.. endeavour to understand democracy?

Okay another thought.  We are leaving Europe because we are a democracy and circa 52% of the U.K want to leave.  Fair point however 48% want to stay because they accept the status quo.

If we look at the 52% they do not all want the same thing.  Some want to remain in the single market but have control over all their laws, okay but that means free movement of people.  Ah! but I don't want that say others of the 52% . I want to stop immigration.

It is fairly bloody obvious that had there been a manifesto which properly speltout what the agenda was to be on leaving that the leave vote would have been split and the remains would have had an easy majority.

Ultimately if we do leave the EU it will be a minority who get what they want, the new leader of the conservative being one of them.  So that is what we call democracy in this country durhhh.

ask for people to be allowed to change their mind.

Okay here we go.  I know many people say the people have spoken and a decision has been made and we should abide by that decision.  However do we truly all believe that and live our lives that way.  When I give my children the freedom to make their own decisions and they realise they have made a mistake because they didn't quite understand the facts or believe what they were told or were infact lied to, then I allow them to change their mind.  As a good parent I do try to save them from certain decisions which I know they are not ready to make due to their youth and inexperience but that is not always possible.   

I know I sound condescending but needs to be said that whilst there are many vociferous Brexit supporters out there who are fully convinced we should be moving ahead with this decision to leave the EU, there also appears to be plenty of people having serious regrets now the reality of the situation has kicked in and the lies they were told uncovered.

I personally feel David Cameron let us down badly by giving us this opportunity, he was not a good parent as the ramifications of this decision were way to complicated for us to understand and I say that as someone who studied EU law as part of my diploma.

However the irresponsible politicians kept pushing for it and let's be honest Cameron really didn't think it would pan out this way and, it appears, some of the Brexit leaders didn't either, hence no plan.

So now knowing that immigration is to remain pretty much the same, the NHS money promised will not be happening, many local councils are now desperately trying to work out how to replace the EU funding they will be losing and our pound is in free fall and in Nigel Farage's own words another recession is on the cards.  Knowing the only change Boris wants is to tinker with the laws, beware if you are a woman and planning on maternity leave soon, or perhaps a part time worker who pays into a work pension, a disabled person like my mother who would like to be able to have access to a loo when out and about .......these are the sort of rights we got from EU law.  Hand on heart can you all say you wouldn't mind having a little bit more honest and open information given to you and maybe the opportunity to change your mind.

..... take my mother to a coffee morning.

It is a sad fact of life that as your children grow older and with growing independence forge their own way in life, your parents go into decline.  Many of my generation chose to start families later and in my case, whilst still having two relatively young children to care for I have the added sadness and burden of caring for my parents, in particular my mother.  To be fair most of it falls on my brother and his wife due to their close proximity but part of the reason for buying our holiday home in Wales was to enable me to share the load. The added joy of being a teacher again means I can renew my career and still spend many weeks here in the village where I grew up and where my parents still reside.

My mother was a big church woman, attended services religiously (excuse the pun), however due to her lack of mobility she now only attends when I am here to take her.  Most of her days are spent sat in her red chair watching the many quiz shows that make up day time viewing.  My father, although still fairly mobile and leading an active life in the community with his volunteering, struggles to take mother out as his emphysema worsens.

Therefore she was terribly excited to be told in church last Sunday that they would be holding a coffee morning today and so once this is posted I will drive up to their place, shower her, dress her and push her wheel chair down to the village Yacht club to enjoy a cup of coffee there. Just as 17 years ago I washed, dressed and pushed my eldest children to that very same venue for toddlers sessions.

How life does change.

   

                    Mother and father enjoying a cup of tea and a pimms on our balcony.

... hit the beach with the not so little guys.

Technology sorted and life getting that way too.  Lots has happened since last post but now is not the time to go into all that.  Let's just say another renovation awaits, not the one I'd hoped to be doing but am now happily resigned to the situation and life, as they say, moves on.  It has been a glorious half-term week and amazingly, this is Wales after all, the sun doth shine. So picnic packed, still sandy shorts and beach shoes  retrieved from rapid wash cycle and " hei ho, hei ho it's off to Cwmtiddy we go."  Been a while actually, a thirty odd years while, when I was barely much older than no 3 son is now.

Pictures to follow :) but knew if I didn't bite the bullet and get writing again this minute, I never would.

As promised and just to prove that yes the sun does sometimes shine in wet old Wales.

                                     ... and this final picture was taken by no. 4 son.