Dear Geoff

Oh my goodness Geoff I really got myself in a pickle, thank goodness you were there to sort me out.

On reflection I shouldn’t have gone out, but we had Panto tickets and didn’t want to let the others down we were meeting and going to watch.

But the snow had been softly falling all day, by the time late afternoon it had really started to stick and within an hour it had covered everything and looked like a winter wonderland.  There was even the beautiful barn owl that lives in the end of our house that came out early and was flying round, it look magical.

I sat and tuned in asking would it be ok to go and would we get there alright.  Yes came the answer.  Shame I didn’t ask, would we get back ok too.

I listened to the local radio and heard that journeys were taking longer due to the weather conditions, so I left extra time.  I even packed a spade in the boot as we set off on our journey.

We did well at first, got out the drive and down our little lane, after all this was the reason I bought a 4 x4 for weather like this so we wouldn’t be stuck at our isolated house.  I had asked you at the beginning of the journey to keep us all safe.  We got on to the main road and slowly made our way down the steep hill, stopping at the top waiting for our turn, we managed it no problem, even stopping to give a lady a lift to Bowness who was struggling walking along with heavy bags.

Ironically, she was going to meet someone exactly where we were picking someone else up, talking about synchronicities.  We made it to pick up point and swapped passengers.   But then setting off again we slipped and slid down the narrow road, I shouted out “Oh Geoff please help”.  How the car missed the other parked vehicles I don’t know, but I do know had a part to play in that, so thanks so much Geoff.

We made the rest of the journey without any other real issues.  But as much as the Panto was entertaining I could really get into it because I was concerned how we were going to get home, as the slow was still falling.  I was planning in my head all the possible routes we could cake to avoid steep hills.  But living in the Lake District it was pretty impossible.  There was so many cars abandoned on the roads on the way there, they made it like an obstacle course too.  As I was sitting there and tuning in, I did not have the same confident feeling that I had early, l now had butterflies in my tummy.

By the time the Panto had finished the snow had fell so much we had to clear a good few inches off the car before we could even set off.

The first half of the journey to dropping off our friend, although hazardous with fallen trees due to the weight of the snow and missing abandoned cars, seemed to go buy fairly easily, even on the really big hill on Rayrigg Road.  When I stopped to let our friend, this is where the problems really started and boy I was shouting out to you and telling everyone to ask their Angels too!  My car wasn’t going forward any more but sideways!  No matter how I tried to go forwards I just kept sliding sideways getting closer to the nearby cars.  The kids got out to push and a kind man appeared and helped too, we soon got going again.  I know you got the man to help, so thanks for that too.

We only just got going and all back in the car and we had a steep hill to climb, I got a nice steady speed going and started the climb, next thing I was sideways and heading to a wall, I stopped just in time and reversed back down ready to try again.  Numerous times I tried and could not manage it; I knew my driving skills were not up to these conditions.  I pulled the car into a driveway whilst my son got out to try and clear some of the road, but it was useless as under the snow it was thick ice.  I was asking in my head for you to help us Geoff, I was beginning to feel quite desperate as I was not long out of hospital for Pleurisy and severe asthma, I was still have regular attacks and quite breathless I knew I couldn’t leave my car here and finish the journey on foot, I would never make it.

I started to feel quite panicky at what my options where, what if I had a severe attack, I was stuck!  I started to think I would have to book into a B&B, this was crazy as just 5 minutes from my house. Then just as I had finished asking you to help and I have to admit I thought you would have somehow enabled me to get up the hill, a thought popped into my head a route became clear.  Not one I would have even thought about all that time in the Panto, when I suggested it to the others they all said yes.  We were to try approaching home from a different direction.  We headed back into Bowness and out on to the Newby Bridge Road, I knew I was taking myself away from the hustle and bustle of the village and the B&B’s if we needed one, but it felt right.  I also knew if I got stuck here I would really leave myself in a pickle, as we really would be stranded, as it was a quiet residential lane.  My tummy was still nervous but I felt confident it would be ok, as I knew it was you Geoff telling me this.

We got along to the entrance to Middle Entrance Drive quite easily; I thought this route would be easier as it was a longer but more gradual hill.  As we made the turn there were two people walking a dog, we stopped and gave way to them.  Then proceeded up the long, long drive.  We had only just started going up when we came across an abandoned car and next thing we were skidding sideways, with a hedge coming too close for comfort, before I knew it we had stopped and the car was nicely parked in the hedge! I couldn’t believe it I really got us in a mess now; I had a vision of us spending the night in car and was very thankful I had just filled up with diesel.  Next thing there was a knock on the window and a lady appeared asking were we ok? We were all fine, but this was not my finest moment and I had most definitely had better days.  She said she would go and get some carpet to put under the wheels and disappeared.  The man she was with was suggested ways for me to try to get the car out, we tried them all but seemed to just get deeper into the hedge.

The carpet failed too, I was really worrying what we were going to do.  It was then the man asked where are we trying to get to?  We told him where we lived and he said “No problem, I will go and get my Range Rover and take you home”.  I couldn’t believe it, how amazing is that?  I was expecting you Geoff to get us home in my car and you had brought me here to get stuck, only to get rescued by someone who could take us home.  If I had stayed in Bowness I am pretty sure that would not have happened as so many other people where stuck.

The man and his daughter were back within minutes in his Range Rover, which just ploughed through all the snow as if it was playing in it.  Making my 4 x4 look totally inadequate, even if it is a Freelander.  It turned out his daughter was a friend of my brothers and she knew exactly where we lived.  I couldn’t believe it they brought us right up to the door.  I have never been so glad to see my house and internally gratefully to the two earth Angels that went out of their way to make sure we got home safely.  It really does restore you faith in people.   Of course I know it would not have all worked out so well if you had not helped so big thanks to you Geoff you delivered as always, though not as I expected.

Later that night when we were safely home having a cuppa, my son pointed out to me that tonight was also Karma.  We had helped out the lady and given her a lift, the man and his daughter had brought us home.  What a lovely way to see it I thought, but I will still be sending them a gift for going out of there way like that.

I have to say I didn’t sleep too well that night for going over how foolish I had been to even get us in that situation.  I was worrying to Geoff that my car would be run into because of it being so narrow between me and the other car that was also abandoned.

As you know Geoff I asked you to keep it safe and also for help to recover it, though I had no idea how I was even going to manage that let alone get back to it.  The next day I woke to find we had a power cut.  Oh no I was so unprepared for this.  Last week we had be given an amber alert for a weather warning, I had gone out and stocked up on essentials so we would be ok and nothing happened.  This time I thought the met office had it wrong again.  So my larder was very low and had planned to do a shop over the weekend.    I plugged my old style house phone in and thankfully with having an Aga I could still make a cuppa. My son went out to start ploughing the drive with the small grass cutter tractor we have, but it ran out of fuel!  He tried to start his quad but the battery was flat.  I could not find the wind up radio anywhere to listen to see how the roads where. My day was not going to so well.  I asked again Geoff for you to help please, next thing the phone rang and is was my ex husband wanting to speak to my son, by this point my son had jumpstarted the quad and was having fun flying round the garden on it.  So I was just chatting to my ex explaining I would get Brad to call him as couldn’t take this phone outside because we had a power cut.  “Oh dear he said, are you alright for everything”? I explained we needed unleaded fuel to plough the drive, my car was stuck, our daughter was stuck in Windermere at friends and we had very little in for food!

He said “Ok, I will come over and bring fuel and then we will go and get your car out, so you can get out and get what you need”.  I couldn’t believe it, we get on ok, but he doesn’t usually go out of his way to help me.  I presume Geoff this was down to you to, so thanks yet again.

Within the hour he was here with fuel and giving me a lift to go and recover my car.  I couldn’t believe it when I saw where the car was, as a branch had fell down from a nearby tree and had narrowly missed it.  My ex did a bit of digging and had my car out in a flash.  We all got home safe and the car seemed ok, just needs a good was.  I have learnt my lesson Amanda and snow don’t mix, next so in future I will stay in.

So as I sit hear typing this blog, listening to the snow falling from the roof of the house and the drip, drip of the thaw that can’t come quick enough for me.  Tonight I will be raiding the larder for something for tea and I am going nowhere till I feel confident to drive when the roads are clear, I am not putting myself or my family in that risk again.  But as ever huge, huge, enormous thanks for helping in the last 24 hours, but I have one more thing to ask, please can you help them get the electric back on before it goes dark again.  Thanks so much. A X

P.S. Electric came on before dark – Thanks Geoff. x

Stuck in the Snow

Geoff is my Guardian Angel, strange name I know but that is one of the wonderful things about Angels they will communicate how you need it.  Mine knows I can’t remember names, but Geoff works for me because there are two people in the family called Geoff!  I have two blogs, but this one  is all about the things I ask for help with and the way he communicates with me and his Angel signs. I hope by taking a peek into my Angel Diary it will help you work with your Angel.  A x