Went the day well?

 

My wonderful family.  

First of all, thank you all for your kind comments yesterday.  I won't reply individually, but your kindness is much appreciated.  I would have found it so hard to cope without the support of friends and family.

Gabby arrived on Thursday night, so I wouldn't be on my own.  As Tam had been so off-colour and she and Rosie still tired, we went to her as per our change of plan and we all met up by the Pier, and had fish goujons and chips and curry dipping sauce.  Rosie joined in!  We sat under one of the umbrellas and were safe from the Seagulls, who seemed to be mostly sat out on the rocks in the shallow part of the bay. Ironically - we wondered if Keith had a celestial hand in this! - playing "American Pie" with the line, "this'll be the day that I die" . . .  We smiled, rather than cried, at the irony. 

The remains of Aberystwyth castle left, and the War Memorial.  It has a rather controversial bare-breasted (well, bare all over if I am honest!) woman emerging out of foliage, which is meant to represent Humanity emerging from Chaos.  I imagine the Italian artist who carved it had a great time, and the men it represented would have appreciated his artistic endeavours :)

We all came separately so met up in Borth (after I'd galloped through M&S and got a new bra in a colour not dissimilar to the new paint on the woodwork here).  Keith would have appreciated the colourway I'm sure :)

Rosie making a move for Tam's sunglasses.

Dan's special t-shirt in honour of our family name.

We all had a paddle.  Quite a few people swimming and good to see the Lifeguard presence there.  We decided against going up to the dunes and beach at Ynyslas as it's a longer walk to the beach, and Tam had mentioned Adders being seen up there - I think a dog was bitten recently.

Gabby in her cheerful orange top.  I wore my coral one and - for a change - a skirt!

Tamzin had had a lovely idea, and bought along a sprig of oak leaves each (Keith loved oak trees) and we threw them in the waves, thinking of him, though we were a little early for them to be carried out to sea despite the tide going out.  Danny was charged with wading out as far as he could as he had the shortest shorts on.  We heard this week that the tree Gabby had purchased through the Multiple Systems Atrophy Trust, had been planted.  I hope it's an oak tree. . .

Danny had to get back to Carmarthen to pick Emma up, so didn't come back here for our special meal.  We each had steak in a tasty cream/Worcestershire Sauce/pepper, beans from the garden (SO good) and Potato Dauphinoise.  Scrummy. 

 

These beautiful flowers (the Gladioli was one that broke off in the garden here though) were from friends of Gabby's, who also gave us a lovely bottle of Vintage champagne (M&S) which we drank after our meal, whilst watching Only Fools and Horses, which Keith loved and watched again and again, and we laughed rather than cried.  I hope we remembered him as he would have wanted - a happy day, a few tears but he felt close to us all day.  

Now it's just Tam, Rosie and I here as Gabby's gone back to work.  We are planning to visit the little church just outside of Llandod.  So photos later.