Bray lake and Boveney lock, February days

Hi everyone. I hope you’re all OK. I have struggled this past week. I’ve been really sad about my Dad and the way we have ended up with no contact at all, our relationship broken down after a very intense period of helping him over the past 6 months since he went to hospital and my Mum went into care. I’m worried about him but can’t help him any more. My Mum was also not good last weekend; still in bed, depressed and crying when I went to see her.

I think I’ve also got the February blues. Fed up with winter, desperate for Spring.

This blog is heading for depressing reading, and we don’t want that, so I’ll try to focus on the positives:

1 We celebrated David’s birthday. There has been champagne and A LOT of chocolate cake going on. He is pleased with his new watch. He should be as he chose it!

2 The birds have been enjoying my birdseed I put out in the garden. Whenever I look out there’s a fat pigeon or a smug looking squirrel knocking the seed onto the grass and then hoovering it all up below. David assures me there have been numerous smaller birds such as great tits visiting when I’ve not been looking…

3 My Mum was really good today 😊. She had great carers Hayley and Cathy today. Whoever is on shift that day really seems to make a difference. She was smiling, walking extra voluntarily up and down the corridors with her frame, in a good mood generally and looking good. She enjoyed her parcel from Japan from her ex student Yuh who still so kindly thinks of her and sends her gifts.

4 The best news of all, my epic 5 month battle with Barclays is over. At last! It nearly broke me and I have a sense of complete exhaustion and disbelief at what I’ve had to go through to extract the money that my parents saved. My Mum should now have enough care home fees for her lifetime. It’s so expensive. So stressful when you don’t have access to the money. I know many families are suffering with similar worries. Anyway well done me! Hip, hip hooray! Such a relief to get the money in the end.

5 David’s band will be playing again soon… I’m really looking forward to that. They play 60s, 70s, 80s music. They are all retired and David is the youngest. They are super talented and practice so hard. You can tell they perform for the love of it not to make a living. Any money they do make gets invested into more equipment. Boys and technology, eh?!

Walking and nature usually is the best medicine. Here are my photos from Bray Lake in the sunshine on Wednesday and Boveney lock this afternoon. I’m finding the stillness of water very calming at the moment. I’m getting into looking at reflections and photographing them too.

This is a very old little church..

I hope you enjoyed my local picture tour. What have you been up to this weekend? Xx