stronger'

Over at St. Levan Church there are some gorgeous agapanthus, loads at the Minack too.. stronger colours this year, maybe the sun / rain combination! 

And the same door handle at the church I can remember as a child.

Every time I use it I remember having to learn that you pull it towards you and turn whilst it is pulled ..always difficult when we were young to master something the grown-ups knew so well..I like going back there, the draw gets stronger and there is something lovely about the familiarity and reliability of the things still being there fifty years on...