Shadowplay

It's been a day of ups and downs.  First thing this morning, Mum and I took the remainder of Dad's clothes to a charity shop - all his best clothes, suits, jackets and coats.  We hugged one another and cried when we looked at the empty wardrobe.  Such a sad sight, no trace of him left there.  And yet he is everywhere here, which we find comforting.  On a slightly more positive note, Mum said this evening that she's now started dreaming of Dad in happier times before he was ill.  As she hadn't previously been able to get past his last few weeks and months when thinking of him, I think this is a hopeful sign as she moves through her grief.

After such a difficult morning, we drove over to the Freeport Braintree shopping outlet after lunch for a wander around in the sunshine and a delicious latte at the Thornton's café there.  They always give you two free chocolates each in a little dish to go with your drink - guaranteed to bring us back for a return visit.  We both had a very modest little splurge in the M&S outlet and also found a couple of terrific bargains for Mum in the Jacques Vert shop there.

In my blipfoto today some plants in the garden are being projected down the hallway and onto the far wall by the late evening sunshine, which I thought gave quite a pleasing abstract effect.