Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Storm in a teacup, or, feck it, it's only a car...

I can say that now because it's not looking so bad.


I wasn't really fishing for sympathy. Well, perhaps I was. I certainly received it in spades, for which many thanks. I don't deserve you all ('oh yes you do!' 'Oh no I don't!). The advice and kind words I received from you was wisdom, commonsense and compassion to the power of many.


The garagist didn't tease me at all. When he asked how I did it I said I was in the clouds, to which he replied, 'And did you come down from them then?'. 'Rapidly' I said.

Having a good garagist, I think, is probably as important as having a good doctor. At least if you have a car anyway. Once I was racketing along the Quessoy road with Monsieur Turbin in his tatty old camionette I began to feel already the situation was more manageable, that it would be dealt with and though it would cost we would not be ripped off for it. After a short struggle he got the wheel changed, and I was able to drive it very gingerly back to his garage with him following. It felt squelchy but OK (the spare was very soft anyway), no warning lights came on so the hydraulics must have been unruptured, and the brakes seemed to work.


As of this evening it's still unrepaired but should be done by tomorrow morning. The replacement of one tyre invariably necessitates replacing two; that on the other side was getting somewhat bald, apparently, so that's no bad thing. I still have a car and I will be able to visit Tom in hospital.


So, time to count blessings. What has cheered me today?

Geraniums and kalanchoe brought inside on the kitchen windowsill.

The last yellow sycamore leaves.

Flights of lapwings over thorn trees.

Landscape in opaque layers.
Bird on a wire.

Cabbages and corrugated.



Lingering autumn light.
~~~
We wish we were in Times Square tonight. Or even Paris, or Brussels. Or Prague. Prague would be great.

7 comments:

Fire Bird said...

(o)

HLiza said...

Hey you're so lucky to have such nice sceneries around you. I always depend on my photos and other's to cheer me up too..

Julia said...

Prague is a bit foggy tonight, but it would welcome you with open arms!

Zhoen said...

I'd choose your soothing view over any cityscape today.

vicki johnson said...

Lucy....we did it...i'm exhausted from the nervous anxiety i felt these past few days and that intensified incredibly today. i'm sure that you've heard the news...My fellow country-folks know when things need to change...and boy have they called for a change. i'm sure you know by now...Bush & Co. are gone...the people who put him there have recognized the mistake and turned the tables in a major way.
now i hope Obama will continue to live and lead like a winner. After all of the terrible things i witnessed on television as a kid in my country 40+ years ago, i can hardly believe what we have done today.

Bee said...

Lucy, Where did you get all of this lovely light? We've been absolutely smothered by a blanket of cloud for days now.

Granny J said...

Lucy -- you used a wonderful word that has never appeared across the Atlantic -- garagist. Over here, it's one's mechanic. And I'll echo Bee -- your autumn light has been superb.