Christmas Disaster and Christmas Cheer

The last Wednesday off before Christmas I had some last minute things to do and I was out and about in my car.  Traffic was busy and the weather was very wet and I had an accident.  I braked but it was not enough to stop the car sliding into the rear of the one in front.  I was OK, a bit shaken, but my car was not. 

So it was on to insurers and a flurry of phone calls from the car repairers, transportation of the car from Poole to Chichester. arranging car hire while my car was being repaired.  The front left headlight was broken, the bonnet and bumper.  Of course in modern cars the front is designed to crumple so it looked much worse that it actually was.  I quite thought that the repair would not be finished this side of Christmas, but I had a phone call to say it was ready late Friday afternoon and on Saturday the repairers phoned to arrange delivery.  Wow, that was really quick.  Unfortunately because of the Christmas holidays I won't see my car until this Friday, but at least its repaired.

I finished work on Friday and go back the Monday after Christmas so nice to have a week long break.  On Saturday, my daughter Sarah, arrived from Bristol, laden with 2 big bags and she is staying until the day after Boxing Day when return her back home so she has a few days off the enjoy the holidays. 

Yesterday we headed for West Sussex, to meet up with sons Alex and his family and Jamie with his family at a garden centre in Pulborough, where the miniature railway was running Santa Specials, so all 11 of us (7 adults and 4 children) visited Father Christmas. 

After then it was back to Alex's for a Christmas party so we could gather and exchange presents.  It was a way of spreading the number of presents that the children get over the holidays and a chance for us all to catch up.  We had a lovely afternoon, very ably catered by Mary and we opened some lovely presents.

 A Christmas card drawn by Sophie and a teatowel with Isobel's drawing

 Their school and pre-school photos

And from Jamie and Carly was a canvas of all the grandchildren. 

Have a lovely Christmas, Wild or otherwise!!