(Catbells - I got all the way up to the second pointy bit.)Well, the Lake District was magic*, the weather amazing, the children (my eldest son's two elder boys) had a marvellous time, and I discovered that my walking hasn't imporoved after a new hip and a broken back (both of which have happened since the last serious walking hoiday). But never mind. I got up Cat Bells on the first day (a hands and knees scramble towards the end) and we had a fantastic holiday, just the four of us (boys, son and me).
Then today, off we set to youngest grandsons's first birthday party, and my foot slipped off the brake onto the accelerator, and I crashed into a parked - yes, parked - car. Damage to other car, bad. Woman driver justifiably furious. Me, covered with confusuion and spewing apologies. But two good Samaritans (young men who Know About Cars) appeared and patched things up, the woman forgave me, we exchanged all those boring things you exchange on these occasions, woman and I hugged each other (as you do) and I went on my way.
But it's good to be back. I think.
*Thanks for all the good wishes I didn't have time to acknowledge!
Glad you had a good time. Sorry about the car trouble, but at least it was just the vehicle damaged, not anyone inside.
ReplyDeleteSounds wonderful, Frances.
ReplyDeleteBut not the car smash - hope you're not too shaken up by it all. Isn't it great when good Samaritans appear at such times? As Patsy says, the main thing is that no one was hurt.
I entirely agree with Patsy. And how brave of you to do all that climbing and walking after a hip replacement and a broken back!
ReplyDeleteHi, Patsy. Yes no-one was hurt, but I felt so awful for the poor woman, who had to go all the way back to Devon, and wa very shaken. But I phoned her last night, and she didn't sound too bad.
ReplyDeleteTeresa, the Samaritans were an answer to prayer! But then I always find people are amazingly helpful on thee occasions.
Librarian- I have to admit then when I said yes to this holiday, I'd forgotten about both hip and back. But they were (nearly) fine.
Welcome back, Frances. Glad you had a good time. At least no-one was injured in the accident.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, Frances - glad you had such a good holiday and that it wasn't raining in the Lake District (must gloat about that to husband!).
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame about the car bump and kudos to the two young men. Sounds as though you handled the incident as well as you could in the circumstances. I'm sure you must have been very shaken too.
Hope you have recovered from your eventful return home! Even the smallest bump in a car shakes you up. It's that sudden feeling of not being in control, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, Frances! Wish it had been a smoother return, but I'm glad you had a great time.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Keith, Rosemary, Joanne and Nevets! We now have another crisis as John has lost his wallet, and having looked in all the sensible places, we've spent the day looking in all the places where we know it isn't (the fridge, the airing cupboard...well, you know how it is) and cancelling cards. Which is especially annoying as I know the number of our old one off by heart (too much internet shoping...).
ReplyDeleteI'm now waiting for the third thing to go wrong, and am tempted to chuck a few glasses against a wall to pre-empt it.
Chuck away...
ReplyDeleteCripes hope you didn't injure your back again. What bad luck. You sound as if you survived okay though.
ReplyDeleteCat Bells, what a wonderful name!
Didn't have to, Nevets - the wallet turned up at my son's house!
ReplyDeleteHi, Jenny. Yes - I've no idea where that name came from. Doesn't look like a cat, or bells...
Welcome home, Frances. I'm so pleased you had a successful holiday. Car incidents are horrible, but we are all human and these things can't be avoided. It's just a lump of metal on four wheels after all.I have always found men to be particularly calm and practical at such moments. They always appear out of the blue and take charge.
ReplyDeleteLast week, I managed to break the kitchen sink and the Hoover (sucked up two pencils). Then my fan-belt went during a drive to Dorset, where my middle daughter was meeting her fiancé's formidable grandmother for the first time. While I waited for the rescue truck which transported the five of us (me, three daughters and the fiancé, plus car) home, my daughter was subjected to the third degree by the grandmother. She was totally vile to my poor bewildered daughter, who was reduced to using the F-word. This was totally out of character for her, but uttered in a moment of disbelief and fear at the grandmother's resistance to her. As a result, the fiancé's mother has withdrawn her consent to the wedding (they are sixteen)and branded my sweet child a disgrace.
Happily the couple are as solid as a rock and completely in love. Nothing changes that. The fiancé is appalled at his family's reaction to her. But our plans and hopes for next year's wedding are now in tatters. I have to contact all the companies to which we have paid deposits and tell them it's off until they are eighteen.
So sorry to veer off-track like this. Any advice gratefully received!
Oh, Joanna - how horrible! I'm so sorry.
ReplyDeleteYou asked for advice (probably not seriously??), but with my Relate hat on I'd say that sixteen is very young, in that people change a lot between 16 and full adulthood. That's not to say they aren't in love, and that it won't happen - I'm sure they are, and it will - but maybe another two years to firm up their relationship will be no bad thing? I know couples who've been together since early teens, and are fine, and others who have developed in different directions as they get older. Having said that, I think you're being heroic in bowing to the wishes of a family who have behaved appallingly. After all, we owe it to our children to respect their wishes and their choices, even if we don't alwasy agree. And this grandmother - she seems to wield an unhealthy amount of power. Why is everyone taking so much notice of what she thinks? Is this a favourite grandson, and does she not want to let him go? She obviously has a strong agenda of her own.
I do hope you won't feel that I've spoken out of turn, and I wish you and the young couple all the very best. Two years go very quickly, and you can have lots of fun re-planning the wedding, once you've got over the terrible disappointment.
Now, go and make wax models and buy a lot of pins!
Thank you Frances so much for your advice. I really appreciate it. I'm sure you're right. They are very young and it is a big step. However, the family resent us, I think, because their son enjoys being here as part of our family and they are reluctant to accept that and don't want to let him go. They fear they are losing him. However, by withdrawing consent, I worry that they will push him even further away. He accepts that the wedding might have to wait an extra year, but will find it hard to forgive his mother for forcing the delay. We are meeting up on Thursday to discuss it all - wish me luck! i shall have the wax and pins ready!
ReplyDeleteLots of luck, Joanna. They obviously feel threatened by your close family, but if you can all come to like each other things are bound to get better (easier said than done, I know!).
ReplyDelete