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Tea Room the 23rd - The Canadian Rockies

996 replies

Jacksmania · 11/02/2011 16:49

Welcome to the 23rd incarnation of the One-Child Tea Room. Not to be misleading - although its inmates inhabitants mostly have just one child, we also have mums of many (but no dads yet... hmmm...). Everyone is welcome.

The usual rules apply - no bunfighting. If you like that sort of thing, go elsewhere.
Other rules: bring Wine. Or [tea]. :o

We find ourselves in a lovely spacious log cabin in the Canadian Rockies. Enormous west-facing windows show a gorgeous view of the sunset over the mountains, and there are log and/or gas fireplaces in every room, even the priest hole (which is a Hiding Spot of Requirement for Those In Need) and the bathrooms. In the open-concept living room, we find the Aga gently simmering against the wall, the bar fully stocked, and the cappuccino bar prepared to dispense any hot beverage of your choice.

Fluffy duvets and colourful pillows abound on the deep, squashy couches and armchairs. Outside, we see a vista of deep snow, dotted here and there with deer and bunny tracks. The walking trails and access roads have been ploughed clear of snow by our able (and hunky) handyman, Mellors, who is also available for massages and facial treatments in the Log Cabin Spa.
There is a hot tub outside on the west-facing deck, with a mini-bar conveniently nearby.

There are no aspidistras in this log cabin, as the cold of the Rockies causes them to shrivel and die. However, the Naked Mohawk Babies have come along and are swarming along the rafters, and in the adjacent stable, the Tea Room horses, Earl and Lady Grey are available for snowy rides. The bison are frolicking in their snowy paddock, and I have no idea if the bishops followed the trail of breadcrumbs or not.

(For newcomers, the last paragraphs obv. makes no sense - just go with, all will be explained.)

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
MaryBS · 16/02/2011 14:25

It was Oxfam, but most of the charity shops are expensive for books, none of them do them for £1, most are £2+, even for tatty books!

As for whether explaining things would help, thumbwitch, not sure that it would. Part of it is trying to explain to someone who is trying to help, that actually, she isn't being helpful, she's guessing what is best for me, with little knowledge of ASCs, and then going ahead and doing things, only telling me afterwards. Which is sort of condescending and patronising really.

teafortwo · 16/02/2011 14:27

tomorrow is Milk's first holiday to MIL's sans parents. she is so cool about it. I am too on the outside.

I was looking at a girl with her kindle opposite a girl with her i-phone on the metro 'tother deeey and thought... how long 'til we can have an i-phone with a kindle screen and apps. If/when that comes out I will be on my knees in techno-envy while reading my charity book...

Yesterday a friend of mine gave me a bag of books and candles because "I was having a sort out and found these. You are the only person I know who reads books and lights her living room with candles she mused... so it is either you or the bin which would be too sad."

CMOT - reading that fast is VERY impressive. I usually read several books at the same time. I have been known to take over a year finishing some and have quite a few unfinished books sitting on the shelf.

thumbdabwitch · 16/02/2011 14:43

Oh Mary - that is rude! I think it would be pertinent to say to her "I am an adult, not a child - I deserve to be consulted over things that affect me - please do me the courtesy of treating me as you would any other adult and ask me what suits me, rather than guessing for me".
I don't think that's too strong.

I can't read quite as fast as CMOTD but still can demolish a novel in about 3 hours. Given half a chance, that is! But I don't like screen reading, I prefer to read paper so the Kindle doesn't really appeal.

Tea - I thought you were going to say something about them communicating via technology rather than looking at each other, rather like in Wall-e (an excellent film, I thought).

amberlight · 16/02/2011 14:50

Depends on the book. Most paperback non-fiction gets finished inside the hour. I can take hugely longer over fiction as I have to understand the concepts and metaphors as I go and can't 'see' the characters or remember who's who, which makes all of it a bit like trying to read Greek when you don't speak it.

The garage rang to let me know how much it will be to fix Flora the (t)Rusty Land Rover. Upwards of £1400. I think I need a sit-down.

Mary, grr re your situation. Lots of grr.

MaryBS · 16/02/2011 14:50

We've already exchanged a couple of distressing emails though, before all this. Like when she disclosed my Asperger's to someone without asking if I'd be OK with it. And when I vented my feelings on another subject, in terms of not being kept informed and things changing without prior consultation.

MaryBS · 16/02/2011 14:51

xposted with Amber - eek re: car. Any chance of a second opinion? Seems very steep!

amberlight · 16/02/2011 14:56

Nope, it's real costs for the car - I knew all the brakes needed changing out at some stage as they've not been done since she were a lass (as it were). And the service costs and other repairs are part of that cost. 'Never run 3 ton of Land Rover if you want a cheap life' would be my observation of this.

thumbdabwitch · 16/02/2011 15:00

Amber - eep! that is steep indeed but yes, not without the bounds of possibility for an aged Landy.

Mary - ah, I did wonder if it was the same interfering idiot "well-meaning" person - perhaps someone else needs to intervene for you, although I realise this rather dilutes the message. She does sound very thick-skinned though, as such types often are - difficult to deal with if you don't have ASC, worse if you do. :(

teafortwo · 16/02/2011 15:06

OK - caught up!

I am v happy that everyone is staying in the tearoom! YIPPPEEEE!!!

VERY glad that maud loved Mr Firth as much as I...

and...

very huffy about Brew... how very very not pretty, Flora costing soooo much (second opinion needed) and anyone who winds Mary up - grrrrr for that unthoughtful person!!!!

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 16/02/2011 17:07

::waves::

::distributes cake::

Do you blog under a pseudonym, BoffinMum? Are you willing to share it?

Have had a bummer of a day at work.

::whistles for Mellors and the massage table::

amberlight · 16/02/2011 17:11

Ah I see Mellors has indeed returned from Oxeye's night of passion getting him to help her sort out the carpentry, and has refreshed the massage table supplies, just in time for you, Maud.

Bit Shock after getting back from picking up Flora. She'd also had a Recall, which are normally just a security precaution...except they found out that she did indeed have oil in her braking system that shouldn't have been there due to the recall fault. Oh my...!

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 16/02/2011 17:18

I think you should go first with Mellors and the massage table, Amber.

::selfless and noble::

Mind you, Mellors looks exhausted - he has huge bags under his eyes.

amberlight · 16/02/2011 17:21

::temporarily selfish and ignoble::

Thanks!

Pass me the gin and a straw, please....?

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 16/02/2011 17:22

How many bottles would that be?

amberlight · 16/02/2011 17:27

How many have you got?! Wine

Tee2072 · 16/02/2011 17:45

Boffin I tweet. Same username as here. I also have a blog Tee's Blog if anyone wants to read about my thrilling life!

Can I be next after Amber?

teafortwo · 16/02/2011 18:09

Oh maud sorry about your beeeerlllaugh day at work.

Would this help a little???

UnSerpentQuiCourt · 16/02/2011 18:14

Have just got home after a long day and put Wriggle in front of the Disney Merlin film (one of my favourites).

Due to the fact that some y6 boys allegedly downloaded some unsuitable images in one of my lessons last year (16 laptops spread over two rooms and me on my own rushing backwards and forwards) I have had to spend to download pictures myself for the class to use to make a Photostory for 'When I needed a neighbour'. They gave me a specific list of images they wanted, heavy on the hungry children/children sleeping in the street etc. I have spent the last hour googling all the sadness in the world. Sad

They are divided as to whether children at primary school should see pictures like that - some feel that it is too upsetting for them. Together we worked out that the starving children in the pictures were primary school children. Very interesting discussion. When the Diosisan advisor came in, I remember that one of the complaints the children had about RE was (apart from 'Why should we learn about Hindus - we are English?'!) was 'I don't like thinking about people who are not happy.' What do tea room inmates with older children think about it? Should they see pictures? (Obviously I don't show the more disturbing pictures.)

Tea, I am beginning to give up hope that you will suddenly say that you have received Wriggle's story, since we posted it over three weeks ago. She spent so long on it! Although they can change unrecognisably in three weeks; today I think that she would have done all the drawings herself, not asked me to draw them for her to colour. Maybe you can think of another way for them to communicate, since the French postal system obviously hates me.

teafortwo · 16/02/2011 18:15

gaaah - I cannot get the clip to work but I remember it has this song in...

Which is very retro cheerful and great after a glum day repairing Flora or at the grindstone!

Smile - gotta luff it... non?

UnSerpentQuiCourt · 16/02/2011 18:16

Maud, I have an image of your work as being a paradise of intellectual stimulation and silence. Am I wrong?

teafortwo · 16/02/2011 18:23

Unserp - Eeeeeeek - I sent you a message on FB to tell you how much we LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE the book about two weeks ago!!!!! It is completely delightful. Vesna called Eccles Arrrf Arrrf for at least three days after and it has pride of place on her desk with all her special books between her beautiful bunny bookends (no ordinary book shelf for that beauty I tell ya!).

It was soooo lovely. We are busy pondering what to send in return (maybe a postcard from Brittany - but Milk is not decided yet)... I am sad you didn't see the messages on your wall and my status because it really was VERY very warmly received!!! Sad

teafortwo · 16/02/2011 18:26

SERIOUSLY - It completely made Milk and my day the morning we found Wiggles book in the post.

UnSerpentQuiCourt · 16/02/2011 18:27

Oops, sorry. I always think that my e-mail will tell me if I have a message on FB - it does sometimes. Off to look now!

Jacksmania · 16/02/2011 18:30

CMOT, why a crappy day?

I need to email you and coordinate meet-up in San Diego, if you're still going :o

OP posts:
teafortwo · 16/02/2011 18:39

Unserp - I feel very bad that you went so long not realising we had it.

I have a friend who never acknowledges carefully chosen and sent gifts. TBH it really gets to me. Goodness knows what state of twistedness my knickers would have been in, in your shoes having spent so long making the book.

Time to start on the Wine to calm my nerves down a bit!!!

I am glad you said something and glad I could tell you, albiet terribly late, how completely charming the book is and how lucky you made Milk and I feel!

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