Tea Room the Twentieth: The Greek Island

[asmallbunchofflowers]

Welcome to the twentieth (yes, really) Tea Room.

We find ourselves on a sun-kissed Greek island, where our whitewashed, blue-shuttered house nestles in the dappled shade of a gnarled old pine tree. In the olive grove, Mellors the gardener/handyman/factotum is tending the tea room menagerie of horses, camels, bison and guinea-pigs, recently joined by some recalcitrant old donkeys. The distressed chintz sofa, aga and cardboard cut-out of George Clooney have survived the relocation from the south of France and the aspidistra has pride of place on the mantelpiece.

Come in, put your feet up and join in the conversation. It may not make sense, but that's not important. What matters is the lovely people here and the chance simply to relax.

Having survived the ILs yesterday (ds was v good and just forced the teens to play with him) we are chilling again today. The snow is thawing a bit, so should be much nicer at the stables with only a thin layer

Contemplating the shops today. Not sure, though. If I go hope I can leave BabyScout home with his daddy and/or Nana.

Just crawled back to bed after hot bath (heated by secret and profligate use of electric immersion heater). Feeling distinctly cleaner but nauseous and wobbly, so back to bed on sofa.

DH has taken Wriggle and friend to puppet show. He doesn't do things like that usually - obviously really needed to get out after 36 hours shut up together in the sitting room. I kept difting off to sleep and at one point woke up to find that Wriggle had decorated me with tinsel.

Hogwarts Express in lego sounds fantastic - as does a crystal lamp. Thumb, presents generally make the giver happy and that is what we need to celebrate. That being said, DH bought me a pair of slippers that I needed and was too parsimonious to buy for myself. (Chilblains were flourishing under reduced-heating regime.)

What a scrum!

Bargains! But I think I need a bit of a lie down for a day or two to recover from it!

Am watching a film called 'One Magic Christmas', which I thought might be rather uplifting. So far the heroine's husband has been shot and her children drowned in a icy river.

Serpent - you are of course right - however, MrT has an, um, interesting history with presents for me. He was badly trained - his father was not a good present giver, and did not train his sons to give presents either. I feel so :( for MIL - all those missed birthdays, Christmases etc. This year she got a Tupperware hand blender (v. cool, she wanted it as soon as she saw it), a 3-tier stacking patio pot, a pyramidal pot pourri silk thingy for her cupboards (she loves stuff like that) and a digital photoframe keyring. She told me it's the most presents she's ever had in one go!
So - MrT is improving (the low spot was the 16Gb flash drive as my main present a few years back) and gets much encouragement.

And ugh! to the film you're watching - unless somehow it all turned around at the end and they hadn't really all died!

Amber - you're welcome - hope you find a fizz-stopper, sounds like it would be useful for you!
Am v. impressed that you braved the sales - that's usually a step too far for me - I get peopleophobic. (there has to be a name for it - it's not agoraphobia because I don't mind the open space - could be claustrophobia, I suppose - it's panic in large crowds of people only though)

UniS - hope Boy gets his trailer. I haven't braved the shops again yet either but probably will tomorrow. It was too damp today - and when it rains, Aussies go shopping.

CMOTD - good for Tiddler! Glad things went well.

Scout - did you go? Did you get anything?

We haven't started properly with the lego yet - miniT has one box of large size stuff, but playing with it mostly involves dumping the entire set onto the rug and demanding things to be built with it for him (it's a farm set, so cows, horses, chickens etc. are a must - they are displayed on the box). He hasn't quite got the idea yet. Or is too clever for us, one or t'other.

The film of course did turn round when the Mum started blieving in Christmas.

Thumb, agoraphobia literally means 'fear of the market place', so highly appropriate!

Yup, agoraphobia is often best described as a fear of crowded places - buses, crowded trains, supermarkets - anywhere where there's max sensory overload and min chance of escaping fast.
I get in there early in the morning so less people...and try to avoid the busiest shops. But one such shop was 50 deep at the tills and so crowded. Good job dh was with me - he loves shopping (strange for a man) and gives me confidence.

Nearly time to make some bubble 'n squeak! Anyone for a plateful with some cold meats/cheese and pickles?

Bleurgh. Have DH's cold. [misery emoticon]

Amber, I would love to eat anything, but I have such a disgusting taste in my mouth that everything is just awful. I am dreaming of cold meat and pickles.

Joining you on cold meat and chutneys. Yum.
Gonna try and put boy to bed at someone else's house ( we are there for evening) and take him home asleep(ish) later... wish us luck.

Hmmm. I have never managed to make that work, UniS! But you are probably made of sterner stuff.

Just realised the slight flaw in the plan of eating Christmas dinner in someone else's house ... no leftovers! Or rather, since I made the pudding, lots of over-sweet icecream dessert and no left-over stuffing and bread sauce and brussels sprouts and roast potatoes and cold sausages ....all the things I would love to eat if everything was not so foul tasting. On the brighter side, there is no way that this Christmas is going to lead to me putting on any weight.

The Tudor farmhouse had a many points in its recent history been used as a log store and a cattle shed. Think rather of a trestle table in a log store than a baronial hall.

Managed to get out without BabyScout. Only got one thing -- 2011's Christmas present for my GS leader (whom I'm still very good friends with). Would lke to go out tomorrow to HobbyCraft and some garden centers. Have spied a few things online, though.

I should add -- ice cream is the best dinner.

Didcha aaawl 'aaave a niiirsch Ceeerwis-mas den?

We have had such a super time. Underneath the Christmas tree Milk found a beautiful velvet Little Red Riding Hood cape from her Nanna and Grandpa and a collage of Little Red Hood from her Aunty so she is completely over the moon!

Today we had a fun time falling over laughing bowling with my lovely cousin...

tea, how long are you in Scoutshire for?

BabyScout has finally managed to open and play with all of his presents (surprisingly, the only clothes he got was a new winter coat, feety pjs (fleecy) and a sweatshirt in my stocking.

We leave on Wednesday... so tomorrow is our last day really.

We are pretty busy tomorrow but could fit in afternoon tea, if you are free?

We're still in InLawShire. I'd really like to meet up for tea. Will you be back sometime in 2011?

oh thank you, Serpent and Amber - so it is agoraphobia - didn't realise. Probably because that is often characterised by people refusing to set foot out of their house!

Serpent - the disgusting taste - you don't have oral thrush do you? Just a thought - I had it once and the taste in my mouth was vile - like rancid lard or something.

Shame tea and scout aren't going to manage a meet up - sometimes it just doesn't work out (like for me and small in August/September)

JM - boo to cold germs!

Thumb, strongly suspect agoraphobia will turn out to be linked to sensory sensitivities. Supermarkets and sales are meant to be an explosion of sensory information. Some cope, others get completely short-circuited by it.

Being invaded here by teenagers practising their drama performance. May have to escape for a long walk!!

amber - think you are right. You have probably remembered my sensitivity to sound - that would be the biggest problem. I have similar issues going to those big pubs with high ceilings (notably All-Bar-One and that ilk) where the noise collects above everyone as one homogenous mass and you have to shout to talk to the person sitting next to you!

I have sound sensitivity too, so much sympathy there.

Feeling a little sorry for myself, have somehow damaged my knee - suspected cartilage/ligament damage (went to minor injuries yesterday) and am on crutches. Visit to fracture clinic on Thursday. I was at my brother's the other evening, and my knew just gave way, was lucky not to fall down stairs!

I've also been grinding my teeth again, so have a very sore mouth. Consequently have had little sleep, despite painkillers.

Mary, eek and arrgh re the knee and teeth and sleep.

Thumb, that makes sense. Sensory processing conditions are only just being thought about.
(I find amateur lipreading bloomin' useful in pubs etc, otherwise I've no clue what's going on round me. Just one avalanche of noise. I guess it's a bit like having the opposite extreme of hearing loss - "far too much hearing!" ).

Marina?