Christmas Day 2017
Dear Ann,
I love Christmas. I love the planning. I love the cards; the excitement; being with family; the carols & just everything about it. I also love why we celebrate Christmas, which is why I never leave Christ out of Christmas even when I am writing about puddings!
This Christmas was to be a little different as we were going to a little township called Medowie, which is about half an hour’s travel further out into the country. This is where David’s stepdaughter, Georgia lives with husband, Mick & six month old baby Elsie. All of Georgia’s relatives were also joining us there for the first Christmas to be held in their lovely home.
David had arranged with me to be at his place around 9 a.m. on Christmas morning when we would leave; call & pick up Charley at her flat; & be at our destination early by 10 a.m.
I was totally organised & left home just after 8.30 a.m. to allow myself plenty of time. There are very few cars on the road at that time along my usual route to David’s place. I travelled to where I was to turn off, & there was only one car in sight travelling towards me.
At that particular time they were the only cars in sight. The other driver had pulled over a long way from me & was on the phone, but as this was illegal she pulled out again with her left hand blinker on all along the road.
However, she didn’t turn & crashed into me with great force!
My head was over the steering wheel & I remember thinking ‘I can’t believe this.’ For me to have an accident on Christmas Day was unthinkable, apart from what the accident entailed. So many things can cross your mind in seconds even though I was in shock.
An unfortunate start to Christmas Day
Someone came to see if I was okay. Of course people living on the corner where it happened came out & I was taken to sit on their verandah.
The ambulance was called & I was checked over thoroughly, after which I was asked if I would like to go to hospital. I was gratefu,l but declined as it was after all Christmas Day!
My main worry was that I would upset everyone’s plans for the day. I would worry about the soreness later.
Then David, Lauren & Riley arrived. I was so glad to see them. Although David was upset he took over & organised what had to be done.
There was something unusual of note that I thought should go in the Guinness Book of Records. Immediately after the accident happened the other lady driving came over, put her arms around me asking if I was okay.
Later I saw her sitting on the verandah in tears, so I went over & put my arms around her asking if she was okay. Later I thought how strange that two women should cuddle each other when they had just had a bad accident!
David managed to drive my car up to his place even though it was a write off. I was in David’s car with the rest of the family when we met him up there, after which we all took off to pick up Charley & continue on.
I was quiet all the way & hardly spoke a word. I was still in shock!
When we arrived at Georgia’s she was out to greet us in a flash as they had phoned to tell her we were on our way & what had happened. She was goodness herself, got me a couple of tablets which I asked for to settle me down & thankfully she had some.
I might add, as we pulled up outside Riley showed her watch & we were only five minutes late, which was great after all that had happened.
I got over it as I didn’t want to spoil Christmas Day for everyone else or for myself. The huge mug of coffee Mick made for me was ‘sooo’ good & just what the doctor ordered.
David said to me later that he had never seen me enjoy a coffee as much as I did that day & he was spot on. I needed it & enjoyed it so much so that it perked me up no end.
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole time we were there. We had gift giving time with Georgia, Mick, little Elsie, David, Lauren & Pat, (Lauren’s Mum) before Pat’s other children arrived namely, son Ian & wife, Veronica, daughter Chris & husband Peter as well as nephew, Tristen.
This was followed by lunch that was delightful as everyone took a plate of prepared food for the feast. There was plenty of food, wine & chatter. There were fifteen of us in all as a niece arrived later with her young son.
Then we enjoyed Secret Santa & a lot of fun was had by us all, with my accident all forgotten in the enjoyment of the special day it was. I had even exchanged my gift of a cricket bat & ball for an attractive coffee mug as you are permitted one exchange in Secret Santa.
Virginia who I have got to know quite well had some nice strong looking gardening gloves & was eyeing my coffee mug in a sinister kind of way, so I told her to ‘buggar off Virginia.’ Proving that I was just fine again as to use a word like that is not protocol, but everyone laughed.
Including Virginia as she took my coffee mug from me! I will never be using gardening gloves agai,n but I have plans for a recipient later!
Georgia & Mick were great hosts & did a mammoth job as, after we left early in the afternoon, they were then hosts to Mick’s family for the remainder of the day.
In addition to gardening gloves I left with a lovely pot plant from Georgia & Mick, which now sits inside one of my front windows where it will thrive in the light.
I was pleased with the gift I had for Georgia & Mick too as they are fortunate enough to have pretty well everything they need even though they are very young, but Georgia seemed to love the LED light white & gold Gardenia Tree & as for Mick.
I knew he loved my Roasted Almond Slices, so I made a double batch for him. I was busy telling him I had made so many because they would keep in the freezer, but as he raced off with them I heard him say “No way they are going into the freezer’. Which goes to prove the old adage that my Mum taught me, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!”
God Bless, Much love. Dawn X O X O