Surrounded by Beauty

 before disaster struck :)

Not sure what to blip - another in the extra and more 

I drove out to Basildon Park first thing this morning, went for a good walk.  Then I found a quiet place in the shade, where I started making notes on my sermon.  More here :)

On the way home things ground to a halt - the 'gearbox malfunction light came on for the 2nd time in as many weeks - right in the worst place on a big t junction in Pangbourne :( :(

I was unable to move it, so some very kind people came to push me out of the road and behind a wooden fence - which belonged to a pub.  I went in the pub to explain.  Initially the oriental landlord wasn't very nice...but when he understood, I got a big glass of diet coke whilst I waited for the AA.

The AA man was one of the nicest, and completely put me at my ease - but no choice - a novel experience but a horrid experience - had to be towed back to Newbury.  it made me quite sick actually.

Anyway we got to the garage and left the car forlorn, keys through the letterbox and I walked up the road to the supermarket, then got a taxi home after doing a bit of needed shopping :)

I had a much, much better experience than a poor friend of mine with her husband and two children, left for 3 hours on the side of the M4 when it was getting dark last night - recovery did not turn up for 3 hours...and they should have been priority with the children (but it wasn't the AA or any of the other 4 recovery companies, it was a small company....

Very, very glad to be home and safe...but this makes me think I'll hire a car to go away to Norfolk at the end of the month....there are a lot of tiny roads to be stranded on going that way!

Now I really have to write up my sermon for the 9th!!

Happy Saturday folks :)